| | | | |  | | By Kimberly Leonard | IN MEMORIAM — John Passidomo, husband of almost 45 years to Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, died yesterday following a tragic accident in Utah, where the couple had been hiking together. Playbook sends its deepest condolences to the Passidomo family.
|  Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo presides over a session in the Senate chamber at the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee, Florida, on Jan. 10, 2024. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | Good morning and welcome to Thursday. Florida's theme-park destination crown isn't going anywhere. After overcoming a high-stakes activist investor fight yesterday, CEO Bob Iger said during Disney's annual meeting that the company would expand Walt Disney World. Will there be the creation of a long-rumored fifth park? Iger wouldn’t spill just yet, but he specifically credited the agreement the company reached with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District for creating an atmosphere that's ripe for expansion. On March 27, Disney dropped its state lawsuit seeking to retain its self-governance, and Gov. Ron DeSantis tapped a loyalist for the job of district administrator, someone viewed by Tallahassee insiders as qualified and favorable to the entertainment giant. “We achieved a win-win result with that deal in terms of our ability to pursue future development opportunities but also in terms of thousands of direct and indirect jobs,” Iger said Wednesday. The agreement marked the end of a two-year battle that started under Iger’s short-lasting predecessor, when DeSantis punished Disney for publicly opposing a schools bill company executives derided as “Don’t Say Gay” because it banned LGBTQ+ instruction. Since the deal was announced, DeSantis has in two separate press conferences urged Disney to grow its famous park in Florida, noting that it should try to compete with the "gamechanger" 2025 opening of Epic Universe at crosstown rival Universal Orlando Resorts.
|  The Wizarding World of Harry Potters Diagon Alley at Universal Orlando Resort. | Ken Kinzie/Universal Orlando Resort via Getty Images | | Universal's plans are gigantic: It's creating a third theme park that’ll feature new hotels and five themed worlds including Super Nintendo. The governor, who less than a year ago smeared Disney as trying to “sexualize” kids, said making Disney World bigger would be good for the economy. All of the new builds solidify Florida as the global spot for immersive experiences — ones that also happen provide surefire revenue for the companies that create them. The plans serve as a reminder that Disney was never going to be able to stop building here because it has to continually roll out new rides to keep customers coming back (as Iger pointed out, Disney World has built out at least eight new attractions, including World of Avatar and Toy Story Land, just since 2017). Likewise, theme parks are financially important to the state, and Disney started its push reminding the governor and lawmakers about that in November. But Disney also was forced to close an immersive Star Wars-themed hotel last year, just two years after it opened, due to billions of dollars in cost-cutting across the company. Disney executives started dangling expansion possibilities a while back, saying they’re preparing to “turbocharge” Disney parks and experiences by $60 billion over the next decade, spread out at locations across the world. It's now official that Florida will get to see a piece of that. One other thing was made clear in yesterday's annual meeting: Disney is going to keep being put on the spot for cultural battles. One shareholder, for instance, asked whether it would be possible for Disney to stay out of “political and social agendas and just provide entertainment.” Iger replied that the company wanted to tell stories that reflected the world, but added, “We know our job is not to advance any kind of agenda. So as long as I am in the job, I am going to continue to be guided by a sense of decency and respect, and we will always trust our instincts.” Disney shareholders also defeated several proposals that reflected similar politically charged fights, including from the conservative National Legal and Policy Center, that called for the company to pay for gender de-transitioning care. Another, from the progressive Educational Foundation of America, called for the company to avoid contributing to groups or political candidates who opposed climate change measures, were anti-abortion or embraced false claims of widespread voter fraud during the 2020 election. WHERE'S RON? Gov. DeSantis has a press conference at 10 a.m. in Davie, Florida, with Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Shawn Hamilton and Seminole Tribe of Florida Chairman Marcellus Osceola Jr. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch at: kleonard@politico.com
| | | | Access New York bill updates and Congressional activity in areas that matter to you, and use our exclusive insights to see what’s on the Albany agenda. Learn more. | | | | | |  | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | |  FILE - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis answers questions from the media, March 7, 2023, at the state Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. Students and teachers will be able to speak freely about sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida classrooms under a settlement reached Monday, March 11, 2024 between Florida education officials and civil rights attorneys who had challenged a state law which critics dubbed “Don't Say Gay.” (AP Photo/Phil Sears, File) | AP |
NEW ERA — DeSantis just lost the judicial firewall he boasted about, reports POLITICO’s Gary Fineout. When DeSantis remade the Florida Supreme Court, he proclaimed it was the most conservative court in the nation. But that court this week jolted the governor and the state’s Republicans so much that some party members want some of the justices replaced.
