| | | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Presented by Florida Education Champions | Hello and welcome to Friday. Up around the bend — Consider this just another sign that some Democrats have doubts about being able to knock out Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022. Commotion — The Democratic Governors Association is not planning on making any major financial contributions to help Democrats try to unset the Republican incumbent and potential presidential contender. Bad moon rising — There are several reasons for this, reports POLITICO's Matt Dixon , including the need to protect Democratic incumbents in other states, but it adds to the foreboding that now hangs over the race and steepens the uphill battle for candidates Nikki Fried, Charlie Crist and Annette Taddeo. Earlier this week, we outlined many of the reasons DeSantis was already viewed as unbeatable even though the election is a year away. Tombstone shadow — One big problem is that it costs a lot to advertise in Florida due to its 10 media markets. "I do think, and I can't stress this enough, the DGA is playing mostly defense this year, and that's a monumental change," Jonathan Ducote, a veteran Democratic consultant who has worked with the DGA, told Matt. "When I think about Florida statewide elections, the number one thing you have to ask yourself is do you have the money to communicate in a really expensive state?" Lookin' out my back door — The bigger significance, however, is that a Democrat hasn't won the governor's race in nearly 30 years despite several close elections. Contrast that with a state like Georgia, which has now emerged as a battleground state. "Given challenges we have in Florida, donors and other organizations can focus on places where the numbers are better and there is more opportunity," Ashley Walker, a longtime Democratic consultant, told Matt. "Yes, it is different now. In Florida, we have a real challenge to restore confidence that we can actually win here." — 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 | | | | A message from Florida Education Champions: Florida voters demanded their voice be heard on the issue of expanded gambling. Our amendment does just that allowing the people to vote to authorize sports and event betting at professional sports venues, pari-mutuel facilities and statewide via online sports betting platforms. The benefit is that hundreds of millions of dollars generated from tax revenues must go to supplement public school funding through Florida's Educational Enhancement Trust Fund. Learn more and sign the petition. | | | |  | CAMPAIGN MODE | | THE CHECK IS NOT IN THE MAIL — "No million-dollar checks: Democratic governors may sit out Florida," by POLITICO's Matt Dixon: The DGA, which spent more than $15 million in Florida over the past two gubernatorial election cycles, is starting to deprioritize the state and is expected to have a much smaller footprint during the midterms, said two Florida Democratic consultants who have been in contact with the DGA. HMM — "Felon who won GOP congressional primary never applied for right to hold political office ," by Fresh Take Florida's Corbin Bolies: "The winning Republican in this week's congressional primary in South Florida is a convicted felon who did not go through the state's process to restore his civil rights after his imprisonment, interviews and records show. That step is required under Florida law for a candidate to hold political office. Jason Mariner, 36, of Palm Beach Gardens, an advertising executive and self-described 'America First' conservative candidate, won Tuesday's GOP primary with 58 percent of votes in the heavily Democratic 20th congressional district." ON THE GROUND — "The retirement community that was a microcosm of the Florida special election," by Jewish Insider's Matthew Kassel: "'The condo influence is starting to fade here in Florida,' said Richard Stark, who chairs the Broward County Democratic Party Jewish Caucus and is a former state representative in the Florida legislature. 'That generation, you had the big condos here and they controlled thousands and thousands of votes. They could easily swing an election.'" | | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | |
| | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | | THE BIG SHOWDOWN — "'We have had enough': DeSantis will sue Biden over workplace vaccine mandates," by POLITICO's Gary Fineout: The GOP governor said Florida will join Alabama, Georgia and private employers on Friday in a preemptive legal challenge against a new vaccination-or-test requirement for businesses with more than 100 workers. The state will also quickly file a separate legal challenge against a vaccine mandate for health care workers at facilities participating in Medicare and Medicaid. "I just think people are so sick of constantly being bossed around, restricted, mandated, all these different things," said DeSantis at an afternoon press conference held at the Capitol. "We have had enough of it and we want people to be able to make their own decisions." Taxpayers paying the bill? — DeSantis called the mandates announced earlier in the day by the Biden administration "unconstitutional" and "illegal" and even promised to use state taxpayer money to offset any fines assessed by federal authorities against businesses in the state. The governor also predicted that the new mandates, which won't be enacted until after the holiday season, would be just the beginning. Different take — Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, a Democrat who is challenging DeSantis in next year's governor's race, said she did not agree with the Biden administration mandates, but suggested that the governor was being hypocritical because he has gone after school boards and local governments because they did not want to follow his policies on Covid-19. | 
