Legislative Update - January 8, 2022

It’s the calm before the storm … we mean session.  Legislators are returning to Tallahassee over the weekend to get ready for session.  The Florida Senate and Florida House of Representatives will convene for the Opening Day of the 2022 Regular Session of the Florida Legislature on Tuesday, January 11, 2022.  The Senate is set to begin at 9:30 am and the House session will begin at 10 am.  At 11 am, there will be a joint session where Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to give remarks.

Currently there are no COVID-19 protocols in place and the Capitol will be open to the public.  Last session, the public did not have access to the Senate and there was limited access to House committee meetings.

There is a flurry of last-minute fundraisers scheduled on Monday as a last-ditch effort to collect campaign contributions prior to session.  Legislators are not allowed to receive campaign contributions during the 60-day session.  Contributions are limited to $1,000 to a candidate but every legislator has a Political Action Committee (PAC) that has no limit on the amount they can receive.  And we are seeing some legislators who are term-limited and cannot run for re-election opening PACs and collecting contributions.

The deadline for legislators to file proposed legislation is prior to session beginning.  Over 3,000 bills have already been filed.  Senate committee meetings will begin reviewing several of them on Monday. 

In the House, there were some changes to committees.  Rep. Evan Jenne was replaced on several committees by fellow Democratic members.  Jenne was Co-Leader of the House Democrats but with the departure of Rep. Bobby DuBose, he takes over all the duties of the Democratic Leader.

According to News Service of Florida, the top issues for the session include abortion, budget, critical race theory, education, elections, health care – COVID 19, immigration, insurance, school boards, and taxes.  However, legislators may have a different list that includes redistricting, elections, and budget.

“DeSantis taps Melanie Griffin as DBPR Secretary” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — DeSantis appointed Melanie Griffin as Secretary of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. A Tampa-native and lawyer, Griffin replaces outgoing Secretary Julie Brown. DeSantis appointed Brown to the position in February. She’ll serve next as the new Chair of the Florida Gaming Control Commission. Brown said she and Griffin will work closely over the next several weeks to ensure a “seamless transition” of leadership. Griffin is a lawyer with Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick. She is also a senior adviser for business-to-business relationships for Shumaker Advisors Florida and the founder of Spread Your Sunshine.

“Is 2022 the year for workers’ comp changes? Jimmy Patronis’ office says, ‘YES!’” via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics — Patronis‘ office will push for several changes to workers’ compensation during the 2022 Legislative Session. Appearing at the Florida Workers’ Compensation Institute annual meeting in Orlando last week, the group’s assistant director, Andrew Sabolic, outlined key components of the reforms his division will advocate, including eliminating a requirement that the Florida Legislature approve certain workers’ compensation reimbursement rates. The presentation also shows the department wants to reduce penalties for businesses that are first-time offenders of the state’s workers’ compensation laws. The division wants to provide those businesses with the ability to lower their penalties by 15% if they watch an online tutorial on workers’ compensation coverage and compliance and correctly answer 80% of the questions.

In numbers that indicate the omicron variant of the coronavirus is not causing major job losses, Florida had an estimated 4,046 initial unemployment claims during the week that ended Jan. 1, according to data released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Labor. That total was down from a revised count of 4,244 claims during the week that ended Dec. 25. The federal agency estimated 207,000 first-time claims were filed nationally last week, an increase of 7,000 from the week ending Dec. 25. 

“Ron DeSantis claims critics of his December schedule aren’t ‘shooting straight’” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — DeSantis spoke about his abbreviated December public schedule, blasting his “enemies” for criticizing him for not speaking up as COVID-19 surged in the state last month. “When you’re in the political arena, sometimes you’re fortunate with the enemies you have. Because these people just aren’t shooting straight,” DeSantis said at a news conference Monday, responding to critics who suggested the Governor was on vacation when he was, in fact, by his wife’s side during breast cancer treatments. DeSantis said the latest attacks were “dumb” and “not effective,” wrapping up seemingly extemporaneous remarks in which he responded to people wondering why he wasn’t doing COVID-19 news conferences as omicron surged last month.

