Legislative Update - March 18, 2022

The Legislature finished its regular session and adjourned sine die Monday afternoon after completing a one-day overtime session to vote on the budget. Lawmakers took more than 4,300 votes in 39 floor sessions. Out of over 3,700 bills filed, only 285 passed both chambers.

The Legislature ended its 2022 regular session by passing the largest budget in state history, a $112 billion spending plan engorged by federal aid and rising tax collections as the strong recovery from the pandemic continues. The budget, which drew bipartisan support, spread that wealth, with a minimum wage increase for state employees, pay increases for teachers and law enforcement officers, hefty affordable housing spending, and a large package of tax breaks for consumers. Gov. Ron DeSantis has line item veto power and could reject items in the measure. Associated Press / Tampa Bay Times / The Center Square

The budget, which is $11 billion more than the current year, passed with a unanimous vote in the Senate and a 105-3 vote in the House — the nays came from Democratic Reps. Mike Grieco and Dotie Joseph and Republican Rep. Anthony Sabatini.

Now that the 2022 Legislative Session is over, it’s time to start planning for 2023.

The Legislature on Thursday released a schedule of important dates for next year’s 60-day Legislative Session. It will begin on March 7 and adjourn — at least in theory — on May 5.

Lawmakers will hold an Organization Session two weeks after Election Day, during which many new members will be sworn in, and House Speaker-Designate Paul Renner and Senate President-Designate Kathleen Passidomo will wield the gavel for the first time.

Plasencia Resigns from Legislature - Rep. Rene Plasencia resigned from the Legislature at the end of the legislative session earlier this week, leaving a few months early before being forced out anyway by term limits. Plasencia, a Republican from Orlando, has taken a new job with IBM and said his employer wouldn't allow him to work in Florida until he was no longer a state legislator. He now will work as IBM's Florida lead account partner focusing on IT work within Florida, especially in government and education. Plasencia's staff will remain in place until the election in November when a new representative is elected. Plasencia was a rare Republican to break party ranks on a few issues. He voted for Medicaid expansion and against "sanctuary cities" bills and was one of nine legislative Republicans who voted this session against a bill prohibiting classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity. Orlando Sentinel / Florida Politics

Legislation that would have imposed new rules on unions that represent public workers passed the House but died in the Senate in the final days of session. HB 1197 would have made public employees annually recertify their union memberships. It would have also banned payroll deductions for union dues. However, unions representing law enforcement officers were exempt from the bill.

“With local lawmakers in charge, USF receives record state funding” via Romy Ellenbogen of the Tampa Bay Times — The University of South Florida has not always felt the warmth of state lawmakers’ limelight. But Tampa Bay’s 50,000-student university system is poised to see historic funding from the Legislature this year. The school is chalking that up to flush state coffers and the powerful support of two hometown leaders: House Speaker Chris Sprowls and Senate President Simpson. USF is slated to get $75 million from the state budget for a sleek new ocean science building on its St. Petersburg campus, along with millions of additional dollars for cybersecurity and nursing. It’s also expecting a bump in recurring money for salaries and other operations. The Legislature has passed the budget, and it now goes to DeSantis.

Lawmakers delivered to Gov. Ron DeSantis, who sought an election year slate of legislation popular with the GOP base. Orlando Sentinel

The Legislature failed to give Gov. Ron DeSantis a congressional redistricting plan he has demanded, or to increase the safety of highrises in a session dominated by cultural issues. Associated Press

New congressional districts drawn by lawmakers but opposed by Gov. Ron DeSantis are the subject of a second lawsuit, this one in federal court in Tallahassee. Associated Press

“Redistricting litigation now being waged on two fronts — state and federal court” via Michael Moline of the Florida Phoenix — A second lawsuit has been filed amid the political impasse between DeSantis and the Florida Legislature about how to redraw Florida’s congressional districts. This time, the venue is the federal court sitting in Tallahassee. As with a similar lawsuit filed Friday in a state trial court also in Tallahassee, the new action argues the dispute between the Governor and lawmakers threatens voters’ right to cast ballots in constitutionally apportioned districts. The plaintiffs in the federal case include Common Cause of Florida, FairDistricts Now, and five individual Florida voters. FairDistricts was behind the constitutional amendment requiring the Legislature to draw political boundaries without favoring politicians or political parties or that diminish minority voters’ ability to elect candidates of their choice.

“DeSantis takes aim at Fair Districts amendments” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — DeSantis is not limiting his redistricting disdain to a few proposed maps. DeSantis made clear he wants Florida’s Fair Districts amendment thrown out in court. DeSantis has said for weeks he intends to veto congressional maps approved by the Legislature. Up until now, all arguments coming from his office centered on a single congressional district in North Florida. But in his most detailed public remarks on the issue, DeSantis on Tuesday laid out a legal argument that two 12-year-old Florida constitutional amendments stand in conflict with the U.S. Constitution. “I think our dispute very well may lead to saying that Florida’s redistricting amendments are not consistent with the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause,” DeSantis said.

