First Read for Monday, Feb. 6, 2023

Good morning. It’s National Frozen Yogurt Day. Here’s a recipe combining the frosty treat with Florida’s official state pie, the Key lime pie.

FIRST UP

The “Joyful Warriors” are heading to Philly. In a Sunday night email, Moms for Liberty – the Florida-based parental rights organization – announced their second annual national summit would be held in Philadelphia this June 29-July 2. This year’s theme is “Rocking the Cradle of Liberty.” 

The summit will include 18 “strategy sessions” and seven general sessions with keynote speakers, the email said. “If you are feeling tired, overwhelmed, and wore out from this fight, this is the place for you! You will leave edified, empowered and equipped with the tools you need.”

Its first “Joyful Warriors National Summit” was held last July at the Tampa Marriott Water Street, where Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke for nearly an hour and received a ceremonial “liberty sword.” The nonprofit claims over 100,000 members nationwide.

The group formed partly in response to mask mandates and public school lockdowns during the coronavirus pandemic. Since then, it’s gotten involved in reviewing school books and defending against social and emotional learning and the classroom teaching of LGBTQ issues, for example. 

– Jim Rosica

FROM CITY & STATE

* AP OUTRAGE: Black leaders in South Florida are joining others around the state who are irate over the DeSantis administration’s handling of an Advanced Placement (AP) African American studies course that state officials said was inappropriately politicized. 

* POT PERMITS: Florida health officials will accept applications for 22 medical-marijuana licenses in late April, in a long-awaited move announced by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration.

THIS MORNING’S NEWS

* Florida lawmakers will start a two-week special legislative session today that, among other things, is expected to lead to state control over Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District, the News Service of Florida reports. 

* When state investigators delved into the finances of several entities tied to Florida’s 2020 “ghost” candidate scandal, they unearthed major cash contributions from some of the state’s biggest business interests, the Orlando Sentinel reports. 

* The Florida High School Athletic Association’s board of directors could make the decision to move forward with its proposal to require female students to disclose their menstruation history, the Miami Herald reports.

* The 25 days after DeSantis’ New College of Florida appointments are among the most momentous in the college’s 63-year history, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports.

* Republican former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley – who resigned from office amid scandal in 2006 – is still funding GOP election efforts and charities in the Sunshine State using his surplus campaign cash, Raw Story reports. 

More news below …

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* Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Carlos Muniz told a Federalist Society panel that the court is in a unique, and arguably better position, than others because of a “supermajority” of justices who have similar judicial philosophies, Florida Politics reports. 

* The Plaza Live, an Orlando event venue that came under state scrutiny for hosting an all-age drag queen performance in December, could lose its ability to sell alcohol, the Orlando Sentinel reports. 

* Several local Democratic Party officials say they’re not happy with their choices in the race for state party chair, while local Republicans say they’d be satisfied with either candidate in the race for their party’s state chair, the Tampa Bay Times reports. 

* Days after a member of Miami-Dade County’s Black Affairs board called Gov. Ron DeSantis “racist,” the leader of that volunteer panel apologized for the comment and said it did not reflect consensus, the Miami Herald reports. 

* People want to move to Florida's more affordable smaller towns, which some brokers predict will be more popular than cities like Miami this year, Business Insider reports.

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DESANTIS WATCH  

On Friday, the governor met with state Solicitor General Henry Whitaker and Deputy Solicitor General Dan Bell, Legislative & Intergovernmental Affairs Director Stephanie Kopelousos, General Counsel Ryan Newman, Communications Director Taryn Fenske, Deputy Chief of Staff Alex Kelly, Chief of Staff James Uthmeier and Appointments Director Chelsea Aaron, his official schedule shows. On Saturday, he met with Uthmeier, and on Sunday he had no scheduled events.

2024 ROUNDUP

* DeSantis may be months away from publicly declaring his presidential intentions, but his potential rivals aren’t holding back from attacking him, the Associated Press reports. 

* Democrats are unfazed, even giddy about a possible 2024 rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, but the prospect of facing DeSantis is prompting whispers of angst within Democratic circles, Bloomberg reports. 

* A new poll shows a majority of Democrats said the party should nominate someone other than President Biden for the White House in 2024, the National Review reports. 

* The network of donors and activist groups led by conservative billionaire Charles Koch will oppose Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination, mounting a direct challenge to the former president’s campaign, the Washington Post reports. 

* Trump and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie sparred online Sunday after Christie predicted that Trump couldn’t beat Biden if they run against each other in 2024, the Hill reports. 

ANALYSIS & OPINION 

* City officials and businesses must work together on the right plan to curb violence in downtown Orlando, the Orlando Sentinel editorial board writes. 

* Florida may be a red state, but that didn’t stop 3.2 million people from signing up for Obamacare, the Miami Herald editorial board reports.

* The intervention we need is not a revised AP African American studies course, but significant and systemic changes to how our youth learn and to the support they receive, the Urban League’s Glenton Gilzean Jr. writes in the Orlando Sentinel. 

* The New College of Florida takeover is a chilling and ominous tale to promote the aims defined by one person’s political agenda, Gordon Michalson writes in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: To Leon County Supervisor of Elections Mark Earley … to former state representative & now 5th District Court of Appeal Judge Eric Eisnaugle … to Tampa attorney and former political candidate Michael Steinberg … to state Sen. Clay Yarborough.

Belated wishes to Instacart’s Natalia Montalvo, formerly of Uber Florida, who celebrated Sunday. 

ON THE MOVE: Christopher Cann has departed the Tallahassee Democrat as its “trending topics and mobile moments” reporter to cover breaking news for the Orlando Sentinel. 

Heather Johnson has joined RB Oppenheim Associates as its chief experience officer.  

CONGRATULATIONS: Gary Fineout marks four years at Politico Florida.

Herbie Thiele, partner & director of public affairs at Sachs Media Group, marks 14 years at the agency. 

HAPPENING TODAY: House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell will hold an online media availability with other members of the House Democratic Caucus on the first day of the special session. That’s at 10 a.m., to be broadcast on The Florida Channel. 

Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book also will hold a media availability, along with members of the Senate Democratic Caucus leadership team. That’s at 11:15 a.m., Senate Democratic Office conference room, 228 Senate Office Building, Tallahassee, and also to be broadcast on The Florida Channel. 

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

“They’re a lot of nice people who will probably be as ineffective as the past chairman.”

– Hernando County Democratic Party chair Brian Stewart, via the Tampa Bay Times, on how unenthused he is with the candidates for Florida Democratic Party chair.