| | | | |  | | By Kimberly Leonard | | | |  Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo (R-Naples), covers her heart as she reacts to the imminent passage of Senate Bill 102: Housing, which allocates $711 million for affordable housing on March 8, 2023, at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. | Phil Sears/AP | Good morning and happy Friday. The Florida Legislature is prepared to go big on health care. Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, Senate Health Policy Committee Chair Colleen Burton and Senate Appropriations Chair Gayle Harrell hosted reporters for a breakfast yesterday to unveil their nearly $900-million plan from Republicans, per POLITICO’s Arek Sarkissian. Hearings are set for Tuesday to discuss the forthcoming bills that’ll make up the package, some of which will be introduced today. Here are three takeaways from what Passidomo is calling the “Live Healthy” proposal: 1. It’s as much a workforce package as a health care one. Much of “Live Healthy” is aimed at bolstering the number of health care providers in the state given mass doctor shortages and a surge in Florida residents. The plan would add 700 residency slots for doctors and fund training for more nurses (since health care providers who get their degrees and medical training in Florida are more likely to stay here). Health care workers who take jobs in low-income or rural areas, or volunteer at free clinics, could qualify for tuition reimbursement. Social workers, marriage and family therapists, psychologists and mental health counselors could also qualify. 2. More Floridians would get free care. The GOP-majority Legislature won’t be expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act — a move that would provide government-funded coverage to roughly 800,000 Floridians. Passidomo said that even if more patients in Florida had insurance, there still wouldn’t be enough health care providers to see them. Instead, the proposal would allow more people to go to free health clinics. The current cutoff to be eligible to get care at these clinics, often run by local health departments, is 200 percent of the federal poverty level. The new bill would widen that threshold to 300 percent of the federal poverty level, or families of four who’ll have an estimated income of $90,000 or less in 2024. It’ll also require the Department of Health to create a new web portal where patients can find free community health events for screenings, and where health care providers can find places to volunteer. 3. More patients would get care outside of emergency rooms. The bill would direct hospitals to come up with ways that more patients can get care while avoiding the emergency room, which is the most expensive place to get treatment. Mainly, legislators want more patients to have doctors they see regularly and consistently so they can catch problems, such as cancer or diabetes, early. One program to use telehealth or at-home visits during pregnancy would be expanded statewide. Another program allowing mental health providers to drive to patients having a crisis would be better funded. The package also would direct Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration to get approval to bill Medicaid for hospital care that’s provided in patients’ homes. The health care package would create a 15-member “Health Care Innovation Council” to consider ways to improve health care. — WHERE’S RON? Gov. DeSantis and Florida first lady Casey DeSantis will appear at a Mamas for DeSantis event with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds in West Des Moines. On Saturday, he’ll speak in Sioux Center, Iowa at Faith and Family with the Feenstra’s, an event hosted by Iowa Rep. Randy Feenstra and his wife. 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 CVS Health: Learn how we’re delivering the future of health care. More here. | | | |  | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | |
COMING UP — “Florida state agencies will face legal challenges to health care policies on the same day next week — a trial on the state’s transgender care ban and a hearing in a lawsuit seeking Medicaid eligibility for thousands of Floridians,” reports Florida Phoenix’s Jackie Llanos.
580 DEATHS IN A DECADE — “Hundreds died using kratom in Florida. It was touted as safe,” shows a Tampa Bay Times investigation. "Most of the deaths were caused by a fatal mixture of kratom and at least one other substance, but 46 people overdosed solely on the herb. The Times’ review of kratom’s toll is the first of its kind by a news organization in Florida. Reporters analyzed thousands of pages of autopsy and toxicology reports, police documents and company records. They interviewed over 150 scientists, doctors, policy experts, regulators, industry players, consumers and relatives of overdose victims. Reporters also had 20 kratom products tested by researchers.”