“Legislature wraps up combative culture-war Session” via Skyler Swisher and Jeffrey Schweers of the Orlando Sentinel — Florida lawmakers finished their work at the Capitol on Monday, delivering DeSantis culture war victories as he heads into re-election but prompting protesters to shower him with fake money as he listed his legislative wins. The Republican-controlled Legislature, working overtime for the Regular Session scheduled to end Friday, approved a $112 billion state budget, officially ending the two-month Legislative Session. He called 2022 “the year of the parent” in Florida. “We in Florida showed a commitment to education — not to indoctrination,” DeSantis said in a speech from the Capitol rotunda.

Democrats lamented a session dominated by "culture war" issues, few wins for the minority party. Florida Politics

“Despite deep divisions, Ron DeSantis says Session marked ‘year of the parent’” via John Kennedy of USA Today — DeSantis joined Florida legislative leaders after the 2022 Session ended Monday to declare that Republican-backed measures guiding what is taught in schools had made this the “year of the parent in the state of Florida.” The two-month Session was marked by highly partisan clashes, with ruling Republicans advancing new restrictions on abortion, migrants coming to Florida, and an elections measure aimed at satisfying a GOP voting base animated over claims of election fraud. But lawmakers focused most intently on schools, imposing new regulations on how race, sexual orientation, and gender identity are discussed and heightening the public’s ability to object to books on school library shelves.

“Ron DeSantis signs bill eliminating standardized testing, expanding progress monitoring” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — DeSantis has signed a bill replacing the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) with progress monitoring, a priority of the Republican Governor as he seeks re-election. The proposal (SB 1048) replaces the annual standardized testing with a computer-based progress monitoring screening. The progress monitoring, spaced three times a year, will begin in the 2022-23 school year for pre-kindergarten through 10th grade students. Speaking at St. Petersburg Collegiate High School, an “A”-rated Pinellas County public charter high school of choice every year since it opened in 2004, the Governor on Tuesday told reporters he was there not to praise the FSA, but to bury it. “Next year, Florida will become the first state in the nation to do a full transition to progress monitoring to inform school accountability,” DeSantis said.

Gov Signs Bill to Shield Identities of University President Applicants - Individuals vying to lead Florida colleges and universities will now be able to shield their identities at the beginning of the application process following the governor's stamp of approval. The new law (SB 520) allows initial state college and university president candidates to keep personal information confidential until finalists are picked. Supporters believe the new rule will help broaden and diversify the applicant pool. Multiple higher education institutions in the state are currently searching for presidents or will soon be pursuing new leaders. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law on Tuesday and it became effective immediately. Florida Politics / Transmittal Letter

Lawmakers passed several measures sought by Gov. Ron DeSantis that could curtail freedom of speech, from a bill preventing protesting in front of the governor's mansion to a measure that prevents companies from deciding how to deal with issues around racial relations in their workplace training. Miami Herald

“Disney catches it from all sides over Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill” via Katie Rice and Steven Lemongello of the Orlando Sentinel — Over the past few weeks, Disney has faced mounting pressure from different sides of the political spectrum. Many employees and fans have decried Disney’s financial contributions to the bill’s sponsors and criticized its initial silence, while DeSantis slammed the company for what he called a “woke” agenda. Even after CEO Bob Chapek said the company opposed the measure the day after it passed the Florida Legislature and issued an apology for his silence on the issue, the criticism of Disney has endured and even grown. California Gov. Gavin Newsom also jumped into the fray, writing on Twitter that Disney should reconsider its plans to relocate 2,000 mostly Imagineering jobs from Southern California to a new campus at Lake Nona in Orlando.

LGBTQ employees at Disney workers and their supporters plan a walkout next Tuesday at Walt Disney World and other company sites to protest Florida legislation restricting instruction related to sexual orientation in lower school grades and Disney CEO Bob Chapek's initial reluctance to criticize the measure for "demonizing" LGBTQ people. Associated Press 

“Legislature leaves without addressing property insurance crisis” via Lawrence Mower of the Tampa Bay Times — Florida homeowners will probably have to continue riding out a turbulent property insurance market on their own for the next year after state lawmakers ended their yearly legislative Session without enacting any reforms. House and Senate leaders couldn’t agree during the roughly 60-day Session on a solution to relieve homeowners of double-digit rate increases, so they passed nothing. “Bottom line: homeowners lost, and that’s what troubles me,” said Sen. Jim Boyd, who sponsored the main property insurance reform bill in the Senate. Short of calling lawmakers back to Tallahassee for a Special Session to address the problem, which some Senators said was a possibility, homeowners can expect no new relief to their bills in 2022.

“Dead bills: Nine legislative issues that couldn’t make it across the finish line” via Gray Roher of Florida Politics — Florida’s Legislative Session will wind to a close Monday when lawmakers pass the budget, but all other bills that didn’t pass before Friday are effectively dead. Most of DeSantis’ culture war-heavy agenda passed. But plenty of other bills, including issues important to legislative leaders, Senate President Simpson and House Speaker Sprowls, withered in the final week of Session. For example, earlier in Session, Simpson said the lawmakers would have “failed” the citizens if they didn’t tackle the property insurance crisis. A bill attempting to address that issue and several other bills died Friday. But Simpson preferred to focus on the bills that did pass, telling reporters Friday it “would be a mistake” to focus on the bills that failed.

