| | | | |  | | By Kimberly Leonard | |  A sign welcomes visitors near an entrance to Walt Disney World on February 01, 2024, in Orlando, Florida. | Joe Raedle/Getty Images | Good morning and welcome to Thursday. When Gov. Ron DeSantis was running for president, he used to love joking about the irony of getting married at Walt Disney World only to face off against the “woke” entertainment conglomerate 14 years later. But that was a different time, and now he and Disney are in another stage of their relationship. And the way it’s all turning out is probably beyond anyone’s wildest imagination. The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board DeSantis handpicked gave an initial approval yesterday for Disney to spend up to $17 billion over the next 10 to 20 years to expand its theme park in central Florida. In return, Disney has to use Florida-owned businesses to develop at least half the project and has to spend at least $10 million on affordable housing on its land. It’s not clear yet exactly what Disney has in the works. But the documentation the board used had open-ended language making it possible for Disney to build a fifth park here, if they should so choose. The area in consideration for development is 17,000 acres and the district’s job in all this is to provide services like fire protection, managing road upkeep and operating waste management. Yesterday’s meeting lasted only about 35 minutes and drew no backlash. The time allotted for public comments had only two speakers, both local business owners who praised the proposal as being good for the economy. Indeed, a fifth park would be a big deal for Disney and Florida. The last time it unveiled a new park was for Animal Kingdom, 26 years ago. All in all, these developments mark a major turnaround. Just over a year ago fellow 2024 Republican presidential primary rival Nikki Haley was imploring Disney to move its theme park to South Carolina. But Disney and the district settled a contentious lawsuit in March, after DeSantis won a round of litigation but then extended an olive branch by appointing ally Stephanie Kopelousos, an experienced municipal government expert, to the job of district administrator. DeSantis still does sometimes get dragged over his fight with Disney (Mick Jagger just called him out), but when he term limits out of office he’ll have left a Florida behind with an even bigger theme park hub than when he came in. Aside from Disney, Universal Studios will have a fourth theme park opening next year. Everyone wins because the parks give entertainment companies a far more reliable source of income than motion pictures or other parts of their businesses. The Disney plans aren't all set yet. A final vote on the expansion is scheduled for next week, on June 12. During that meeting, the board may also talk privately about a separate federal free speech lawsuit that Disney had planned to appeal but put on hold after settling the state case. “We are heading toward a brand new day and I think we’re all excited about where this is going for the employees and residents of the district and business, and the people of central Florida,” Charbel Barakat, acting chairman of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District’s board, said at yesterday’s meeting. “I only wish we could have gotten there sooner but I’m glad we’re there today.” Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch at: kleonard@politico.com.
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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 ... | | STUCK IN PLACE — “Their Florida ‘paradise’ keeps flooding, but some can’t afford a solution,” by Patricia Mazzei of The New York Times. “Hurricane Idalia, while not as bad as other recent storms, inundated many neighborhoods far from the strong winds at its center. As climate change leads to higher sea levels and more frequent and intense storms, many more neighborhoods in Florida are expected to become vulnerable to flood risk. In Shore Acres, at least 1,200 of the roughly 2,600 homes flooded with Idalia; many flooded again during a storm in December.” ALSO ON THE TOPIC OF STORMS — “The formulas home insurance companies use to set rates in Florida may become more secretive,” reports Jason Garcia of Seeking Rents. “The hidden algorithms that home insurance companies use to set rates in Florida may become even more of a black box. It’s the result of an industry-written law that Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and the GOP-controlled Florida Legislature passed last year, despite concerns raised by the state’s top insurance regulator. The new law permits property insurers to combine multiple computer models when calculating the rates they want to charge Florida homeowners — a process known as ‘model blending.’” DRUG OVERDOSE TRAGEDIES — “US, Florida overdose fatalities fall but deaths still at ‘historical high,’” by Christopher O’Donnell of the Tampa Bay Times. “For the first time since 2018, the number of overdose deaths across the U.S. last year fell, with preliminary figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting roughly 107,000 deaths. Overdose deaths in Florida dropped by 8 percent the same year, the CDC data shows, but that still left the state’s death toll at more than 7,300.” AMONG ABOUT 30 OTHERS — “Florida becomes the latest state to allow high school athletes to profit from NIL deals,” reports The Associated Press. “Florida is the latest state to allow high school athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness. The Florida High School Athletic Association unanimously approved a measure Tuesday that allows students to earn money through NIL without putting their athletic eligibility at risk.” — “Anonymous Statewide Grand Jury targets Fauci, public health officials for causing overdoses during COVID-19 pandemic,” by Noreen Marcus of the Florida Bulldog.
| | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | ‘RECONSIDER’ — “Gov. Ron DeSantis received letters slamming Keith Pearson pick as St. Lucie County sheriff,” reports Melissa E. Holsman of Treasure Coast Newspapers. “When Gov. Ron DeSantis in December appointed Keith Pearson to be sheriff of St. Lucie County, local Republican leaders, shocked at the unexpected move, wrote to DeSantis imploring him to reverse the decision, according to records TCPalm obtained this week from the governor’s office. Of 31 letters written to DeSantis regarding Pearson’s appointment, none supported the move and 18 writers endorsed acting Port. St. Lucie Police Chief Richard Del Toro, who will face Pearson during the Aug. 20 GOP primary.” — “GOP consultant investigated by Miami-Dade State Attorney attacks her with text blasts,” reports the Miami Herald’s Ana Ceballos. — “City would spend $1.47 million on parking lots and drainage upkeep on top of stadium work,” reports David Bauerlein of the Jacksonville Florida Times-Union.
| | CAMPAIGN MODE | |
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Daryl Parks, the Tallahassee attorney and Democrat who is challenging Republican state Sen. Corey Simon, has raised more than $525,000 in the first two months of his campaign, according to numbers shared with Playbook.
Simon, a former NFL and Florida State University football standout, flipped the seat two years ago. But the seat — which stretches across North Florida — is still considered competitive and could wind up being one of the biggest battlegrounds of the 2024 elections. Parks, who once was the law partner of nationally-known attorney Ben Crump, jumped into the contest in early April and has raised more than a half-a-million dollars into both his campaign account and his political committee North Florida Families. His campaign said that since filing he has received over 1,300 donations in less than 60 days. “It’s empowering to see our community rally around this campaign in such a major way,” Parks said in a statement. Campaign finance records show that Simon has raised nearly $316,000 for his reelection campaign but he has nearly $614,000 to spend from his political committee. The next fundraising reports are due next week. – Gary Fineout ENDORSED — Ruth’s List, which backs women candidates who support abortion rights, has endorsed its first transgender candidate. Democrat Ashley Brundage is running for Florida House District 65 in Hillsborough County, and if she wins her race she’ll be the first transgender woman to be elected in Florida. Brundage is president and founder of Empowering Differences, a professional development consulting business.
|  Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., speaks at a news conference across the street from the Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in New York. | Stefan Jeremiah/AP Photo | DONALDS FACES BACKLASH OVER COMMENTS IN PHILLY — “Two of Donald Trump’s most prominent Black surrogates, Reps. Byron Donalds of Florida and Wesley Hunt of Texas, ventured into Philadelphia on Tuesday evening to make their pitch at an event billed as ‘Congress, Cognac and Cigars,’” reported POLITICO’s Brakkton Booker. “Between sips of Remy Martin and Hennessey and drags on Romeo Y Julieta cigars, the two Republicans tried to persuade the racially mixed, largely Black audience on why more Black voters would benefit from abandoning the Democratic Party.” … But the event drew outside backlash after Donalds “suggested that Black families were better off during an era of racial segregation in America than they are today under President Joe Biden.” … The quote: “‘During Jim Crow the Black family was together,’ Donalds said when he was making the case that Black voters are increasingly open to conservatism thanks to its emphasis on family values. ‘During Jim Crow, more Black people were — not just conservative, because Black people always have always been conservative-minded — but more Black people voted conservatively.’” … House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries blasted Donalds yesterday during remarks on the floor: “It has come to my attention that a so-called leader has made the factually inaccurate statement that Black folks were better off during Jim Crow … How dare you make such an ignorant observation? You better check yourself before you wreck yourself.” ENDORSED — Whitney Fox, a former local transportation official who’s vying to be the Democratic nominee to go up against GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna in FL-13, just got the endorsement of the National Organization for Women. Fox received the nod ahead of other women candidates in the race, including progressive Sabrina Bousbar and former businesswoman Liz Dahan. — “Florida Democrats say GOP is a threat to homeowners this hurricane season,” reports John Kennedy of USA Today Network — Florida. “ — “Marco Rubio thinks Rick Scott would do a ‘good job’ as GOP Leader,” reports Florida Politics’ A.G. Gancarski.
