| | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Hello and welcome to Thursday. What about? — Charlie Crist went to Jacksonville this week to lay into Gov. Ron DeSantis over property insurance. The first question he got was about his choice of running mate, Miami-Dade teachers union leader Karla Hernández-Mats. Too much attention — The Crist campaign has been put on the defensive over the selection, which they say is due to Republican distractions and opposition trolling. The list — But… since getting picked, Hernández-Mats has had to answer questions over a former Miami-Dade union steward who is now a convicted sex predator doing prison time. When she got asked about her connections to Wendell Nibs by Miami television reporters, she lashed out at them. "I hope you are not a sounding board for the Republican Party," she told political reporter Michael Putney. Explanations — Then there's the whole Fidel Castro business that Republicans are having a field day with. After Castro died in 2016, Hernández-Mats tweeted that "Most in Miami rejoice, many in Cuba mourn #Fidel Castro." Somehow that tweet got deleted recently, and then, Tuesday night, Hernández-Mats addressed the controversy: "I proudly celebrated Fidel's death, banging on pots and pans in the streets of Hialeah with my neighbors. It was heartbreaking that after decades of oppression, the Cuban people were forced to mourn the death of a tyrant." Response — DeSantis, during a Wednesday press conference he held in Miami, slammed Hernández-Mats and called her tweet on Castro "a disgrace, that's an insult to the people in this community that had to flee that tyranny." (And yes, let's pause and point out that Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez has created her own bit of controversy this summer with remarks she made about busing undocumented immigrants out of state.) Reasoning — The pick of Hernandez-Mats was supposed to signal that the Crist campaign was serious about reaching out to Hispanic voters, especially in Miami-Dade County, a critical region that is supposed to be a reliable bastion of Democratic votes but that has been heading in the other direction. Step aside — The Crist campaign rejected the advice of some Democrats who worried about Hernández-Mats' inexperience as a political candidate and that her past as a union official would become a flashpoint for the DeSantis campaign that wants to make education a big part of his reelection effort. (The governor has already slammed her for backing pandemic-induced school lockdowns.) "The right person" — The pushback from the Crist campaign is that while the selection may be a little unconventional, Hernández-Mats' role as a teacher as well as her exuberance and energy have brought a spark to the ticket. "She's the right person at the right time for this ticket," Crist told reporters. It's true that all this may be forgotten very soon, but that doesn't mean there aren't some Democrats fretting about the choice. — 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 WOMEN RULE CONVERSATION ON LEADING FROM THE GROUND UP: Join POLITICO's Women Rule on Sept. 15 for conversations focused on creating and leading sustainable, healthy and inclusive communities. The program will feature a Member Exchange panel followed by a keynote discussion exploring the most pressing issues facing women in their communities and women in leadership roles who are best positioned to solve these problems. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | |  | CAMPAIGN MODE | | DEMINGS RELEASES ABORTION AD — Rep. Val Demings dropped a new 30-second ad entitled "A Crime" on Wednesday that goes directly after Sen. Marco Rubio over abortion. In the new ad, Demings — who rose to the position of police chief before running for Congress — criticizes Rubio because he has recently stated that all abortion should be made illegal and there should be no exceptions for rape and incest. Demings calls that position, which is not shared by other Florida Republicans such as Sen. Rick Scott, "outrageous." "Rape is a crime. Incest is a crime. Abortion is not," Demings says. Response — The Rubio campaign responded to the new ad by calling Demings a "pro abortion extremist" who has not been clear on how long she would allow abortions to occur. Demings recently told a reporter she supports abortion up to viability. "Marco Rubio is proud to be unequivocally pro-life and has consistently reaffirmed his belief in the dignity of the unborn," Rubio spokeswoman Elizabeth Gregory said in a statement. | 
Rep. Val Demings. | Joe Raedle/Getty Images | NEW POLL GIVES GOP SLIGHT EDGE — A new poll commissioned by AARP Florida — and whose results were first reported by Florida Politics — found that both Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Marco Rubio have narrow leads in their races. DeSantis leads Democrat Charlie Crist 50 percent to 47 percent, while Rubio leads Demings 49 percent to 47 percent. That puts the race inside the margin of error which is plus or minus 4.4 percent. The main poll surveyed 500 likely voters the week after the Aug. 23 primary. But the AARP Florida poll also found that DeSantis and Rubio have a wider lead among older voters – a key demographic that is usually pivotal in Florida elections. PUSHING BACK — 'Red Tide Ron': Crist knocks DeSantis on environment, by POLITICO's Bruce Ritchie: Charlie Crist on Wednesday criticized Gov. Ron DeSantis for his environmental record and a 2021 widespread fish kill in Tampa Bay linked to red tide — less than 24 hours after the governor was endorsed by the Everglades Trust. Crist, a former Republican governor now running as a Democrat, was joined by some environmentalists in a news release stating that he will stand up to the sugar industry and protect Florida's waters while restoring the Everglades. HMM — " Seminole Chamber to