“DeSantis is ‘blurring the lines’ using state plane for campaign-style events, watchdog says” via Steven Lemongello of the Orlando Sentinel — DeSantis flies to events all over Florida in the state plane, which cost more than $15 million to buy and $3 million-plus a year to operate. But some of the official appearances his office promotes as news conferences have resembled campaign rallies, filled with Palm Beach International Airport supporters and political chants. And many of those have been paired with DeSantis campaign emails, including some selling merchandise emblazoned with a slogan such as “Don’t Tread on Florida” that appeared prominently at an event that same day. A Florida watchdog criticized the practice as increasingly flouting the spirit of the law that separates official duties from campaigning. “There doesn’t appear to be a border in this case,” said Ben Wilcox, research director of the nonprofit, nonpartisan group Integrity Florida.

Session …

10 big issues to watch in Florida's 2022 session - Jim Saunders | News Service of Florida | 1/5/2022

With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing and fall elections looming, Florida lawmakers will start the annual 60-day legislative session Tuesday.

Here are 10 big issues to watch during the session:

— ABORTION: As the nation waits to see if the U.S. Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade, Florida Republican lawmakers could consider placing additional restrictions on abortions. Details of potential restrictions remain unclear, though GOP leaders have not signaled support for a proposal that would mirror a controversial Texas abortion law.

— BUDGET: Gov. Ron DeSantis has proposed a $99.7 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year that includes funneling money to education, the environment and pay for law-enforcement officers. Florida is flush with cash because of a huge influx of federal COVID-19 stimulus money and higher-than-expected state tax collections as the economy has recovered.

— CRITICAL RACE THEORY: Appealing to his Republican base, DeSantis wants to cement in law a prohibition on teaching critical race theory in Florida classrooms. The State Board of Education approved such a rule in June, as the GOP nationally takes aim at critical race theory, which involves a premise that racism is embedded in American institutions.

— EDUCATION: Lawmakers will consider a DeSantis proposal to revamp the school-accountability system, moving toward what is known as progress monitoring. The Republican-controlled Legislature also could continue years of efforts to expand school choice and will weigh a DeSantis proposal to give bonuses to public-school teachers and principals.

— ELECTIONS: After lawmakers passed a controversial elections bill in April that included placing restrictions on voting by mail, DeSantis wants additional steps, such as creating a state office that would investigate election-related crimes. DeSantis also has called for increasing criminal penalties for a practice dubbed ballot “harvesting.”

— HEALTH CARE AND COVID-19: The COVID-19 pandemic continues to dominate health care, and lawmakers will consider extending pandemic-related legal protections for hospitals, nursing homes and other providers. DeSantis also proposed increased Medicaid funding that supporters say could help with staffing problems at nursing homes.

— IMMIGRATION: DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody have criticized the Biden administration for months about border policies, and DeSantis wants lawmakers to take up a series of immigration issues. DeSantis has called for expanding a law targeting so-called “sanctuary cities” and bolstering use of the E-Verify system to check workers’ immigration status.

— INSURANCE: With private insurers dropping policies and customers flooding into the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp., lawmakers will again consider making changes to the property-insurance system. Lawmakers in recent years have tried to address issues such as curbing litigation over insurance claims, but problems persist in the industry.

— SCHOOL BOARDS: Republican lawmakers could take aim at county school boards after upheaval about issues such as student mask requirements during the pandemic. Legislative proposals include shifting from nonpartisan to partisan school-board elections and setting requirements for school boards to take public comments during meetings.

— TAXES: Buoyed by federal stimulus money, DeSantis has proposed suspending state gasoline taxes for five months, starting July 1. The governor would use $1 billion in stimulus money to make up for lost gas-tax revenues, which go toward funding transportation projects. Lawmakers also will consider a series of sales-tax “holidays.”

