| | | | |  | | By Kimberly Leonard | | Presented by |  | | | |  Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo presides over a session in the Senate chamber at the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee, on Jan. 10, 2024. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | Good morning and happy Friday. Yesterday kicked off a partisan split-screen focus on health care that will stretch through the weekend. Gov. Ron DeSantis approved the $767 million Live Healthy Act, a sweeping health workforce law that Senate President Kathleen Passidomo declared would make Florida “forever be changed in a really good way,” POLITICO’s Arek Sarkissian reported. Among other things, the law promises to give more people health care at free clinics, encourages creative uses of technology for medical care, allows people with disabilities to apply for services faster and boosts the ranks of mental- and maternal-health workers. Tomorrow, Florida Democrats are holding a health care fanfare of their own in Miami. They’re celebrating the 14th birthday of former President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, a law that’ll be central to Democrats’ election pitch. Presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump is threatening to try to repeal the health care law again, which would vaporize government-subsidized health insurance for 4.2 million Floridians. The Florida Democratic Party’s speaker’s lineup for tomorrow, held at the first medical center in Florida to accept Obamacare patients, will include a virtual speech from U.S. Rep. Darren Soto, whose seat is one of the only ones Republicans are trying to flip in Florida come November. The two events are connected because while Democrats in the Legislature supported "Live Healthy," they also criticized Republicans for not going far enough. They wanted to leverage a key part of Obamacare that would open up the Medicaid program to cover an estimated 800,000 low-income people regardless of disability, work or pregnancy status. Passidomo and House Speaker Paul Renner said throughout the session that they were against Medicaid expansion, both for philosophical reasons about who should qualify and explaining that coverage wouldn't guarantee access given dire workforce shortages. DeSantis, while campaigning for president, referred to the program as "welfare." But leaving a part of Obamacare on the table is a key reason Florida has one of the highest uninsurance rates in America. Regardless, the solutions Florida is putting up through "Live Healthy" will provide some data points in the years to come about whether conservative approaches to health care access can work. Of course, most GOP-led states have gotten over their Obamacare objections and expanded Medicaid. And not every Florida Republican wants to keep resisting it. During the Legislative session, GOP state Rep. Joel Rudman, who’s also a doctor, arranged for roughly a dozen Republicans to sit down with GOP state Sen. Kevin Corbin of North Carolina to talk about how the state expanded Medicaid. Rudman plans to follow up with the Republicans who agreed to meet, and argues that giving more people Medicaid is in line with where the party is headed as they make inroads among a diverse coalition of working-class voters. He also argues that Medicaid expansion is “inevitable” in Florida. There’s already an effort Democrats support to put it on the ballot for voters to decide in 2026. “When it happens,” Rudman said, “I would much rather the Republicans get credit for it than the Democrats.” 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 the Florida Bankers Association: DON’T LET DURBIN-MARSHALL STEAL YOUR DATA: Senators Dick Durbin and Roger Marshall introduced legislation allowing corporate mega-stores, like Walmart and Target, to process credit card transactions based solely on what is cheapest for them, disregarding YOUR data security. The Durbin-Marshall Credit Card Bill would shift billions in consumer spending to higher-risk payment networks, weakening America’s payment system and jeopardizing the security of hardworking Floridians. Learn more: https://handsoffmyrewards.com/security/ | | | |  | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | |
CHAT GPTeachers — Florida takes its biggest leap into school AI programs, reports POLITICO’s Andrew Atterbury. Thousands of teachers and students across Florida could see their classrooms boosted by artificial intelligence platforms next school year through a new program created by lawmakers.
The state anticipates AI cutting down on administrative work for teachers while bolstering tutoring available to students in several ways, including instantly drawing up lesson plans, providing coaching in multiple languages during writing exercises and giving step-by-step breakdowns of math equations. YOU BET — Florida Supreme Court hands another win to DeSantis and lawmakers on gambling deal, reports POLITICO’s Gary Fineout. The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday soundly rejected a legal challenge to the mammoth gambling deal reached between the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the state. The unanimous decision hinged primarily on procedural grounds, as justices ruled that the two gambling rivals who asked the court to block the agreement did not use the “proper vehicle” in challenging the $2.5 billion deal that paved the way for the Tribe to offer sports betting throughout the state. POLLUTION EVALUATION — Environmentalists raise alarms about $25M water study with few details, reports POLITICO’s Bruce Ritchie. State legislators want to spend $25 million in the state budget on a water pollution study that some environmentalists say is a waste of money. The 2024-25 budget passed by legislators earlier this month includes the $25 million for Florida Gulf Coast University to identify and analyze "impaired" rivers and determine the upstream sources of that pollution. Some environmentalists say the state already has identified pollution sources but have not taken action. They say the study proposal, supported by Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, is vague and triggers concerns that it could be used to delay or block environmental regulations.
