Hello and welcome to Friday.
Go the distance — Well, that escalated quickly.
It’s a small world after all — The power struggle between one of Florida’s biggest employers and Gov. Ron DeSantis sounds far, far from over.
Poor unfortunate souls — Disney has been under fire from DeSantis for roughly a year now as part of an outgrowth over the state’s parental rights in education bill dubbed by critics as the “don’t say gay bill.” But the company then appeared to outflank the Republican governor by getting the outgoing board of the Reedy Creek Improvement District — which oversees thousands of acres in central Florida where Disney World is located — to approve a development agreement that stripped much of the power from a new board appointed by DeSantis.
Friend like me — It was a move that stunned the governor’s appointees as those inside the administration. Earlier this week DeSantis ordered an investigation by his chief inspector general into what happened. But DeSantis, during a back and forth with the president of Hillsdale College on Thursday evening, outlined several more far-reaching options. He said that the Legislature will likely act to void the agreement.
How far I’ll go — Then the governor went further: “But now that the Disney has reopened this issue we’re not just going to void the development agreement they tried to do. We’re going to look at things, like taxes on the hotels, we’re going to look at things like tolls on the roads, we’re going to look at things like developing some of the property that the district owns.”
Be our guest — He ended with this vow: “They are not superior to the people of Florida. So come hell or high water we’re going to make sure that policy of Florida carries the day. And so they can keep trying to do things. But ultimately we’re going to win on every single issue involving Disney I can tell you that.”
Circle of life — Will the governor actually carry out some of these ideas and actually impose new taxes and tolls on Disney — which would likely be passed onto tourists and visitors. Time will tell. But DeSantis has made his dustup with Disney a part of his political calculus and even dedicated an entire chapter of it in his book. The disclosure that Disney had moved to counteract the likely presidential contender undercut that narrative (and let to criticism from supporters of former President Donald Trump.) Translation: He won’t let it go.
— WHERE’S RON? — Nothing official scheduled for Gov. DeSantis.
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A WHOLE NEW WORLD — ‘Buckle up’: DeSantis escalates Disney dispute, eyes hotel taxes and road tolls, by POLITICO’s Gary Fineout: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday promised a new round of action against Disney in his ongoing dispute with the entertainment giant, including looking at the taxes on Disney’s hotels and imposing tolls on roads that serve its theme parks. The DeSantis administration is also examining if a recent agreement approved between a Central Florida board that had been controlled by Disney and the company runs afoul of the state’s growth laws, according to senior administration officials. One of those laws explicitly states that development agreements must be modified or revoked to comply with laws even if the law is passed after the agreement was executed.
THE PLAN — “Ron DeSantis’ long-haul strategy against Trump comes into view,” by NBC News’ Henry J. Gomez and Matt Dixon: “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ team is already plotting out a strategy to run against Donald Trump for the long haul. The plan focuses less on making a quick splash in places like Iowa or New Hampshire and more on outlasting the former president in a battle for Republican convention delegates. Even though it’s early and DeSantis isn’t officially a candidate yet, in talks behind the scenes, an expanded map is viewed as one of the keys to victory, three sources close to the governor said. ‘There have been multiple conversations about delegates and how they are picked in various states across the country,’ a DeSantis adviser said.”
BEEHIVE STATE — “Poll: Utah voters like DeSantis as ’24 GOP nominee,” by Deseret News Samuel Benson: “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is the early favorite to win the Republican Party presidential nomination among Utah voters, a new poll finds. A Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll of 801 registered voters suggests that if the presidential primary were held now, 21% would vote for DeSantis and 16% would support former President Donald Trump. The only other candidate in double digits was former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, with 12%.”
TEST TRACK — “Ron DeSantis, eyeing presidency, tests campaign message in Michigan,” by MLive’s Ben Orner: “It may have sounded like a presidential campaign speech, but Ron DeSantis is only the governor of Florida. For now. The rising Republican star received thunderous applause and a standing ovation after speaking for nearly an hour Thursday to a crowd of more than 600 that included a who’s-who of Michigan conservative politics. ‘Our bottom line is we do not surrender to the woke mob,’ DeSantis said as keynote speaker for the Midland County GOP’s annual spring fundraiser.”
