| | | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Hello and welcome to Tuesday. Flashback — It was just two months ago that Sen. Rick Scott went to Mar-a-Lago and presented former President Donald Trump with a "Champion for Freedom" award. Oh, that guy — But on Monday he tried very hard to sidestep questions about whether Trump is going to complicate his goal of winning back control of the U.S. Senate for Republicans. Message time — Scott, who is in charge of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, along with Gov. Doug Ducey, the chair of the Republican Governors Association, rolled out a poll of 26 battleground states Monday they said showed a majority of voters are already souring on President Joe Biden and disagree with his agenda. (Side note: NRSC and RGA listed Florida as a "red state" while Georgia is a "purple state.") What about Trump? — It's no surprise that Scott was bullish on GOP efforts in 2022 and said "it's clear that Biden's honeymoon is over." But several times Scott was pressed about Trump's decision to already endorse in Republican primaries, including in races in Alabama and Alaska and whether that could complicate GOP goals. Trump, just last Friday, ripped Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski as he endorsed a GOP challenger in the race. One of many — Scott's reply was basically, well lots of people are going to endorse whether it's Trump or Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. "There's going to be a lot of people out there doing a lot of endorsing," said Scott, sort of downplaying the outsized role that Trump continues to have with the Republican base. Neutral party — For his part (and this has a dash of irony considering his own tangled path while governor), Scott said he and the NRSC would remain completely on the sidelines during contentious GOP primaries: "I like all Republicans and I would support the incumbents. I'm not ever attacking Republicans period." OK, guess we can forget that time when Scott used his own campaign money to go after GOP legislators who were opposed to his agenda while governor. — 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 | | | | DON'T MISS THE MILKEN INSTITUTE FUTURE OF HEALTH SUMMIT: POLITICO will feature a special edition of our Future Pulse newsletter at the 2021 Milken Institute Future of Health Summit. The newsletter takes readers inside one of the most influential gatherings of global health industry leaders and innovators who are turning lessons learned from the past year into a healthier, more resilient and more equitable future. Covid-19 threatened our health and well-being, while simultaneously leading to extraordinary coordination to improve pandemic preparedness, disease prevention, diversity in clinical trials, mental health resources, food access and more. SUBSCRIBE TODAY to receive exclusive coverage from June 22-23. | | | | |
|  | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | | | 
FILE - In this Nov. 24, 2017 file photo shows President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla. President Trump's Mar-a-Lago club will partially reopen to members this weekend as South Florida slowly reopens from the coronavirus lock down. An email sent Thursday, May 14, 2020 to members says the Palm Beach resort's Beach Club restaurant, its pool and its whirlpool will reopen Saturday after being closed two months, but its main building that includes hotel rooms, the main dining area and the president's private residence will remain closed. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) | MAKING IT RAIN — "RNC paid Trump's Mar-a-Lago over $175,000 for donor retreat," by NBC News' Brian Schwartz: "The Republican National Committee paid just over $175,000 to former President Donald Trump's private club to host part of its spring donor retreat. Federal Election Commission filings show that the six-figure sum was paid in May to Trump's Mar-a-Lago, a month after the April donor event at the private club in Palm Beach, Florida. A Republican National Committee spokeswoman confirmed that more than $175,000 was, in fact, for the meeting. The new RNC filing describes the payment to Mar-a-Lago as fees for 'venue rental and catering.' Part of the RNC sponsored-event that month was held at Mar-a-Lago, where the former president took aim at Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. NBC News reported at the time that Trump called McConnell a 'dumb son of a b----' and a 'stone-cold loser.'" | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | TRY, TRY, TRY AGAIN — "Eskamani group looks to register 25,000 new Florida voters," by POLITICO's Matt Dixon: Democratic state Rep. Anna Eskamani is starting a statewide drive to register voters, an area where Republicans have had a significant lead in recent years. Eskamani, a progressive from Orlando who openly considered a run for governor, is running the effort through a third-party voter registration group called People Power for Florida, which is aiming to register 25,000 new voters during the 2022 election cycle. The group's focus will be on people who do not turn out to vote regularly, including younger voters. Coming on board — Among the new hires are some familiar faces in Florida Democratic politics, including Jason Blank, a longtime Democratic election law attorney; Shelby Green, who most recently was deputy finance director for the House Democratic campaign arm; and Raymer Maguire, who has worked for the ACLU of Florida and the campaign to legalize medical marijuana in Florida. BOOK ANNOUNCES TEAM — State Sen. Lauren Book announced a list of hires on Monday for Senate Victory, the campaign arm of Senate Democrats heading into the 2022 cycle. The picks include: Sierra Fareed as finance director, Christian Ulvert as general consultant, Claire VanSusteren as communications director and Tim Wagner as political director. Fareed is a former field organizer and finance associate for the Florida Democratic Party who was recently finance director for Ruth's List Florida. Ulvert is a longtime media and political