| | | | |  | | By Kimberly Leonard, Gary Fineout and Kierra Frazier | | Presented by |  | | | |  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis arrives to speak during a press conference regarding an apparent assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump on September 17, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. | Joe Raedle/Getty Images | Good morning and happy Friday. Gov. Ron DeSantis has set up his first major showdown with the new Florida Legislature. Legislative leaders have said they don’t think new condo safety regulations that are heaping costs onto homeowners and driving many to sell should be addressed this year. DeSantis initially brushed aside questions on the problem over the summer — but now he’s turning up the heat on the Legislature. During a roundtable in Pinellas Park on Thursday, the governor was adamant that it was necessary for the Legislature to step in after the organizational session that’s scheduled for a couple of weeks after the election, and not when the next session kicks off in March. “I have made this clear: We are not going to punt this until next year,” he said, adding that he wants lawmakers to spend the coming weeks “thoughtfully” putting together a plan. One of the reasons he’s convening roundtables, he said, is to start gathering information and ideas. But there’s been little public buy-in so far from legislative leaders, who cite safety concerns following the tragic partial building collapse in Surfside that killed 98 people. Outgoing Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, who has a background in real estate law, has already said that she was not interested in doing anything ahead of the March 2025 session. And incoming House Speaker Danny Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton — who both take over this November — did not respond to requests for comment on Thursday. In other words, no one in a top position in the Legislature is heeding the governor’s calls — or at least not yet. Republican state Rep. Vicki Lopez, who’s become the chamber’s go-to condo expert, said she agreed with Passidomo that lawmakers should handle questions in the regular session because the issue “deserves that kind of attention, that kind of thoughtful analysis.” Lopez also said residents were conflating inspection requirements for buildings that are at least 30 years old — some of which result in pricey repairs to make them safe to live in — with structural integrity reports due by the end of this year. Condos aren’t likely to start collecting reserves for future structural fixes identified by those reports until 2026. “We don’t want to confuse the two and make it look like there’s a perfect storm here,” she said. One area of assistance that she thinks lawmakers could consider sooner, she said, is to offer condos no- or low-interest loans to help pay for repairs, which was something that arose during Thursday’s roundtable conversation with the governor. Lopez said DeSantis hasn’t reached out to discuss condo laws. DeSantis’ time in office has largely been marked by a deferential Legislature. But his power in Tallahassee is being tested during his last two years in office following a failed presidential run and a term-limit deadline. Most recently, his administration received vociferous backlash about a plan to build recreational and hospitality facilities on state parks. Should the newly sworn-in leaders object to the governor’s timeline on condos, DeSantis could still choose to call a special session without their approval — but it would signal a change in the way things are going to run in Tallahassee moving forward. DeSantis, however, on Thursday conceded a time-honored maxim in the state Capitol: You don’t call a special session unless the outcome is already known. Right now, it isn’t. — Kimberly Leonard and Gary Fineout WHERE’S RON? Gov. DeSantis has a press conference in Bradenton at 10:30 a.m. with Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget in the campaign reporting that Playbook should look at? Get in touch at: kleonard@politico.com.
| | | | A message from Uber: How does Uber expand transit access in Florida?
Every week, Uber helps over 3,000 people get to and from Brightline stations across Florida. On average, riders travel nearly 6 miles to connect to Brightline, extending their reach far beyond the tracks. Learn more about how Uber is working with transit agencies in Florida and across the country. | | | |  | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | |  People hold up signs during a pro-abortion rights rally on the second anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade, in West Palm Beach, Florida, on June 24, 2024. | Marco Bello/AFP via Getty Images | AMENDMENT 4 — “DeSantis opposes Florida’s abortion ballot measure. He’s deployed the government to fight it,” by POLITICO’s Arek Sarkissian. “Gov. Ron DeSantis and other Florida Republican leaders have repeatedly tapped into taxpayer-funded resources to fight a November ballot initiative that would overturn the state’s six-week abortion ban. Their repeated efforts — from a state-run website attacking the amendment to election police questioning signers of the petition to get the measure on the ballot — have drawn them into a protracted legal fight with the campaign behind the initiative, which will appear before voters as Amendment 4. It is an escalation of government overreach, amendment supporters say, as part of an all-out effort by Republicans to protect the six-week abortion ban that DeSantis signed into law while he was preparing to run for president. They charge that the state government is violating the law — while DeSantis and his allies strenuously defend their actions as merely educating the public and protecting Floridians.” AMENDMENTS 5 AND 6 — “A bigger tax break and public financing of campaigns: The under-the-radar amendments on November’s ballot,” by POLITICO’s Gary Fineout. “The GOP-controlled Florida Legislature is asking voters to change the state’s homestead exemption law so that it can be adjusted annually for inflation … [And] the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature for the second time in the last 15 years is trying to scrap the state’s system of using taxpayer money to help pay for campaigns, which critics deride as ‘welfare for politicians.’” WAPO LAWSUIT— “Florida judge rules against Post in lawsuit over DeSantis travel records,” reports POLITICO’s Gary Fineout. “A Florida judge is rejecting a legal challenge from The Washington Post over a state law that shields Gov. Ron DeSantis’ taxpayer funded travel records from being made public … Circuit Judge Jonathan Sjostrom, who was first appointed to the bench by then-Gov. Jeb Bush, did rule that invoices and other financial records detailing the cost of the governor’s