News : POLITICO Florida Playbook: Don't expect DeSantis to join Biden's vaccine push — DeSantis asks Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade — State Senate intrigue

Friday, July 30, 2021

POLITICO Florida Playbook: Don't expect DeSantis to join Biden's vaccine push — DeSantis asks Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade — State Senate intrigue — The governor's donor drama

Jul 30, 2021

Hello and welcome to Friday.

The challenge — President Joe Biden called on states and local governments to hand out $100 payments to encourage more people to get vaccinated amid the latest surge of Covid-19 cases. Don't look for Florida to join in.

No flash — While Gov. Ron DeSantis did heavily promote the vaccine earlier this year, his administration has not engaged in some of the enticements — prize giveaways, vaccine lotteries, etc. — that other states have done. And that's unlikely to change.

Cash not needed — Christina Pushaw, a spokeswoman for the governor, said in an email that "the vaccines work to prevent serious illness and death from COVID-19, and immunization also helps cut down on the spread of COVID-19 infections in the population (though it is possible for vaccinated people to be infected with COVID-19, infection is much less likely for vaccinated people relative to unvaccinated people). These facts alone should be sufficient motivation to get vaccinated, and millions of Floridians have already made that choice."

Where Florida stands — The latest CDC data shows that more than 10.4 million Floridians — or 48.7 percent of the total population — are fully vaccinated. That puts Florida tied for 24th alongside Michigan, out of all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The only state in the South with a higher rate is Virginia.

Masks vs. vaccines — Of course, Florida is also caught up in a wave of new cases and rising hospitalizations. Local leaders and Democrats are responding with calls for more action and a much more aggressive campaign in promoting vaccinations. In contrast, DeSantis has downplayed the surge, calling it "seasonal," and instead has become — in the word of one Republican official — "obsessed" with pushing back against mask mandates. The governor has even floated the idea of bringing lawmakers back to the Capitol to mandate that school districts can't do mask mandates. (Ah yes, legislators you will just love steamy, sticky Tallahassee — a landlocked town far from water — in August.)

How to pay for it — Biden, while supporting this week's calls to return to mask-wearing, had suggested in a speech Thursday afternoon that states and other governments should tap into previously allocated money from the American Rescue Plan to pay for incentives. "I know that paying people to get vaccinated might sound unfair to folks who've gotten vaccinated already, but here's the deal: If incentives help us beat this virus, I believe we should use them. We all benefit if we can get more people vaccinated," he said.

About the money — Pushaw, in her email, said DeSantis lacked the legal authority to take the previously allocated money sent from the federal government and use it on an incentive program because it has not been appropriated by the Legislature.

Ahem — This is the time when we point out that the governor last year appropriated billions (with a B) in federal money without any authority from the Legislature. Yes, that was during a declared state of emergency and Florida is no longer under one. But this week, the governor announced that he was going to lower fees on a privately-owned but state-operated toll bridge in northwest Florida and have the state buy the bridge from bond holders. And oh, have the Legislature "codify" this after the fact. So, that whole permission thing appears to be somewhat fluid.

— WHERE'S RON? — Nothing official announced for Gov. DeSantis.

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CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

PUSHING AHEAD — "Biden rolls out aggressive plan to jump-start vaccination," by POLITICO's Lauren Gardner: President Joe Biden also called on state, territorial and local governments to use coronavirus relief funding to offer $100 to anyone who gets a shot. Polling and anecdotal evidence shows cash incentives have motivated some unvaccinated Americans to roll up their sleeves. The President announced that small- and medium-sized businesses will now be reimbursed for offering their employees paid leave to get their family members, including their kids, vaccinated. In April, the President announced that, thanks to the American Rescue Plan, the federal government is fully reimbursing any small- or medium-sized business that provides workers with paid time off to get vaccinated.

President Biden.

President Biden. | Evan Vucci/AP photo

HERE WE GO AGAIN — "Florida officials defy DeSantis as infections spike," by POLITICO's Matt Dixon: Florida's Covid wars are starting again. Local officials across Florida are bucking Gov. Ron DeSantis and his anti-mandate coronavirus strategy as infections soar in the state and nation. They're imposing vaccine and mask requirements for government workers and even declaring states of emergency. In a sign of how worrisome the new Covid-19 surge is, Disney World is ordering all guests over 2-years-old to wear masks indoors at its Florida theme park, regardless of vaccination status.

