| | | | |  | | By Kimberly Leonard | | | |  Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a meet and greet on Oct. 14, 2023, in Creston, Iowa. | Charlie Neibergall/AP | Good morning from snowy Iowa. Today will officially open Florida’s legislative session. The lawmaking period in Florida has gotten plenty of national attention in recent years, but this one is taking place while the state’s powerful governor is campaigning for president. Here are some of the biggest questions facing the next 60 days. 1. How much sway does Gov. Ron DeSantis have? As POLITICO’s Gary Fineout reported, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo told reporters in December that she called DeSantis to press him on his legislative priorities — and that the governor had quipped about getting everything he had wanted during the last session. Unlike past years, DeSantis hasn’t rolled out a long line of policy initiatives he wants from legislators or communicated to legislative leaders what he wants done. 2. Has the “culture war” seen its last fight? Rank-and-file members in the GOP-controlled House and Senate have submitted plenty of bills that would go further than current law on LGBTQ+ rights, race and other topics that have divided lawmakers largely along party lines. One would ban Pride flags in government buildings while another would prohibit local governments from enforcing pronoun use. Still a third would protect Confederate monuments. Another measure would ban abortions in every case except when a pregnancy is life threatening, Florida Phoenix’s Mitch Perry reported. Of course, not all bills filed have widespread support, and it's unclear how much appetite exists to visit these topics anew. 3. Does property insurance get another swing? DeSantis’ budget asks for a temporary tax cut on property insurance, but the Legislature already addressed the problem five times, including through making it harder to sue insurers. Premiums are still high in Florida and it could take a while before reforms start showing results. Perhaps raising the prospect of more legislation is a new report from the Legislature, which found mixed results over how much excessive litigation increased premiums, per the Tampa Bay Times’ Lawrence Mower. 4. What fractures emerge on big ticket items? Legislative leaders plan to do a sweeping health care workforce overhaul and want to deregulate certain parts of public education. The health care industry will likely be supportive of changes to its sector given that the state will pump hundreds of millions of dollars-worth of cash into the system, but it will likely face turf war battles among medical professionals. On education, there’s likely to be some butting of heads given the planned repeal of some Gov. Jeb Bush-era policies and the growing involvement of parental rights groups. Another big agenda item that’s sure to draw backlash from social media giants would restrict minors’ use of the platforms. The issue is a priority for House Speaker Paul Renner, who says it’s intended to protect children. — WHERE'S RON? Gov. DeSantis will deliver his State of the State address in Tallahassee at 11 a.m. EST. At 6 p.m. EST he’ll do a town hall in Iowa about women’s issues on Fox News Channel. 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 ... | |
STATE OF THE STATE PREVIEW — DeSantis is expected to use his “State of the State” speech today to tout “fiscal responsibility” and his “good stewardship” when it comes to his handling of the state’s finances, according to some highlights shared by his administration ahead of time.
DeSantis has been on the campaign trail in Iowa and New Hampshire for much of the last several weeks, but he is returning for part of the day to kick off the annual legislative session. Unlike last year, when DeSantis laid out a lengthy legislative agenda, he plans to use his speech to emphasize some of his ongoing budget priorities such as increasing teacher pay and improving water quality in places like the Indian River Lagoon. The governor will mention his tax cut package, which includes a proposal to trim back fees and taxes paid by homeowners on their insurance bills. He will also highlight that his budget recommendations for the coming year include reducing the overall number of state employees (although most of this would be achieved through eliminating vacant positions) and lowering the budget total. DeSantis will also highlight what he views as “successes” during his time in office and how that has led to population growth and businesses moving into the state. The governor will also urge the Florida Legislature to hold firm on recent lawsuit limitations that were put in place due to the state’s turbulent property insurance market. — Gary Fineout STORMS ON THE HORIZON — Florida, like much of the East Coast, is bracing for bad weather today, with severe winds predicted and even some tornadoes. Many schools are closed, as are local governments, and DeSantis activated the Florida State Guard to help with the emergency response. The weather is also delaying the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s annual Legislative Fly-In, Florida Politics reported. But as of this morning, DeSantis is still scheduled to hold his State of the State address — though other state government buildings aside from the Capitol are closed — and the governor is planning to fly back to Iowa (where it snowed all night). Adding to the difficulties is that it’s expected to be below zero degrees in Iowa on Jan. 15 — Caucus Day. UP TODAY — Senate President Kathleen Passidomo and House Speaker Paul Renner will answer questions from reporters this afternoon about the forthcoming session. (Tune in.)
