| | | | |  | | By Kimberly Leonard | Good morning from Tallahassee and welcome to Wednesday. Florida’s infamous Spring Break season is coming with a side of 140 state troopers. After two fatal shootings and hundreds of arrests last year, cities are cracking down on college students’ favorite beach bash. Gov. Ron DeSantis dropped into Miami Beach yesterday to announce that Florida would “lean in” in an unprecedented way by fanning out law enforcement across popular hubs, including not just South Beach but Daytona Beach and Panama City Beach. Seventeen different law enforcement agencies requested — and received — state backup. The actions follow a Miami Beach messaging campaign declaring it was “breaking up” with Spring Break, with curfews, bag checks and restricted beach access to boot. GOP state Rep. Alex Rizo of Hialeah said part of the reason there's a new attitude around the holiday period is that Florida has so many more residents now, and once visitors pile in on top of that it makes everything more crowded. “It can be a mess,” he said. “When you get that many people in one small place, you add in an element of people having a good time, drinking, and anything else that can happen. Obviously, it can lead to things that are kind of concerning, especially for the citizens that live there."
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Florida State Sen. Shevrin Jones is seen during a hearing at the Florida State Capitol Jan. 11, 2024. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | Democrats’ reactions were mixed. State Sen. Jason Pizzo, who will be Democratic leader during the next session, said he wasn't concerned with the announcement, given that cities asked for the help. But Democratic Sen. Shevrin Jones of Miami Gardens, who stressed the importance of public safety in an interview, said he was worried about an uptick in arrests and mistreatment toward people of color. “We have not been as gentle to Black and brown individuals when it comes to policing in this state and I think this causes, and poses, a problem for me,” said Jones, who is Black. Civil rights organizations leveled similar criticism in recent years as Miami Beach increasingly clamped down. GOP Florida Rep. Fabián Basabe of Miami Beach, who successfully pushed for more safety measures in his district last year, accused critics of playing the “race card” and said it was important to support law enforcement. “Miami Beach has zero tolerance for those who engage in lawlessness,” he said. Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner, who ran on a no-party "law-and-order" platform ahead of last year's election, acknowledged he’d heard concerns about race while working on public safety measures. “I hear it and I listen,” he said. “I certainly want to understand why people think that.” He emphasized that he was most concerned about safety and had even asked the state to send more troopers than the state initially made available — and the governor obliged. Meiner said he was hurt and troubled when two Black men were killed during last year’s Spring Break. “You think, ‘Could I have done more? Could I have proposed something additional that would have kept people safe?” he said. Only a small percentage of visitors tend to create “outsized havoc,” Meiner said, and the goal is that no violence occur and fewer arrests ensue. “Nobody is saying, ‘Don’t come,’” Meiner said. “What we are saying is, ‘Don’t come and commit criminal acts, acts of violence.” Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch at: kleonard@politico.com | | | | DON’T MISS POLITICO’S HEALTH CARE SUMMIT: The stakes are high as America's health care community strives to meet the evolving needs of patients and practitioners, adopt new technologies and navigate skeptical public attitudes toward science. Join POLITICO’s annual Health Care Summit on March 13 where we will discuss the future of medicine, including the latest in health tech, new drugs and brain treatments, diagnostics, health equity, workforce strains and more. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | |  | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | |
PAY BUMP — “Florida's state workers set to receive third consecutive raise, or a $1,000 boost for most,” reports John Kennedy of USA Today Network - Florida. “The plan spends about $134 million for a 3 percent pay increase for 96,863 state employees.”
