News: POLITICO Florida Playbook: Taddeo calls on Florida Democrats to boycott special session

Wednesday, April 13, 2022

POLITICO Florida Playbook: Taddeo calls on Florida Democrats to boycott special session

Apr 13, 2022

Good Wednesday morning.

Call me — Well, here's a thought: Maybe Florida Democrats just sit out the next special session.

Here I am (Come and take me) — State Sen. Annette Taddeo, the Miami Democrat and candidate for governor, this morning will call on her fellow Democrats to boycott next week's special session on redistricting. Taddeo said there's no point in participating in drawing new congressional maps now that Republican legislative leaders are deferring to Gov. Ron DeSantis on the details in order to get something passed and signed into law.

Tired of being alone — In a statement, Taddeo said she's willing to return to Tallahassee for a special session to tackle the state's insurance crisis, but "I'll be damned if I'm showing up to kiss his ring and waste taxpayer money for an unconstitutional map. ... It's too bad between the Senate President and the Speaker of the House they couldn't put together one spine to stand up to DeSantis. I'm calling the rest of my Democratic colleagues in the legislature to join me in the cojones caucus and boycott this upcoming special session."

Let's stay together — Taddeo isn't the only Democrat murmuring about this idea, but it will be interesting to see if others follow. (Yes, the rules say that attendance is required unless there's an excused absence or someone is prevented from getting there on time. But, ahem — you see this rule flouted constantly.) Of course, the absence of Democrats during the special session won't stop the proceedings. There's enough GOP legislators in both chambers to push through a redistricting plan.

Take me to the river — Taddeo's comments come right after DeSantis made it clear on Tuesday that he will present legislators with a map that has what he calls a "race neutral" approach to the congressional district now held by Rep. Al Lawson, a Black Democrat. Lawson's seat now stretches from Jacksonville to west of Tallahassee. DeSantis contended again that such minority access districts — which have a sizable minority population but not a majority of voters, designed to allow that minority population to elect a candidate of choice — are not allowed due to recent court rulings.

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

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CAMPAIGN MODE

WILL IT BE THRICE? — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declined for the second time on Tuesday to endorse state Senate President Wilton Simpson, who is running for agriculture commissioner but is being challenged by other Republicans. DeSantis was asked about the endorsement during a Miami bill signing that Simpson also attended. DeSantis initially smiled when he was asked the question and said, "Look, we've got some more work to do coming up. But I've said he has been able to deliver I think a lot of big, big policy victories … and he deserves credit for it."

SPEAKING OF ENDORSEMENTS— " Trump faces tough decision on DeSantis endorsement," by The Hill's Max Greenwood: "Former President Trump is facing a dilemma: when — or even whether — to endorse the 2022 reelection bid of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, one of his biggest potential rivals for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Since leaving Washington last year, Trump has issued a long, if not sporadic, list of endorsements that includes other prospective presidential hopefuls such as South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.)."

WHAT'S IN YOUR WALLET? — " Oliva headlining DeSantis fundraiser at health care exec's Fisher Island home," by POLITICO's Matt Dixon: Former state House Speaker Jose Oliva is headlining an event next week to raise campaign contributions for Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has become one of the biggest fundraisers in modern Florida political history. Oliva is organizing the event with Nestor Plana, founder of Independent Living Systems — a Miami-based health services company that provides administrative services to Medicaid and Medicare providers. The April 22 event will be at Plana's Fisher Island home. Oliva has not been very politically active since leaving the Legislature in 2020 after his two year term as speaker, but has remained a DeSantis ally. "I was DeSantis' first supporter and he has stayed true to his principles throughout his tenure," Oliva told POLITICO.

DeSantis April 21, 2021

Gov. Ron DeSantis during a April 2021 press conference | Gary Fineout POLITICO

BY THE NUMBERS — The latest round of monthly campaign reports that were due on Monday showed Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis continued at a brisk pace and raised more than $8.4 million in March — substantially more than any of his rivals. His political committee reported taking in more than $7.2 million including yet another donation from the Republican Governors Association — $2 million this time. His main campaign account raised $1.22 million.

CRIST LEADS DEMOCRATS — Rep. Charlie Crist once again led Democratic candidates in fundraising in March. He raised more than $1.04 million between his political committee and campaign, more than double that of Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried. Fried raised nearly $439,000 between two accounts. State Sen. Annette Taddeo — due to rules barring fundraising during legislative sessions — only raised money during the second half of March. Her reports show that she raised nearly $110,000.