|  Rep. Spencer Roach, R-North Fort Myers. | Steve Cannon/AP | A LITTLE HELP FROM HIS FRIENDS — Members of the Cabinet, the DeSantis administration and the Florida Legislature are flying into Iowa this weekend to campaign and volunteer on Caucus Day with the governor. Nearly 50 people are on the growing list, the campaign confirmed to Playbook. Florida Rep. Spencer Roach said he and the others are traveling at their own expense “because we believe in the governor and we want to help him in this.” He plans to stress DeSantis’ “competence” to voters and will describe him as a candidate who can “restore a sense of purpose and competence to the executive branch.” Roach’s planned pitch to Iowa caucus goers: “There are multiple other Republican candidates running who have talked about doing the things that Ron DeSantis has done, but he's the only one with a record of doing that of taking on those tough fights and winning.” THE LIST — Lt. Gov. Jeannette Nuñez, Attorney General Ashley Moody, Department of Education Commissioner Manny Diaz, Secretary at the Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Jason Weida, Florida Department of Elder Affairs Secretary Michelle Branham, Florida Lottery Secretary John Davis, Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Ricky Dixon, Department of Children and Families Secretary Shevaun Harris, Florida Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary James Hartsell, Volunteer Florida CEO Josefina Tamayo, Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, House Speaker Paul Renner, former Florida House Speaker José Oliva, Florida Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, Danny Burgess, Jay Collins and Keith Perry; Reps. Alex Rizo, Joel Rudman, Jim Mooney and Michelle Salzman. (Flashback: Many on this list also contributed to the governor’s campaign.) VOTING CHANGES POSSIBLE — Republican senator seeks to restrict mail-in ballots, reports POLITICO’s Gary Fineout. State Sen. Blaise Ingoglia filed a bill (SB 1752) that would prohibit most voters from using mail-in ballots unless they were out of the country, ill or physically disabled. The GOP controlled Legislature first permitted what is known as “no excuse” mail-in ballots after the disastrous 2000 presidential recount that exposed numerous flaws in how Florida conducted elections. But the proposal is bringing swift denunciations from Democrats who called it a form of “voter suppression” as well as local election supervisors who labeled it unnecessary and a “foolish” change. BALLOT SWITCH — Florida House seeks to cap THC in smokable pot if voters legalize it, reports POLITICO’s Arek Sarkissian. State Rep. Ralph Massullo Jr. (R-Lecanto) has filed HB 1269, which seeks to limit the raw smokable version of pot known as flower at a THC concentration of 10 percent. Other products, such as oils that are vaped, applied on the skin or ingested would be capped at 60 percent, and edibles at 10 milligrams per serving, which is similar to the state’s medical marijuana program. HEALTH CARE — “Other states require insurers to cover breast cancer testing. Should Florida join them?” reports the Orlando Sentinel’s Caroline Catherman. “While state programs and insurance typically cover initial breast cancer screening for free, follow-up tests are necessary for a diagnosis. These diagnostic tests often come with a copay or prohibitive out-of-pocket costs that may cause some to delay care until it’s too late.” CRACKDOWN — “Rep. Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, filed legislation (HB 759) that would make panhandling illegal in most cases,” reports the Tallahassee Democrats’ Elena Barrera. “If passed, it will be an add-on to Florida's charitable solicitation law, restricting when and where it occurs and could make the act a felony.” — “Bill proposes allowing campaign cash for child care to encourage parental runs for office,” reports Florida Politics’ Anne Geggis — “Dems’ priorities for 2024 Legislature include Medicaid expansion, insurance, voucher funding,” reports the Florida Phoenix’s Jackie Llanos | | | | A message from CVS Health:   | | |
| | CAMPAIGN MODE | | | 
Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) at the Capitol. | Francis Chung/POLITICO |
‘POLITICAL RISK’ — “Defying Trump, GOP congressmen hit the road for DeSantis,” reports The New York Times’ Catie Edmondson. “At stop after stop on a string of frigid, gray days, Representatives Chip Roy of Texas and Thomas Massie of Kentucky packed into crowded sports bars and coffee shops, casting DeSantis as a leader with a proven track record of conservative victories. In doing so, they issued a surprisingly blunt review of what they argued were a string of policy failures by the former president — including his inability to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, to complete a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico and to rein in the skyrocketing national debt — and an implicit critique of his character.”
NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN — Christian Ziegler ousted as chair of the Florida GOP amid rape accusation, report POLITICO’s Gary Fineout and Kimberly Leonard. His ouster came during a closed-door gathering of party members in Tallahassee which was followed by a vote to pick vice chair Evan Power as his immediate replacement to lead the party. Power, who is from Tallahassee and has been chair of the Leon County Republican Party, was selected by a 135-65 vote over Peter Feaman, a South Florida Republican who had been national committee member for the past 12 years. WARREN OUT — Suspended by DeSantis, Dem prosecutor Andrew Warren drops reelection bid, reports POLITICO’s Andrew Atterbury. In a statement Monday, Warren said he would “take one for the team” by forgoing a potential third term. “Because the courts have let his illegal political stunt stand, if I ran and won [DeSantis] could suspend me again for whatever reason he wanted,” said Warren, who was elected in 2016 and reelected in 2020. “And then we would be right back where we are today, with an illegal, unqualified political appointee installed in the job.” | | TRANSITION TIME | |
— Harrison Fields, press secretary for U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, will soon become the new assistant director of media and public relations for the Heritage Foundation.
— Riya Vashi is now press secretary for Debbie Mucarsel-Powell’s U.S. Senate campaign in Florida. She previously was deputy upstate press secretary for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. | | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | |
5 MILLION METRIC TONS — Another giant seaweed blob has formed in the Central Atlantic Ocean and it could head toward Florida, reports Kimberly Miller of the Palm Beach Post
BIRTHDAYS: Lisa Miller, former deputy insurance commissioner and CEO of Lisa Miller & Associates | | A message from CVS Health: Whether in the community, at home or virtually, consumers want health care that is convenient, personalized and affordable. And we’re delivering. By connecting each step of your care – from a medical appointment to a trip to the pharmacy to ongoing check-ins with your care team – we’re making healthier happen together.
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