FAMILIAR FOE — “‘Total and complete disaster’: DeSantis takes rhetorical aim at Fed Chairman Powell,” by McClatchy D.C.’s Alex Roarty: “Ron DeSantis has found a new rhetorical target as he prepares for a potential presidential bid: Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. In press conferences and speeches across the country, Florida’s Republican governor has begun to single out Powell — often by name — for criticism, arguing he has wreaked havoc on the economy and shown favoritism to wealthy investors. ‘This Fed chairman has been a total and complete disaster,’ DeSantis said last week in suburban Atlanta, speaking as part of a nationwide book tour. ‘And you are paying for it, and people all across this country are paying for it.’”
— “Division of Emergency Management seeking contractors for DeSantis’ migrant relocation program,” by USA Today Network-Florida’s Douglas Soule
— “Anxiety among professors as DeSantis pushes ‘conservative firebrand’ for FAU president,” by WLRN’s Kate Payne
‘OVERREACH’— “Biden’s proposal on transgender athletes clashes with DeSantis’ rules for Florida,” by Miami Herald’s Ana Ceballos: “A Biden administration proposal that would set new regulations for transgender athlete eligibility in school sports is likely to brush up against a Florida law that bars transgender girls and women from participating in female scholastic sports.”
Response — “Education Commissioner Manny Diaz, a Hialeah Republican, called the proposed Title IX rule changes an ‘overreach.’ ‘This is a sad, pathetic attempt from a completely inept administration to force their woke worldview on the rest of us. Since Joe Biden can’t get Congress or the Supreme Court to rubber-stamp his radical gender ideology, he’s resorted to bullying America’s students through the federal bureaucracy. Good luck – this won’t fly in Florida,’ Diaz said in a statement Thursday. Diaz added that the state will ‘never allow boys to play in girls’ sports.’”
YES HE CAN — Can Trump run for president from prison? Yes, and it’s been done before, by POLITICO’s Josh Gerstein: There are no legal obstacles to running for president as a convicted felon or even from behind bars. And if Trump finds himself in that predicament, he’ll be following in the footsteps of another rabble-rousing populist and frequent presidential candidate: the avowed socialist Eugene V. Debs, who received nearly a million votes while in prison a century ago. Debs is far from the only person who has sought the highest office in the land while in prison, but he was the most successful. In 1920, he became the Socialist Party nominee while serving a 10-year federal sentence for urging people to resist the World War I draft.
THIRD HOUSE MEMBER FROM FLA — “Stunning endorsement: DeSantis ally Rep. Byron Donalds backs Trump for president in 2024,” by Insider’s Kimberly Leonard: Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, a close ally to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, has endorsed Donald Trump for president in 2024. ‘There is only one leader at this time in our nation’s history who can seize this moment and deliver what we need — to get us back on track, provide strength and resolve, and Make America Great Again,’ the conservative Florida congressman said in a statement scooped by ABC News.
— “Dilemma for judge in Trump case: Whether to muzzle the former president,” by New York Times’ Jonah E. Bromwich, William K. Rashbaum and Kate Christobek
— “Miami Mayor Francis Suarez skeptical of Trump indictment, calling it ‘slippery slope,’” by Miami Herald’s Joey Flechas
— “Waiting for Trump to face justice, they’re cautiously not optimistic,” by Washington Post’s Marc Fisher and Karen Alexander
— “Jack Nicklaus has not ruled out supporting Donald Trump once again in 2024 presidential race,” by Palm Beach Post’s Tom D’Angelo
MOVING AHEAD — Florida lawmakers, and DeSantis, charge ahead on 6-week abortion ban, by POLITICO’s Gary Fineout: Abortion rights supporters may be cheering this week’s victory in Wisconsin, but Ron DeSantis didn’t get the memo. Here in Florida, he and GOP lawmakers are still pushing — as early as next week — to approve a far-reaching ban on most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. Florida House Speaker Paul Renner is even trying to sell the legislative proposal as a “compromise” because there are some Republicans who want an all-out ban. “When a child has a heartbeat, I think that’s when people say, ‘wait a minute, this is something different,’” Renner said Tuesday, noting he believes life begins at conception.
