First Read for Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022

Good morning. It's National Fruitcake Day. There’s a Florida-themed recipe for that. 

FIRST UP 

Florida lawmakers in 2023 should not add more judgeships and should consider trimming some, the state Supreme Court said last week as it made its annual recommendations. The court said “we certify no need for additional county court, circuit court, or district court of appeal judgeships.” 

At the same time, it recommended eliminating a county-court judgeship in Brevard County and reducing the numbers of judges on the 1st District Court of Appeal and the 2nd District Court of Appeal. The recommendation came after lawmakers this year approved creating a 6th District Court of Appeal and revising the jurisdictions of the 1st, 2nd and 5th District Courts of Appeal. The changes will take effect Jan. 1. 

“Based on the workload analysis the (Supreme) Court conducted for this first certification since the creation of a Sixth District Court of Appeal, we have determined that there is an estimated excess capacity of one judgeship in the First District and three judgeships in the Second District,” the recommendation said. 

“To address this situation, this (Supreme) Court recommends that during the 2023 regular session the Legislature consider enacting legislation that provides for reduction in the number of statutorily authorized district court judgeships based on attrition and without requiring a judge to vacate his or her position involuntarily.” 

– The News Service of Florida

FROM CITY & STATE

* Is a ‘genderbread person’ too ‘woke’ for Florida? A federal lawsuit in Palm Beach County highlights the culture war issue of teaching gender to kids here and across the country.

* A divided appeals court backed the Florida Department of Management Services in a dispute about whether a union representing state workers engaged in unfair labor practices.

THIS MONTH’S MAGAZINE

The Florida Women Power 100

* Who are the most influential women in Florida politics and government? City & State Florida's Women Power 100 identifies the most important government officials, high-powered lobbyists, leaders of the worlds of business, nonprofits, strategic messaging and social justice in the arena of Sunshine State politics and policy.

 ▶ Read This Month's Issue

NEW THIS MORNING

* A federal judge refused to dismiss charges of lying to the FBI and wire fraud against former Democratic candidate for governor Andrew Gillum, also short-circuiting his contention he is a victim of selective prosecution, the News Service of Florida reports. 

* The U.S. House’s Jan. 6 committee released a transcript of an interview with Lakeland resident and Publix heiress Julia Fancelli, revealing new details of plans for the rally in Washington that preceded the storming of the U.S. Capitol, the Ledger of Lakeland reports. 

*A third case of a defendant who was arrested by an elections police unit created by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and a Republican-controlled Florida Legislature has been thrown out, the Washington Post reports.

* The Florida Supreme Court approved DeSantis’ request to convene a statewide grand jury to investigate “wrongdoings” associated with coronavirus vaccines, National Review reports. 

* At least 56% of Florida’s Latinos voted for DeSantis’  reelection, specifically 68% of Cubans and 53% of “other Hispanics” (Mexicans, Colombians, Venezuelans and more), EL PAÍS-USA Edition reports.

More news below …

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* Florida is once again the fastest growing state, according to a U.S. Census report, reclaiming the top spot for the first time in more than 60 years, Politico reports.

* Before the DeSantis administration’s flights to Martha’s Vineyard, migrants endured a harrowing odyssey, with one man telling his story of the hardships endured on the way to reach the United States, the Boston Globe reports. 

* Jacksonville City Council President Terrance Freeman said that when the calendar flips into 2023, he intends to bring the long-running debate over Confederate monuments on city-owned land to a decision by the council, the Florida Times-Union reports. 

* This sugar cane burning season is the first to be authorized in the face of scientific findings by Florida State University researchers that smoke from each burning season in the Glades harms people exposed to it, the Palm Beach Post reports. 

* Less than a month after the general election concluded, two parents who strongly support DeSantis’ education agenda announced their 2024 candidacies for posts in the Pasco school district, the Tampa Bay Times reports. 

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DESANTIS WATCH 

There were no events listed over the Christmas weekend on the governor’s official schedule.

2024 ROUNDUP

* Since announcing his third presidential campaign, Trump has barely set foot outside the perimeter of Mar-a-Lago; in fact, he has not left the state of Florida at all, New York Magazine reports. 

* The differences between former President Trump and Gov. DeSantis are coming into sharper focus as the two emerge as potential rivals in the 2024 presidential contest, The Hill reports. 

* DeSantis is often described as ‘Trump without the baggage,’ but there are plenty of differences between the two Republicans, and GOP insiders say how they play up their contrasts will decide who wins in 2024, Business Insider reports. 

* As DeSantis keeps looking stronger as a presidential candidate and Trump keeps looking weaker, attention increasingly is turning to how DeSantis handles his next few months in office, which could launch his run for the White House, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports.

ANALYSIS & OPINION 

* Florida Supreme Court Justice Renatha Francis got sweet revenge by helping torpedo a state lawmaker’s court challenge to appellate court judicial nominees, the Florida Bulldog reports. 

* The House Select Committee on the January 6th insurrection delivered impressive findings, detailing how former President Donald Trump was the “central cause” of the attack on Congress and the Capitol, the South Florida Sun Sentinel editorial board writes. 

* Despite the Legislature and the governor’s recent attempts to stabilize the property insurance industry in Florida, the simple fact remains that most seniors on fixed incomes find the rates unsustainable, Philip Wilcox writes for the Tallahassee Democrat. 

* Florida policymakers must address rising costs as business owners, their employees and their customers struggle with high inflation, and that includes the rising cost of health care coverage, Julio Fuentes writes for the Miami Herald. 

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: To Skylar Zander, state director of Americans for Prosperity-Florida.

ON THE MOVE: Dan Krassner, former executive director of Integrity Florida, was promoted to senior director for campaigns at Unite America.

CONGRATULATIONS: David Mica Jr. , executive vice president of public affairs at the Florida Hospital Association, marks two years at the job.

Have a birthday, career change, birth, death or life event to announce? Email us: editor@cityandstatefl.com. 

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YOUR MESSAGE HERE: City & State First Read is the must-read morning roundup of Florida politics and government. Reaching thousands of subscribers each morning, it's the most effective and targeted digital ad venue to get your message in front of city and state elected officials, agency and industry leaders, and the staff, advocates, media and operatives who drive the issues of the day – all by 7 a.m. each weekday. For advertising information, please email: advertising@cityandstatefl.com

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KICKER

“His understanding of the facts or at least his articulation of the facts are just wrong. … No one has either inappropriately or purposely either overstated or understated the vaccine in any way.”

– American Public Health Association Executive Director Georges Benjamin, on Gov. Ron DeSantis’ petition for a grand jury investigation into COVID-19 vaccines after decrying a vaccine “propaganda” campaign by the Biden administration.