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Bridget Ziegler speaks at the Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia, Saturday, July 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) | AP | LOCAL POSTS — Senate President Kathleen Passidomo — one of the GOP leaders who called on Christian Ziegler to resign from his post as chair of the Republican Party of Florida — isn’t weighing in on whether Bridget Ziegler should remain on the board of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. Christian Ziegler, who says he did nothing wrong, is under investigation for an allegation of rape following an Oct. 2 encounter with a woman he’d known for more than two decades and had been sexually involved with both Christian and Bridget Ziegler. Christian Ziegler and his wife had initially tried to arrange a meeting with the victim, but the woman backed out when she found out Bridget Ziegler could no longer make it. Bridget Ziegler, who has been a key ally of DeSantis, is now under pressure to resign her position from the Sarasota County School Board. The board at its meeting next week is expected to consider a resolution asking her to resign. Bridget Ziegler also sits on the tourism board that legislators put in control of the special district that includes Disney World. She was confirmed for that position earlier this year by the Florida Senate. When asked about Bridget Ziegler on Thursday, Passidomo said: “At this point, she doesn’t appear to be involved in any criminal activity so I really can’t comment on that.” — Gary Fineout INVESTIGATION UPDATE — “Police have recovered video of Florida GOP chair and alleged victim,” reports Bob Norman of the Florida Trident MORE — “Florida GOP chair facing rape investigation plays Trump card amid former president’s silence,” reports The Messenger’s Marc Caputo ‘I’M A GIRL’ — “Growing up transgender in DeSantis’ Florida: How this Broward teen’s life was upended,” reports the Miami Herald’s Brittany Wallman. “In the years Daisy aged into her teens, taking estrogen to affirm her identity as a girl, Florida’s schools became a cultural battleground, with legislative spears lobbed at the books students read, the classes they take, the history they learn, the topics they discuss in classrooms, the bathrooms students like Daisy use, the gender-affirming healthcare they receive, and the team sports they compete in.” — “Are Florida homeless programs working or not? Top lawmaker asks about a ‘return on investment,’” reports Florida Phoenix’s Mitch Perry — “DeSantis, Ashley Moody, voters: Who wants recreational marijuana in Florida and who doesn't?” by USA Today Network - Florida’s C.A. Bridges | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | |
REDO — “Florida Atlantic University should start its long-stalled search for a new president over again due to a ‘failure to comply’ with state laws and state university regulations, a report released Thursday states,” reports the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Scott Travis. “The report, drafted by the inspector general for the State University System’s Board of Governors, also questioned whether Brad Levine, chairman of the FAU Board of Trustees, should lead the new presidential search.”
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NEVERMIND — “DeSantis super PAC cancels donor event citing waning interest,” reports Bloomberg’s Nancy Cook. “Never Back Down planned to hold a luncheon ahead of the fourth Republican primary debate in Tuscaloosa, Alabama … About 3,000 people were invited to purchase tickets. A $10,000 contribution would have given donors access to the lunch, where the governor’s wife, Casey DeSantis, was scheduled to speak, as well as a ticket to the debate itself and an invite to a post-debate celebration with the governor, according to an invitation. Days prior to Wednesday’s debate, Never Back Down decided to cancel the lunch.”
— “Super PAC backing Ron DeSantis picks up disillusioned Koch network staffers,” reports NBC News’ Katherine Doyle IT’S NOT OVER YET — CNN is hosting two more GOP primary debates at the start of 2024, the network reported. FOR THE RECORD — BlackRock CEO Larry Fink accuses DeSantis, Ramaswamy of deliberately false attacks, reports CNBC’s Brian Schwartz. “Fink was falsely accused of endorsing their challenger, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. In reality, he was among a group of business leaders who met with Haley last month in New York. ‘I haven’t endorsed any candidate for president this year. I’ve met with at least five of the candidates in this campaign cycle,’ Fink wrote on his LinkedIn page.” ‘ASPIRATIONAL’ — “Sabatini-led Lake Republicans adopt platform to ban abortion, gay rights,” reports the Orlando Sentinel’s Steven Lemongello. “The Lake County Republican Party, chaired by congressional candidate Anthony Sabatini, has approved a party platform that among other things calls for an abortion ban from conception, ending gay marriage and rights, and eliminating nearly all gun laws. The 36-page document was taken almost word for word from the Texas GOP’s controversial party platform.” | | DATELINE D.C. | | |  US Sens. Marco Rubio (L) and Rick Scott (R) speak to reporters. | Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images | RESOLUTION ON VENEZUELA — Five Florida congressional Republicans are recognizing María Corina Machado as the legitimate presidential opposition candidate against Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro. Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott plus Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, Carlos Gimenez and Maria Salazar filed a resolution this week to declare Machado the winner of the Venezuelan primary opposition election in October. The Maduro government is barring Machado, a strong Maduro critic, from public office due to her support for international sanctions. "This blatant attack on democracy shows the regime’s desperation in the face of impending defeat,” Gimenez said in a statement. “The Venezuelan people are determined to free themselves from communism with María Corina and the United States must stand with the freedom-loving people of Venezuela.” The resolution also calls on the Biden administration to reinstate oil sanctions President Joe Biden had eased to try to have Venezuela hold fair elections. — Mia McCarthy | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | |
BIRTHDAYS: Douglas Lyons, journalist and former press secretary for Rep. Lois Frankel … (Saturday) State Rep. Webster Barnaby … Rick Hirsch, former Miami Herald managing editor … (Sunday) Jeff Greene, real estate investor and Democratic candidate for governor in 2018
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