“Florida's election-year Legislative Session set to start” via John Kennedy of the USA Today Network-Florida — Florida lawmakers open Session Tuesday ready to spend from a state treasury brimming with budget cash while advancing a host of ideas heavily shaded by election-year politics. DeSantis has laid out an agenda that sprinkles pay raises across teachers, first responders and state employees — using a bounty of state cash enhanced by $3.4 billion from the American Rescue Plan, COVID-19 relief handed down to states by President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats. But DeSantis also will bite the hand that helps feed Florida’s cash flow. Under the Governor, the state sued the White House four times, over immigration and vaccine policies, even as the $1,000 pay raises for teachers and first responders he’s proposing are financed by those Biden bucks.

“Central Florida lawmakers say redistricting, budget and gathering in Tallahassee safely are key Session issues” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics

“Lawmakers asked to wake up and look at anesthesia laws during upcoming Session” via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics — Health care provider groups want lawmakers to examine how anesthesia and other pain-numbing services are delivered to hospitalized Florida patients. Three different types of health care providers are authorized to administer anesthesia in Florida: anesthesiologist assistants, certified registered nurse anesthetists and anesthesiologists. They all have different roles and educational and training backgrounds, but they all have their eyes on bills filed in the Florida House and Senate for consideration in the Legislative Session that begins Jan. 11, 2022. SB 1336 by Sen. Dennis Baxley modernizes laws regarding the regulation of anesthesiologist assistants. Created in statute with the support of the Florida Medical Organization 19 years ago, AAs are considered physician extenders and must work under the direct supervision of anesthesiologists.

“Legislation allowing Florida to join an interstate compact for psychologists gets bipartisan support” via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics — There is a bipartisan effort in the Legislature to increase access to mental health services by expanding the use of telepsychology and allowing psychologists to cross state lines to, for a limited time, provide in-person care to patients in other states. Sen. Gayle Harrell and Rep. Christine Hunschofsky have filed bills that authorize the state to join what is known as the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact, or PSYPACT. An interstate compact, PSYPACT allows psychologists in compact-participating states to provide telepsychology or offer face-to-face counseling for up to 30 days per calendar year. In a prepared statement, Sen. Harrell said, “Patients will have more access to mental health services” if SB 1370 is passed and becomes law.

Measure Would Allow Law Enforcement to Give More Help Identifying John Doe Patients - Florida law enforcement agencies could help identify unidentified patients using biometric resources under recently filed legislation in the House. Hospitals sometimes have a hard time identifying some patients, in part due to federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, restrictions. HB 1021 would also allow certain clinical social workers to make medical decisions relating to a patient's continued care. Florida Politics 

Senate Proposal Targets Public Employee Unions - A Senate Republican filed a proposal Tuesday that would make changes targeting public-employee unions, including preventing workers from having union dues deducted from their paychecks. The proposal (SB 1458), filed by Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, would require union members to pay dues directly to their unions. The change would not apply to unions representing law-enforcement officers, correctional officers, correctional probation officers and firefighters. The bill also would require unions to report membership information. Unions whose membership is less than 50 percent of the eligible employees would have to petition the state Public Employees Relations Commission for recertification as the exclusive representative of workers in the bargaining units. Those requirements would not apply to unions representing law-enforcement officers, correctional officers, correctional probation officers and firefighters. The bill is filed for the legislative session that will start Jan. 11.

“Proposed legislation would compel Governor to move faster on legislative vacancies” via Anne Geggis of Florida Politics — The Governor’s power to set special election dates would get clipped according to a bill proposed Thursday from lawmakers spurred to action after an unprecedented delay in getting current vacancies filled. Since U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings died last April, DeSantis’ has not moved to set election dates until lawsuits asked a judge to force him to act. The result: The longest congressional vacancy in U.S. history, according to some analyses, and early voting that started on New Year’s Day 2022, a postal holiday. State Sen. Tina Polsky and State Rep. Ben Diamond announced they’d filed companion bills (SB 1586 and HB 1217) to get DeSantis and subsequent Governors moving faster. The bills call for a Special Election no later than 180 days after a vacancy has occurred.