|  A manatee enjoys the warm sun and water at the Tampa Electric Company Manatee Viewing Center Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024, in Apollo Beach, Fla. Center volunteers estimate over that 1,000 of the gentle creatures are enjoying the warm water that is discharged from the power plant. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) | Chris O'Meara/AP | SEA COWS — Groups threaten to sue feds over manatee classification, reports POLITICO’s Bruce Ritchie. Environmentalists on Thursday told federal wildlife officials they intend to sue them over failing to act on their request to strengthen protections for manatees in Florida and Puerto Rico. Harvard’s Animal Law & Policy Clinic in a letter told the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that the Center for Biological Diversity and other groups intend to sue over the agency's failure to respond to a November 2022 petition to reclassify manatees as endangered under federal law. SPECIAL REPORT — “Born to die: Florida’s infant mortality crisis,” by the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Cindy Krischer Goodman. “More than 1,300 babies a year, about four a day, die in Florida. In the early 2000s, the infant mortality rate was higher, but dropped slightly and then plateaued about a decade ago. Despite a declining birth rate, and millions of dollars spent by the state in the past 10 years on maternity programs, research, outreach and reports, the rate of infant mortality remains unchanged.” BACKLASH — “DeSantis is prepping for a wave of Haitian migrants. Advocates say he's grandstanding,” reports NPR’s Greg Allen. "Seeking asylum or refugee status is not something that is criminal," [Democratic state Rep. Dotie] Joseph said. "It's legal. And treating people like criminals with these kind of detention policies, be they at Guantanamo or elsewhere is quite frankly, unacceptable." TURNAROUND? — “In 2023, Florida insurers turned first profit in seven years, new report says,” by the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Ron Hurtibise. “In 2023, Florida’s domestic insurers turned a net profit for the first time in seven years, a new report by marketing intelligence company S&P Global said.The study of “around 50” Florida-based insurers credited the turnaround to investment income, a mild hurricane year, and tort reforms that took effect in March 2023.” IN COURT — “Human smuggling case against undocumented van driver heads to trial in Florida,” reports the Miami Herald’s Ana Ceballos and Syra Ortiz Blanes. “A Mexican national facing up to 20 years in prison for traveling to Florida from Georgia with passengers who were undocumented is going to trial on criminal human-smuggling charges, after a judge late on Wednesday rejected an argument that the state law behind his arrest is unconstitutional. The criminal case against Raquel López Aguilar — an undocumented father of two from the state of Chiapas living in Tampa and working as a roofer — will be one of the first tests for a state law championed by DeSantis as he seeks to combat illegal immigration.” POST SESSION — “Despite momentum, ‘free kill’ malpractice repeal fails in Florida this year,” reports the Orlando Sentinel’s Caroline Catherman and Skyler Swisher. “The 1990 statute states that if a doctor’s mistake kills someone who’s over 25, unmarried, and without children under 25, no one can sue for noneconomic damages, also known as pain and suffering. This bars loved ones from pursuing suits because the payout for economic damages often is so small that no lawyer will take the case. The law applies to people including widowed seniors and unmarried adults without children. Critics call these people free kills.” | | | | Easily connect with the right N.Y. State influencers and foster the right relationships to champion your policy priorities. POLITICO Pro. Inside New York. Learn more. | | | | | | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | |
LET IT GO — “Attorneys try to stop DeSantis appointees from giving depositions in Disney lawsuit,” reports The Associated Press’ Mike Schneider. “Attorneys for the Walt Disney World governing district taken over last year by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ allies don’t want the governor’s appointees answering questions under oath as part of its state lawsuit against Disney. District attorneys on Monday filed a motion for a protective order that would stop the DeSantis-appointed board members of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District from having to give videotaped depositions to Disney attorneys.”
CONFLICTING STORIES — “In public, Suarez says he’s not Ken Griffin’s attorney. Under oath, he said differently,” reports the Miami Herald’s Sarah Blaskey and Alexandra Glorioso. “Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has long said that he has no conflict of interest when it comes to his public support for billionaire hedge funder Ken Griffin, a major client of the law firm where Suarez is employed. But in an interview conducted under oath in December, Suarez contradicted previous public statements and said he is one of Griffin’s attorneys — a potential violation of ethics laws prohibiting elected officials from working for anyone who has business before their government. In his sworn statement to a state ethics investigator, Suarez said Griffin was not just a client of the law firm where he works, but his own personal client.” | | CAMPAIGN MODE | |
VEEPSTAKES — Rubio on being Trump’s VP: ‘I haven’t spoken to anybody,’ reports POLITICO’s Daniella Diaz. Marco Rubio hasn’t spoken with former President Donald Trump about being his vice president, the senator said in a brief Thursday interview, following reports that the Florida Republican was on Trump's shortlist. And Rubio sounds open to the idea.
