| | | | |  | | By Kimberly Leonard | Good morning and welcome to Monday. The Biden campaign in recent weeks has tried to step up its outreach to Black voters, one of the most important constituencies to the president's reelection. For Florida, the kickoff for engaging an estimated 2.6 million eligible Black voters happened this weekend at the Democratic Black Caucus of Florida’s conference and gala in Orlando. Tennessee state Rep. Justin J. Pearson, who was one of three representatives punished for protesting gun violence on the state House floor after a mass shooting in the state, was the keynote speaker for the event. This year’s theme was “Democracy Will not Die On Our Watch,” as the group revved up over 250 attendees that included party leaders and advocates to elect Democrats and pass a ballot measure to enshrine abortion rights. Rep. Troy Carter, the only Democrat in Louisiana’s six-member congressional delegation, addressed conference attendees during a Sunday breakfast on behalf of the recently-launched Black Voters for Biden-Harris. Carter has held his seat since winning a special election in 2021, after his predecessor, Cedric Richmond, joined the Biden White House. “I realized that I was preaching to the choir because these are the leaders that are out every day in the local communities,” Carter said. “But even the choir needs rehearsal. And so today was a rehearsal of the choir, to remind everyone and to re-invigorate and energize everyone that this battle is ours and we're going to win it, and we're going to win by telling the truth.”
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Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.) departs a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol June 5, 2024. | Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images | He told Playbook that his job is to talk about how the Biden administration delivered for Black voters, including through funding for historically Black colleges and universities, mass funding on infrastructure, support for reproductive rights and capping the price of insulin for seniors at $35. He emphasized that the list of achievements represented “receipts for the things they have done.” “We have to do a better job at telling that story, quite frankly,” he said, echoing comments from other Black leaders that President Joe Biden should get his message out more, particularly given that many Black voters appear to have soured on his presidency. But he added that it was important to get Democrats elected down ballot as well, given that state and local policy is independent of what the federal government does. In Louisiana, he’s been troubled by the rollback of bipartisan criminal justice reforms under Republican Gov. Jeff Landry. In Florida, he particularly took issue with curriculum requiring middle schoolers to learn “how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.” “History can't be softened,” he said. “History is just that — it's already happened. If you want to soften it, then you do better going forward. You don't ignore it.” The Florida Democratic Party will be doing more voter outreach ahead of the Juneteenth holiday. Despite Carter’s confidence, lingering inflation remains a huge concern with Black voters along with other demographics, as does dissatisfaction among young Black voters over how Biden is handling the Israel-Hamas war. Republican Party of Florida Chair Evan Power said the state party “does not play into identity politics” but said the “share of Black and Hispanic voters are exploding” because of policies from Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis. “People are united to make our country great again, not fall into further division,” he added. DeSantis has received backlash over his policies affecting Black Floridians on issues from redistricting to workplace diversity policies, but is poised to pass greater funding for HBCUs in the state budget this week, as well as security upgrades for those universities, and signed a bill into law to create the state’s first Black history museum. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch at: kleonard@politico.com.
| | | | THE GOLD STANDARD OF POLICY REPORTING & INTELLIGENCE: POLITICO has more than 500 journalists delivering unrivaled reporting and illuminating the policy and regulatory landscape for those who need to know what’s next. Throughout the election and the legislative and regulatory pushes that will follow, POLITICO Pro is indispensable to those who need to make informed decisions fast. The Pro platform dives deeper into critical and quickly evolving sectors and industries—finance, defense, technology, healthcare, energy—equipping policymakers and those who shape legislation and regulation with essential news and intelligence from the world’s best politics and policy journalists.