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis - joined by State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo - announces plan to challenge vaccine mandates proposed by the Biden administration | Gary Fineout/POLITICO | The daily rundown — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there were 1,784 Covid-19 infections on Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that 1,825 hospital beds were being used in the state for Covid-19 patients. ADD IT UP — "Florida's monoclonal antibody plan cost $244.8 million in 2021," by Tampa Bay Times' Kirby Wilson: "On Thursday, Florida officials gave a price tag to the state's monoclonal antibody program for this year: $244 million in federal money. That's how much it's expected to cost to set up and operate 25 state-run monoclonal antibody sites. Once 2021 turns to 2022, state officials say they could need another $634.3 million in order to meet the demand for various antiviral treatments, including other monoclonal antibody therapies. The COVID-19 treatments will ultimately be paid for by reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency." WHAT'S GOING ON? — "Florida COVID update: Reporting change causes lag in death data," by Miami Herald's Devoun Cetoute and Ana Claudia Chacin: "However, behind the scenes, the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] has been working with the Florida Department of Health to return to a previously used reporting method, causing a lag in the reporting of deaths, the Herald learned Wednesday. 'On Monday, November 1, CDC began transitioning jurisdictions reporting by event date back to report date,' Jasmine Reed, a spokeswoman for the CDC, said in an email to the Miami Herald. Throughout the pandemic, the CDC was reporting deaths by date of report for Florida. Then, on Aug. 10 amid a surge in cases due to the delta variant, the state health department began providing a new set of data biweekly to the CDC, which reported deaths by date of occurrence, giving the appearance of a pandemic in decline." — "Corcoran: Leon County school district now in compliance after superintendent eased mask rule," by Tallahassee Democrat's Ana Goñi-Lessan — " U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel readies bill to block Gov. DeSantis' COVID vaccine, mask bans," by Palm Beach Post's Antonio Fins | | | | A message from Florida Education Champions:   | | |
| | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | 'IT'S SHOCKING' — "'F--- off and die.' Polsky receives another death threat, asks DeSantis to intervene," by Miami Herald's Mary Ellen Klas: "'F--- off and die.' Those were the final words, delivered in an angry crescendo, of a profanity-laced, anti-Semitic death threat received by state Sen. Tina Polsky on Tuesday. The tirade from the unidentified female caller lasted one minute but managed to threaten Polsky's safety — 'we're going to drag your a-- out.' It called her a racist, insulted her religion and diminished her suffering from breast cancer." UNSOCIAL MEDIA — " School Board member Jennifer Jenkins files for injunction against Randy Fine, cites 'cyberstalking,'" by Florida Today's Eric Rogers: "Brevard County School Board member Jennifer Jenkins has asked the courts to intervene in a public and increasingly bitter feud with Florida State Rep. Randy Fine. Jenkins late last week filed a request for injunction against Fine with the 18th Circuit Court of Florida, citing 'cyberstalking' and a 'campaign of harassment on social media ... inciting followers to harass and threaten me,' she wrote in a statement to the court, dated Oct. 28. The petition seeks to forbid Fine from publishing Jenkins' name or 'any insinuation of person' on social media and from coming within 500 feet of her place of work at Brevard Public Schools. Fine called Jenkin's request 'dangerous' and 'un-American' in his own statement, posted Thursday to Facebook. He called on her to resign if she couldn't take 'legitimate criticism.'" 'WE HAVE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM' — "Florida lawmakers raise prison guard pay by $5,000 a year," by News Service of Florida's Dara Kam: "Correctional officers will receive base-pay increases of at least $5,000 and newly hired officers will get one-time bonuses of $3,000 from money saved by shuttering a nearly century-old prison and more than 70 prison dorms throughout the state, under a proposal approved Thursday by lawmakers. With low pay, the state has struggled to attract and keep workers in a prison system, which houses about 80,000 inmates." GO FOR THE GOLD — "' Our buildings are falling apart': Florida universities seek an influx of construction cash," by POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury: University leaders in Florida are preparing to make a major push for a windfall of funding from the state Legislature in 2022 to tackle a growing backlog of building repairs estimated to exceed $1 billion. The state university system's Board of Governors is considering asking lawmakers this upcoming session to dedicate upward of $800 million for schools to catch up on long sought-after maintenance on their aging campuses. DEAR JUDGE — "Prosecutors: Burnette deserves 'substantial' prison term for corrupting Tallahassee political process," by Tallahassee Democrat's Jeff Burlew: "Federal prosecutors are seeking between six and a half and eight years in prison for John 'J.T.' Burnette, blasting the once-prominent businessman in court filings for using his 'power and wealth to corrupt the political process.' Burnette, who was convicted in August on extortion and other charges in the FBI's public corruption investigation, is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday at the federal courthouse in