News: POLITICO Florida Playbook: The waning days of Florida's messy culture war session

Monday, March 7, 2022

POLITICO Florida Playbook: The waning days of Florida's messy culture war session

Mar 07, 2022

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Hello and welcome to Monday.

Change — When Florida legislators started their annual session nearly two months ago it was clear that Republicans would push an election-year agenda that would include bills on abortion, race and gender issues.

Mad World — But as they rush to the finish line this week, it's been more tumultuous than first advertised as Republicans have wound up getting crosswise with the governor, especially over redistricting. And the discord and tone between Republicans and Democrats has sounded more and more like the daily dysfunction associated with Washington, D.C.

Shout — "It's mentally and emotionally draining," state Sen. Shevrin Jones told Playbook. "In my 11 years, I have never seen anything like this. Republicans have hit a new low and they are comfortable with it, and it's sad." Jones, who was the first LGBTQ candidate elected to the Senate, made his comments a day before the Senate will take up a "parental rights in education" bill that opponents have labeled the "don't say gay" bill.

The Working Hour — The Legislature late last week sent a ban on abortions past 15 weeks to the desk of Gov. Ron DeSantis. Lawmakers are expected this week to send the governor both the "parental rights in education" bill and another measure that would alter Florida's anti-discrimination laws to prevent schools and companies from leveling guilt or blame to students and employees based on race or sex.

Everybody Wants To Rule the World — Despite this, the Legislature is at odds with the governor over redistricting, meaning a special session is looming on the horizon. The House and Senate on Friday pushed ahead with a proposed new congressional map even after DeSantis declared it "DOA." When asked what happens next, the Senate and House redistricting leaders both said the same thing: "Good question."

Famous Last Words — Republicans had also been resisting some of DeSantis' top budget priorities, including a gas tax moratorium, but the Senate did late Sunday (after 54 days of ignoring it) propose blessing the governor's push to get money for a new Florida state guard and money to transport immigrants brought to Florida from the southern border to other states. It's a signal that there could be a lot more surprises, twists and turns in the five days left in what has been a bitter, contentious session.

— 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

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... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ...

THE PUSHAW CHRONICLES — This past weekend saw Democrats demanding that Christina Pushaw, who is press secretary for Gov. Ron DeSantis and who regularly assails critics of the governor on social media, either resign or be fired after she tweeted a comment suggesting that those opposed to the "parental rights" bill were either "groomers" or those who don't "denounce the grooming of 4-8 year old children." Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, who is gay, called her inference that opponents of the bill were "pedophiles" a "disgusting" and "dangerous" attack on those who are LGBTQ. Pushaw would eventually respond to Smith's criticism by saying a "hit dog hollers."

Response — Pushaw wound up going back and forth with other Democrats over the issue over most of Sunday. When asked about the demands that Pushaw resign or be fired, Taryn Fenske, the governor's communications director asserted that critics of the bill have mischaracterized what the bill does. "Especially among five, six, seven, and eight year old children, the Governor holds the common-sense stance that conversations at this age about human sexuality are the purview of a child's parents. I suggest opponents to the bill spend more time reading the bill and less time writing political press releases."

FWIW — It's worth noting that the bill states "classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3." Republicans shot down an attempt to alter that language by Republican Sen. Jeff Brandes to say discussions on "human sexuality or sexual activity" could not take place.

— "' Saturday Night Live' skit rips Gov. Ron DeSantis over Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill," by Miami Herald's Omar Rodríguez Ortiz

'THIS IS A NON-RESPONSE' — "' Like a slap in the face': Legislators, staff and fans criticize Disney's response to 'don't say gay' bill," by Orlando Sentinel's Katie Rice: "Responding to pressure to condemn the 'don't say gay' bill in the Florida Legislature, the Walt Disney Co. issued a statement this week saying it understood the issue's importance to employees and customers — without taking a stance against the legislation. Disney has been criticized by employees, fans and legislators for not taking a firmer position against discrimination against the LGBTQ community."

SUNDAY NIGHT BUDGET ACTION — " Senate breathes life into DeSantis' top priorities," by POLITICO's Matt Dixon: The Florida Senate handed Gov. Ron DeSantis key budget wins late Sunday night, proposing to fund immigration and state security programs long championed by the governor, who has recently feuded with Senate leaders. In a budget offer made by Senate leaders during a 8:45 p.m. meeting, the chamber offered $12 million for a DeSantis-championed program to transport immigrants brought to Florida from the southern border to other states.

More than he asked for — DeSantis originally wanted $8 million for the program, so the Senate offer surpassed the original request. The Senate also proposed funding roughly $10 million for the Florida State Guard, a program that is also a key part of DeSantis' budget request. Under that plan, the program would have 400 volunteers, up from 200 originally sought by DeSantis.