Redistricting Subcommittees to Meet Monday - Senate Reapportionment Committee Chairman Ray Rodrigues filed placeholder bills late last month that will act as vehicles for a new state Senate map and a Senate-proposed congressional map. Both select subcommittees are scheduled to meet Monday, Jan. 10 where members will consider additional testimony and further review the map proposals. Rodrigues also said the placeholder bills, SJR 100 and SJR 102, will be on the Senate Committee on Reapportionment's meeting agenda for Thursday, Jan. 13, when Senators can consider amendments. The maps will still need approval by the full Senate during session. Senate Memorandum 

“Senate redistricting leader plans to renumber districts randomly” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — When lawmakers consider a new Senate map, a random process will decide the numbering for each district. More than a clerical matter, the selection of numbers will determine how long Senators elected this year will serve before standing for election again. Sen. Ray Rodrigues, the Estero Republican chairing the Senate Reapportionment Committee, issued a memo to all sitting Senators outlining a timeline on the redistricting process in the upper chamber. The ambitious schedule aims for maps to land in front of the committee on Jan. 13, the third day of the Regular Session. While Rodrigues outlined such a plan with a separate memo last month, he raised the prospect of random numbering in a memo released Wednesday afternoon.

COVID …

“COVID-19 update: Testing rate hits record high as Florida reports 67,369 new cases and over 8,500 hospitalizations” via David Schutz of the Tampa Bay Times — Florida reported 67,369 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday as daily testing reached record levels, according to data from the CDC. A record 146,665 tests are being reported on average per day as of Dec. 29, the most recent data available for testing rates. The rise in testing has driven the state’s average daily cases to a record every day for 12 consecutive days, reaching 56,595 as of Thursday. Miami-Dade County’s average daily case rate of 3,678 per 100,000 population is the second-highest of the nation’s 3,143 counties reporting data to the CDC. Richmond County in New York, which includes Staten Island in New York City, has the highest rate.

“Florida COVID-19 update: Rolling seven-day case average decreases for first time in 26 days” via Devoun Cetoute of the Miami Herald — Florida on Thursday reported 66,611 additional COVID-19 cases and 80 more deaths to the CDC. The significant increases came from the CDC backlogging cases and deaths for Florida on Mondays and Thursdays when multiple days in the past had their totals changed. In August, Florida began reporting cases by the “case date” rather than the date the case was logged in to the system, resulting in several cases backfilling over time. As the omicron version of the virus has circulated in the past seven days, the state has added 20 deaths and 56,611 cases per day on average, according to Herald calculations. This is the first time the rolling seven-day case average has decreased since Dec. 10., when the average was 1,700. On Wednesday, the average was 58,216.

Florida reported just under 59,500 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday with Orange County reporting the highest rate of positive cases. The number of patients in Florida hospitals with the virus was close to 8,000, according to federal government data – the highest since the summer, though cases aren't as severe as they were during the earlier surge of the delta variant. Orlando Sentinel / Tampa Bay Times

While COVID omicron variant cases are less fatal, hospitals are still being hit hard by the surge with staff short at several facilities. Miami Herald

“COVID-19 was the 3rd leading cause of death in 2021” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — For the second year in a row, COVID-19 emerged in 2021 as the third leading cause of death in Florida, resulting in more fatalities than any other causes except heart diseases and cancers. The latest provisional cause-of-death data compiled and presented by the Florida Department of Health for deaths recorded through Wednesday, Dec. 29, show far more Floridians likely died in 2021 of the coronavirus than of lung diseases, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, kidney disease, poisonings, overdoses, falls, motor vehicle crashes, homicides, or suicides. COVID-19 added tens of thousands of additional deaths to Florida’s mortality in 2021, just as it did in 2020. The exact number of 2021 COVID-19 deaths is not yet settled.