BUT MAYBE… — "DeSantis calls with legislators fuel speculation about special session on mask mandates," by Miami Herald's Ana Ceballos: "Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday morning had separate phone calls with Senate President Wilton Simpson and House Speaker Chris Sprowls, fueling speculation that the Legislature may convene a special session to consider outlawing mask mandates in school districts. The phone calls come as DeSantis increases talks about calling a special session on the issue if the federal government or Florida school districts move to implement mask mandates for students."

CLIMBING — " COVID surge in Florida is at highest point since January, with 17,589 new cases in a day," by Sun Sentinel's Cindy Krischer Goodman: "Florida's new daily COVID case count hit a high on Wednesday not seen since the post-holiday surge in January. The large daily case count — 17,589 new cases — comes just as many residents had begun to shed their masks and resume a less restrictive lifestyle. But signs of the coronavirus resurgence are everywhere: long lines at test sites, curtailed visitor hours at crowded hospitals, employers dealing with staff who are sick or in quarantine, a trickle of increased demand for the single-dose vaccine. 'I wish I could take everyone on a tour of our ICU and give them a glimpse of what's going on with COVID patients,' said Maggie Hansen, director of nursing for Memorial Healthcare System. 'It's not a disease afflicting the elderly anymore.'"

REACTION — "Vaccinations increase in Florida amid fears about rising COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations," by Sarasota Herald-Tribune's Zac Anderson and Mike Stucka: "After steadily dropping for months, COVID-19 vaccinations are on the rise again in Florida, a trend experts say likely is driven by fears surrounding a new wave of infections and hospitalizations. In the week ending Wednesday, some 249,750 Floridians received their first vaccine dose, a USA TODAY analysis of CDC data shows. That number's up about 59% in just two weeks, from 157,350 first-dose vaccines administered in the week ending July 14. The improved number is still a faint echo of Florida's best week in mid-April, when about 943,000 first doses were administered, but it's a welcome sign and one that's to be expected when infections spike, experts say."

SHOWDOWN — "Gov. Ron DeSantis legal team reviewing Leon County vaccination mandate, spokesperson says," by Tallahassee Democrat's Karl Etters: "A spokeswoman for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said his office's lawyers are reviewing a Leon County mandate that all county employees get vaccinated against the coronavirus by this fall. The measure, announced late Wednesday, by Leon County Administrator Vince Long would potentially violate employees' right to privacy, DeSantis spokeswoman Christina Pushaw said."

NO FAN OF THE GOVERNOR — "Patrons must now be vaccinated to dine at this Sarasota-Manatee destination ," by Sarasota Herald-Tribune's Wade Tatangelo: "In May, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill banning vaccine passports and any business or government entity from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination,' reads the news release. 'DeSantis is a bonehead,' said Sean Murphy, founder and owner of Beach Bistro along with wife Susan Timmins. 'He says we're not allowed to require proof of vaccination. At this point, though, there is no adequate accepted proof of vaccination. So, we're asking our patrons to be vaccinated but not requiring proof of vaccination.'"

LOOKING AT SURGE — "The Florida Roundup" on NPR stations at noon features Justin Senior, CEO Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida, to talk about how Florida's hospitals are dealing with the coronavirus comeback along with Rosalind Osgood, Broward County School Board chair.

— " Record number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized at AdventHealth, Orlando Health," by Orlando Sentinel's Caroline Catherman

— "Pensacola State College reinstating mandatory indoor mask policy for all people on campus," by Pensacola News Journal

— "Back to school: Masks optional in Collier, Lee schools despite new CDC guidance," by Naples Daily News' Rachel Fradette

— "New PBC schools chief says he's considering campus mask requirement when classes resume," by Palm Beach Post's Andrew Marra

... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ...

