| | | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Presented by Floridians for Affordable Rx | Hello and welcome to Thursday. The daily rundown — Between Tuesday and Wednesday, the number of Florida coronavirus cases increased by 6,772 (0.3 percent), to 2,141,686; active hospitalizations increased by 1, to 3,258; deaths of Florida residents rose by 44 (0.1 percent), to 34,164; 7,584,736 Floridians have received at least one dose of a vaccine. Departing soon? — Could Richard Corcoran — Florida's education commissioner, former House speaker, staunch conservative and University of Florida fan — wind up as president of nearby Florida State University? The buzz has been building that Corcoran is interested in the position that is now held by FSU President John Thrasher, himself a former House speaker and state senator. Not ruling it out — Corcoran for his part isn't saying whether he's going to apply for the job. But he didn't rule it out either. In a statement to Playbook, Corcoran said "It would be an amazing honor but right now we're focused on having a strong close to our school year and having a great session." Ongoing — The search for FSU president is in a bit of nebulous phase. Thrasher is scheduled to retire later this year and the university has engaged a search firm to look for potential successors. Late last month, the firm told FSU's search committee that discussions had begun with sitting and former school presidents across the country, according to FSUNews.com. Behind closed doors — All this is going on while the Florida Legislature moves closer to passing a bill that would keep presidential searches completely under wraps until the very end. Despite assurances that finalists would be identified, the actual bill doesn't define how many must be publicly named. Nor does the legislation bar legislators from seeking the posts. His record — Corcoran, an attorney who briefly attended UF and once served as chief of staff to Marco Rubio when he was Florida speaker, has been outspoken especially when it comes to K-12 education. He has been a strong supporter of the state's accountability laws, charter schools and private school vouchers. He also joined Gov. Ron DeSantis in pushing for in-person instruction during the Covid-19 pandemic. Corcoran has never shied away from battles and more than once has turned his ire at Florida's teacher union. What does FSU's board want? — There's no doubt that there will be some pushback from students and faculty and yes some alumni if Corcoran is in the mix. For some FSU faithful the biggest question about the next president is their relationship with Republican power brokers (right now, the university is trying to keep extra funding it got from the Legislature in recent years intact) and whether the next candidate can raise money successfully. Stay tuned in the months ahead. — WHERE'S RON? — Nothing official announced for Gov. DeSantis. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: gfineout@politico.com RECOVERY LAB: The latest issue of Recovery Lab , POLITICO's new project surfacing the smartest ideas for speeding recovery from the pandemic, launches today with a focus on Education . The Covid-19 pandemic has forever changed teaching and learning in America… and it has also changed how we think about schools. Employers quickly learned how much they and their employees rely on schools to provide childcare. Communities learned just how dependent their families were on other supports provided through schools, such as healthy meals and medical checkups. And if the learning loss that occurred this year persists, it will become a long-term drag on those students' lives and incomes. Read all the stories here. | | | | A message from Floridians for Affordable Rx: For too many Floridians, prescription drugs are unaffordable, and that's unacceptable. That's why it's time to take politics out of prescriptions and find real solutions to lower Rx costs for all Floridians. The key to lowering drug costs is through increased competition, not big government mandates on private-sector tools used to reduce costs. The independent pharmacy lobby's special interest agenda undermines access to affordable prescription drugs. Learn more: Floridians for Affordable Rx | | |
|  | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | 'PURELY POLITICAL' — "Florida House passes contentious transgender sports ban," by POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury: The GOP-controlled Florida House on Wednesday passed controversial legislation banning transgender athletes from playing girls' sports, shifting attention to the state Senate where final approval is needed to send the bill to Gov. Ron DeSantis. The 77-40 mostly party-line vote, with all but one Democrat opposing, came one day after House Democrats held up a floor session for hours attempting to scale back the measure. GOP lawmakers say the bill is needed to protect the sanctity of women's sports, but opponents contend it would only "legalize bullying" for transgender students. KEEP IT DARK — "Florida House okays exemption for college president searches," by News Service of Florida's Ryan Dailey: "People applying to lead Florida colleges and universities would get a public-records exemption to shield release of their "personal identifying information" under a measure passed Wednesday by the House. The House voted 101-16 to approve a bill (HB 997) that would create a records exemption for applicants to become college and university presidents. Only information about finalists for the positions would be made public." STALLED — " Florida Senate election bill bogs down — for now — amid waves of opposition," by POLITICO's Matt Dixon: After more than three hours of heated debate, a key Florida Senate panel on Wednesday re-wrote and watered down a sweeping election overhaul that drew waves of opposition which — at least temporarily — postponed a vote. More than 70 people lined up to speak against the proposal during a marathon meeting of the Senate Rules Committee. Democratic opponents filed nearly 20 amendments to the proposal, most of which were swatted by GOP majorities trying to muscle the bill to the Senate floor. Republicans' push to advance the measure, however, was thwarted for now because they ran out of time due to lengthy debate and public testimony. 