travel that were sought by the Post ‘are purely financial with no security or law enforcement implication’ and should be released.” AD RESPONSE — “Florida regulator sends 'misinformation' memo over abortion rights initiative TV ad,” reports POLITICO’s Arek Sarkissian. “‘Providers are reminded that Florida requires life-saving medical care to a mother without delay when necessary,’ AHCA officials wrote in the memo in bolded text. ‘And the Agency for Health Care Administration and the Florida Department of Health will take regulatory action when a provider fails to follow this standard of care.’” A NEW ALLY — “DeSantis turns to TV lobbyists to stop Florida voters from overturning a statewide abortion ban,” reports Jason Garcia of Seeking Rents. “The state-orchestrated campaign against Amendment 4 includes a 30-second television spot state produced by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, the public agency known as AHCA that regulates hospitals and other healthcare facilities. But the ads, which have been spotted in some markets during football games, are being co-sponsored by the Florida Association of Broadcasters, a lobbying group that represents television and radio station owners, and by the individual stations that agree to air the ad.” PAPERWORK REQUIRED — “Consulting police and lawyers has become a part of Florida abortion providers’ work,” reports Florida Phoenix’s Jackie Llanos. “Under state law, people who get pregnant as a result of rape, incest, or human trafficking can secure abortions up to 15 weeks, but they must show a restraining order, police report, medical record, or court document showing that a crime is the reason they want to terminate the pregnancy.” DOCTORS SPEAK OUT — “Florida doctors describe dystopic horrors as DeSantis tries to tank abortion measure,” reports Tessa Stuart of Rolling Stone. “A new report, released on Tuesday by the nonprofit Physicians for Human Rights, confirms what [Dr. Chelsea] Daniels is seeing for herself: that many Floridians don’t realize that the state’s six-week ban is effectively a two-week ban, a vanishingly short window further winnowed by Florida’s required 24-hour waiting period; that many doctors are delaying or refusing to provide necessary care out of fear of losing their medical licenses or going to jail; and that those doctors inclined to continue to providing necessary care have found navigating Florida’s exceptions is a Kafkaesque nightmare.” LIFE AND DEATH — “How sparing the Parkland shooter's life changed Florida's death penalty,” reports The Marshall Project’s Joe Sexton. “For now, for the [Nikolas] Cruz defense team, the change in the law amounts to the cruelest of ironies. They had each begun their work on the Parkland case asking themselves whether they were capable of mercy for Cruz, and whether they could ask 12 Florida citizens to extend such mercy to someone who had killed more people than anyone had stood trial for in America. By their lights, they had done hard and principled work, and had their client’s life spared, only to see that successful effort used to make it far more likely that death sentences would be imposed.” ‘INFLUENCE THE INVESTIGATION’ — “DeSantis probe into possible Trump assassination attempt raises concern,” reports The Washington Post’s Lori Rozsa. “Some legal experts and political analysts say the unusual step by a governor to try to run a parallel investigation into a matter of national security amounts to nothing more than political grandstanding that could cause confusion rather than help.” OCTOBER TRIAL — “State Rep. [Carolina] Amesty pleads not guilty to felony charges,” reports Orlando Sentinel’s Annie Martin. “In March, the Sentinel detailed how Amesty notarized a form in September 2021 claiming Robert Shaffer, a veteran educator with a Ph.D. from the University of Florida, was an employee at the university. But Shaffer, who previously served as the principal of the adjacent K-12 school run by Amesty’s family, told the Sentinel he never worked at the university nor signed the form Amesty said he did.”
| | CAMPAIGN MODE | | | | 
Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla, gestures after disembarking from Air Force 2 as she arrives as part of a visit with Vice President Kamala Harris, at Miami International Airport, Friday, April 21, 2023, in Miami. | Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo | THIS WEEKEND — Miami-Dade Democrats are holding their Blue Gala, which will feature speakers Reps. Maxwell Frost and Frederica Wilson; Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava; Senate candidate Debbie Mucarsel-Powell and Jaime Harrison, chair of the Democratic National Committee. ‘TIME IS RUNNING OUT’ — “Is Florida the Democrats’ last, best hope to keep the U.S. Senate?” reports Orlando Sentinel’s Steven Lemongello. “Florida’s Democratic challenger for the Senate, former U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, has been within striking distance of Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott in recent polls, so she is looking to some like a stronger candidate than embattled Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester in Montana. But a strategic shift to Florida, the third largest state in the country, would require considerably more money than making a play in Montana. And donors may still feel burned after giving millions of dollars to Florida Democrat Val Demings in 2022, only to see her blown out while the party lost narrow races elsewhere.” NEXT MONTH — Former House Speaker John Boehner and former Ron DeSantis super PAC CEO Scott Wagner are among the hosts for an Oct. 14 fundraiser for a joint fundraising committee benefiting former Gov. Larry Hogan's Maryland Senate campaign, according to an invitation obtained by POLITICO’s Daniel Lippman. — The fundraiser will be in Naples, Florida, and feature hosts Harry Criswell, Peggy Ellis, Brian Rogers and Tracy Wagner. Tickets range from $1,000 to be an "attendee," $3,300 to be a "friend," $6,600 to be a "sponsor" and $10,000 to be a host. A Hogan campaign spokesperson declined to comment on how much the event is expected to raise. NO REGRETS — “Trial lawyer organization admits it organized smear on Tom Leek,” reports Florida Politics’ Jacob Ogles. “[FJA President Todd] Michaels’ email, sent out through the Florida Justice PAC, clarifies that it’s not the outcome FJA wanted. ‘Despite the incredible efforts of our organization, David Shoar did not secure a win in the Republican Primary election for Senate District 7,’ Michaels wrote. ‘While the data seemed to indicate that the race would be very tight, Tom Leek won the race by a significant margin. There is no sugarcoating that.’ But what’s most striking about the email isn’t the bitterness over Leek’s win but the openness about rooting against it.”