| | DATELINE D.C. | | VOTED ‘NO’ — Republican Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott of Florida both voted with most other Republicans against a Democratic-led bill to guarantee women the right to contraception. The legislation would override state restrictions on contraception methods, from the pill to emergency contraception and intrauterine devices. Scott led a letter with 21 GOP colleagues explaining their position, including accusations that it would override religious liberties and parents’ rights, and let schools provide birth control. “There is no threat to access to contraception, which is legal in every state and required by law to be offered at no cost by health insurers,” they said in a statement, “and it's disgusting that Democrats are fearmongering on this important issue to score cheap political points.” Asked by POLITICO’s Alice Ollstein about his objections, Rubio said: “A judge could basically force Catholic schools and others to violate their religious conscience. And I actually think it can be used by a judge at some point to mandate what they call gender change procedures.” … Senate Democratic candidate Debbie Mucarsel-Powell put Scott on blast over his vote. “Rick Scott proved once again that he couldn’t care less about Floridians’ freedoms and safety, and that’s exactly why they will fire him in November,” she said.
|  Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., arrives to speak before former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in support of the campaign of Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., at the Miami-Dade County Fair and Exposition on Nov. 6, 2022, in Miami. | Rebecca Blackwell, File/AP Photo | | SEVEN FIGURE BUY — Scott also released a new ad yesterday that will air on TV and online, that’s focused on his support for in vitro fertilization. In the ad, Scott calls it “ridiculous” that Democrats say Republicans “hate women, birth control, even IVF.” He also reveals in the ad that his youngest daughter is undergoing IVF treatments. JUST IN — Members of the Florida delegation, including GOP Reps. Carlos Giménez, Mario Díaz-Balart, María Elvira Salazar, as well as Democratic Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Jared Moskowitz, introduced the Secure Airports From Enemies (SAFE) Act after Cuban officials got a tour of Miami International Airport. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) introduced the Senate version. — “House Oversight Dems demand briefing on U.S.-to-Haiti gun trafficking,” by Axios’ Ivana Saric.
| | | | JOIN US ON 6/12 FOR A TALK ON THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY: As air travel soars again, policymakers and airlines are grappling with a series of contemporary challenges to the industry's future. Join POLITICO on June 12 for a topical and timely conversation with government leaders and aviation stakeholders about the state of the airline industry. From what passengers want to what airlines need amid the high demand for air traffic, workers and technology solutions. What can Washington do to ensure passengers and providers are equipped to fly right? REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | | FLORIDIAN ON SHORTLIST — “Trump's VP search accelerates,” by NBC News’ Henry J. Gomez, Matt Dixon, Jonathan Allen and Dasha Burns. “Vice presidential contenders recently received vetting materials, five sources familiar with the process told NBC News. Trump’s search, according to one source, is heavily concentrated on four top prospects [including] Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida." CAMPAIGN CASH — “Culverhouse donates $500,000 to Trump after what he called a politically motivated trial,” by Christian Casale of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. “Sarasota developer Hugh Culverhouse Jr. … a former assistant U.S. attorney and trial attorney, told the Herald-Tribune that while he is not a fan of Trump, or President Joe Biden, he wanted to take a stand against what he sees as using the justice system to orchestrate a partisan hit on the former president.” — “Trump OAS envoy: This isn't Latinos' first look at weaponized government,” by WLRN’s Tim Padgett.
| | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | BIRTHDAYS: Lt. Gov. Jeanette Núñez … former Rep. Allen Boyd … former state Sen. Paula Dockery … Cathy Schroeder, former deputy staff director for Florida Senate Democratic office. CORRECTION: Wednesday’s newsletter misstated how much the Human Rights Campaign is planning on spending this election cycle. It is $15 million. | | | | 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 | | | | |
