First Read for Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023

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 …

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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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* 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.

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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.  

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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

“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.