Tallahassee." HAPPENING TODAY — The "Florida Roundup" on public radio stations looks at the controversy involving University of Florida professors being told they cannot testify in a lawsuit challenging new state voting restrictions. State Sen. Tina Polsky and state Rep. Anthony Sabatini are also planning to join in to discuss the Nov. 15-19 special session on coronavirus vaccine mandates. — " Florida nursing homes, VA facilities, get 3-month, $104 million bump to cover increased nursing costs," by Florida Politics' Christine Jordan Sexton — "Rosalind Osgood about to resign from Broward School Board to run for Florida Senate. DeSantis gets to pick replacement," by Sun Sentinel's Anthony Man — "Spending panel OKs $1B in additional Medicaid funding, but providers won't see it anytime soon," by Florida Politics' Christine Jordan Sexton | | | | BECOME A GLOBAL INSIDER: The world is more connected than ever. It has never been more essential to identify, unpack and analyze important news, trends and decisions shaping our future — and we've got you covered! Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Global Insider author Ryan Heath navigates the global news maze and connects you to power players and events changing our world. Don't miss out on this influential global community. Subscribe now. | | | | |
| | DATELINE D.C. | | 'WRONG SIDE OF HISTORY' — "Florida Democrats stood up to support Cuba protests. 40 of their colleagues disagreed," by Miami Herald's Alex Daugherty: "The 40 dissenting votes, along with three Democrats and one Republican who voted 'present,' are a small minority of the 431 sitting U.S. House members. None of the dissenting votes were from Florida lawmakers, but they provided fresh fodder for Republican attacks. 'Take a good look at those standing on the wrong side of history,' [Rep. Mario] Diaz-Balart tweeted after the vote, sharing the list of 'no' votes, which included high-profile left-leaning Democrats like New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Minnesota U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar." FOLLOW THE MONEY — "Florida could get $5 billion for Everglades restoration soon. But there's a catch,' by Miami Herald's Alex Daugherty: "Florida lawmakers say a looming $1 trillion infrastructure bill has enough money in it to cover the federal government's share of Everglades restoration projects — but the ultimate say on how the money is spent is up to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a federal agency that has long been a target of anger from Florida Republicans and Democrats alike." | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | TIMING IS EVERYTHING — "Proposal would weaken protections for tenured faculty at state universities," by Tampa Bay Times' Divya Kumar: "Faculty members at several public universities in Florida are expressing concern about a proposal that would weaken employment protections for tenured professors. The draft document, said to be written by a university provost, proposes rules that would make it easier for veteran faculty members to be dismissed. It has circulated among faculty at the University of Florida, the University of South Florida, Florida State University and the University of Central Florida. Some faculty leaders contend the proposal sends a chilling message at a time when Florida's commitment to academic freedom is under question." WEIGHING IN — "DeSantis puts Jacksonville homicide suspect at center of immigration debate," by Florida Times-Union's Dan Scanlan: "A defendant accused of killing a man he called his uncle in October in Jacksonville has entered pleas of not guilty on charges of second-degree murder and evidence tampering at his arraignment hearing on Thursday. The same day, Gov. Ron DeSantis talked about the case — after his office gave local media advanced notice about the hearing — and railed against President Joe Biden's immigration policies. On Oct. 6 police found 46-year-old Francisco Javier Cuellar dead in a house on Lone Star Road in Jacksonville just before midnight." — " Pensacola bridge contractor to testify at federal hearing on Skanska's alleged discrimination," by Pensacola News Journal's Emma Kennedy | | | | A message from Florida Education Champions: Monopoly.
It's not just a board game, but a bad business practice that flies in the face of free market principles and competition.
When one entity owns and controls the market on any business, Floridians lose. And who else loses? In this case, Florida public education.
Florida Education Champions' amendment authorizes hundreds of millions of dollars generated by its passage and implementation to go directly to supplement Florida's Educational Enhancement Trust Fund – without raising taxes.
By signing the Florida Education Champions petition, you can demand the ballot question be asked to allow Floridians, 21 and older, to use their favorite online sports betting platforms and ensure any new revenue MUST go to increase education funding in Florida.
Competition. Free Market. More Options. Education Funding.
That's what will be on the November 2022 Florida ballot, with your help. | | |
| | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | ENGAGED — MacKensie Kvalvik, communications director for Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.), and Sean Petersen, a tech consultant, got engaged on Friday in the mountains of western North Carolina. The two first met as college students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. BIRTHDAYS: Rep. Frederica Wilson … David Johnson, Republican political consultant … (Saturday) NPR's Eric Deggans … Rick McAllister, former CEO/President of Florida Retail Federation … (Sunday) Jenn Meale Poggie of Pinnacle Media … MSNBC/KNBC's Jose Diaz-Balart
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