consultant who was recently lead strategist for Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava's win. VanSusteren runs her own communications and consulting company and has worked with Book for several years. Wagner has worked on several Florida campaigns including for Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and Sen. Janet Cruz's 2018 election. SPEED IT UP — "Republican governors press for earlier release of census data," by POLITICO's Zach Montellaro : A group of 15 Republican governors are urging Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to speed up the release of data from the decennial census, saying the extensive delay is burdening the redistricting process across the country. "Further delaying the release of redistricting data negatively impacts redistricting efforts nationwide, places state governments in an unnecessarily precarious position, and presents compounding delays in operations at every level of government," the letter, shared first with POLITICO, reads. The letter is signed by Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, the chair of the Republican Governors Association, along with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, two large states that picked up seats during reapportionment — and where Republicans are expected to press their advantage to draw favorable lines. | | Bidenology | | ROLLING THE DICE — "No Casinos calls on Biden administration to reject Florida gambling deal," by POLITICO's Gary Fineout: Florida lawmakers signed off on the deal during a special session last month. No Casinos, a group that successfully convinced voters in 2018 to approve limits on casino gambling, has sent a lengthy list of objections to the U.S. Department of Interior, which is responsible for approving Florida's gambling deal. No Casinos points out how the deal could ultimately help former President Donald Trump get a gambling license for his resort hotel in Doral. "Its legal flaws are so evident, that many members of the Florida Legislature admitted while voting for it that it ran afoul of state and federal laws," wrote John Sowinski, president of No Casinos to Bryan Newland, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. On the clock — Christina Pushaw, a spokesperson for DeSantis, said that the compact has been submitted to the Department of Interior and that representatives from the governor's office and the tribe have talked to federal authorities about "its contents and legality." "We are optimistic for a quick approval," Pushaw wrote in an email. — "First lady Jill Biden to visit Kissimmee on Thursday to promote coronavirus vaccinations," by Orlando Sentinel's Steven Lemongello | | DATELINE D.C. | | WITH NEW FLORIDA LAW LOOMING — "Supreme Court backs payments to student-athletes in N.C.A.A. case," by The New York Times' Adam Liptak and Alan Blinder: "The Supreme Court unanimously ruled on Monday that the N.C.A.A. could not bar relatively modest payments to student-athletes, a decision that underscored the growing challenges to a college sports system that generates huge sums for schools but provides little or no compensation to the players. The decision concerned only payments and other benefits related to education. But its logic suggested that the court may be open to a head-on challenge to the ban by the National Collegiate Athletic Association on paying athletes for their participation in sports that bring billions of dollars in revenue to American colleges and universities." Tick-tock — "The N.C.A.A.'s response to the pressure routinely rising out of statehouses since 2019 has been, in effect, to stall. Less than two weeks before some of the new laws are scheduled to take effect in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas and allow athletes to make endorsements and monetize their social media presences, the N.C.A.A. has not agreed to extend similar rights to players nationwide." 'LIFE-SAVING GIFTS' — "Lawmakers call on FDA to end restrictions on gay, bisexual men donating blood," by Spectrum News' Samantha-Jo Roth: "Some lawmakers are calling for the FDA to do away with these restrictions completely. 'The sooner this happens, the better,' Florida Rep. Val Demings told Spectrum News. 'The ability to donate blood saves lives. It is one of the most precious life-saving gifts.' The Democratic lawmaker, who is challenging Republican incumbent Marco Rubio for a seat in the Senate next year, also has a personal connection to this fight. Five years ago, Demings' community was rocked by the Pulse Nightclub shooting, which saw 49 people killed, many of whom were Latino and LGBTQ+." | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO WEST WING PLAYBOOK: Add West Wing Playbook to keep up with the power players, latest policy developments and intriguing whispers percolating inside the West Wing and across the highest levels of the Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | |
| | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | DISCONNECTED — "'Massive steps backwards': Florida reins in virtual schools," by POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury: Offered through Hendry County District Schools, the Digital Academy of Florida saw its enrollment skyrocket due to the coronavirus, leading the county to serve nearly as many kids in its in-person classrooms as online students from beyond county lines. Hendry County at one point had 99 percent of its full-time virtual enrollees logging in from elsewhere in Florida, a distinct outlier compared to the rest of the state. But now, this virtual school and others like it have new restrictions on how much they can expand in the future. And emerging programs face even tighter virtual enrollment caps that are set to take hold next month. Change made — State lawmakers say this under-the-radar policy shift, approved by the Legislature during the 2021 session, was necessary to reign in the enrollment surge that hit virtual charter schools and similar programs during the pandemic. Digital campuses that serve students outside of their county would be better off under the Florida Department of Education instead of local school districts, according to state education policymakers. ABOUT THOSE $1,000 CHECKS — "DeSantis is using teacher bonus checks for a political plug, critics say," by Tampa Bay Times' Jeffrey S. Solochek: "So much so that his administration has taken steps to have the money delivered directly from the state, rather than following the usual process of sending bonus funding to school districts for distribution. The departments of Education and Economic Opportunity are collecting employee data and looking into the logistics of cutting and mailing the checks." Imitation game? — "[Gov. Ron] DeSantis critics have speculated that the governor will attempt to have his signature on the payments — either on an accompanying letter or the check itself. They suggested politics is at play. 