| | | | |  | | By Kimberly Leonard | | | Good morning. It’s Groundhog Day. Again. Ballot amendments are on a hot streak this year with abortion rights and recreational weed measures securing enough signatures to go before Florida voters in November. They’ve been so successful that a push kicked off yesterday to get Medicaid expansion on the 2026 ballot to make government-funded medical coverage available to more people near the poverty level. The ballot approach is simple in theory: When a Legislature won’t take up a broadly popular plan, advocates put it in front of voters. Gathering signatures and passing Florida Supreme Court court scrutiny is laborsome and expensive. But once voters authorize policy, the thinking goes, then elected officials just have to suck it up and move on. Except when they don’t. In Florida, governors and lawmakers don’t always go along with what voters want, going back more than two decades. Many voter-approved ballots, on matters from class sizes to conservation, get stymied by new legislation, implementation hurdles and court battles. It's starting already. Yesterday, during a Florida House committee meeting, lawmakers approved a bill to limit the concentration of high-inducing THC in cannabis, in case voters authorize recreational use in November, reports POLITICO’s Arek Sarkissian. Supporters said it was intended to protect Floridians, but critics are calling interference. “They are already moving to thwart the will of the voters before they have even had a chance to vote," said Steve Vancore, spokesperson for the Smart & Safe Florida, the campaign behind the ballot push. States that approved ballot measures on Medicaid expansion similarly got slow rolled by Republican Legislatures that tried to scale it back, mulled over how the state would pay its portion of spending or tried to force enrollees to work as a condition of getting coverage. Campaign manager Jake Flaherty of Florida Decides Healthcare, the group behind the Medicaid ballot push, acknowledged there was precedent for Florida elected officials thwarting ballot outcomes. But he said the group learned from past initiatives to keep the language of the amendment simple to try to avoid loopholes or watered down provisions. Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office didn’t reply to an inquiry about how he’d approach the ballots. When DeSantis came into office, he advanced smokeable medical cannabis approved by voters. Yet after Floridians lifted the state’s voting ban for people with felony convictions, DeSantis worked with the Legislature to require payment of outstanding court fees before they'd be allowed to cast ballots. Democrats like Miami-based pollster Fernand Amandi warn the forthcoming ballots will face similar obstacles. He wants Democratic candidates to start talking about it now, as an argument for why they should be elected. “I have zero doubts about the abortion rights amendment getting on the ballot … What I have complete and total suspicion of is that the Republican Legislature will do anything to implement it, no matter how clear and explicit the language is,” he said. — WHERE'S RON? Nothing announced yet for DeSantis. 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 Instagram: More than 75% of parents want to approve the apps teens under 16 download.
According to a new poll from Morning Consult, more than 75% of parents agree: Teens under 16 shouldn’t be able to download apps from app stores without parental permission.1
Instagram wants to work with Congress to pass federal legislation that gets it done.
Learn more. | | | |  | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | |
BORDER INSERTION — DeSantis offers to send 1,000 troops to the Texas border, reports POLITICO’s Gary Fineout. Florida first sent law-enforcement help to Texas last year and continues to do so, but this marks an escalation of state-backed efforts. DeSantis offered to send troops from the Florida National Guard and the newly created Florida State Guard, which was resurrected two years ago under the argument that the state needed additional resources during emergencies and disasters.