DOUBLING DOWN — " GOP-led Florida Legislature approves new congressional maps that DeSantis vows to veto," by POLITICO's Gary Fineout: Florida's Republican-controlled Legislature on Friday approved a set of doomed congressional maps that Gov. Ron DeSantis has pledged to veto, leaving the state's redistricting in limbo with just days left in the 2022 session. The state's House and Senate, split largely along party lines, voted in favor of a new map that dismantles the north Florida congressional seat held by Rep. Al Lawson, a Black Democrat from Tallahassee, and would let the GOP likely pick up two seats. Florida is just one of four states left in the nation without approved congressional maps, raising a host of legal questions since the state needs to redraw its districts after picking up a new seat during the once-in-a-decade census.

FALLOUT — "House lawmakers who sided with DeSantis in map fight see their priorities stalled," by POLITICO's Matt Dixon: Some of the budget and legislative priorities for those members who voted to reject the maps have now been bogged down, a signal that defying their own legislative leadership on a high profile vote where House leaders wanted to show a unified front could have consequences. The redistricting fight between House Republican leaders and the DeSantis put the chamber's rank-and-file in the politically perilous position of defying a popular GOP governor with a veto pen and a Republican speaker who can kill their bills and budgets before even getting to the governor.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is pictured. | Getty Images

SURFSIDE, FLORIDA - AUGUST 10: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during an event to give out bonuses to first responders held at the Grand Beach Hotel Surfside on August 10, 2021 in Surfside, Florida. DeSantis gave out some of the $1,000 checks that the Florida state budget passed for both first responders and teachers across the state. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) | Joe Raedle/Getty Images

WEIGHING IN — "Biden and Harris condemn Florida bill that restricts abortion after 15 weeks," by Miami Herald's Bryan Lowry: "President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris Friday condemned Florida legislation that would restrict abortion after 15 weeks. 'Last night, the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature passed a dangerous bill that will severely restrict women's access to reproductive health care. My administration will not stand for the continued erosion of women's constitutional rights,' Biden said on Twitter following the Florida Senate's passage of the bill, which is expected to be signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis."

TRIAL BALLOON — " Bill to release Epstein's Palm Beach County grand jury records debated in Legislature," by Palm Beach Post's Jane Musgrave: "Voicing concern about dismantling a cornerstone of the state's criminal justice system, the Florida Senate on Friday made it clear they weren't prepared to consider legislation that would let the public view grand jury records that could reveal why Jeffrey Epstein wasn't charged with molesting teens more than a decade ago."

'IT'S A TROUBLING TREND' — "Florida Republicans relying on trial lawyers to enforce conservative agenda," by Tampa Bay Times' Lawrence Mower: "But this year, Florida Republicans are turning to trial lawyers, one of their historic foes, to help enforce their agenda. GOP lawmakers are advancing legislation that would allow Floridians to sue Big Tech companies over data privacy, sue primary schools that teach about gender identity or sexual orientation, and sue cities for passing ordinances that damage their businesses. The expanded use of lawsuits to enforce Republicans' agenda is a shift for the party, and it has business groups concerned."

COMING SOON — " Florida Senate agrees to create DeSantis' election police," by POLITICO's Gary Fineout: Still, Democrats questioned the need for the new "Office of Election Crimes and Security" and worried it would lead to politically motivated investigations since it would be under an appointee of the governor. Republicans, however, did not go along with DeSantis' request to put sworn law enforcement officers in the office. Instead they agreed to place additional agents in the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to work on election cases in concert with the new office.

Debate — Sen. Lori Berman, a Palm Beach County Democrat, said legislators were creating the new unit because they were "motivated by the 'Big Lie'" that there was widespread voter fraud in the 2020 elections. The "Big Lie" is a reference to Trump's baseless claim that he won the 2020 election. Sen. Travis Hutson (R-Palm Coast), the bill's sponsor, responded by saying "what are we really afraid of? Are we afraid of our elections being too secure?"

— " Public records exemptions for state university president searches heads to DeSantis," by USA Today Network-Florida's Jeffrey Schweers

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE

NEXT STEPS— "U.S. lawmakers say they are largely opposed to a no-fly zone over Ukraine," by The New York Times' Luke Broadwater and Chris Cameron: "Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike took that position on a variety of Sunday morning television news programs. 'It makes no sense whatsoever to continue to buy oil from Russia that they use to fund this war and this murderous campaign that they're undertaking,' Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on CNN's 'State of the Union.' He added that there was support for supplying Ukraine with supplies and aircraft after the country's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, made that request to Congress on Saturday."

Step too far — "But Mr. Rubio and others said the risks of the United States imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine — as Mr. Zelensky also requested — were too great. On ABC's "This Week," Mr. Rubio said that move would draw the United States directly into the war between Ukraine and Russia, starting a conflict between two nuclear-armed powers."