HOW IT WORKS — “What happens if Florida legalizes recreational marijuana? Where could you buy and smoke?” by the Miami Herald’s Michelle Marchante and Howard Cohen. “Adults 21 and older could legally buy and use up to 3 ounces of pot for personal use in the state. Dispensaries and other state licensed entities would also be able to ‘acquire, cultivate, process, manufacture, sell, and distribute’ cannabis products and accessories.” — “Here are the 6 amendments Floridians will vote on in November,” by Jim Saunders of News Service of Florida WAPO SUIT — Judge blocks request to depose top DeSantis aides in travel records lawsuit, reports POLITICO’s Gary Fineout. A Florida judge is blocking attorneys from the Washington Post from questioning several current and former aides about a behind-the-scenes fight to keep secret the publicly-funded travel records of Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Circuit Judge J. Lee Marsh also agreed to drop DeSantis as a defendant in the high-profile case that also includes a constitutional challenge to a new law that shields public access to the governor’s travel records, including those for trips he’s already taken. The Post’s main lawsuit against the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will still go forward
PUSHBACK — “Dozens of groups call on DeSantis to veto bill denying heat protections for outdoor workers,” reports the Florida Phoenix’s Mitch Perry. “A total of 88 environmental, faith and progressive groups are calling on DeSantis to veto legislation that would ban local governments from requiring employers to provide protections for outdoor workers who toil in extreme heat. The only county in Florida that had been considering enacting such a heat protection ordinance was in Miami-Dade County.”
VETTING GAPS — “Florida State Guard recruit threatened to ‘blow up’ military base, witnesses told cops,” reports Ana Ceballos of the Miami Herald. “A recruit for the Florida State Guard — a civilian military force under DeSantis’ control — was removed from a Jacksonville training facility and sent to a hospital for a mental health evaluation in February after he reportedly told others he wanted to kill Jews and Palestinians and “blow up” a military base.”
|  In this Oct. 29, 2019 file photo Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis speaks in Tallahassee, Florida. | Steve Cannon/AP | EYES ON 2026? — Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis took a helicopter and airboat tour of Eagle Pass, Texas, this week, to survey the work of Florida first responders helping Texas manage the U.S. Southern border. More than 90 officers are in Texas from the Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, according to the governor’s office. The officers are there on top of the national and state guard members DeSantis deployed. The Department of Financial Services that Patronis oversees funds the effort, and his visit was also state-funded, though his agency didn’t respond to questions about costs. The arrangement is part of a mutual aid compact where states help each other with emergencies. Patronis met with Texas lawmakers during the visit and said he was on a “fact-finding mission” and hoped to be better prepared to answer questions from the Legislature. He called the visit “eye opening.” "People are being victimized and preyed upon, abused and taken advantage of and trafficked," he said. "These people are in very vulnerable positions." Patronis, who’s eyeing the 2026 governor’s race, insisted his visit wasn’t political. “This is important for me simply because these are employees I have supervision and oversight over … I want to make sure that they're getting what they need and that this is something that is not only a good use of their time, but a good use of Florida’s resources.” But the CFO’s visit came around the same time Donald Trump made a big push on border security, and Patronis posted from Texas on X that Trump — who's expected to get involved in '26 — needed to be reelected to “stop this crisis.” | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | |
ROAD BUILD — “Governor, DOT tout coming $2.5 billion overhaul of congested I-4 west of Orlando,” reports Kevin Spear of the Orlando Sentinel. “Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Department of Transportation on Wednesday formally announced ambitious plans for an accelerated overhaul of more than 14 miles of Interstate 4 west of Orlando, which ranks as one of the nation’s most congested corridors.”