‘WE’RE IN THE BUSINESS OF HELPING PEOPLE’ — “Religious leaders fear Florida bill could make it a crime to take immigrants to church,” by Orlando Sentinel’s Skyler Swisher and Desiree Stennett: “Some Florida church leaders fear a proposed crackdown championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis could criminalize giving immigrants without legal status rides to services, Sunday school or doctor’s appointments. State lawmakers are considering a sweeping immigration package that would make ‘willfully and knowingly’ concealing or transporting a person who is in the country illegally a felony crime punishable by up to five years in prison.”
‘SUPPORTIVE OF THE CONCEPT’ — “Are pride celebrations the Florida Legislature’s next target?” by USA Today Network-Florida’s Kathryn Varn: “While [Sen. Clay] Yarborough said he wasn’t targeting specific events with the bill or amendment, the sponsor of the bill’s companion in the Florida House of Representatives was more explicit. ‘I’ve never been to a Pride parade. It’s not my thing, not my group,’ Rep. Randy Fine, R-Palm Bay, said in an interview. ‘But I have seen photos and videos from these things where you see participants behaving in ways that would not be appropriate in front of his bill.’”
— “Superseding indictment could be coming in Andrew Gillum public corruption case,” by Tallahassee Democrat’s Jeff Burlew
— “Senate opioid settlement fund plan mostly aligns with Gov. DeSantis, House focuses on treatment,” by Florida Politics’ Gray Rohrer
— “Florida Supreme Court refuses to block execution,” by News Service of Florida’s Jim Saunders
THANKS, BUT — Why Gavin Newsom may give red state Democrats the blues, by POLITICO’s Lara Korte and Jeremy B. White: Florida Democrats echo that view. State Party Chair Nikki Fried said she’d welcome extra resources “to highlight the failures of Ron DeSantis,” but there are limits. She also said Newsom’s favorite California-versus-Florida framing, which resonates with some West Coast liberals, would backfire in DeSantis’ backyard. ‘What would not be helpful is a comparison between the two states,’ Fried said. ‘Florida is very different from California.’”
TO COURT — “Pot doctor sues Florida after being cleared in undercover investigation,” by News Service of Florida’s Dara Kam: “A medical-marijuana doctor cleared of wrongdoing after an undercover probe is seeking unspecified damages from the Florida Department of Health and two investigators who posed as patients. A lawsuit filed this week is the latest twist in a years-long legal battle between physician Joseph Dorn and state health officials, who sought to strip him of his medical license, permanently ban him from ordering medical marijuana and impose a $10,000 fine.”
SARGASSAM — “As swath of seaweed heads toward Florida, it grows even larger in the Atlantic,” by South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Bill Kearney: “The massive swath of seaweed that is blooming along the equator in the Atlantic and heading toward Florida, was the largest ever recorded for the month of March, according to researchers at the University of South Florida. They estimated in their monthly report that the floating layer of seaweed, also known as the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt, weighs some 13 million tons, and stretches nearly twice as wide as the U.S.”
— “St. Petersburg leaders vote against giving $50K to abortion fund for travel expenses,” by WFLA’s Katlyn Brieskorn and Brittany Muller
— “Rebekah Jones’ son arrested in Florida after allegedly threatening to shoot up school, stab students,” by Pensacola News Journal’s Brandon Girod
— “‘Gut-wrenching’: 2 married couples from Indiana identified in fatal Venice plane crash,” by Sarasota Herald-Tribune’s Melissa Pérez-Carrillo
— “Lolita’s former trainers fight against the orca’s release to home waters. They fear it’ll end in tragedy,” by South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Bill Kearney: “Though it may look like Lolita the orca’s life will have a fairytale ending of freedom, a group of her former trainers have come out against the idea of releasing her in the wilds of Puget Sound, where she was captured in 1970. Lolita, the 57-year-old orca, has lived for more than 50 years in cramped quarters at the Miami Seaquarium, where she would perform live shows daily. She was deemed officially retired last year.”
BIRTHDAYS: Former State Sen. Annette Taddeo … Journalist and author Sydney P. Freedberg … Chris Turner, AARP associate state director for outreach
(Saturday) – Former Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater …. Elizabeth Eggert Lovell, former associate vice president for university relations at Florida State University …
(Sunday) – MSNBC host and former Rep. Joe Scarborough … Erik Kirk, senior vice president with Poole McKinley … Florida Phoenix’s Michael Moline