“Up to 80% of Florida will have caught COVID-19 by end of omicron wave, UF report says” via Marlei Martinez of WESH — Most of the state’s population will become infected with coronavirus in the latest omicron wave. UF biostatisticians have been studying the way that the omicron variant behaves. They say data shows that omicron is twice as infectious as delta and spreads quicker, too. “So, you combine those two things, and you get a very fast, large epidemic,” said Ira Longini. Longini is a UF professor and one of the researchers who worked on the report. So, how large of an epidemic are they predicting? “Probably 70 to 80% of the state will either get infected in this wave or have been infected in a prior wave,” Longini said.

“DeSantis blames feds for treatment, testing shortages as omicron spreads” via Gray Rohrer of the Orlando Sentinel — DeSantis said he’s waiting on the federal government to send COVID-19 treatments to reestablish sites for residents to combat the virus. He also blamed the federal government for a shortage of COVID-19 tests that have led to long lines at testing centers and runs on at-home testing kits as the omicron variant of the virus courses through the state. “We will turn on additional sites as soon as the federal government gives us the supply,” DeSantis told reporters at a Fort Lauderdale hospital, adding that between 30,000 and 40,000 doses of monoclonal antibody treatments have been pledged. DeSantis didn’t say when he expects the doses to arrive but said he’ll set up treatment sites in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, as well as a site in Central Florida.

“DeSantis calls for more monoclonal antibodies for COVID-19 after sites facing shortages” via Kirby Wilson of the Tampa Bay Times — DeSantis is urging the federal government to send between 30,000 and 40,000 more doses of monoclonal antibody treatments to Florida. The call from Florida’s top elected official comes as COVID-19 cases climb to record heights. It also comes amid renewed tension between state and federal officials over the monoclonal treatments given to vulnerable patients after exposure to COVID-19. “We have the ability, and we will immediately turn on additional sites as soon as the federal government gives us the supply,” DeSantis said at a news conference at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale.

“DeSantis downplays COVID-19 vaccines, pushes antibody treatment unproven against omicron” via Gerard Albert III and Chris Persaud of The Palm Beach Post — In his first news conference since the omicron variant surged across Florida, DeSantis badmouthed vaccines while pushing for unproven treatments against the mutated pathogen. “With omicron, you know, the vaccinations are not preventing infection,” DeSantis said Monday at Broward Health Medical Center. But since the beginning of nationwide vaccine rollouts, doctors and scientists have emphasized that although the virus can infect inoculated people, they offer the best protection against severe illness and death, even for those who catch the heavily mutated omicron variant. Those with booster shots are the most protected, authorities say.

“DeSantis says shots won’t end pandemic, denies losing faith in vaccine” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — DeSantis says he hasn’t lost faith in the COVID-19 vaccine but wants to be honest with people about the protections it provides. The omicron variant is driving a record-breaking surge of cases nationwide and is infecting vaccinated and unvaccinated people alike. Florida is currently in the top three states for per capita virus spread. DeSantis, who has gained national attention for opposing strict methods of combating the pandemic and for his critiques of Biden, said claims that vaccinations will end the pandemic haven’t come true. When a reporter told the Governor it sounds as if he’s given up faith in the vaccine, he replied, “No, no, no.” The Governor held a similar view regarding the delta variant, which hit Florida and the South particularly hard over the summer.

“Florida offers to pick up monoclonal antibody shipment from federal storage” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — Rather than wait on a federal shipment, the Florida Division of Emergency Management (DEM) is offering to mobilize trucks to retrieve the 30,000 doses of monoclonal antibodies destined for Florida. In a Wednesday letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, DEM Director Kevin Guthrie offered to use preexisting shipping contracts to retrieve the federally-provided drug. The Florida-bound supply is currently awaiting shipment at a federal storage site. “FDEM is thoroughly experienced in moving resources quickly and is prepared to assist the federal government in deploying this lifesaving treatment,” wrote Guthrie. In recent months, some states including Florida began criticizing Biden after his administration throttled the federal supply shipments.