Our newsroom is deeper, more experienced, and better sourced than any other—with teams embedded in the world’s most active legislative and regulatory power centers. From Brussels to Washington, New York to London, Sacramento to Paris, we bring subscribers inside the conversations that determine policy outcomes and the future of industries, providing insight that cannot be found anywhere else. Get the premier news and policy intelligence service, SUBSCRIBE TO POLITICO PRO TODAY. | | | | | |  | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | HEMP REGS DEAD — “DeSantis vetoes new proposed hemp restrictions,” reports POLITICO’s Arek Sarkissian. “Gov. Ron DeSantis has vetoed a bill that sought to bring new restrictions to Florida’s rapidly growing hemp industry, saying the new regulatory controls would have strangled small businesses that have opened because of hemp. The bill, SB 1698, would have restricted sales of hemp-derived products that include alternative forms of THC, which are marketed to provide the same effects as marijuana. DeSantis wrote in a transmittal letter about the veto that the goals of the bill were commendable but the burden on small businesses would be too much.” CRASH FALLOUT — “Florida farmworkers survived a deadly bus crash. Then, they feared deportation,” by the Tampa Bay Times’ Juan Carlos Chavez and Hannah Critchfield. “The tragedy rendered the laborers unable to work. It also has left them caught in a dizzying system where they’ve felt forced to weigh their health against the chance to work again in the United States. Five workers told the Tampa Bay Times they’ve desperately wanted to stay in Florida to continue medical treatment for ailments including broken bones and head injuries but have feared deportation. The vast majority of workers involved in the May 14 crash outside Ocala were temporary migrant laborers who traveled to the U.S. from Mexico to work for Olvera Trucking Corp. on an agricultural visa known as the H-2A." ‘LIVE HEALTHY’ IN ACTION — “Florida Board of Medicine to craft new licensure path for foreign-trained physicians,” by Florida Phoenix’s Jackie Llanos. “Florida lawmakers passed a measure this year allowing physicians trained in other countries to be licensed in Florida without completing a residency, and the Florida Board of Medicine is starting to grapple with the change. Under the ‘Live Healthy’ initiative Senate President Kathleen Passidomo spearheaded during this year’s legislative session, foreign-trained physicians with active licenses in the countries in which they studied will soon have a new path to pra c ticing medicine in Florida. A committee of the Florida Board of Medicine voted on Thursday afternoon to start crafting a rule implementing the law.”
| | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | | |  New Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille, left, speaks to the president of the council Edgard Leblanc Fils during his swearing-in ceremony in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, June 3, 2024. | Odelyn Joseph/AP Photo | STABILIZED — “Haiti Prime Minister Garry Conille hospitalized after medical emergency,” by the Miami Herald’s Jacqueline Charles. “Haiti’s new prime minister, Garry Conille, was hospitalized late Saturday after suffering a reported respiratory emergency. The details on what led to the crisis remained scant. However, Conille was at his mother-in-law’s house in the hills above the capital in Boutillier, multiple sources said, when he fell ill and had to be rushed down the mountain to a private hospital in Pétion-Ville where he was quickly stabilized. A source later confirmed to the Miami Herald that Conille, 58, was talking, and his blood pressure had improved.” He was discharged on Sunday. NEW ADVISORY BOARD FORMING — “Orlando seeks consensus around Pulse memorial plan,” by the Orlando Sentinel’s Ryan Gillespie. “The panel will have about 10 to 15 members, and is expected to include representatives of survivors, family members of victims, first responders, healthcare workers as well as people with expertise in design and architecture. It’s an approach that may help avoid some of the fractiousness plaguing previous efforts to commemorate the tragic event.” STADIUM SPLIT— “Third poll on Rays deal finds some support, but opposition among close observers,” reports the Tampa Bay Times’ Jack Evans. “In a new poll paid for by a group that’s against the proposed terms of a new Tampa Bay Rays stadium and surrounding development, about half of those surveyed said they support the plan. But the plan for the new ballpark and Historic Gas Plant District found less favor among those who said they were familiar with the deal’s financial details: Among that group, half opposed.” PAYOUT DURING TRANSITION — “Elections chief Gilzean got $20K-a-month consulting deal with Disney district,” by the Orlando Sentinel’s Skyler Swisher. “Florida’s Disney World oversight district is paying Orange County Elections Supervisor Glen Gilzean $20,000 a month through December as part of a consulting agreement quietly inked when he stepped down as administrator. Gilzean left his $400,000-a-year job leading the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District in March after less than a year of service. Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Gilzean, one of his political allies, to serve as Orange County’s supervisor of elections. That position has an annual salary of $205,000. What wasn’t publicly known during the transition nor submitted to the district’s board for approval or discussion was that Gilzean signed a consulting agreement from April 1 through the end of the year.” SETTLEMENT CASH — “First came the payout from opioid settlement. Now, how will millions be used in South Florida?” by the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Abigail Hasebroock and Lisa J. Huriash. “Palm Beach and Broward counties are among the many local governments across the U.S. now determining how exactly their shares of millions of dollars should be used. Broward is set to receive about $120 million. They must weigh what would be the most effective use of the money, ‘a critical moment,’ given research already exists on what is and isn’t helpful.” — “Housing, insurance and health care — the forces driving South Florida's population changes,” by WLRN’s Tom Hudson.
| | CAMPAIGN MODE | | NO ON AMENDMENT 3 — “Florida Sen. Rick Scott says he’ll vote against recreational pot after brother’s death,” by the Associated Press’ Stephany Matat. “Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida says he’ll be voting in November against a ballot amendment to legalize recreational marijuana in his state, a deeply personal decision based on his brother’s long history of addiction. The senator and former Florida governor said he watched his brother Roger Scott begin smoking marijuana as a teenager and then struggle with substance use for the rest of life.” EXPLAINER — “What you need to know about Florida’s Amendment 6, the campaign finance ballot question,” by Alyssa Johnson of the Miami Herald. “Florida voters will decide this November whether to pull the plug on a program that for a quarter-century has allowed candidates seeking the state’s highest offices to subsidize their campaigns with public money. Amendment 6, one of six ballot measures that Floridians will consider this fall, aims to end the public financing of campaigns for governor and cabinet positions like attorney general. Voters shot a similar proposal down in 2010. But the state Legislature voted this year to see if, given a second chance, Floridians would end a practice that since 2010 has steered more than $33 million in taxpayer money to political campaigns.”