'A BIPARTISAN EFFORT' — "Florida House leaders, Black Caucus agree on policing reforms. Choke holds targeted," by Miami Herald's Ana Ceballos: "After months of negotiations, Republican House leaders and members of the Florida Legislative Black Caucus have reached a compromise on a bill that aims to improve trust in police by addressing use of force and other police tactics. The bill, introduced by the House Judiciary Committee, would set statewide use-of-force policies for Florida law enforcement officers, limit the use of the controversial choke-hold tactic and would require the state to collect data on cases in which police officers use force that results in serious bodily injury or death or shoot at a person." PRIORITIES — "Florida Senate eyes corporate tax cuts after reducing hospital, university funding," by Orlando Sentinel's Gray Rohrer: "A week after passing a budget that would reduce funding for hospitals and universities, the Florida Senate is moving forward with a slew of bills to cut taxes for large corporations totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. The Senate Finance and Tax Committee on Wednesday is set to vote on bills to reduce state corporate income taxes, give a property tax cut to those reselling timeshares and offer tax credits to Hertz and Electronic Arts, costing the state more than $400 million. Another would allow corporations to deduct 100% of business meals, also known as the 'three-martini lunch tax break.'" | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" TO JOIN AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION: Power is changing, in Washington and across the country. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that all politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. Our twice-weekly newsletter "The Recast" breaks down how race and identity are shaping politics and policy in America and we are recasting how we report on it. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear from important new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out, SUBSCRIBE . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel. | | | | |
| | Gaetz-gate | | AIRING IT OUT — "Rep. Matt Gaetz announces ad buy to 'fight back' against CNN, allegations," by POLITICO's Benjamin Din: Rep. Matt Gaetz on Wednesday announced a six-figure ad buy for a spot that targets CNN, as he fights to save his political career amid sexual trafficking allegations. The new 30-second ad will be featured in the Florida Republican's congressional district and nationally on select cable networks, according to a statement from Gaetz's congressional campaign. The ad marks the beginning of Gaetz's counteroffensive, as he "fight[s] back against a multiweek fake news cycle against him," it said. AND CNN AIRED THIS — " Women detail drug use, sex and payments after late-night parties with Gaetz and others," by CNN's David Shortell and Paula Reid: "The first thing some of the women were asked to do when they got to the house parties in the gated community in suburban Orlando was to put away their cellphones, according to two women in attendance who spoke to CNN in recent days. The men inside, a who's who of local Republican officials that often included Rep. Matt Gaetz, did not want the night's activities documented. The partygoers, at times dressed in formal wear from a political event they'd just left, mingled and shared drugs like cocaine and ecstasy. Some had sex. Gaetz, the brash Republican, liked to discuss politics, said one of the women. He behaved like a 'frat type of party boy,' she said, sometimes taking pills she believed were recreational drugs." PUT ON NOTICE — "No. 2 House Republican says GOP would act against Gaetz," by The Associated Press' Alan Fram: "The No. 2 House Republican leader said Wednesday that party leaders would 'take action' against Rep. Matt Gaetz if the Justice Department formally moves against the Florida lawmaker, who is under federal investigation for alleged sex trafficking. The remarks by Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana made him the latest congressional Republicans to opt against springing to the defense of the three-term lawmaker from Florida's panhandle." | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS — "Dark money details emerge as Artiles and no-party candidate head to court," by Miami Herald's Ana Ceballos and Samantha J. Gross: "An alleged election scheme that stumped Florida's political world for over half a year is about to spill into court, as former Republican Senator Frank Artiles is set to plead not guilty and ask for a jury trial in a high-profile public corruption case. Artiles, who will be arraigned Friday in the 11th Judicial Circuit in Miami, is facing several felony charges for allegedly recruiting and paying Alexis Pedro Rodriguez, an auto-parts dealer and longtime acquaintance, to run as a no-party candidate in Miami-Dade's Senate District 37 race to sway the outcome of the election." | 
Former State Sen. Frank Artiles | AP Photo | DESANTIS V. THE WORLD — "Mounting corporate opposition to proposed voting restrictions tests long-standing alliance with GOP," by Washington Post's Todd C. Frankel, Josh Dawsey and Jena McGregor: "Even as executives representing a wide swath of Corporate America discussed via Zoom last weekend potentially withholding political donations and business investments over the issue, speakers at the Republican National Committee retreat in Palm Beach were pledging to continue the fight. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was applauded at the RNC meeting for attacking Major League Baseball, among others, according to a recording obtained by The Washington Post." From the speech — "Major businesses who are getting in bed with the left, the corporate media and big tech ... these corporate executives have no backbone, they don't want to be criticized by the corporate partisan media — they cave, they virtue signal in one direction," DeSantis said. "You have these woke corporations who are colluding with all those folks," he continued. "We have to stand up for ourselves, we've got to fight back." | | | | A message from Floridians for Affordable Rx:   | | |
| | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | | MOUNT TALLAHASSEE SAYETH — "Masks should be voluntary in schools in the fall, says Florida education commissioner," by Miami Herald's Colleen Wright and Ana Ceballos: "Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran on Wednesday asked school superintendents to revise their school district's mask policy, if they have one, to be voluntary instead of mandatory for the 2021-22 school year… Corcoran did not include any data to back up his claims in the letter." WHO YOU KNOW — " Former neighbor put on vaccine VIP list after complaining to Manatee commissioner, emails show," by Sarasota Herald-Tribune's Zac Anderson: "Emails show the former neighbor of Manatee County Commission Chair Vanessa Baugh complained to Baugh about her inability to get a vaccine through the county's lottery system shortly before Baugh put the neighbor on a vaccine priority list that appears to have bypassed that appointment system. The vaccine VIP list created by Baugh – which included herself, former neighbors Marie and Robert Keehn, Lakewood Ranch developer Rex Jensen and Jensen's father – prompted a complaint to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office." PUNISHMENT? — "Orange County provides vaccination rates by ZIP code, gets cut off from state database," by WFTV's Lauren Seabrook and Sarah Wilson : "Weeks after Channel 9 first requested records providing a breakdown of COVID-19 vaccination numbers by ZIP code, Orange County finally turned over some of the data. Orange County provided Channel 9 with three maps showing which communities have had the most access to the vaccine. The maps are public record and do not identify any personal information. But after the county released the records, the state turned around cut off the county's access to the Florida Department of Health database." — " 12 'fully vaccinated' people in Leon County still got COVID-19, Florida records show," by Tallahassee Democrat's Christopher Cann | | | | Did you know that POLITICO Pro has coverage and tools at the state level? All the state legislative and regulatory tracking, budget documents, state agency contact information, and everything else you need to stay ahead of state policy movement integrate into our smart and customizable platform. Learn more and become a Pro today. | | | | |
| | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | | QUITE THE TALE — "As insurrection raged, a South Florida video blogger provided a play-by-play — to Russians," by McClatchy's Kevin G. Hall: "The Russian-speaking video blogger from South Florida walked alongside the throngs wearing MAGA hats and carrying Trump flags as the crowd descended on the Capitol, heeding the call to disrupt the certification of electoral college results. His broadcast reached Russian speakers across the United States and in the mother country, pushing the Stop the Steal narrative and other debunked election-fraud allegations." LOCKED UP — " Brevard County man hunted Nancy Pelosi at US Capitol on Jan. 6, prosecutors say," by WKMG's Erik Sandoval: "A federal judge ruled a Titusville man will stay in jail until his trial on charges that he conspired with others to storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Kenneth Harrelson's attorney had asked the judge to grant Harrelson bond after he was denied the change to leave jail by a federal magistrate in Orlando in March. During a two-and-a-half hour court hearing in Washington, prosecutors alleged Harrelson conspired with other members of the Oath Keepers to break into the Capitol building." Target — "They also claimed Harrelson was the leader of ground operations for the group that day, with the task of finding House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Prosecutors allege one of his co-conspirators texted Harrelson, saying they wanted 'Pelosi's head rolling down the steps of the Capitol.' Prosecutors also alleged that the group of Oath Keepers, which included Marion County residents Connie and Kelly Meggs, stored weapons at a Comfort Inn in Virginia on the day of the riot, while they stayed at a Hilton Garden Inn near the Capitol building." | | MEDIA MATTERS | | UP IN THE AIR — "Tribune Publishing sticking with Alden offer for now over bid by Maryland businessman and Swiss billionaire," by Baltimore Sun's Christopher Dinsmore: "The special committee of Tribune Publishing's board of directors continues to recommend shareholders approve a buyout of the company by a New York hedge fund even as it considers a higher offer from a Maryland businessman and a Swiss billionaire. In an updated filing Wednesday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Chicago-based newspaper group cited a number of factors in the reasoning to endorse Alden Global Capital's deal, valued at about $630 million, over a tentative $680 million offer by Maryland hotel executive Stewart Bainum Jr. and his business partner Hansjörg Wyss." | | | | A message from Floridians for Affordable Rx: It's time to stand up to special interest lobbies trying to increase prescription drug costs for Florida families. Florida's independent pharmacies claim that they're struggling, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, small businesses around the country were forced to close, while there were 20 more independent pharmacies in the state. In fact, there are 13 percent more independent pharmacies in Florida today than there were 10 years ago. In fact, there are 13 percent more independent pharmacies in Florida today than there were 10 years ago. Florida needs a competitive marketplace to reduce Rx costs, not special-interest-backed legislative mandates that restrict the tools used by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to reduce Floridians' prescription drug costs. It's time for the independent pharmacies lobby to come to the table with real solutions to lower Rx costs in Florida.
Presented by Floridians for Affordable Rx. Learn More. | | |
| | ODDS, ENDS, AND FLORIDA MEN | | — "Judge is accused of taking too much time off. She says she was working remotely," by Sun Sentinel's Rafael Olmeda: "Palm Beach County Judge Marni Bryson is under fire for apparently taking too much time off when she should have been working at the courthouse, according to the official state watchdog that polices judicial misconduct. The Judicial Qualifications Commission announced Wednesday it is filing five formal charges against Bryson, who has been on the bench since 2010." BIRTHDAYS: Frank Penela , external and legislative affairs director for the Florida Commission on Human Relations
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