“Joseph Ladapo argues it was ‘completely specious’ to say COVID-19 could be eliminated” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — Ladapo contended on “The Story with Martha MacCallum” that testing the asymptomatic was not necessarily a “high value” use of tests. When pressed about asymptomatic people who may have been exposed and worried they are contagious, Ladapo blamed federal leadership for a “specious” strategy of claiming the virus could ever be stopped. “Allow me to help unwind some of the beliefs that unfortunately our federal leadership has convinced so many Americans is true,” Ladapo argued. “The idea that stopping the spread of a virus is the objective of a public health campaign when probably somewhere around half or more have no symptoms at all, that’s completely specious. That should never have been something that the federal leadership convinced Americans is possible.”

“No need to test for COVID-19 if asymptomatic, Florida health department says” via Kirby Wilson of the Tampa Bay Times/Department of Health Press Release

DeSantis administration confirms tests expired — Division of Emergency Management (DEM) Director Kevin Guthrie on Thursday confirmed between 800,000 and 1 million rapid tests expired in late December while sitting unused in the state's stockpile. DeSantis and Guthrie said there wasn’t demand for the tests over the last several months. However, cases began skyrocketing in the days before the tests expired. Health Department officials have been asking the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to extend the expiration date on the tests since November. But the DeSantis administration is still holding out hope. The Governor defended the state’s strategy and deflected blame to the federal government. "With how the fed stuff works, it's always a struggle with anything you're doing," DeSantis added.

“‘Recipe for disaster’: Florida Department of Health releases new COVID-19 testing guidelines that contradict CDC’s” via Caroline Catherman of the Orlando Sentinel — Days after Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo said he would prioritize “high value” testing, the Florida Department of Health released new COVID-19 guidance that contradicts the CDC and recommends fewer people get tested. The CDC recommends people get tested if they have had close contact with someone with COVID-19, if they have COVID-19 symptoms, or if they are not fully vaccinated. It notes that people can spread COVID-19 even if asymptomatic, so testing is crucial. Public health experts worry the new Florida DOH guidelines, released in a one-page document on Thursday, could exacerbate the current COVID-19 surge.

Health Department focuses on "high value" testing — Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo released COVID-19 testing guidance he says are meant to “maximize the benefits of COVID-19 testing in Florida.” The nonbinding guidance prioritizes testing for people at a high for severe infections while encouraging low-risk individuals without symptoms to forgo a test to save resources. The plan would help “unwind the testing psychology” the federal government has instilled in people, Ladapo said. The new guidelines coincide with the state’s purchase of 1 million at-home rapid tests reserved for high-risk individuals in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

Researchers at the University of Florida predict up to 80% of the state's population will have been infected with COVID-19 by the end of the new omicron surge, with the majority of people exhibiting no symptoms or experiencing mild cases.WFLA

“‘Why am I being handcuffed?’: Protesters derail Ron DeSantis return to omicron overwhelmed Jacksonville” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics

“Mayo Clinic fired about 700 unvaccinated staff. None came from Jacksonville — yet” via Beth Reese Cravey of the Florida Times-Union — Because of conflicting state and federal rules about employee vaccine mandates, no staff at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville are among the 700 or so fired by the Rochester, Minnesota-based health system nationwide for being unvaccinated. At least not yet. Their respite stems from legislation signed by DeSantis in November that bans private Florida employers from mandating that all employees get vaccinated, instead requiring various exemption options. The legislation includes fines of $50,000 for larger companies that don’t allow employees to opt-out and $10,000 for smaller firms. The state law clashes with a federal rule requiring vaccinations of all health care workers at hospitals that receive Medicare and Medicaid funding.