JUMPING IN — "Ron DeSantis asks Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade," by Tampa Bay Times' Kirby Wilson: "Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Florida on to an effort to have two of the most important abortion cases in U.S. history overturned by the nation's highest court. In a Thursday brief, DeSantis, along with ten other Republican governors, argued the Supreme Court should reconsider past decisions on the 1973 case Roe v. Wade and the 1992 case Planned Parenthood of Southeast Pennsylvania v. Casey. Roe established the constitutional right to an abortion nationally, and Casey reaffirmed that right while making it easier for states to legally pass some abortion regulations."

WHAT'S IN YOUR WALLET? — "Florida is spending $3.6 million to issue pandemic bonuses to teachers and police," by Tampa Bay Times' Lawrence Mower and Miami Herald's Ana Ceballos and Tampa Bay Times' Jeffrey S. Solochek: "Florida is paying a private contractor $3.6 million to help issue $1,000 bonus checks bearing the governor's logo to teachers, principals and first responders. Two state agencies signed contracts with Fidelity Information Services last month to collect information on police officers, firefighters, paramedics, teachers and principals to determine which ones are eligible for the $1,000 bonuses and send them checks. The bipartisan decision by the Florida Legislature, at Gov. Ron DeSantis' urging, to assign more than $400 million in pandemic relief dollars to one-time bonuses for teachers and first responders has turned surprisingly contentious, with accusations of political gamesmanship and negotiations with unions about who would be eligible for the checks."

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CAMPAIGN MODE

PLAYING IN PRIMARIES — "Florida GOP leaders back Yarborough, sparking Senate race intrigue," by POLITICO's Matt Dixon: Senate GOP leaders on Thursday formally endorsed a candidate in what is expected to be a bruising Jacksonville Republican primary, a move that some see as a signal that they are trying to influence future leadership races. Both incoming Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, a Naples Republican who is running Senate Republican campaigns this cycle, and Senate President Wilton Simpson (R-Trilby) are supporting the state Senate bid of Rep. Clay Yarborough, a Jacksonville Republican running in a three-way primary in Senate District 4 to replace outgoing state Sen. Aaron Bean (R-Fernandina Beach).

Reverberations — The move by Passidomo is also good news for state Sen. Ben Albritton, a Wauchula Republican who is running for Senate president against Miami Republican state Sen. Manny Diaz for a term starting in 2024. It's a relatively secretive process, but Yarborough is supporting Albritton, leaving some to speculate Passidomo's endorsement was a signal she supports Albritton in that race.

TRACKING IT DOWN — " PACs behind 'ghost' candidates in key Senate races were run out of business lobbying group's HQ, records show," by Orlando Sentinel's Annie Martin and Jason Garcia: "Two political committees that spent more than half a million dollars promoting so-called ghost candidates in three important state Senate races last year were based out of the Tallahassee headquarters of a big-business lobbying group, according to records obtained in a criminal investigation. Tax and bank records for the now-defunct political committees used the same street address as Associated Industries of Florida, a lobbying group that represents corporate giants such as Florida Power & Light, U.S. Sugar Corp. and Walt Disney World."

FROM THE YOU'VE BEEN WARNED FILES — POLITICO D.C. Playbook reports this morning: A GOP source told our own Daniel Lippman that last month, about 20 other big-time donors flew to D.C. from California and Florida for a DeSantis fundraiser hosted by former RNC chief and Mississippi Gov. HALEY BARBOUR — only to be stiffed by DeSantis during his Washington fundraising swing June 23.

After waiting about an hour for the governor to show up to the late-afternoon affair, the donors were told DeSantis wouldn't make it. As a consolation prize, they were offered a later time slot: dinner with the governor at The Oceanaire in Penn Quarter. They again waited for DeSantis, and at 8 p.m. were told the dinner was off.

Among the political chattering class, DeSantis' dislike of glad-handing has led some to refer to him as a "porcupine." After a Republican Governors Association panel in Aspen last week, when panelists including Govs. LARRY HOGAN, PETE RICKETTS, DOUG BURGUM and TATE REEVES took to the floor to shake hands with activists and donors, DeSantis made a backdoor exit, according to attendees.