review Brodeur's work amid 'ghost' probe revelations," by Orlando Sentinel's Annie Martin: "The Seminole County Chamber said it will conduct "an extensive review" of CEO and President Jason Brodeur's tenure and examine its hiring practices as revelations continue to emerge from an investigation into a "ghost" candidate in Brodeur's 2020 state Senate race. The Seminole Chamber's board sent a message to members on Wednesday afternoon, days after the Orlando Sentinel reported that Joel Greenberg, Seminole's former tax collector, had told state investigators that Brodeur "absolutely" knew about the plan to recruit a spoiler candidate to help him win office two years ago." — "Lech Walesa receives key to city, says he would back Miami mayor in any White House bid," by Miami Herald's Joey Flechas — " Annette Taddeo's leap of faith," by Jewish Insider's Matthew Kassel — "Survey shows health care isn't a priority issue in governor's race, but is it? " by Florida Politics' Christine Jordan Sexton
| | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | LEAK AT THE FLORIDA SUPREME COURT? — The Florida Supreme Court late Wednesday issued a strange order: The high court stated that a one-page abortion ruling it put out earlier in the day was "vacated as it was issued in error by the clerk's office. The motion remains under consideration by the court." Backdrop — The reason this is a big deal is the court had previously put out an unsigned one-page order that rejected an emergency motion made by abortion rights groups to block Florida's recently enacted ban on abortions after 15 weeks. A circuit court judge had ordered an injunction against the law, but that injunction was put on hold once the state appealed the case to the 1st District Court of Appeal. Moody wants court to undo past rulings — And the case has gained even more importance because Attorney General Ashley Moody and her solicitor general have argued that the Florida Supreme Court should use this ongoing litigation to throw out a 1989 ruling that found that abortion is covered by Florida's privacy clause approved by voters. In a filing made on Wednesday, the Republican attorney general and her lawyers argued that the 1989 ruling was "egregiously wrong" — a phrase they deliberately cited from the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to repeal Roe v. Wade. Context — It was this 1989 decision that Circuit Court Judge John Cooper cited when he made his ruling to block the state's new 15-week ban. Many outside court observers have waited to see whether the state court, which has been completely remade by Gov. Ron DeSantis, will reverse the previous ruling. That's why any rulings made by the Florida Supreme Court on this case are highly anticipated. TO COURT — Groups sue Florida over Medicaid ban on gender-affirming care, by POLITICO's Arek Sarkissian: A coalition of transgender rights groups sued Florida over new regulations that block the state's Medicaid program from covering the costs associated with gender-affirming care. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday morning in Tallahassee federal court, argues the ban, which Florida's chief Medicaid regulator finalized last month, violates the federal equal protection clause and prevents an estimated 9,000 transgender state Medicaid enrollees from receiving critical gender-affirming care. New direction — Carl Charles, a senior attorney for the Southern Regional Office of Lambda Legal, which is one of the organizations that brought the suit, said the move to ban coverage is all the more concerning since Florida had covered gender-affirming care costs for years. "This is a 180 for Florida, and is particularly troubling because they've been covering this care without issue in their Medicaid program for years," Charles said. AND ANOTHER LAWSUIT — College free speech groups sues Florida over 'anti-woke' law, by POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury: The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a college free speech group, sued the DeSantis administration this week challenging how the state's "Stop-WOKE" act applies to higher education. The federal lawsuit, filed in Tallahassee on behalf of a University of South Florida professor, student, and student group, alleges that the legislation pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis violates their freedom of speech, evidenced by how it could restrict lessons on critical topics such as Jackie Robinson, who broke professional baseball's color barrier. THE BEAT GOES ON — Fried hammers Biden administration's 'insulting' motion in lawsuit over guns and pot, by POLITICO's Matt Dixon: Attorneys for Florida Democratic Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried hammered President Joe Biden's administration Wednesday over an ongoing legal dispute over guns and marijuana. In an instance of Democrat-on-Democrat legal intrigue, Fried sued the Biden administration over a federal law that banned legal users of medical marijuana from buying firearms or obtaining a concealed-carry permit. — " Florida Gov. DeSantis seeks to expand toll discounts," by News Service of Florida
| | | | INTRODUCING POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don't miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY. | | | | | | | THE GUNSHINE STATE | | KEEPING TRACK — "They thought the 'stand your ground' defense would save them. Only once did a judge agree," by Palm Beach Post's Hannah Phillips: "A man who shot his daughter's boyfriend to death in Royal Palm Beach last year claimed that he pulled the trigger to save his own life. The judge didn't think so. With his motion to drop the murder charge denied, 51-year-old Joseph Hamilton joins a growing list of people in Palm Beach County who've tried — and failed — to use Florida's "stand your ground" law to exonerate themselves."
| | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | FALLOUT — Miami-Dade school board rejects LGBTQ history month over fears it violates 'Don't Say Gay,'" by POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury: The Miami Dade School Board on Wednesday night struck down a proposal that would have recognized October as "LGBTQ history month" out of concern that it would violate the state's Parental Rights in Education law, known by opponents as "Don't Say Gay." Miami school board members passed a similar resolution acknowledging LGBTQ history month in 2021 by a 7-1 vote but found themselves in a different situation this fall under the Parental Rights in Education law. The Republican-led Legislature approved the law in March and it continues to affect how Florida schools address issues of sexual orientation and gender identity. REACTION — "Former Pedro Pan kids, Democrats slam Lt. Gov. Nuñez over Cuban migrant remarks," by Miami Herald's Syra Ortiz-Blanes and Ana Ceballos: "A group of Democrats, former Pedro Pan kids and immigration advocates slammed Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez on Wednesday morning over comments she made last month over recently arrived Cuban migrants and Gov. Ron DeSantis' goal to bus undocumented immigrants out of Florida. Gladys Cañizares, a Cuban-American woman who came to the United States in the early 1960s as part of Operation Pedro Pan, a program that brought thousands of Cuban children to Miami without their parents following Fidel Castro's rise to power, directly addressed Nuñez at a bilingual press conference hosted by FLIC Votes at Miami's Freedom Tower." BEHIND THE CURTAIN — "Greenberg alleged far-reaching public corruption in public interview," by Orlando Sentinel's Annie Martin: "Former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg alleged far-reaching public corruption, including granting no-work contracts on the public dime, when he spoke with investigators probing the "ghost" candidate scheme that helped Republican state Sen. Jason Brodeur win office in 2020. In the June 23 jailhouse interview with investigators from the 18th Circuit State Attorney's Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Greenberg said under oath that he and others arranged for allies to receive lucrative contracts in exchange for political favors." FOR YOUR RADAR — "Florida has a secret 'black list' to spy on highway drivers. Officials won't say how it's used," by Fort Myers News-Press' Dan Glaun: "Cameras at toll plazas snap photos of license plates daily across hundreds of miles of Florida's highways, tracking the movements of residents and visitors. But state officials won't reveal how the license plate reading data are being used or by whom, which experts say threatens the civil rights and privacy rights of travelers in one of the nation's biggest states. 'Part of the freedom that we think we have comes from the fact that we're not being spied on and watched all the time,' said Lee Tien, an attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a California-based nonprofit that advocates for digital privacy." — "Florida officials withhold records, dodge questions about toll surveillance system," by Fort Myers News-Press Dan Glaun GATOR CRAWL — " Inside the academic-freedom crisis that roiled Florida's flagship," by The Chronicle for Higher Education's Emma Pettit and Jack Stripling: "Last September, a professor at the University of Florida wanted to sign a scientific consensus letter about kratom, a tropical tree with pain-relieving properties. The faculty member's proposal was forwarded to Gary Wimsett Jr., the university's assistant vice president for conflicts of interest, who had a question: What did Ron DeSantis, the state's Republican governor, think about kratom?" THE NEW NORMAL — "After arriving in the United States, thousands of Cuban migrants face new legal hurdles," by El Nuevo Herald's Nora Gámez Torres and Miami Herald's Syra Ortiz Blanes: "Six years later, another Democratic administration is facing an even larger migration crisis, as more than 177,000 Cubans have fled the island for the United States since October, federal data show. The U.S. Coast Guard has stopped another 5,000 at sea and returned them to Cuba. And despite past promises by Cuban authorities, the United States still lacks a way to deport thousands of Cuban nationals to the island, especially when they arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border." Situational awareness — "This has forced Biden administration officials to implement a kind of de facto wet-foot, dry-foot policy: Most people stopped at sea are returned to the island, while those arriving at the border or making landfall in South Florida are allowed in, with the understanding they can claim asylum." DEMAND — " No 'future ineptitude': State asks Broward schools to remove administrators named by grand jury," by South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Scott Travis: "A state Department of Education leader has asked Broward Schools Superintendent Vickie Cartwright to sever ties with district employees whose 'failed decisions on school safety' were highlighted in a recent statewide grand jury report. The demand came Wednesday in a letter from Tim Hay, director of the state Department of Education's Office of Safe Schools. He met with Cartwright and other district officials a week ago to discuss the scathing findings of the grand jury report, which led Gov. Ron DeSantis to suspend four Broward School Board members." — "'There is going to be a new commissioner.' DeSantis comments on Miami-Dade's Martinez," by Miami Herald's Douglas Hanks — " OCPS says it took 'appropriate action' about safety issues raised by state," by Orlando Sentinel's Leslie Postal — "Supervisor of Elections Lori Scott denies that DeSantis or illness forced her resignation ," by Florida Today's Dave Berman
| | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | — "Birthday celebration to boating tragedy. What caused wreck off Florida Keys?" by Miami Herald's David Ovalle and FLKeysNews.com's David Goodhue: "It was supposed to be a sun-drenched Miami birthday celebration on Biscayne Bay: 12 friends and two adults, out for a ride on a family's boat on a gorgeous Labor Day holiday weekend. But for reasons investigators were still working to determine on Wednesday, the 29-foot boat — skippered by a well-known owner of a Doral real-estate brokerage firm — struck a fixed marker at the end of channel at the far southern end of the bay, hitting it with enough speed and force to capsize the vessel and hurl everyone overboard." BIRTHDAYS : State Rep. Thad Altman … Ali Pardo of the House Republican Conference .. former state Sen. Anitere Flores … Karen Castor Dentel, Orange County school board member and former legislator … former Rep. Mark Foley | | | | 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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