NO DEBATE — House sends to governor two Senate priority environmental bills, reports POLITICO’s Bruce Ritchie. The House voted 114-0 on a Senate bill that provides up to $100 million each year for land acquisition and for land management and another $100 million to address sea level rise and flooding. Land acquisition will focus on the Florida Wildlife Corridor. Revenue under the bill comes from the Seminole Tribe gambling compact. READ THE ROOM — Florida has another new idea to thwart frivolous book challenges, reports POLTICO’s Andrew Atterbury. Florida residents who object to books in local K-12 libraries could only challenge one title per month if they don’t have children attending school under a new policy introduced Tuesday by the Senate. The regulations are a response to a flood of book challenges hitting school districts this year on the heels of a 2023 law tightening scrutiny around sexual content in K-12 libraries. This proposal is a stronger version of a previous policy backed by the House allowing schools to charge a $100 fee for some book objections, efforts that come as Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state needs to root out “bad actors” who are attempting to “hijack” the process. FOR GOV — “Senate passes homeless camping ban backed by DeSantis, who will get to sign it soon,” reports Florida Politics’ A.G. Gancarski. “The measure from Rep. Sam Garrison (HB 1365), passed by a 27-12 vote after being substituted for the Senate version, would ban counties and municipalities from permitting public sleeping or public camping on public property without explicit permission, compelling these localities to round up the homeless and put them somewhere.” FLOATING OUT — House sends balloon release ban bill to governor, reports POLITICO’s Bruce Ritchie. The House on Tuesday passed and sent to the governor a bill that attempts to protect marine life by banning the intentional release of balloons. The bill as amended by the Senate would exempt children 6 years of age or younger from possibly being fined for balloon releases under the state litter law. Some House Black Democrats who voted against the bill echoed some Senate Democrats on Monday in raising concerns about people being fined for celebratory balloon releases, including during funerals. STUDIED — “Report: Less than 1 percent of hospital admissions, emergency room visits made by undocumented migrants,” by Florida Politics’ Christine Jordan Sexton. The report notes that “many people would not answer the question. The Agency for Health Care Administration ... looked at admission dates over the last six months of 2023 when compiling the data, as well as 10 years of hospital audited financial data. The report estimates that hospitals provided more than $573 million in health care services to patients who were not in the country legally. But AHCA was unable to determine how much of that care provided to migrants was uncompensated or find ‘any obvious correlation between the level of uncompensated care and the level of illegal aliens presenting at the hospital.’” NEW WEBSITE — “Lawmakers vote to spend $466,200 on pregnancy and parenting resources website; Dems ask why,” reports the Florida Phoenix’s Jackie Llanos. “Senators voted along party lines in favor of HB 415, which instructs the Florida health department to hire a vendor to create a website that would include resources such as educational materials on pregnancy and parenting, maternal health services, prenatal and postnatal services and adoption services. One topic that could be missing from the website is abortion.” — “Servicemembers could skip GRE, GMAT exam requirements in Florida,” reports USA Today Network - Florida’s Ana Goñi-Lessan — “Senate votes to raise minimum age limit for strippers,” reports Florida Politics’ A.G. Gancarski | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | |
WANTED — “FBI’s Miami office seeks Iranian spy plotting to kill Pompeo and other Trump-era officials,” reports the Miami Herald’s Antonio Maria Delgado. “The FBI is looking for an alleged Iranian spy who travels frequently to Venezuela and is believed to have been recruiting people to assassinate former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other officials, U.S. authorities said. A notice issued by the FBI Miami field office said that Majid Dastjani Farahani, 41, is wanted for questioning in relation to a series of alleged plots.”
POLICY IN ACTION — “Tales of hope and caution as Florida looks to create legal camps for homeless people,” by Lawrence Mower and Douglas R. Clifford of the Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times. “Under House Bill 1365, counties could designate public land, away from neighborhoods and businesses, for ‘public camping or sleeping.’ Security, sanitation and behavioral health services would have to be available. The idea has been condemned by advocates as an out-of-sight, out-of-mind approach that will lead to further criminalization of homeless people. But places such as Pinellas Hope offer an example of how such a system could function — from the type of security to the services offered.”
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Ken Griffin, Founder and CEO, Citadel, speaks during the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, on May 2, 2022. | Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images | CITADEL CITY — “Two years on, Ken Griffin’s plan for a Miami headquarters finally begins to take shape,” reports the Wall Street Journal’s Deborah Acosta. “The new headquarters is being designed by Foster + Partners, which aims to create one of the tallest towers in the city. Griffin is also planning a luxury hotel for the top of the building, according to renderings viewed by The Wall Street Journal … Citadel is also planning new office spaces in New York City and further growth in London. But the main headquarters will be in Miami, which Griffin frequently extols as ‘Wall Street South.’ The new building reflects his continuing effort to leave his mark on the city’s skyline, a pursuit that has captivated Miami’s business community since his much ballyhooed arrival.” SHELVED — “'Huckleberry Finn,' 'Princess Diaries' among challenged books at Palm Beach County schools,” reports the Palm Beach Post’s Katherine Kokal. “Between the start of the 2023-24 school year on Aug. 10 and Feb. 15, four books were challenged in Palm Beach County through complaints to individual schools, according to district records. Only one was temporarily removed from the shelves.” | | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | | 
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) speaks during a roundtable discussion. | Marta Lavandier/AP | FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Add a new name to the list of 2026 gubernatorial speculations: Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz. The former DeSantis Administration Director of Emergency Management and now freshman in Congress confirmed to Playbook on Tuesday that he is looking at a potential run for governor in two years. “I’m not ruling it out,” Moskowitz told Playbook at the Capitol yesterday. “I’m looking at it but it’s super early.” Among Democrats in the Florida delegation, Moskowitz said there is a lot of chatter around finding a candidate “who could win a state where there are now more registered Republicans than Democrats.” “What Democrat can win that?” Moskowitz said. “Maybe a Democrat who worked for a Republican can win that.” — Mia McCarthy |  Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., addresses attendees at the Republican Party of Florida Freedom Summit, Nov. 4, 2023, in Kissimmee, Fla. | Phelan M. Ebenhack, File/AP |
GOP DELEGATION LINES UP BEHIND SCOTT — The Florida Republican delegation endorsed Sen. Rick Scott yesterday — with some members calling on him to run to be Senate Republican Leader.
