| | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Hello and welcome to Tuesday. Breaking — POLITICO's story that a draft opinion shows a majority of the U.S. Supreme Court has already voted to overturn the 50-year-old Roe v. Wade decision on abortion drew swift and immediate reaction from Republicans and Democrats on Monday night. And it is a reminder that such a ruling could become a major factor in this year's elections, including the upcoming primary for governor. Where Florida stands — The ruling, if eventually put in place by the nation's high court, would leave states in charge of regulating abortion, meaning that Florida's recently enacted ban on all abortions past after 15 weeks of gestation — with no exceptions — would stand. (Let's note that Florida's privacy clause in the state constitution has been used to block abortion laws, but the reconstituted state Supreme Court has not weighed in recently.) Republicans who supported the new law said they chose 15 weeks because it was in line with the Mississippi law at the center of the case before the U.S. Supreme Court. Fried v. Crist — Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, one of three Democrats running for governor, has made abortion rights a key part of her campaign platform and, in recently weeks, has highlighted rival Rep. Charlie Crist's past statements as a way to seed doubts about her rival's position. Crist has said he supports abortion rights, but then will tell interviewers he's "pro-life." Response — The immediate reaction to the POLITICO story showed a difference in tone that could prove pivotal in a Democratic primary featuring motivated voters. Crist tweeted out that "if true" the ruling meant the "fight for a woman's right to choose will be left up to each state to decide… and front and center in this fall's election. We must defeat DeSantis." He then followed it up by pointing out he vetoed an abortion bill when he was governor and that early on his career in the state Senate he voted against a bill that required a waiting period. 'What do we have left?' — Fried — who is seeking to become Florida's first female governor — put the potential ruling in much starker terms: "The women of our country are under direct attack by right-wing radicals. Overturning our freedom over our bodies is unconstitutional, unacceptable, and taking us back to a dark, dark time. If they can control our bodies, what do we have left? If this ruling is published, it simply cannot stand and I will do whatever it takes to protect the women of Florida." Taddeo weighs in — State Sen. Annette Taddeo also put the ramifications in personal terms: "I never thought I'd see the day when women's rights would be stripped away. As a mother, I'm terrified for my daughter and her generation who might lose safe access to vital care. Now more than ever it's urgent to elect a governor who will protect a woman's right to choose." — 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
| | | | HAPPENING NOW - MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE: Go inside the 25th annual Milken Institute Global Conference with our special edition Global Insider newsletter, featuring exclusive coverage and insights from one of the world's most influential gatherings. Stay up to speed with the latest from #MIGlobal, which brings together 3,000 of the world's most powerful leaders and features 700+ speakers representing more than 80 countries. Don't miss out, subscribe today. | | | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | MAJOR CHANGE — "Supreme Court has voted to overturn abortion rights, draft opinion shows ," by POLITICO's Josh Gerstein and Alexander Ward: The Supreme Court has voted to strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, according to an initial draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito circulated inside the court and obtained by POLITICO. The draft opinion is a full-throated, unflinching repudiation of the 1973 decision which guaranteed federal constitutional protections of abortion rights and a subsequent 1992 decision — Planned Parenthood v. Casey — that largely maintained the right. "Roe was egregiously wrong from the start," Alito writes. Rubio's reaction — The two elected officials battling for Florida's U.S. Senate seat also reacted to the POLITICO story. Republican incumbent Sen. Marco Rubio tweeted that "the next time you hear the far left preaching about how they are fighting to preserve our Republic's institutions & norms remember how they leaked a Supreme Court opinion in an attempt to intimidate the justices on abortion." Rubio also shot back at Sen. Bernie Sanders' call to eliminate the filibuster so the Senate could push through a law codifying Roe v. Wade that has already passed the House. Demings responds — Rep. Val Demings said on Monday that "we refuse to go back to being treated as second-class citizens whose personal decisions are made by politicians like Marco Rubio, who has fought relentlessly against the right of Florida women to control their own destiny.
