| | | | |  | | By Kimberly Leonard and Kierra Frazier | |  People take pictures of the bus at a kickoff event for the "Reproductive Freedom Bus Tour" by the campaign of Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Gov. Tim Walz, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Boynton Beach, Fla. | Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo | | Good morning and welcome to Wednesday. Former President Donald Trump says Florida’s six-week abortion ban is too strict. But as a Florida resident, he also will vote “no” on a state ballot measure that would create far broader access to abortion, saying it’s too “radical.” That political bind is providing an opening for Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign and Florida Democrats. Yesterday, the campaign kicked off a “Reproductive Freedom” bus tour just 10 miles south of Palm Beach to drag Trump over the various positions he has taken on abortion and to blame him for the tapestry of restrictions now in effect across the U.S. The circumstances in Trump's adopted home state of Florida allow Democrats to badger the former president directly. After launching the tour at a ballroom in Boynton Beach, the Harris campaign drove its newly minted bus past Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club. Trump wasn’t home and isn’t in danger of losing Florida — underscored by the fact that neither Harris nor Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz appeared at the event — but by choosing Trump’s home turf as a backdrop, Democrats made it clear they were trolling over the issue for a national audience to see. The state party does also hope that having abortion rights as central to voting in November will have down-ballot benefits for them. “There’s going to be a surge of excitement here,” Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.) predicted. Key to Tuesday’s event was that Democrats want to make sure voters understand that Trump’s decisions while he was president made Florida’s laws possible. Gov. Ron DeSantis, who wanted to run to the right of Trump in the GOP presidential primary contest, signed the six-week limit into law as evidence that he was more committed to the anti-abortion cause than Trump was. And since this year, neither he nor the Republican Party of Florida have been hiding from the issue, urging voters to come out against the ballot measure. Trump, in contrast, called the six-week limit a “terrible mistake” roughly a year ago and said this weekend that “you need more time.” Frankel said she thought Trump sometimes distanced himself from the issue because tight restrictions have been shown to be a losing issue with voters, pointing to other state referendums on abortion that have passed (though typically by smaller margins than what will be required in Florida). “He sees the polls and it’s really common sense — who should decide when and whether to start and grow a family?” she said. Yet Trump made the six-week law possible by appointing the Supreme Court justices who tipped the scales in overturning Roe v. Wade, said Democratic Senate candidate Debbie Mucarsel-Powell. “Let’s stop giving this man credit for anything he says — look at his record,” she told Playbook in an interview from Boynton Beach. Trump isn’t only facing blowback from supporters of abortion rights. He also has to contend with anti-abortion advocates, who hold deeply-held beliefs about their mission and want to back a candidate they can trust on the issue. National Right to Life Committee president Carol Tobias acknowledged in a post to supporters over the weekend that “Trump has said some things we don’t want to hear” but insisted that he wasn’t “turning his back on the pro-life movement” and instead wanted to get elected. Tobias warned a Harris administration would expand on President Joe Biden’s record of “life-destroying actions.” As for the Trump campaign, it shrugged off the Florida event as a waste of money by the Harris campaign and predicted Trump would win the state easily. “Republican policies are what turned Florida red,” said spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, “and why it will continue to be a place Americans flock to for freedom.” Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget in the campaign reporting that Playbook should look at? Get in touch at: kleonard@politico.com.