'It's very reminiscent of the Trump stimulus checks,' said state Rep. Andrew Learned, D-Brandon, referring to the 2020 federal payments to households that were delayed as Donald Trump insisted on having his name on them. 'He's Trumping it,' Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association president Nancy Velardi said of DeSantis, who's a strong backer of the former president. 'He wants this as a political move to gain votes.'" HEADED UP — "Gov. Ron DeSantis posts increase in net worth," by News Service of Florida's Jim Turner: "Gov. Ron DeSantis' net worth grew nearly 20 percent in his second year as the state's top executive. With his only listed income a taxpayer-funded salary of $134,181, DeSantis reported a net worth of $348,832 as of Dec. 31, 2020, up from $291,449 at the end of 2019, according to a financial disclosure posted Monday on the Florida Commission on Ethics website. State elected officials face a loose July 1 deadline to file annual disclosure reports, which typically detail their finances as of the end of the prior year. Late filers have until September to submit reports before they face fines — $25 a day, with a cap at $1,500." — "Black farmers get priority as Florida prepares to issue new medical marijuana licenses," by News Service of Florida's Dara Kam — "Gov. DeSantis signs new law that helps people remove their online mug shot," by Florida Politics' Haley Brown — "Ahead of swell of Alzheimer's cases, DeSantis touts funding bump during Jacksonville visit," by Florida Times-Union's Steve Patterson — "Jeff Brandes talks tech, insurance and our automated future ," State of Emergency podcast featuring Jared Moskowitz and Peter Schorsch | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | DEADLY TREND — "Florida's overall crime rate down, murders up in 2020," by The Associated Press: "Crime was down overall in Florida during 2020, but violent crime rose, according to statistics released by the state on Monday. There were 1,285 murders in Florida last year, an increase of 260, or 14.7% from 2019. Of those, 1,025 were committed with a gun, up 20.2% from the year before. Murders committed with a gun made up nearly 80% of the state's total, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's annual crime report. In a year when many people worked at home or stayed home more often during the coronavirus pandemic, burglaries, robberies and larcenies dropped significantly." TRAGIC — "Driver says he is devastated by fatal Pride parade crash," by The Associated Press' Kelli Kennedy: "The 77-year-old driver who accidentally slammed his truck into fellow members of a gay chorus group, killing one and injuring two others, said Monday that he was devastated by the crash at the start of a Pride parade in South Florida. Fred Johnson, a member of the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men's Chorus, a tight knit ensemble of about 25 mostly older men, suddenly accelerated forward in his pickup, killing James Fahy, 75, and injuring Jerry Vroegh, 57, who was released from the hospital Monday. Gary Keating was treated at the scene for minor injuries, according to a statement from Fort Lauderdale police." BACKLASH — "Critics pounce on mayor for heat-of-the-moment-but wrong-assertion that parade crash was terrorism against LGBT community," by Sun Sentinel's Anthony Man: "After days in the center of a tornado-strength vortex of criticism for his initial, in-the-heat-of-the-moment description of a horrific car crash at the weekend LGBT Pride Parade, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis says he regrets describing the incident as an act of terrorism, and said he's apologized." Explanation — "But, he said Monday, he was accurately reflecting what he and others felt. 'What happened at that moment, everyone who was in that immediate vicinity all felt terrorized, as much as I did. And I happened to be the one who articulated the feelings that everyone shared at that moment. And I regret describing the situation as a terrorist attack. But I do not regret having those feelings, those feelings that everyone feared and felt. And those were real,' Trantalis said Monday in a telephone interview with the South Florida Sun Sentinel." | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | — "Navy releases video of massive explosion off Florida that measured as an earthquake," by Orlando Sentinel's Richard Tribou: "There's wasn't an earthquake off Florida's east coast on Friday, but the United States Geological Survey measured something that hit 3.9 on the Richter scale. Turns out it was the Navy setting off explosions next to its new aircraft carrier. The USS Gerald R. Ford was parked about 100 miles east-northeast from Ponce Inlet when the boom from a 40,000 pound explosive shook the cameras filming the event, the first of several planned Full Ship Shock Trials took place." ENGAGED — Todd Inman, former chief of staff at the Department of Transportation, and Anne Duncan, VP at Savills, got engaged this weekend at the Urban Stillhouse in St. Petersburg, Fla. Pic BIRTHDAYS: Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Canady … State Rep. Daniel Perez
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