The state guard, which was first created during World War Two and then shuttered, works solely at the governor’s direction. DeSantis said those headed to Texas may assist that state in helping build barriers — a point of conflict with the federal government. ‘HYPERWOKE’ — “DeSantis is ‘100%’ against removing Confederate monuments,” reports Florida Politics’ A.G. Gancarski. “I have not seen the legislation, but I’ve been very clear ever since I’ve been Governor, I do not support taking down monuments in this state,” DeSantis said Thursday in Jacksonville. NEW LAWSUIT — Florida sues federal health care regulators over ban on removing CHIP recipients, reports POLITICO’s Arek Sarkissian. DeSantis filed a lawsuit against federal health regulators after the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services told the state it could no longer remove children from its CHIP-funded program if parents stop paying the required premiums. DC FOCUS — “The Florida Senate spent much of Thursday passing measures to tell Washington what to do on the budget, term limits and foreign policy — issues DeSantis continues to push now that he’s stopped his presidential campaign,” reports The Associated Press
|  Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo presides over a session in the Senate chamber at the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla., Jan. 10, 2024. (Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images) | AP | OFF THE TABLE — “Florida Senate may reject proposal to lower gun-buying age for second time,” reports News Service of Florida. “Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, said Thursday the Senate does not have a bill on the issue and that it is a ‘non-starter.’” UNDERAGE WORKING — Florida House lawmakers on Thursday voted 80-35 to pass a bill that will allow 16- and 17-year-olds to work more than six consecutive days for an unlimited amount of hours, reports POLITICO’s Lawrence Ukenye. MODIFIED — Florida House passes school choice expansions, with tweaks, reports POLITICO’s Andrew Atterbury. The new legislation proposes several tweaks to how Florida administers scholarships through moves like installing guardrails around what parents can buy with the vouchers. It also creates new timelines and deadlines meant to get parents and students their money faster after many suffered from delays. DC OVERLAP — House Speaker Paul Renner thanks U.S. Senate committee for hearing that grilled social media CEOs, reports Douglas Soule of USA Today Network - Florida. "I write to express my sincere gratitude for bringing social media executives forward to confront essential matters related to the addictive nature of their platforms and the harmful effects they are having on America's children," the Palm Coast Republican wrote in a Thursday letter to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. DENIED — “A federal judge on Wednesday said DeSantis’ administration seems to acknowledge broadly denying Medicaid coverage for gender dysphoria treatments, despite a previous court ruling that said the state could not categorically ban Medicaid for such medical care,” reports the Tampa Bay Times’ Romy Ellenbogen. “But U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle declined a request by a group of transgender plaintiffs to issue a motion enforcing his judgment while the state appeals Hinkle’s June ruling.” AVERAGE $13 INCREASE — Tampa Electric Co. told the Public Service Commission on Thursday it will request a three-year rate increase of at least $460 million beginning in 2025, reports POLITICO’s Bruce Ritchie. TECO, with 840,000 customers in the Tampa Bay area and Polk County, could collect more than $1.1 billion in additional revenue over the three years if the rate increase is approved. — The National Hurricane Center just unveiled a new prototype they’re nicknaming the “cone of terror” to help communicate risks of impending storms, per Kimberly Miller of the Palm Beach Post | | | | CONGRESS OVERDRIVE: Since day one, POLITICO has been laser-focused on Capitol Hill, serving up the juiciest Congress coverage. Now, we’re upping our game to ensure you’re up to speed and in the know on every tasty morsel and newsy nugget from inside the Capitol Dome, around the clock. Wake up, read Playbook AM, get up to speed at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report, and fuel your nightly conversations with Inside Congress in the evening. Plus, never miss a beat with buzzy, real-time updates throughout the day via our Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here. | | | | | | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | | | 
The entrance of Walt Disney World is pictured on March 22, 2022 in Orlando, Fla. | Octavio Jones/Getty Images |