| | | | A message from Uber:   | | | | | DATELINE D.C. | | TODAY — The Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere is holding a hearing on Venezuela’s tainted presidential election — the first since Venezuelans went to the ballot box on July 28. The hearing was called by the subcommittee chair, Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.). (Tune in.) ALSO TODAY — Sen. Rick Scott is holding a roundtable at Florida International University in Miami with Jewish leaders. AT THE CAPITOL — Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.), Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) will hold a press conference at 11:30 a.m. “condemning misinformation about Haitian immigrants” and will introduce a resolution “to condemn hate toward Haitian people.” SWORN TESTIMONY — “New court filings place Matt Gaetz at a party at the center of the sex trafficking scandal,” reports Jose Pagliery of NOTUS. “Rep. Matt Gaetz attended a drug-fueled sex party in 2017 with the 17-year-old girl at the center of the alleged sex trafficking scandal, according to legal documents filed to a Florida federal court shortly before midnight Thursday, which cite sealed affidavits from three eye-witness testimonies. The minor, who was a junior in high school at the time, arrived in her mother’s car for a July 15, 2017 party at the Florida home of Chris Dorworth, a lobbyist and friend of Gaetz’s, according to a court filing written by defense attorneys who interviewed witnesses as part of an ongoing civil lawsuit Dorworth brought in 2023.” Gaetz did not respond to an early-morning request for comment from NOTUS, but in the past has denied these allegations. INCREASING PROTECTION — “Rick Scott leads effort to up Secret Service protections after 2nd assassination attempt on Trump,” reports Fox News’ Julia Johnson, David Spunt and Kelly Phares. “‘Over the course of just 65 days, two deranged individuals have tried to kill President Donald Trump, and one was able to shoot him in the head,’ Scott wrote of his introduction of the Protect Our Presidents Act. ‘It is unthinkable that this could happen in America today and demands the immediate action of Congress,’ he said.” STAYING SAFE — “GOP lawmaker: ‘It doesn’t feel safe right now to be in politics,’” reports The Hill’s Juliann Ventura. “‘It doesn’t feel safe right now to be in politics, and I really want to emphasize that we’re at a point in American history where you have people afraid to come to work,’ [Rep. Anna Paulina] Luna said in the interview with host Chris Cuomo. At the same time, Luna said she’s still ‘up for the job.’”
| | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | | REPAYMENT, PLEASE — “County to Feds: Reimburse us $6.8 million for cost of extra security for Donald Trump,” reports Palm Beach Post’s Mike Diamond. “The expense, most of it absorbed by the county, costs taxpayers $93,000 a day, according to local and county officials. The final bill, through Election Day on Nov. 5, is expected to be $6.8 million. That figure does not take into account the additional expense incurred since the second assassination attempt on Sept. 15 at the former president's Trump International Golf Club as the letter to the congressional delegation was dated Sept. 10. It was signed by Sachs, Town of Palm Beach Mayor Danielle Moore and Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw.”
| | | | A message from Uber: Expanding transit access in Florida
Did you know that every week, Uber helps over 3,000 people get to and from Brightline stations across Florida?
Key stat: On average, riders travel nearly 6 miles to reach these stations—extending Brightline’s reach far beyond the tracks.
From MiamiCentral to Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, and Orlando, Uber is making it easier for Floridians to access public transit.
Learn more about how Uber partners with transit agencies to improve access to public transportation. | | | | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | — Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) misjudged the age gap between himself and another member of Congress. — Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff told New York donors that Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign sees Florida as a potential battleground. BIRTHDAYS: State Rep. Jason Shoaf … former State Chief Information Officer James Grant … businessman and investor Donald Soffer … (Saturday) Former State Rep. Michael Grieco … former state Sen. Denise Grimsley … former Rep. Bill Grant … Chris Dudley with The Southern Group … Aly Coleman Raschid, senior communications manager at Duke Energy Corporation … (Sunday) State Sen. Jennifer Bradley … William Stander of WHISPER LLC. | | | | 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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