“It's an honor to be here at this impromptu press conference for Rick Scott for majority leader,” Rep. Matt Gaetz said at yesterday’s press conference. Both Scott and Gaetz are allies of former President Donald Trump, who has indicated he supports Montana Republican Sen. Steve Daines for the position. Florida Republicans used the event to tout their support for Scott and attack his likely Democratic challenger, former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, as being an “extreme leftist” and “rejected by the Squad.” Mucarsel-Powell released a statement shortly after, criticizing Scott for receiving endorsements from Republicans who support abortion restrictions. Scott held the press conference as the future of the Republican Senate leadership is uncertain. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who Scott previously ran against for leader, announced he would step down from the position in November. The endorsements also come after Scott reportedly discussed his run for the position with Trump, according to the Palm Beach Post. “I don't know if he's interested,” Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) said. “But I'd like to see him run the United States Senate as well, as a majority leader.” — Mia McCarthy How the Senate races is going … A new poll from the left-leaning firm Public Policy Polling and paid for by EMILY’s List found a three-point edge for Scott over Mucarsel-Powell, per the Hill’s Caroline Vakil reports. It found Scott “leading Mucarsel-Powell 44 percent to 41 percent. Because the margin of error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points, the two are effectively tied.” MADSOUL FESTIVAL — “A music festival headlined by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,” by The New York Times’ Rachel Janfaza. “She and several elected Democrats shared a stage with musicians like Phoebe Bridgers during the daylong event at Loch Haven Park in Orlando. Other politicians included Representatives Greg Casar of Texas and Maxwell Frost of Florida, the first Gen-Z member of Congress.” PUBLIC VIEWS— “Poll on immigration clashes with political narratives as 2024 campaign rhetoric heats up,” reports the Palm Beach Post’s Stephany Matat. “While states like Florida and Texas are taking border enforcement measures into their own hands, the survey showed a citizenry not ‘trusting’ state officials to act on immigration, and somewhat leery about federal authorities, too.” DON-RON TICKET — “Poll: Republicans want Trump to choose DeSantis as VP,” reports Samuel Benson of the Deseret News. “According to a Deseret News/HarrisX poll of registered Republican voters nationally, 18 percent said DeSantis is their top pick to be Trump’s vice president. He was followed by Vivek Ramaswamy (15 percent), within the margin of error. The next highest picks were Nikki Haley (12 percent) and Tim Scott (9 percent).” HALEY OUT — “Nikki Haley to Exit Republican Presidential Race," reports the Wall Street Journal’s John McCormick. “Nikki Haley plans to suspend her Republican presidential primary bid in a speech Wednesday morning, people familiar with her plans told The Wall Street Journal.” | | | | On the ground in Albany. Get critical policy news and analysis inside New York State. Track how power brokers are driving change across legislation and budget and impacting lobbying efforts. Learn more. | | | | | | | DATELINE D.C. | |
— “Barring insurrectionists from holding office? Wasserman Schultz, Raskin write legislation after Trump is kept on ballot,” reports the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Anthony Man
PROPAGANDA CONCERNS — “Rubio and Grassley urge Sun Sentinel, other media companies to halt contract printing of China Daily,” reports the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “Besides the Sun Sentinel, the senators sent letters to the Seattle Times, Houston Chronicle, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, TIME, USA Today, Financial Times and Chicago Tribune, which along with the Sun Sentinel is owned by Tribune Publishing.” | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | |
PARROTHEAD — “‘Most popular bill of Session’: Legislature passes bill to rename A1A as ‘Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway,’” reports Florida Politics’ Jesse Scheckner
STINKY — “Masses of seaweed likely won’t reach Florida until May, researchers say,” per the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Bill Kearney BIRTHDAYS: Juan Alfonso Fernandez-Barquin, clerk of the courts of Miami-Dade County ... state Rep. Taylor Michael Yarkosky | | | | 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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