|  | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | |  Florida state Rep. Anna Eskamani works in her office Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. | John Raoux/AP Photo | FALLOUT — “Eskamani wants park planning reforms amid backlash against DeSantis,” reports POLITICO’s Bruce Ritchie. “A prominent Democratic state lawmaker is pushing for the Legislature to intervene to prevent another last-minute bid to develop state parks, after a controversial proposal from Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration crumbled under intense public backlash late last month. State Rep. Anna Eskamani, a Democrat from Orlando, on Tuesday sent a letter with state Rep. Angie Nixon, a Jacksonville Democrat, to Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Shawn Hamilton asking for him to publicly release records about the proposals, which drew bipartisan criticism.” THE FIFTY — “Republicans pushing Christianity into public schools are hitting resistance — even in red states,” reports POLITICO’s Andrew Atterbury and Juan Perez Jr. “The clash of religion, politics and local control represents an unusual challenge for a spreading education policy model led by influential conservative leaders. And it’s sparking a legal fight over the separation of church and state that could end up before the conservative-controlled Supreme Court.” ‘I CAN’T TAKE THIS ANYMORE’ — “State parks whistleblower says he was fired, but had to 'stop the madness.' No regrets,” reports Palm Beach Post’s Kimberly Miller. “James Gaddis, 41, was a cartographer in the Office of Park Planning where he said he was personally tasked with drawing the plans to add amenities to nine state parks, including the three golf courses at Jonathan Dickinson State Park… The statewide public outcry against the proposed park additions forced Gov. Ron DeSantis and the DEP to withdraw all planned changes last week.” MORE REVENUE NEEDED — “Rising costs of care could strain funding for Florida program for brain-damaged kids,” reports Miami Herald’s Carol Marbin Miller. “And the Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Association now has a different problem: it’s spending considerably more than it brings in, and could run into financial trouble without an infusion of new cash… The assessments have not changed since NICA’s creation, though medical expenses – and, now, benefits as a whole – have increased dramatically. The program is taking in $36.8 million in assessments each year, but spending $72 million, Executive Director Melissa Jaacks said at the board meeting Thursday.” SAVING LIVES — “New funding coming to Florida to help keep women alive in childbirth,” reports South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Cindy Krischer Goodman. “Last week, the Biden administration announced it is focusing on maternal health in this election year and will provide $568 million in funding to states to make improvements. The U.S. has a growing maternal mortality crisis. Florida’s Association of Healthy Starts Coalition will receive $12.9 million to support the home visiting program it oversees in 35 counties.” SHORTFALL LOOMING — “Florida veterans’ nursing homes need $3.5 million more to cover expenses until 2025,” reports Jackie Llanos of the Florida Phoenix. “Lawmakers on the Florida Legislative Budget Commission are set to meet on Friday to consider the request from the [Florida Department of Veterans Affairs], which says it doesn’t have enough money to cover the nursing homes’ projected expenses until the next fiscal year opens next summer, according to a budget amendment. This year, the eight state-run nursing homes and an assisted living facility received $29.5 million to pay for contracted services and $4.3 million to buy food.” GUN REGS — “Florida: Appeals court should uphold gun age law,” reports Dara Kam of News Service of Florida. “Saying the restriction is ‘fully consistent’ with ‘historical tradition, lawyers for Florida are urging an Atlanta-based appeals court to uphold a law preventing people under age 21 from purchasing rifles and other long guns. The National Rifle Association filed a lawsuit challenging the age restriction shortly after then-Gov. Rick Scott and the Republican-controlled Legislature rushed to include it in a sweeping school-safety bill that passed after the February 2018 mass shooting at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.” HANDS TIED — “Florida lawmakers stay quiet as corporations buy thousands of homes,” reports Tampa Bay Times’ Rebecca Liebson and Teghan Simonton. “Under Gov. Ron DeSantis, the power to set housing policy has become increasingly concentrated at the state level. The passage of the Florida Landlord Tenant Act last year effectively nullified all county and city level renter protections. The Live Local Act, which provided incentives for developers to build affordable housing, also banned municipalities from enacting rent controls.” BANKROLLING EV CHARGERS — “Florida falls short on EV chargers. So why is state sitting on millions to install them?” by the Miami Herald’s Ashley Miznazi. “Industry experts fear Florida is at risk of lagging even farther behind — in part because of politics. The state has been sitting on nearly nearly $110 million in federal funds intended to install fast charges and it’s not yet clear if it will meet a fast-approaching deadline that would free up another $88 million.”
| | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | |  Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez attends a campaign event before the election in Caracas, Venezuela, June 13, 2024. | Ariana Cubillos/AP | ESCALATION AGAINST ELECTION LOSS — “Venezuela issues arrest warrant for ex-presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, who claimed to have won the vote,” reports CNN’s Mauricio Torres and Abel Alvarado. “The Venezuela Prosecutor’s Office requested the warrant Monday, accusing Gonzalez of ‘crimes associated with terrorism.’ Gonzalez has failed to respond to three summons regarding its investigation into an opposition website that posted results from the contested vote, it said.” VENEZUELA ELECTION FALLOUT — “US drafts sanctions against Venezuelans over disputed vote,” reports Bloomberg News. “The Treasury Department is close to announcing 15 individual sanctions on Maduro-affiliated officials who it claims ‘obstructed the holding of free and fair presidential elections,’ according to documents seen by Bloomberg. Additionally, the State Department plans to impose visa restrictions on 34 relatives of government officials.” HEADED TO COURT — “Once united in grief and pain, Parkland families and survivor prepare for clash over killer’s money,” reports South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Rafael Olmeda. “The gunman signed away the rights to his name so that no one can profit from publicity surrounding the incident without [former student Anthony] Borges getting a cut. As part of the deal, [Borges’ attorney Alex] Arreaza said Borges staked a claim to more than $400,000 in insurance money that was left when the defendant’s mother passed away in October 2017. David Brill, the lawyer representing multiple victims’ families in the civil case, said Cruz had no right to sign away his name or his finances to one plaintiff without consulting the others.”
| | ...HURRICANE HOLE... | | CALMING DOWN — “Here’s what the next two weeks of hurricane season should look like, according to experts,” by the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Bill Kearney. “Despite September being the traditional peak of hurricane season, experts at Colorado State University say the next two weeks are likely to be less active than normal.”
| | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | | INSIDE SENATE CAMPAIGNS — “Election 2024: Rick Scott, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell square off over US Senate seat,” reports USA Today Network — Florida’s Gray Rohrer. “At stake is a seat that could decide which party controls the chamber, with the power to approve or block appointments to the judicial branch and the next administration.” — “Voters weigh whether to end public campaign finance program,” reports Florida Politics’ Ryan Nicol. — “Florida Rep. Dr. Joel Rudman vows to introduce legislation to eliminate ghost candidates,” reports Tom McLaughlin of the Pensacola News Journal.
| | DATELINE D.C. | | ‘A GOOD START’ — “More Medicare Rx cost savings coming, but some question whether it’s enough,” reports Florida Politics’ Christine Jordan Sexton. “According to the federal government, more than 90,000 Floridians on Medicare were expected to save an average of $476. A new AARP report shows that an estimated 200,000 Floridians on Medicare prescription drug plans will see savings under the new $2,000 out-of-pocket cap that takes effect Jan. 1, 2025.” DEMANDING RECORDS — “Florida sues ICE, prisons bureau over records of officials’ emails regarding custody of immigrants,” reports Jackie Llanos of Florida Phoenix. “Attorney General Ashley Moody filed a lawsuit in federal court Tuesday, demanding that ICE and the Federal Bureau of Prisons turn over officials’ emails discussing decisions not to take custody of immigrants in federal prisons. The seven-page complaint filed in the Fort Myers division of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida alleges the agencies did not provide any of the information the state requested in March, violating the Freedom of Information Act.”
| | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | | ‘DON’T WANT ANY PART’ — “Inside the bitter personal battle between top FBI and DOJ officials over Mar-a-Lago,” reports NBC News’ David Rohde. “The DOJ and FBI officials were deadlocked over how to retrieve what were believed to be dozens of top-secret documents that Trump had taken from the White House to Mar-a-Lago and declined to return. The DOJ and FBI officials shared the same feeling about the case: dread. After the National Archives repeatedly requested that Trump return the documents, some officials assumed Trump would simply hand over the materials. When he didn’t, all of them saw no good options.”
| | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | ENGAGED — Madison Hardimon, D.C. chief of staff for Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.), and Rachel Stuckey, an associate at Hogan Lovells, got engaged on a sunset boat ride in Lisbon, Portugal, last week. They met in Georgetown in January 2022. Pic … Another pic BIRTHDAYS: Former State Rep. Evan Jenne … Pollster Ryan Tyson. | | | | 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 | | | | |