“Florida health care providers torn between federal, state vaccine laws” via Caroline Catherman, David Lyons, and Kate Santich of the Orlando Sentinel — Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration sent an email threatening Florida health care providers with fines if they comply with a federal vaccination mandate. While many experts are advising clients to follow federal law, David Miller, a Miami-based employment attorney at the Bryant Miller Olive law firm, equated the situation faced by many Florida employers as being “a bone between two dogs,” with the canines being the state and federal governments. The Biden Administration on Nov. 4 laid out requirements for COVID-19 vaccinations for staff at nearly all Medicare and Medicaid-certified health care facilities. At True Health, which operates seven federally funded community health clinics in the metro Orlando area, CEO Janelle Dunn said the state’s warning has left the nonprofit organization in limbo in regard to vaccination mandates.

“Nurses are furious about the CDC’s new isolation rules” via Molly Osberg of The New Republic — The decision to reduce isolation times for everyone has divided infectious disease experts and dominated the news. But for health care workers, the new guidance has felt like the reflection of a harsh attitude toward a workforce already exhausted and overextended. It didn’t help that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration withdrew its emergency protections for health care employers, a program that issued fines to hospitals for failing to follow COVID-19 protocols like logging infections or providing adequate protective equipment. In a moment when it can feel like the government has resigned itself to preventable death, health care workers are being asked to go along with an endless state of uncertainty and brutal working hours that have become the norm over the past two years.

The latest COVID surge has forced a Broward County hospital to halt delivery of babies. Sun Sentinel

Legal …

Coody Named North Florida U.S. Attorney - Veteran prosecutor Jason Coody has been appointed U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Florida, after serving as acting U.S. attorney since March, according to an announcement Tuesday by the U.S. attorney's office. Coody, who was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland, will serve a term of 120 days or until a presidential nominee is named and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, according to the Tallahassee Democrat newspaper. Coody, whose primary office will be in Tallahassee, became an assistant U.S. attorney in the Northern District in 2008. He became acting U.S. attorney after the resignation of Larry Keefe from the top post. Before going to law school, Coody was a police officer in Valdosta, Ga., according to information on the Northern District website. Coody will oversee federal cases in a sprawling district that goes from Pensacola to Gainesville and includes cities such as Tallahassee and Panama City. Coody's appointment was effective Dec. 26, according to Tuesday’s announcement.

Campaigns and Elections …

House Speaker Chris Sprowls and other GOP legislative leaders will hold a fundraiser benefiting the House Majority on the night before the start of the session. Lawmakers are barred from raising campaign money during the session. The fundraiser is scheduled for the Governors Club near the Capitol on Jan. 10, the evening before the Jan. 11 beginning of the two-month lawmaking session. Florida Politics

“Outcome of redistricting looms over Florida’s 2022 election landscape” via Ana Ceballos of the Miami Herald — Heading into 2022, Florida will again be a hotbed for political activity. But this time with a once-a-decade flair. Not only will Florida land in the national spotlight as DeSantis and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio try to fend off Democratic challenges and the Republican-led state Legislature redraws the state’s political lines in a process that could have huge ramifications for Congress as the GOP attempts to retake control of the U.S. House of Representatives. But other political activity on the marquee will include statewide races for the Florida Cabinet, ballot measures that could remake Florida’s multibillion-dollar gaming industry, and an annual Legislative Session that DeSantis is poised to use to push hard-line policy issues, many of which are expected to mobilize conservative voters.

“DeSantis re-election effort enters 2022 with more than $69M in the bank” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — DeSantis’ re-election campaign continues to rake in political contributions each month, rivaling what his opponents collected all year. The Friends of Ron DeSantis political committee so far reported nearly $2.3 million in collections in December. And as politicians make an end-of-year push for dollars, that number will likely grow higher once total figures reveal checks that came in the final days of 2021. Through Dec. 29, the committee on its website showed a total of $2,276,526 in December contributions. Subtract $251,814 in campaign expenditures and that means the committee netted $1,773,775. As for the big picture, that means the committee holds nearly $69.3 million in cash of hand. That’s a number expected to grow by the time full December figures get reported to the Florida Division of Elections in early January.