NOT OVER — Disney on Thursday filed its intent to appeal a federal judge’s decision dismissing its free speech lawsuit against DeSantis and other officers. The decision over the company’s future would next go before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Chairman Martin Garcia called the forthcoming appeal “shameful” in a statement, saying it was “costing the district unnecessary legal expenses.” ETHICS PROBE— “Florida ethics board plans hearing in Miami mayor’s gift case, tosses second complaint,” reports the Miami Herald’s Sarah Blaskey. “Suarez is still the subject of a second, ongoing inquiry by the state ethics commission into his attendance at high-priced sporting events, which has been the focus of some of the Miami Herald’s ongoing coverage. Ethics officials recently completed their months-long investigation and a hearing date is expected to be set in the coming weeks regarding that case.” — “New College of Florida dean of students performs comedy routine some call 'homophobic,’” by the Sarasota Herald Tribune’s Steven Walker NEW RECORDS — “Christian Ziegler's accuser alleged years of sexual abuse,” reports Zac Anderson of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. “Messages between Christian Ziegler and his wife, Sarasota County School Board member Bridget Ziegler, on Feb. 2, 2021 discuss the alleged victim … In the messages from three years ago, Christian Ziegler tells his wife ‘to come home, stop and pick up (redacted) to play again and be crazy.’ The message appears to be referring to the alleged victim, who Christian Ziegler describes as ‘an alcoholic, nice person with some issues.’ Bridget Ziegler ‘responded that she prefers confident empowered people’ and Christian Ziegler replied that ‘he liked that (redacted) was close and there was no drama which turns him on.’” | | | | A message from Instagram:   | | | | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | |  Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) speaks with reporters outside the U.S. Capitol Jan. 17, 2024. (Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images) | AP | MORE CAMPAIGN FILINGS BY THE NUMBERS … — Matt Gaetz saw a jump in donations after he pushed to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, per POLITICO’s Zach Montellaro. Gaetz raked in an additional $725,000 from donors who gave less than $200, quarter-over-quarter. — Democrat Phil Ehr, a retired U.S. Navy commander who is running to replace GOP Rep. Carlos Gimenez, raised $160,299 to Gimenez’s $102,536 during the last quarter of 2023. But Ehr has $67,599 cash on hand compared to Gimenez’s $905,945. — Democrat Whitney Fox, a former public transportation advocate who is running to replace GOP U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, raised $204,000 to Luna’s $164,900 during the final quarter of 2023. Fox has $151,170 cash on hand and Luna has $549,967. — “Cornel West forms new political party ‘Justice for All’; he plans to be on Florida ballot in November,” reports Florida Phoenix’s Mitch Perry | | | | 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. | | | | | | | DATELINE D.C. | |
TODAY — Sen. Rick Scott is doing a roundtable in Naples on issues facing Florida seniors.
NEXT WEEK — The Western Hemisphere Subcommittee will hold a roundtable on February 7 with Venezuelan opposition candidate María Corina Machado, per an announcement the chair, GOP Rep. María Elvira Salazar. TAR-GAETZ — Kevin McCarthy is planning a vengeance operation against the Republicans who fired him, per POLITICO’s Ally Mutnick and Olivia Beavers. A top McCarthy ally, Brian O. Walsh, is overseeing an attempt to recruit primary challengers to take on members of the infamous “Gaetz Eight” — the Capitol’s nickname for Gaetz and seven Republicans who supported his fire-McCarthy push — according to six people familiar with the plans who were granted anonymity to discuss them. | | TRANSITION TIME | |
— Former Puerto Rico Gov. Luis Fortuño is now a partner at Reed Smith. He most recently has been a partner at Steptoe & Johnson.
| | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | |
BIRTHDAYS: (Saturday) Former state Sen. Arthenia Joyner … Tom Gallagher, former Florida chief financial officer and insurance commissioner … Fred Hochberg, former chairman and president of Export-Import Bank of the United States … (Sunday) Adrienne Arsht, business leader and philanthropist … former State Sen. Dwight Bullard
| | | | A message from Instagram: Parents should be able to decide which apps are right for their teens.
According to a new poll by Morning Consult conducted in November 2023, more than 75% of parents believe teens under 16 shouldn’t be able to download apps without parental permission.1
Instagram wants to work with Congress to pass federal legislation that gets it done.
Learn more.
1"US Parents Study on Teen App Downloads" by Morning Consult (Meta-commissioned survey of 2,019 parents), Nov. 2023. | | | | | | | 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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