MAPMAKER, MAPMAKER

HIS WAY — "DeSantis will press ahead with map that wipes out minority district in North Florida," by POLITICO's Gary Fineout: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is now effectively in charge of redrawing a new congressional map that could allow Republicans to pick up additional seats, said Tuesday that he planned to submit a new proposal ahead of next week's special session that will not contain a minority access district in North Florida. "We are not going to have a 200-mile gerrymander that divvies people up due to the color of their skin," said DeSantis about his looming proposal, referencing the current district held by Rep. Al Lawson, a Black Democrat from Tallahassee. "That is wrong. That is not the way we are governed in the state of Florida."

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... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ...

WHAT'S GOING ON? — "Providers still waiting for state to deliver $1.2B in supplemental Medicaid funds," by Florida Politics' Christine Jordan Sexton: "In an effort to bolster the state's home- and community-based services network, the Gov. Ron DeSantis administration late last summer agreed to tap into $1.2 billion in additional federal Medicaid funds. More than six months later, the state hasn't distributed any of the supplemental funds and providers don't know when to expect the payments. They also don't know how much to expect because the state did not finalize the distribution formula it was going to use to disburse the funds."

IN PLACE — " Judge signs off on 24-hour waiting period for abortions in Florida," by News Service of Florida's Jim Saunders: "After nearly seven years of legal battling, a Leon County circuit judge has approved a 24-hour waiting period for abortions in Florida. Judge Angela Dempsey issued a ruling Friday that upheld the constitutionality of a 2015 law that called for women to wait 24 hours after initial visits with physicians before having abortions. Dempsey indicated during a hearing last month that she would uphold the law but did not issue the ruling until Friday."

'ONE PAYCHECK FROM BEING HOMELESS' — " Divisive alimony bill on 3rd trip to governor's desk; critics point to cash pipeline," by USA Today Network-Florida's James Call: "Camille Fiveash is among thousands of divorced women waiting to see what Gov. Ron DeSantis does with a contentious alimony overhaul bill that is headed to his desk. For the past decade, Fiveash — a 62-year-old part-time bakery worker from Milton — and a couple of other divorcees have driven 200 miles across the Panhandle to the state Capitol to protest measures like SB 1796, approved last month by the Legislature. The proposal ends what is known as permanent alimony, reopening marital settlement agreements that have been in place for decades."

TRANSITIONS — Ballard Partners announced on Tuesday that Abby Vail has been named managing partner of the lobbying firm's Tallahassee office. Vail joined the firm in 2020 and had previously been chief of staff at the Florida Office of Financial Regulation. Brian Ballard , the firm's president, said that Vail "has become an indispensable part" of their Tallahassee office. "She is the right person at the right time to lead our firm's office in the state capital," he said. Carol Bracy, who had been the managing partner in the Tallahassee office, is taking an extended leave absence of the firm to personally provide care for her mother, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

— " DeSantis defends lack of legislation on building safety following Surfside building collapse," by CBS Miami's Jim DeFede

— " DeSantis signs bill to expand foster care financial aid to caregivers, children," by Miami Herald's Ana Ceballos and Tampa Bay Times' Kirby Wilson

— "Hotly-debated education bills left out in analysis on FL lawmaker "grades" for 2022 session ," by Florida Phoenix's Danielle J. Brown

DATELINE D.C.

'WHAT IS HAPPENING?' — "House G.O.P., banding together, kills bid to honor pioneering black judge," by New York Times' Annie Karni: "A bill to name a federal courthouse in Tallahassee after Justice Joseph W. Hatchett, the first Black man to serve on the Florida Supreme Court — sponsored by the state's two Republican senators and backed unanimously by its 27 House members — was set to pass the House last month and become law with broad bipartisan support."

Quite the quote here — "Asked what made him vote against a measure that he had co-sponsored, Representative Vern Buchanan, Republican of Florida, was brief and blunt: 'I don't know,' he said. … A spokesman for Mr. Buchanan, who initially did not provide a reason for his vote, clarified that the congressman had opposed the bill 'because of the judge's position against prayer at graduation ceremonies.'"

Response — "[Democrats] said they saw the episode as the latest example of extremism in the House Republican Conference … "If the standard that we use is one ruling out of thousands, then what else could we conclude but that they are not willing to name a courthouse after a Black person," said Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Democrat of Florida. "It seems pretty suspect."