“DeSantis top ‘second choice’ for GOP 2024 voters in another poll” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — Yet another survey shows that Republican Primary voters would prefer DeSantis as their 2024 nominee if Trump decides not to run again. While Trump was the preferred candidate among 55% of the 306 Republicans surveyed in a December poll from the University of Massachusetts, DeSantis was the runner-up. DeSantis had 20% backing as a “first choice” candidate. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s 7% was good for third place. When respondents were asked who their “second choice” candidate was, they liked DeSantis even more. The survey showed 37% of those polled picked DeSantis, with Sen. Ted Cruz at 15% in second place for the second choice. Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence tied for third place, with 13%.

“Jayer Williamson announces he will not pursue re-election in 2022” via Tristan Wood of Florida Politics — Rep. Williamson announced Thursday he will not be seeking re-election in 2022 and will be stepping away from politics. In a statement, Williamson said he had been approached with ideas of running for Congress, state Senate and Agriculture Commissioner over the past year. However, he decided to step out of the political arena after spending the holiday season reflecting, praying, and having conversations with his family. While the decision is a lot to process, it was easy for him to make. In his statement, Williamson also took shots at unnamed public officeholders “at every level” that “have created and perpetuated a toxic political environment far removed from the fact that we are elected to serve the public.”

“Florida Democrats, stung in 2020, are slipping even further behind GOP in 2022 vote” via Gray Rohrer of the Orlando Sentinel — Many prominent Florida Democrats sought a reckoning after their losses in 2020. They wanted a change within the party structure and a rejuvenated party to take on Republicans in 2022. There were changes at the Florida Democratic Party, as Manny Diaz was elected chair in January after Terrie Rizzo resigned, but their prospects for 2022 have only worsened by some measures. Diaz took over a party coming off a string of losses in 2020, including the presidential race. But it also had severe financial troubles, so much so that the party let health insurance for staffers lapse.

“Miami-Dade prosecutors target prominent political consultants in sham candidate case” via Samantha J. Gross, Ana Ceballos and David Ovalle of the Miami Herald — Prosecutors appear to be targeting prominent Republican and Democratic operatives in Florida for potential criminal charges stemming from a 2020 Miami-Dade election scheme marked by sham candidates, court records reveal. Those targets: Alex Alvarado, a Republican consultant; Dan Newman, a prominent Democratic fundraiser; Richard Alexander, the chair of the dark-money group Grow United; and Let’s Preserve the American Dream, a Tallahassee-based nonprofit run by Ryan Tyson, a top GOP pollster in Florida. Each has been sent what is known by prosecutors as a “prior to” letter, which generally precedes criminal charges in a case. The existence of the letters was included in a document filed in circuit court late last month by the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.

Miscellaneous …

Broward Health said it suffered a data breach in October where a hacker accessed personal and medical information of patients and staff. Associated Press

“Wilton Simpson accuses Miami Herald reporter of pre-litigation collusion regarding redistricting” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Simpson sent an angry letter to the Miami Herald accusing reporter Mary Ellen Klas of dangerous bias. Specifically, Simpson said the veteran reporter had often penned pointed articles and asked leading questions about the once-a-decade redistricting process. While complaints of media bias are nothing new to politics, Simpson took the extraordinary step of sending a complaint to Miami Herald Executive Editor Monica Richardson. Simpson sent the message on Florida Senate letterhead. In it, Simpson actually praised Herald coverage of the redistricting process a decade ago. Simpson said Klas’ reporting has not only been less favorable but appears oriented toward preluding legal challenges like those that derailed maps approved by the Legislature in 2012.