“If anybody has been offered the chance to be vice president, they should consider that an honor and an incredible opportunity to serve our country. But that hasn’t happened, I haven’t spoken to anybody on his campaign about it,” Rubio said. “Never once have I talked to [Trump] about vice presidency.” ELECTIONS REFLECTIONS — “1 in 5 Florida Republicans just voted against Trump. Should he be worried?” by the Tampa Bay Times’ Kirby Wilson and Jay Cridlin. “Nearly 1 in 5 Republican primary votes in Florida — more than 200,000 in all — went to someone no longer actively running. For a former president who routinely scored approval ratings above 90 percent among GOPers when he was in office — and who got nearly 94 percent of Florida’s primary vote as an incumbent in 2020 — the anti-Trump vote could be indicative of a fractured party. And in a close election, where swing states can be decided by razor-thin margins, that could make a real difference.”
| | | | A message from the Florida Bankers Association:   | | | | | DATELINE D.C. | | | 
Vice President Kamala Harris. | AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli | TOMORROW — Vice President Kamala Harris will speak about gun safety in Parkland, Florida. DEMS OPPOSED— House passes GOP measure targeting wetlands permitting, reports POLITICO’s Annie Snider. House lawmakers passed a Republican-led measure to speed up Clean Water Act permitting Thursday on an 213-205 vote after approving a series of amendments. Lawmakers approved by voice vote an amendment from a sizable portion of Florida’s Republican delegation that would codify that state’s wetlands permitting program, which was approved by EPA in the waning days of the Trump administration. A federal judge last month invalidated the state’s Clean Water Act 404 program over issues relating to the Endangered Species Act. The state and the Biden administration are currently at odds over how to proceed in the wake of the ruling and the state’s Chamber of Commerce has warned of “cascading economic calamity” unless action is taken. SECOND TIME'S THE CHARM — Senate clears senior Labor nominee after Menendez votes to confirm, reports POLITICO’s Anthony Adragna. The Senate approved José Javier Rodríguez, 50-48, for a senior Labor Department role after previously voting against confirming the former Florida Democratic politician last November. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) joined with all Republicans in voting no, but Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) flipped his vote in favor of the nominee for assistant Labor secretary for employment and training, a break from the prior vote. | | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | |
WILL TRUMP SELL ASSETS? — “Mar-a-Lago, golf courses? Which Florida Trump properties could get seized by New York judge?” by the Palm Beach Post’s Antonio Fins. “The presumptive Republican presidential nominee's financial vise — he has until Monday to produce a $454 million bond — has fueled widespread speculation about the fate of his decades-long, high-profile real-estate portfolio.”
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— Aileen Cannon, the judge overseeing the proceedings for the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case, might have a law clerk retention problem.
BIRTHDAYS: Former Gov. Buddy MacKay … Alan Williams, deputy assistant secretary for U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and former legislator ... Ashley Bauman, senior vice president at Mercury Public Affairs … Jeffrey Vinik, investor and owner of Tampa Bay Lightning … Paul Mitchell of The Southern Group … (Saturday) Florida Supreme Court Justice John Couriel … former state Sen. Kelli Stargel … (Sunday) U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee … Scott Dudley with the Florida League of Cities ... Sam Miller, former executive vice president with the Florida Insurance Council
| | | | A message from the Florida Bankers Association: CONGRESS: OPPOSE THE DURBIN-MARSHALL CREDIT CARD BILL:
Cyber-attacks are on the rise, with large retailers like Target falling victim to breaches that expose customer information to hackers and foreign countries. Now, mega-retailers like Walmart and Home Depot want to leave you even more vulnerable to credit card cyber-attacks so they can pocket billions of dollars in additional profits. After Senator Dick Durbin passed similar routing mandates for debit cards in 2010, the fraud rate for debit cards increased by NEARLY 60%. A similar outcome for credit cards would likely cost OVER $6 BILLION in additional fraud and likely require passing much of the bill onto consumers. Congress must protect consumers, preserve the integrity of the payment ecosystem, and reject this detrimental and unnecessary government intervention into the U.S. payment system. Learn more: https://handsoffmyrewards.com/security/ | | | | | | | 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 | | | | |