| | CAMPAIGN MODE | | DESANTIS REVS UP LEON GOP — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dished out a 50-minute speech Monday night to a sold-out crowd of more than 250 people attending the Leon County Republican Party Lincoln Day dinner, held on the campus of Florida State University. Leon GOP chair Evan Power called it the most successful Lincoln Day dinner in party history and raised double the amount of any previous event. Color theory — DeSantis — who quipped about how it was great to give a campaign speech just five minutes from the governor's mansion — joked about how Leon remains a Democratic bastion even as recent elections have shown Florida trending toward Republicans. But he said that while Leon County may not flip in this year's election "it will be redder" than it has in the past. He also contended that the GOP has a real chance of knocking off state Sen. Loranne Ausley, a Democrat from Tallahassee. Highlights — Much of the governor's remarks covered familiar territory, including knocks against President Joe Biden, Silicon Valley, the media, "woke ideology" and Disney as well as discussion of last year's "anti-riot" law, support for the police, and the budget. He called Democrats a "dumpster fire" of a party, said Disney made a dumb decision when it said it would work to repeal the "parental rights in education" law that critics call the 'don't say gay' measure. DeSantis also repeated a new talking point that a recession is coming due to Biden's polices. On that note, DeSantis contended that Florida has enough in its budget reserves to avoid cuts if that happens. Red wave — DeSantis ended with a prediction that gains in registration and the ongoing political environment would ensure victories across the state for the GOP in 2022. He said this year's elections would show that "Florida is no longer a swing state. Florida is a red state." STEUBE'S STEEL GATE — The Federal Elections Commission late last week unanimously approved an advisory opinion that said Rep. Greg Steube can use his campaign funds to purchase and install a locking steel security gate at his home in Sarasota County. The FEC said such an expense would not constitute a "prohibited conversion to personal use of campaign funds" and it fits in with other recent decisions. "Similar to the circumstances of the previous advisory opinions, your need for a residential security system arose due to your role as a federal officeholder. Further, the purchase and installation of the gate is intended to provide an effective security system and is not intended for the purpose of improving your home." Background — Steube, a Republican, was first elected to Congress in 2018. His home sits on five acres of land adjacent to a cattle ranch and is located 30 miles away from the nearest incorporated city. According to the advisory opinion, Steube has been the target of eight threats since March of last year, including one that was investigated by local law enforcement. The FEC request also notes that there were two attempted burglaries at his house before he put up a fence and an aluminum cattle gate. The Sarasota County sheriff's office recommended that Steube get the locking security gate. The opinion notes that the current aluminum gate could be breached by a vehicle. OUTREACH — "Mike Pence, in Boca Raton, launches Republican effort to court Jewish voters," by Sun-Sentinel's Anthony Man: "The Republican Party, widely expected to win big in November, launched an effort Monday to court Jewish voters in South Florida, a solid Democratic voting bloc that has often proven elusive for the GOP. For its latest effort, the Republican National Committee brought in former Vice President Mike Pence to open the party's first ever 'Jewish Community Center' in Boca Raton, part of the party's effort to capture slices of the electorate that are vital to Democrats if they have any hope of avoiding a midterm election wipeout." — " Operation Blackout launches five-figure ad buy to encourage voters of color to vote-by-mail," by Florida Politics' Kelly Hayes — " Come November, two DeSantis allies could be sitting on the Miami-Dade School Board," by Miami Herald's Sommer Brugal — "Jason Fischer launches CD 4 bid ," by Florida Politics' Wes Wolfe
| | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | THE LAST LAUGH? — "DeSantis says he 'rejected' invite to White House Correspondents Dinner," by POLITICO's Matt Dixon: Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to make one thing clear: He was never going to "nerd prom." The Florida Republican, who criticizes all things perceived to be part of the political establishment, predictably said Monday that his office "rejected" an invite to Saturday night's White House Correspondents' Association annual dinner. He said it was a "lie" for event organizers to in any way associate his name with the event. "I would never attend that. Have no interest in that. Did not watch it. I don't care what they do," DeSantis said when asked about the event at a Jacksonville press conference on Monday. | 
MIAMI, FLORIDA - JANUARY 26: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis holds a press conference at the Miami Dade College's North Campus on January 26, 2022 in Miami, Florida. The Governor discussed the recent decision made by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to revoke emergency use authorization for Regeneron and Eli Lilly monoclonal antibody treatments. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) | Joe Raedle/Getty Images |
COLLATERAL DAMAGE — "Tiny special district caught up in DeSantis-Disney fight lobbies up," by POLITICO's Matt Dixon: A tiny special district in the Panhandle that provides sewer and water to a small coastal community has hired lobbyists to press the Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis after it got caught in the crossfire of a political fight between the governor and the Walt Disney Co. DeSantis ordered lawmakers last month to pass legislation doing away with a special district for Disney after it opposed high-profile legislation prohibiting teachers from leading classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity for students in kindergarten through third grade. The bill, however, was written in a way that impacted five other special districts, including the Eastpoint Water & Sewer District, which offers water and sewer to Eastpoint, a coastal area in Franklin County.