POST-SPRING BREAK — “How a viral ad campaign and ‘draconian’ crackdown changed Miami Beach spring break,” reports the Miami Herald’s Aaron Leibowitz. “There were no shootings related to spring break. Citywide arrest numbers were down by 8 percent, and police said they seized fewer than 70 guns after seizing more than 100 last year.” CONNECTIONS — “Ex-DeSantis aide had $6.5K a month contract with state attorney Bain’s office,” reports the Orlando Sentinel’s Skyler Swisher. “A former top aide to DeSantis landed a $6,500-a-month public relations deal with the Orange-Osceola state attorney’s office to handle communications work in the wake of Monique Worrell’s suspension. Taryn Fenske’s company, TMF Communications, made $26,689 off the contract with State Attorney Andrew Bain, state records show. DeSantis appointed Bain to the post on Aug. 9.” ONGOING — “Seminole tells Joel Greenberg consultants: Prove you did actual work,” reports Martin E. Comas of the Orlando Sentinel. “A one-time model tied to Congressman Matt Gaetz, a Longwood city commissioner, a former Orlando Sentinel columnist, and a Republican consultant whose only duties appeared to be delivering birthday cakes to the office’s employees. These are among seven individuals paid a total of $223,630 in taxpayer dollars by disgraced Seminole Tax Collector Joel Greenberg — many of them his friends and associates — to work as public relations consultants during his tenure. Now county officials want to see proof of what they actually did to receive the public funds.” CRIME — “FDLE busts large-scale retail theft ring that spanned 13 counties; arrest five suspects,” reports Melissa E. Holsman of Treasure Coast Newspapers. “Five people from Miami-Dade County are facing charges related to a large-scale organized retail theft fraud scheme that racked up 53 thefts in 13 counties … Each person accused in the theft ring faces multiple felony charges including organized scheme to defraud $50,000 or more and retail theft of multiple items within 30 days at different physical locations.” | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | |  U.S. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) addresses attendees at the Republican Party of Florida Freedom Summit, Nov. 4, 2023, in Kissimmee, Fla. | Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP | HUGE SPEND — “Rick Scott to launch a multi-million dollar ad buy focused on Florida Hispanics,” reports NBC News’ Matt Dixon. “Scott’s campaign estimates it will spend $700,000 a week for a series TV, radio, and streaming service ads in both English and Spanish. There will be different ads over the multi-week ad buy, with the first TV spot ... [featuring] Scott trying to center what amounts to his opening message around his ‘fight against the socialist agenda in Washington.’” DEEP DIVE — “The fall of the House of Ziegler: Moms for Liberty, a threesome, and a failed political dynasty,” by Jacob Ogles for the Advocate. “The tawdry scandal marks a stunning fall from grace for a couple who built tremendous political capital on the promise of removing woke values and LGBTQ+ indoctrination from America’s classrooms. Thanks to Florida laws that Bridget Ziegler helped shape, most news articles mentioning the Zieglers today can’t be read in Florida schools. The level of duplicity stunned a political world increasingly numb to sex scandals.” FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — BOLD PAC, the campaign arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, is endorsing Miami-Dade County School Board member Lucia Báez-Geller in the Democratic primary to unseat U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar. | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, the newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world, including WEF in Davos, Milken Global in Beverly Hills, to UNGA in NYC and many more. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | | | DATELINE D.C. | | SHOCK DECISION — “FEMA stuns Florida with pricey hurricane penalty,” reports Thomas Frank of ClimateWire. “A stunning federal decision is leaving residents of a Florida county that was devastated by one of the nation’s most destructive hurricanes without an insurance discount that has saved them hundreds of millions of dollars. The Federal Emergency Management Agency revoked the discount it gave to 125,000 property owners in Lee County who have FEMA flood insurance after warning local officials about unsafe rebuilding efforts in the wake of Hurricane Ian in 2022. The decision shocked officials in one of the nation’s most flood-prone counties and serves as a warning to communities nationwide to follow FEMA’s requirement that homes being rebuilt after floods must be protected from future disasters.” — “US Inspector General sends audit team to Tallahassee to investigate ongoing mail issues,” reports Arianna Otero of the Tallahassee Democrat | | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | |
BUNDLING — “Orlando attorney Dan Newlin to host Trump fundraiser at his home,” reports the Orlando Sentinel’s Skyler Swisher. “Guests are asked to raise or contribute $824,600 to be a top-level 'host committee' contributor, according to the event flyer. Photo opportunities are available for $25,000 per person, and a reception at the home in Windermere is open to those who give $5,000.”
MAR-A-LAGO DOCS CASE — “Prosecutors in Trump’s classified documents case sharply rebuke judge’s unusual and ‘flawed’ order,” reports The Associated Press’ Eric Tucker. “In an unusual order, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had asked prosecutors and defense lawyers to formulate proposed jury instructions for most of the charges even though it remains unclear when the case might reach trial. She asked the lawyers to respond to two different scenarios in which she appeared to accept the Republican ex-president’s argument that he was entitled under a statute known as the Presidential Records Act to retain the sensitive documents he is now charged with possessing.” PLEA — “Two Florida men plead guilty to insider trading charges related to Trump media firm,” reports The Associated Press. They admitted "making over $22 million illegally before the public announcement in 2021 that an acquisition firm was taking Trump’s media company public. Michael and Gerald Shvartsman entered their pleas to a single count of securities fraud in Manhattan federal court, where Judge Lewis J. Liman set sentencing for July 17.” | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | |
BIRTHDAYS: Former Florida first lady Adele Graham … David DeCamp, director of corporate communications at Crowley
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