COMING SOON — " Marco Rubio stumps in Pensacola; advocates for burn pits health care bill for veterans," by Pensacola News Journal's Jim Little: "Speaking to reporters Tuesday at a campaign event in Pensacola, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio said a bill that will provide health care coverage for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits in warzones will get a floor vote in the Senate before August. 'My understanding is that we're going to get a floor vote on our bill,' Rubio said. 'It's bipartisan, but it doesn't have unanimous support in either party.' The Florida Republican partnered with U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, to introduce bipartisan legislation to have Veterans Affairs cover health problems veterans face after being exposed to toxic pollution from burn pits that were common on U.S. military bases in Afghanistan and Iraq."

Sen. Marco Rubio is pictured. | AP Photo

AP Photo

'A LOT OF FRICTION' — "Biden's team is divided over new talks about oil with Maduro in Venezuela," by McClatchy D.C.'s Michael Wilner and El Nuevo Herald's Antonio Maria Delgado: "Divisions within the Biden administration over whether to continue talks with President Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela have deepened since a senior U.S. delegation met with him in Caracas last month, U.S. and Venezuelan opposition sources familiar with the discussions told McClatchy and the Miami Herald this week. The March 5 meeting in Caracas resulted in the freedom of two U.S. citizens from Venezuelan custody — and raised the prospect of U.S. sanctions relief on Venezuela's oil sector amid a global shortage of oil and gas."

PENINSULA AND BEYOND

FOR YOUR RADAR — "Fried calls Calkins' claims that state started Santa Rosa County wildfire 'disgusting, '" by WEAR: "Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried responded Tuesday to claims by Santa Rosa County Commissioner James Calkins that the state intentionally set the Oyster Bay Wildfire — blaming 'the only Democrat' in Gov. Ron DeSantis' cabinet, Fried. Calkins made the comments at Monday evening's commission meeting where commissioners and citizens voiced their concerns about the 196-acre wildfire near Garcon Point that was caused by a prescribed burn. 'What happened in Santa Rosa County was intentional,' Calkins said Monday. 'They're trying to burn our county down. I think it's wrong. ... This is why people don't trust our government.'

— "Garcon Point wildfire under investigation, state says 'situation should not have occurred,'" by Pensacola News-Journal's Robin Chan

ENDGAME — " Massive Miami gold-smuggling case finally ends. Deal keeps armored car CEO from prison," by Miami Herald's Jay Weaver: "Miami's sensational 'dirty gold' probe has ended with a whimper. The last defendant charged in a nearly $4 billion gold-smuggling case linking Miami to Latin America was handed a probationary sentence on Tuesday. It was remarkably light punishment for Jesus Gabriel Rodriguez Jr., given that he was facing up to 20 years in prison when he was initially charged with a supporting role in the massive money-laundering conspiracy case upon his arrest."

I DRINK YOUR MILKSHAKE— " Former state senator Rob Bradley's pipeline project nears final permit," by POLITICO's Bruce Ritchie: St. Johns River Water Management District officials said Tuesday they expect to receive their final permits by the end of the month for a proposed $48 million water pipeline in Clay County pushed by former state Sen. Rob Bradley (R-Fleming Island). Agency staff said during a district board meeting Tuesday that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection had issued a permit on April 1 for the project, which would pump water about 20 miles from a St. Johns River tributary to Camp Blanding to boost lake levels in the Keystone Heights region.

— "There's a meningitis outbreak in Florida. Here's who is at risk and what you need to know," by Miami Herald's Daniel Chang

— " Experts disagree on how to manage Florida's massive growth," by Orlando Sentinel's Trevor Fraser

— "Broward family accused of kidnapping, beating gay man so badly he was left blinded ," by Miami Herald's David Ovalle

ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN

— "Pastors sue AME Church over missing retirement funds," by Associated Press' Mike Schneider: "Pastors have filed at least three federal lawsuits in recent weeks against the African Methodist Episcopal Church along with several subsidiaries and financial firms the church used, alleging tens of millions of dollars from a pension fund were mismanaged and missing. The retired and current pastors in Florida, Maryland and Virginia filed the lawsuits against the oldest historically Black denomination in the U.S. late last month … The lawsuit filed by the Florida pastor, the Rev. Charles Jackson in Orlando, alleges the church and its related financial institutions were negligent and breached their fiduciary responsibilities."

BIRTHDAYS: Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis is 5-0 … Former Rep. Ted Yoho … State Rep. Sam Killebrew … State Rep. John Snyder … Former state Rep. Elaine Schwartz … Doug Cook, former head of the Agency for Health Care Administration … Nick Iacovella, senior vice president at Coalition for a Prosperous America