— "Lawmakers suspect DeSantis wants to take control of Disney World's government," by Orlando Sentinel's Skyler Swisher GENTLE GIANTS — "Florida to dedicate $30 million to saving manatees amid die-off," by Tampa Bay Times' Zachary T. Sampson: "As manatees continue to die in record numbers, Florida is poised to spend more than $30 million on efforts to rescue the iconic animals and restore the habitats where they live. Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday announced his support for the funding, which was included in the budget the Legislature passed in March. The governor's office called it a 'record investment in manatee care and protection' and said it represents a roughly $17 million increase over the current budget." SAD EMOJI FOR PATRONIS — " Gov. Ron DeSantis pumps brakes on petition for Elon Musk to move Twitter headquarters to Florida," by CBSMiami: "Florida's chief financial officer has begun an online campaign to get Elon Musk to move Twitter headquarters to Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis isn't as eager. 'In Florida, I think we've done very well, particularly over the last few years, attracting businesses that are producing things. We've worked really hard on vocational and career education — importing some tech company from San Francisco has not been high on our list,' he said. 'I think that what happens is they'll tend to come in, they drive up the cost of living for everybody else and OK, yeah, they enjoy our lower taxes, but you know, what are they really providing?'" — "Gov. DeSantis: Florida to make $15 to $20M in profit when Twitter completes sale to Elon Musk," by News4Jax's Travis Gibson — " Anna Eskamani tests positive for COVID-19," by Florida Politics' Jacob Ogles — "Florida Capitol Police Director Glass tapped by DeSantis as acting FDLE commissioner ," by News Service of Florida's Jim Turner
| | | | INTRODUCING DIGITAL FUTURE DAILY - OUR TECHNOLOGY NEWSLETTER, RE-IMAGINED: Technology is always evolving, and our new tech-obsessed newsletter is too! Digital Future Daily unlocks the most important stories determining the future of technology, from Washington to Silicon Valley and innovation power centers around the world. Readers get an in-depth look at how the next wave of tech will reshape civic and political life, including activism, fundraising, lobbying and legislating. Go inside the minds of the biggest tech players, policymakers and regulators to learn how their decisions affect our lives. Don't miss out, subscribe today. | | | | | | | MAPMAKER, MAPMAKER | | AFTERMATH — "With North Florida congressional district gone, Black voters wonder: 'What happens to us?'" by Tallahassee Democrat's Kathryn Varn and Florida Times-Union's David Bauerlein: "The caravan took off at dawn, more than a dozen cars and trucks lumbering out of Jacksonville and onto Interstate-10, cutting west toward Tallahassee. At the wheel of his black Toyota Camry was Ben Frazier, founder and president of the Northside Coalition of Jacksonville, a local group whose mission is to fight for civil rights. The destination was the Florida Capitol, where the Republican-majority Legislature was starting a three-day special session to supposedly review redrawn congressional maps that Gov. Ron DeSantis wanted to help bolster GOP political power in the nation's biggest battleground state."
| | DATELINE D.C. | | THE X FILES — "The UFO briefings on Capitol Hill have begun. Lawmakers aren't impressed," by POLITICO's Bryan Bender: Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, the top Republican on the intelligence panel, also believes the Pentagon is not aggressively carrying out Congress' direction. "Rubio is definitely frustrated," said one of the senator's aides, who was not authorized to speak publicly. "They are not moving fast enough, not doing enough, not sharing enough." "The administration is aware of the concerns," he added. "It is not at the level it needs to be." Others are more critical, accusing the Pentagon of hiding information from Congress.
| | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | — "Scores wait in Florida heat for days outside ICE facility," by The Associated Press — "Department of Justice investigates Tampa's police crime-free housing program," by Tampa Bay Times' Christopher O'Donnell — " Weekend of violence leaves 7 dead, raises total to 50 homicides this year in Jacksonville," by Florida Times-Union's Dan Scanlan — "Leon superintendent weighs property tax ballot measure to raise salaries for veteran teachers ," by Tallahassee Democrat's Ana Goñi-Lessan
| | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | — "British Islands premier asserts immunity in cocaine case," by The Associated Press' Joshua Goodman: "The premier of the British Virgin Islands on Monday demanded his immediate release from U.S. custody, arguing he is immune from prosecution on cocaine-smuggling charges because he is the elected, constitutional head of government of the British overseas territory. An attorney for Andrew Fahie made the request in a filing with Miami federal court. Fahie, 51, was arrested last week during a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration sting as he was preparing to board a private jet in Miami." BIRTHDAYS: Author and journalist Andrew Nagorski … David Siegel, president and CEO of Westgate Resorts | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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