UM, WHAT? — " Two GOP senators share of Zelensky during call after lawmakers asked not to by Ukraine," by NBC News Haley Talbot, Julie Tsirkin and Nicole Acevedlo: "Two Republican senators are facing criticism after tweeting photos of a video call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy even though participating lawmakers were told to not share pictures on social media while it was in progress. Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Steve Daines of Montana posted pictures of Zelenskyy on their Twitter accounts during the Zoom meeting Saturday morning, writing that they were on a call with him."

CAMPAIGN MODE

TRUMP HANDS OUT MORE ENDORSEMENTS — This isn't a big surprise, but former President Donald Trump on Friday handed out endorsements to two Republicans sitting on the Florida Cabinet. Early in the day, Trump sent out as endorsement for Attorney General Ashley Moody, and then on Friday evening added one for Chief Financial Jimmy Patronis. "Jimmy has been a great friend to me and to MAGA," Trump said in a statement. He said that Moody — who backed a legal effort to try to throw out ballots cast in Pennsylvania — "truly knows and understands the importance of law and order." The endorsements came after both Moody and Patronis picked up new Democratic opponents this past week.

Florida list still has one big omission — Trump has now endorsed in all three Cabinet seats. He threw his support behind Wilton Simpson for agriculture commissioner last year. The Palm Beach County resident has also endorsed Sen. Marco Rubio for another term along with several Republican incumbents in Congress. But Trump has yet to issue a statement endorsing Gov. Ron DeSantis for reelection. It was Trump's endorsement of DeSantis in 2018 that proved crucial in the former congressman winning the Republican primary.

PUSHING BACK — " Matt Gaetz challenged by TV anchor after saying Trump won 2020 election," by Newsweek's Andrew Stanton: "Gaetz, a Florida Republican, has been among the GOP figures who promoted the unproven claims that President Joe Biden only won in 2020 due to widespread voter fraud. 'I believe that Donald Trump won the 2020 election,' he said on local news station WEAR-TV after anchor Bob Solarski asked if he still buys into the theory of a stolen election. Solarski responded: 'You can't say that without saying that there was a gigantic conspiracy across this country and supervisor of election offices everywhere to make this happen, and we haven't still seen any evidence that proves that.'"

SOMETHING TO WATCH — "Republicans court growing conservative voter bloc: Colombian Americans," by NBC News Carmen Sesin: "While Colombian Americans traditionally voted Democratic, over half of them voted for President Donald Trump in 2020, exit polls suggest. 'Colombians have become the new Cubans,' said Eduardo Gamarra, a political science professor at Florida International University, referring to Cuban American voters, who have traditionally voted Republican. Gamarra, who's a Democrat, believes that since 2020, Colombian Americans have continued shifting toward the Republican Party because of the polarization back in their home country."

— " Commissioner announces run for Deutsch's congressional seat," by The Associated Press

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PENINSULA AND BEYOND

'MOVING VERY QUICKLY — "1,110 homes evacuated as firefighters battle Florida fires," by The Associated Press: "Huge wildfires in the Florida Panhandle forced veterans in a nursing home to evacuate Sunday alongside residents of more than 1,000 homes in an area still recovering from a Category 5 hurricane three years ago. Firefighters battled the 9,000-acre Bertha Swamp Road fire and the 841-acre Adkins Avenue fire, which have threatened homes and forced residents of at least 1,100 houses in Bay County, Florida to flee over the weekend. The Adkins Avenue fire destroyed two structures and damaged another 12 homes late Friday. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called the larger Bertha Swamp Road fire 'a big boy,' at a news conference in Panama City on Sunday afternoon."

AFTERMATH — "Piney Point cleanup, closure might take three years or longer," by Tampa Bay Times' Zachary T. Sampson : "It could take until the end of 2024 or longer to shut down Piney Point, the troubled old fertilizer plant property that set off an environmental crisis last spring in Tampa Bay. A plan released this week shows how complicated the path is for the state to meet its promise of eliminating the lingering environmental threat. Last year, a leak in a reservoir triggered the release of more than 200 million gallons of polluted water into Tampa Bay. Packed with nitrogen, the water likely fueled algae growth, scientists say, and may have worsened a toxic Red Tide that killed tons of fish."

FALLOUT — "Gay police chief says he pushed for diversity in upper ranks — and that got him fired. His supporters are wondering why," by Sun Sentinel's Susannah Bryan: "[Larry] Scirotto, the son of a white mother and Black father and the department's first gay chief, was held in high regard by some who saw him as a dynamic and charismatic leader charged with bringing long-awaited change to an agency mired in use-of-force complaints. Now experts say the city is facing a legal quagmire, with potential lawsuits from both Scirotto and at least four officers claiming discrimination. The waters got even more muddy on Friday, when the city auditor released a report accusing Scirotto of working a second job as a referee for the NCAA while on the city clock — a claim Scirotto dismisses as false."

— "Key West set to try – again – to limit cruise ship visits to the island," by WLRN's Nancy Klingener

— " Asian shipper starts route from Jacksonville to ports in China, South Korea," by Florida Times-Union Steve Patterson

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