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. listens as he is introduced by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach during the World Values Network's Presidential candidate series at the Glasshouse on July 25, 2023, in New York City. | Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images | THIRD PARTY OPTION — “R.F.K. Jr. will be on the ballot in Florida, his campaign says,” by The New York Times’ Chris Cameron. “Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the independent presidential candidate, will be on the ballot in Florida this fall, his campaign said on Friday, after the minor party that nominated Mr. Kennedy as its presidential candidate had its ballot access reinstated this week. It is a significant victory for Mr. Kennedy’s sprawling effort to get on the ballot in all 50 states. Florida has the third-largest number of electoral votes in the country, behind California (where Mr. Kennedy is already on the ballot) and Texas (where Mr. Kennedy has submitted a ballot access petition).” SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT — “[State Rep.] Mike Beltran won’t seek a fourth term, opening HD 70 seat,” by Florida Politics’Jacob Ogles. “The Riverview Republican announced the news a week ahead of a June 14 deadline to qualify. He first won election in 2018, and was allowed to seek two more years in office before term limits required his exit from the House. Hours before his announcement, Republican Jessica Harris filed for the seat.” — “Waltz’s loyalty to Trump doesn’t help VP chances or avoid primary foe,” by Steven Lemongello of the Orlando Sentinel.
| | DATELINE D.C. | | AN UNLIKELY ALLY — The Biden administration’s bid to root out non-compete agreements received a boost from a strange bedfellow: MAGA favorite Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.). Gaetz last week filed an amicus brief in support of the Federal Trade Commission’s new rule banning nearly all forms of non-compete agreements and other so-called restrictive covenants. “The Federal Trade Commission’s rule prohibiting most employers from entering into or enforcing noncompete agreements with certain workers, subject to narrow exceptions, is a vindication of economic freedom and free enterprise,” and should be upheld, Gaetz wrote. Aside from a few nods to conservative touch-points — including an oblique reference to the failed impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas — you’d be hard-pressed to tell the brief wasn’t filed by the FTC itself. “I believe it is helpful for American workers, such as those who were let go from their jobs due to workplace vaccine mandates and then doubly injured when they were prohibited from job hunting,” Gaetz said in a statement to POLITICO. — Nick Niedzwiadek
| | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | | REBRANDING — “Latinos for Trump rebrands to add ‘Americans’ to its name,” by The New York Times’ Jennifer Medina. “‘Latinos for Trump’ is no more. Now, it is ‘Latino Americans for Trump.’ The Trump campaign has changed the name of its Latino outreach effort to emphasize American citizenship. The shift is particularly striking given that the campaign continues to make inroads among Hispanic voters, even as former President Donald J. Trump escalates the use of dehumanizing rhetoric about immigrants that is central to his campaign.” MAR-A-LAGO DOCUMENTS — “One year after Trump classified documents indictment, defense challenge of special counsel takes center stage,” by David Lyons of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “On June 21, in [Judge Aileen] Cannon’s Fort Pierce federal courtroom, an unusual daylong series of legal arguments will unfold over [Special Counsel Jack] Smith’s appointment. They are arguments, legal analysts say, that would rarely see the light of day in a trial court; they are usually reserved for the appellate courts.”
| | | | JOIN US ON 6/13 FOR A TALK ON THE FUTURE OF HEALTH CARE: As Congress and the White House work to strengthen health care affordability and access, innovative technologies and treatments are increasingly important for patient health and lower costs. What barriers are appearing as new tech emerges? Is the Medicare payment process keeping up with new technologies and procedures? Join us on June 13 as POLITICO convenes a panel of lawmakers, officials and experts to discuss what policy solutions could expand access to innovative therapies and tech. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | WATCH THE WATER — “Florida authorities warn of shark dangers along Panhandle beaches after 3 people are attacked,” by Jeff Martin of The Associated Press. “Authorities are using boats to patrol the ocean and warning swimmers about sharks this weekend along Florida’s Gulf Coast, where a woman and two teenage girls were hurt in two separate shark attacks on Friday. The attacks off beaches in the Florida Panhandle led authorities to temporarily close several beaches to swimmers on Friday. Beaches were reopened Saturday, with flags warning of high hazards.” BIRTHDAYS: Nick Iarossi of Capital City Consulting … Ashley Montenegro Alexander, government relations specialist for CATALYST. | | | | 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 | | | | |
