First Read for Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023

The must-read morning roundup of Florida politics and government.

Good morning. It’s Gun Appreciation Day. About 35% of adults in Florida live in homes with guns, according to CBS News.

FIRST UP

Soon after seeking information on “campus activities related to diversity, equity and inclusion and critical race theory,” Gov. Ron DeSantis now wants details from the state’s public universities on services they provide “to persons suffering from gender dysphoria.” A memo was sent last Wednesday from Chris Spencer, director of policy and budget, to the chairs of the boards of trustees for Florida’s 12 universities. 

An attachment suggests that the latest inquiry is aimed at universities connected to teaching hospitals: Spencer asks for information on surgical procedures, such as breast removals and the creation of a vagina or penis, for instance. He also seeks data on “the number of individuals prescribed puberty blockers (and) hormones.”

Spencer said the universities should make sure there’s no “personally identifiable information or protected health information” in their responses, due by Feb. 10. But he wants that information “for all individuals, including those who were under 18 at the time of any encounter or treatment.” If a university "does not provide any such services, please notify our Education Unit via email,” he added. 

Former state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, an Orlando Democrat and LGBTQ+ advocate, responded on Twitter Wednesday that DeSantis was trying to “intimidate (the schools) out of supporting trans students and shutting down research related to gender-affirming care without passing a single law.”

– Jim Rosica

FROM CITY & STATE 

* MAYORS & MIGRANTS: Miami’s Francis Suarez and other U.S. mayors are in Washington, D.C., this week, working on a plan to push the Biden administration to further help cities deal with the nation’s refugee crisis

* WATCHING THE ‘WOKE’: Some Florida universities are spending millions of dollars on programs and other expenses related to diversity, equity and inclusion — as Gov. Ron DeSantis and his administration target “trendy ideology” on campuses.

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

* Vice President Kamala Harris is planning a speech in Florida on Sunday, the 50th anniversary of the now-overturned Roe v. Wade decision, to argue against increasing restrictions on abortions, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

* U.S. Rep. Greg Steube was hospitalized after a 25-foot fall from the roof of his home in Sarasota while he was doing what was described as “routine home maintenance,” Florida Politics reports

* A federal judge rejected the DeSantis’ administration request to conduct “mental examinations” on two 12-year-olds, plaintiffs in a challenge over prohibiting Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care for transgender people, the News Service of Florida reports.

* Miami authorities arrested the majority owner and founder of a global cryptocurrency exchange after he allegedly helped process what the the Justice Department charged as over $700 million in illicit funds, Politico Florida reports

* Florida’s school librarians face new scrutiny and even the threat of criminal prosecution under a new state rule that urges them to “err on the side of caution” when selecting books, the Orlando Sentinel reports

More news below …

************

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

***********

* DeSantis announced Volusia County will get the largest slice of a $100 million pie for beach erosion projects in the wake of Tropical Storm Nicole in November, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports

* Jacksonville’s city council is poised to make it illegal to project images onto buildings without consent after groups used high-powered projectors to display jumbo-sized antisemitic signs on walls in Jacksonville and other cities, the Florida Times-Union reports

* Northwest Florida's only abortion clinic has closed permanently after reaching a settlement in a licensing dispute with the state’s Agency for Health Care Administration, the Pensacola News-Journal reports

* In a rare move, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor used her veto power, sending five proposed changes to the city charter back to City Council, the Tampa Bay Times reports.

* North Miami Beach Mayor Anthony DeFillipo denies that he moved into a newly purchased home in Broward County, but the accusations are causing gridlock and uncertainty at North Miami Beach City Hall, the Miami Herald reports.

************

Become a subscriber to News Service of Florida today for breaking news alerts straight from the Capitol. Join fellow professionals and civic leaders and get instant access to the News Service of Florida’s essential reporting on government, policy and politics in the Sunshine State. Request a 10-Day Trial

************

DESANTIS WATCH 

The governor on Wednesday met with General Counsel Ryan Newman and Assistant General Counsels Meredith Pardo and Sam Elliott, attended a State Board of Executive Clemency meeting, held a press conference on beach erosion projects in Daytona Beach Shores, and was set to appear on Fox News with Tucker Carlson, his official schedule shows. 

2024 ROUNDUP

* A new poll shows former President Donald Trump holds a 17-point lead over Gov. DeSantis in a hypothetical GOP primary match-up, the Hill reports.

* Trump is lashing out at religious conservatives who have declined to endorse his third presidential campaign, CNN reports.

* As he mounts a comeback bid for the White House, Trump is preparing for his return to Facebook and Twitter, NBC News reports

ANALYSIS & OPINION 

* Here’s one prediction about the upcoming race to replace Ken Russell on the Miami City Commission: it will be fast and furious, the Miami Herald editorial board writes

* Since taking office, DeSantis has made a name for himself as America’s ‘Everglades Governor,’ Anna Upton writes in the South Florida Sun Sentinel

* Powerful corporations are also to blame for supporting DeSantis’ anti-LGBTQ+ agenda, Andrea Montanez writes in the Orlando Sentinel.

* Even a cursory read through recent studies linking natural-gas appliances to health hazards would uncover fundamental if not disqualifying flaws, Steve Everley writes in the National Review

ANNOUNCEMENTS

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: To Dan Holler, deputy chief of staff for Sen. Marco Rubio … to Curtis Morgan, editor for “environment, climate, hurricanes, courts, cops, crime” at the Miami Herald … to former state Rep. Jayer Willamson.  

CONGRATULATIONS: Vickie Chachere marks her first year as executive editor of Florida Trend. 

Ron Greenstein, managing director of Florida at Park&K Public Affairs, marks three years at the agency. 

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

************

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

************

KICKER

“When it comes to the Democratic side, there pretty much is no (Florida) Democratic Party at this point.”

– Democratic state Rep. Anna Eskamani of Orlando, via the Orlando Sentinel, on the state of the party.

X
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Learn More / Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Accept Cookies
X
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All Cookies

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link

If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.

Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.

If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.

Save Settings
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Functional Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Performance Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Social Media Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Targeting Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.