| | | | |  | | By Kimberly Leonard | | | |  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis after signing the "Stop Woke Act" on Apr. 22, 2022. The act says no student should be made to feel “guilt, anguish, or discomfort” over historical events for which they’re not directly responsible. | Daniel A. Varela/Miami Herald via Getty Images) | Good morning and happy Friday. Controversial legislation to protect Confederate monuments is on thin ice following a racially charged hearing. A bill to ban flags from government buildings that represent a “political viewpoint” has stalled. A measure that would affect how government employees can use pronouns in the workplace hasn’t even gotten a hearing. This isn’t what the war on “woke” looked like in Florida during the last couple of years, but it's where the session is now. Anti-"woke" policies have been a leading theme of Ron DeSantis' time as governor. Using the “woke” description as a pejorative against liberal positions or ideas and declaring himself a defender of kids, DeSantis in recent years signed a slew of anti-LGBTQ+ rights measures into law that affected health care, bathroom use and school curriculum. He also tried to quash workplace and school practices on diversity and companies' embrace of environmental and societal responsibility metrics. This session, in the shadow of a failed presidential run, the governor has answered questions about his positions on various bills, but he generally seems to be letting the Legislature take the lead. Whereas controversy over a bill wasn't enough to doom it in recent years, the calculus for lawmakers appears to be different now. “We see glimmers of hope that we're turning the corner, and I hope that we are,” said Florida Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book, a Democrat. In some instances, the Legislature is even backpedaling. After a new Florida law resulted in exhaustive book reviews for sexual or racial themes, lawmakers are considering charging fees for some book challenges. A similar pattern could develop when it comes to guest speakers in schools or other enrichment activities, where school permission slips have abounded as teachers otherwise worry they’ll be accused of stepping on “parental rights," according to the Miami Herald. This session has had skirmishes of emotional “culture war” battles, and it's still possible the situation will change during the second half of the lawmaking period scheduled to end March 8. Some bills appear set for approval, while others may see a resurgence under pressure from the veto-pen-wielding governor. The Tallahasseee Democrat found lawmakers have introduced a series of anti-LGBTQ+ rights bills. One measure would require driver’s licenses and ID cards to show sex assigned at birth. A second would heap regulations on health insurance companies that pay for transgender health care services. Lawmakers who back such policies maintain they're important. GOP Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, for example, introduced a bill that legislators advanced in a Senate hearing yesterday that restricts curriculum for teacher education programs to exclude educating students in certain ways about racism, sexism and oppression. He said the goal was to see everyone as equals and to tell students they could do “anything they want once they put their mind to it” without constraints from socioeconomic or political issues. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch at: kleonard@politico.com | | A message from Alibaba: Every day, American businesses generate big global sales on Alibaba's online marketplace – to the tune of $66B in one year alone. These sales are having a bigger impact on communities back home. Florida companies like Timberwolf Pet Foods and DS Laboratories sell to over one billion consumers in China through Alibaba, supporting 15,800 local jobs and contributing $1.9B to Florida's GDP. Learn more about how Alibaba positively impacts Florida's economy. | | | |  | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | |
$115 B SPENDING PLAN — Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature has less than four weeks to hash out their differences on rival budgets to end this year’s session on time. The House and Senate on Thursday voted out their spending plans and they will soon begin working on reconciling their differences. POLITICO’s Gary Fineout has a rundown of what to watch during the negotiations, from taxes to benefits and pay for state workers.
LOCAL CLASH — Cities and counties are opposing a pair of bills lawmakers are moving through the Legislature this week that would limit how local governments regulate development, reports POLITICO’s Bruce Ritchie. DEATH SENTENCE — The Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a request for a rehearing by a man who shot and killed an Orlando police officer in 2017,” reports News Service of Florida.
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Florida State Sen. Jason Pizzo is seen during a hearing at the Florida State Capitol Jan. 11, 2024. | Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images | TALLAHASSEE DRIFT — “Florida lawmakers are calling for stricter penalties for street racing,” reports WFSU’s Adrian Andrews. State Sen. Jason Pizzo, D-Miami, “wants the state to enforce stricter penalties by making street takeovers a felony, instead of just a misdemeanor.” STICK AROUND — “Senate panel OKs chiropractic ‘dry needle’ bill after prickly debate,” reports Florida Politics’ Christine Jordan Sexton. “Filed by GOP Sen. Jay Trumbull, the bill expands chiropractors’ scope of practice by authorizing them to perform dry needling, a technique that involves inserting thin needles into or near trigger points in the muscle to relieve pain and improve range of motion.” | | | | DON’T MISS POLITICO’S GOVERNORS SUMMIT: Join POLITICO on Feb. 22 to dive into how Governors are wielding immense power. While Washington remains gridlocked, governors are at the center of landmark decisions in AI and tech, economic development, infrastructure, housing, reproductive health and energy. How are they setting the stage for the future of American politics, policies and priorities? How are they confronting major challenges? Explore these questions and more at the 2024 Governors Summit. REGISTER HERE. | | | | |
| | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | |
VICTIM PROTECTION LAW — “Christian Ziegler wants to use Marsy’s Law. Police say he’s not a victim,” reports The Tampa Bay Times’ Justin Garcia. “Ziegler’s attorney, Matthew Sarelson, sent an email Jan. 30 to Sarasota City Attorney Robert Fournier saying Ziegler was falsely accused and is therefore a victim whose information should be protected under Marsy’s Law … But the Sarasota Police Department told the Tampa Bay Times in an email on Tuesday that no criminal charges are being pursued against Ziegler’s accuser and the department does not anticipate pursuing charges in the future.”