For his part, DeSantis' office and top allies say he's too busy running Florida to deal with the politicking.

"Gov. DeSantis had a full plate of meetings at the RGA, a panel and the Governors Only meeting," said HELEN AGUIRRE FERRE, executive director of the Republican Party of Florida. "No one should be surprised that Gov. DeSantis is pretty busy, Florida is the third largest state in the nation, and he spends most of his time on state business."

YES BUT… DeSantis' reputation as someone who doesn't schmooze or frequently call to chit-chat with donors is a long-running feature of the governor. He has a prickly demeanor — one that he sometimes displays in public. Yes, it's probably not as well-known among the national donor class. But this is not a new phenomenon. Now a good question is whether this is a liability in a run for national office.

And chew over this: You think rank-and-file Republicans will be bothered that DeSantis doesn't have an instinct to cozy up with rich donors?

Bidenology

SITDOWN — "Biden will meet Cuban American activists at the White House on Friday," by McClatchy's Michael Wilner and El Nuevo Herald's Nora Gámez Torres: "President Joe Biden will meet with Cuban American activists at the White House on Friday to discuss the recent wave of protests throughout the island nation, an administration official told McClatchy on Thursday. The meeting comes after thousands of Cuban Americans rallied in front of the White House to draw attention to the islandwide uprising that shook the country on July 11 and the violent crackdown on protesters that followed. Human Rights Watch and other organizations estimate that more than 500 people have been arrested."

Guestlist — "Among the activists invited are L. Felice Gorordo, CEO of eMerge Americas and co-founder of Roots of Hope; Yotuel Romero, lead singer of Orishas, a Cuban hip-hop group, who was the main author of Patria y Vida, a song that has become an anthem for the protesters; Ana Sofia Pelaez, co-founder of the Miami Freedom Project; and Manny Diaz, former Miami mayor and chair of the Florida Democratic Party."

KEY POST — " Biden nominates Cuban-American FIU professor Frank Mora as OAS ambassador," by Miami Herald's Alex Daugherty: "President Joe Biden picked Florida International University professor Frank Mora as his nominee for U.S. ambassador to the Organization of American States on Thursday, putting a prominent South Florida campaign surrogate into a key Latin America diplomatic post at a crucial time for the region. Mora, a Cuban-American Democrat who previously served as a deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Western Hemisphere under President Barack Obama, would be the second consecutive Miami resident to hold the post."

Rubio says no — "[Sen. Marco] Rubio, a senior fellow at FIU, said he opposes Mora's nomination on Thursday evening. 'Nominating Frank Mora, an outspoken supporter of engagement with the regime in Cuba, to be the U.S. Amb. to the OAS is yet another slap in the face to Cubans demanding freedom,' Rubio tweeted."

PENINSULA AND BEYOND

HMM — "Surfside investigated ex-building official after tower records went missing, emails show," by Miami Herald's Aaron Leibowitz, Ben Conarck and Sarah Blaskey: "Surfside police opened an investigation after building records potentially holding clues about the Champlain Towers South collapse appeared to go missing from the town's rented storage facility, according to a police report obtained by the Miami Herald. Police focused their inquiry on former building official Ross Prieto, who was criticized in the wake of the collapse after records showed he told residents the building was in good shape in 2018, despite reviewing an engineering report detailing major structural damage."

ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN

— "Sylvester Stallone seeks privacy gate for new estate in Palm Beach. Architectural board not impressed," by Palm Beach Post's Darrell Hofheinz: "Celebrities and prying eyes can go hand in hand. So is it any surprise that 'Rocky' star Sylvester Stallone wants a little more privacy at the Palm Beach estate he bought late last year? Round 1 at Town Hall, however, didn't quite go his way. A design team for Stallone and his wife, Jennifer Flavin Stallone, asked the Architectural Commission Wednesday for permission to replace a see-through metalwork gate with a solid-wood version on a driveway at their lakefront estate, 1480 N. Lake Way."

BIRTHDAYS: Bob Nave, senior vice president of research for Florida TaxWatch … The Associated Press' Frieda Frisaro … Nancy Dahlberg, business writer and editor

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