LEADERSHIP CHANGE — FAU board chair steps down amid presidential search woes, reports POLITICO’s Andrew Atterbury. The chair of Florida Atlantic University’s trustee board, Brad Levine, stepped down Thursday after facing heat from state officials for a “failure of leadership” during an ill-fated presidential search. Levine will still serve on the board but relinquished his post as chair in hopes of avoiding a “distraction” as FAU begins its next hunt for a new president. The board unanimously chose Piero Bussani, chief legal officer at Homebound, a single-family home construction company, to take over as the new chair. PROBE — “Broward school district expands transgender athlete investigation,” reports the South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Scott Travis. “A personnel investigation related to a transgender athlete at Monarch High has been expanded to now include that student’s participation in middle school sports.” | | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | |  PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE - JANUARY 17: Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at the Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside Hotel on January 17, 2024 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. According to a poll conducted by Saint Anselm College and released Tuesday, Trump is at 52 percent, far ahead of fellow candidates, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, who is polling at 38 percent, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is polling at 8 percent. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) | Getty Images |
REPUBLICAN BUSINESS THIS WEEKEND — The Republican Party of Florida will hold its annual meeting in Wesley Chapel this afternoon and tomorrow, when they’ll hold trainings ahead of the election and vote on key leadership posts of national committeeman, national committeewoman and vice chairman.
The party will vote on whether to endorse Sen. Rick Scott for reelection and, as Playbook previously reported, whether to endorse former President Donald Trump for president. They’ll also take a clear stance on abortion … “There will be consideration of a pro-life resolution reasserting RPOF's commitment to pro-life issues and opposition to any effort to amend Florida's constitution with amendments that threaten the life of unborn children,” per a personal familiar with the agenda. The stance is notable given that every state ballot measure to guarantee abortion rights since the demise of Roe v. Wade has prevailed.
|  President Joe Biden speaks during an event about gun safety on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington. Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., listens at left. | Jacquelyn Martin/AP | TODAY — The Biden campaign has tapped Democratic U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost of Florida among other members of Congress for a press call on gun safety it’s doing ahead of Trump’s speech to the NRA. GRUDGE — “Trump plans to make DeSantis a 'Political Eunuch,'” report Asawin Suebsaeng and Adam Rawnsley of Rolling Stone. “According to two sources with knowledge of the matter and another person briefed on it, the former president and 2024 GOP frontrunner has continued to ridicule DeSantis in conversations with close associates, saying that the governor doesn’t have what it takes to be the party’s “future.” Lately, Trump has told fellow Republicans that DeSantis should not be the Republican presidential nominee in 2028, in part because the governor has proven himself — in Trump’s view — as someone who Democrats could easily beat.” FUNDRAISING TALLIES — Democratic congressional candidate Sabrina Bousbar has raised $100,000 in the first 10 days in the race for Florida’s 13th Congressional District, per her campaign. Bousbar, a 26-year-old former Biden administration emergency official is running in a primary against five other Democrats to compete against incumbent Rep. Anna Paulina Luna. | | | | A message from Alibaba:   | | |
| | TRANSITION TIME | |
— Trump campaign Florida director Brian Hughes is joining the communications team for the general election, reports The Bulwark’s Marc Caputo. More Floridians are going national: James Blair, the political director for the Trump campaign, is taking on that role at the Republican National Committee. Danielle Alvarez, RNC communications director, is heading to Trump’s comms team.
Maryann Pistilli will be the Trump campaign’s new Florida director, Playbook has learned. | | | | YOUR GUIDE TO EMPIRE STATE POLITICS: From the newsroom that doesn’t sleep, POLITICO's New York Playbook is the ultimate guide for power players navigating the intricate landscape of Empire State politics. Stay ahead of the curve with the latest and most important stories from Albany, New York City and around the state, with in-depth, original reporting to stay ahead of policy trends and political developments. Subscribe now to keep up with the daily hustle and bustle of NY politics. | | | | | | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | |
SEALED WITH A KISS — The DeSantis family enjoyed some fun at the Florida state fair, including bringing home a Barbie-themed funnel cake and posing with a seal.
SHOOK — Florida had an earthquake this week, per the South Florida Sun Sentinel. JUMPSUITS — There was a kangaroo on the loose in Tampa that almost got away from police, per WFTS Tampa Bay. It’s been reunited with its owner. BIRTHDAYS: Former state Rep. Patrick Rooney… former state Rep. Fred Costello … (Saturday) Franco Ripple, vice president Direct Impact at BCW Global … Jamie Wilson, VP government relations at Moffitt Cancer Center … (Sunday) Former Gov. Jeb Bush ... Broward school board member Lori Alhadeff IN MEMORIAM — “Will Lester, longtime AP journalist in South Carolina, Florida and Washington, dies at age 71,” by The Associated Press. Lester “played a critical role in the news organization’s 2000 election-night decision not to call the presidential race.” | | A message from Alibaba: Timberwolf Pet Food, a family-owned company based in Windermere, Florida, achieved an impressive 7-figure growth after launching on Alibaba's online marketplace, which reaches over one billion consumers in China. Partnering with Alibaba helped the 25-year-old company double its sales projections, allowing Timberwolf to expand its product lines, production, and staffing to meet the increasing demand.
Florida businesses generated enough global sales on Alibaba’s online marketplace to add $1.9 billion to Florida’s economy, supporting 15,800 local jobs and $1.1 billion in wages in one year.
"I knew from experience that Alibaba, with over one billion online consumers, was essential to launch our brand in China successfully," said Timberwolf CEO Kam Martin.
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