Health Care …

“DeSantis: ‘A lot of nursing homes will be very, very happy’ after 2022 Session” via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics — During a Monday afternoon ceremony to mark the end of the 2022 Legislative Session, DeSantis said he thinks there will be “a lot of nursing homes that are very, very happy.” Asked whether he would veto HB 1239, which allows nursing homes to lower the amount of direct nursing care requirements from 2.5 hours a day to 2 hours a day, DeSantis focused on the amount of increased funding for nursing home providers that was included in the budget instead. In all, lawmakers directed $293 million for increases to nursing homes.

Measure to Squelch Speech Sanctions for Doctors Among Health Proposals Lawmakers Didn't Pass - Legislation that would have prohibited state medical regulatory boards from sanctioning doctors for espousing unconventional opinions unless it could be shown their remarks "led to the direct physical harm" of a patient was among the high profile health care proposals that failed to pass during the just-completed legislative session. Another health proposal that failed would have expanded Medicaid to all adults. That proposal never got a hearing. Miami Herald  

“Budget conference: Legislature gives FSU $125M for new health center” via Tristan Wood of Florida Politics — The $125 million will help FSU plan and build the Florida State University Health Science Tallahassee Center. The 137,700 square foot building, whose funding was backed by Senate President Wilton Simpson, will be the cornerstone of developing an academic health center in partnership with Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare. The facility will be focused on clinical care, research, biomedical innovation, and education, said FSU spokesperson Dennis Schnittker. The facility is projected to have an economic impact of about $217 million annually and support more than 1,500 jobs directly and indirectly. Another allocation FSU received was $20 million earmarked for operational enhancement.

“Medicaid managed care rewrite passes after House agrees to Senate plan” via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics — Legislators on Friday signed off on a last-minute deal to overhaul the state’s Medicaid managed care programs, overcoming a stalemate between the House and Senate that threatened to scuttle the effort this year. The House unanimously approved the bill (SB 1950) as amended. That will send it to DeSantis, but only after the Senate stripped out several provisions the House had initially insisted on. Brodeur, the Senate bill sponsor, called some of the House provisions in the bill “ornaments” and “hitchhikers.”

“Fentanyl test strips remain illegal despite objections in drug bill debate” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — The House voted against the decriminalization of fentanyl test strips in Florida on Friday, angering some lawmakers in the closing hours of the 2022 Legislative Session. The push to decriminalize came as part of a ping-pong negotiation over a sweeping controlled substance bill. It came after six spring breakers overdosed Thursday night on fentanyl-laced cocaine at a South Florida rental home. Originally a pain management treatment for cancer patients, fentanyl is the leading culprit of the ongoing opioid crisis. The drug, primarily manufactured in Mexico, is nearly 100 times more potent than morphine. Rep. Andrew Learned urged House colleagues to decriminalize the strips, alongside other Democratic lawmakers on the House floor.

“No hang-ups: Lawmakers pass telehealth bill sans audio-only phone expansion” via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics — Lawmakers did not get hung up on whether to allow audio-only telephone calls to be considered “telehealth.” The Senate on Friday voted unanimously to approve a bill (SB 312) that allows telehealth to be used to prescribe Schedule III, IV and V substances. But the legislation did not authorize phone calls as an option for patients. The House had unanimously voted on Feb. 24 to pass the bill. Senate bill sponsor Sen. Manny Diaz said the Senate is “committed” to coming back to address an audio-only option next year. The inclusion of audio in Florida’s telehealth law was a major priority for Americans for Prosperity, not just in Florida, but nationally. AFP Florida State Director Skylar Zander said it was disappointing the chambers could not “provide more electronic options” for patients, especially those in rural areas.

“Bill adding teeth to PBM rules clears Legislature” via Peter Schorsch of Florida Politics — Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) who don’t register with the state can face a $10,000 fine under a bill that cleared the Legislature this Session. PBMs negotiate with drug manufacturers on behalf of insurance companies to purchase drugs at reduced prices or promise additional rebates. In 2018, lawmakers approved limited regulations on PBMs, requiring them to register with the Office of Insurance Regulation. However, that law did not include any mechanisms to enforce the requirement. HB 357, sponsored by Rep. Jackie Toledo, gives the requirement teeth by allowing the Office of Insurance Regulation to levy a $10,000 fine against anyone working as a PBM who has not registered with the state.

“State budget will cut millions from South Florida hospitals that take neediest patients” via Daniel Chang of the Miami Herald — South Florida hospitals, including Miami-Dade’s Jackson Health System, will lose an estimated $124 million in funding in 2022 after state lawmakers this week cut the so-called critical care fund that provides extra payments to about two dozen hospitals in Florida with the highest share of patients with Medicaid coverage. State legislators say the hospitals will still benefit from a new payment system that Florida launched last year to bridge the financial shortfall these hospitals experience due to Medicaid reimbursements, which are so low that they do not cover the cost of care. But hospital administrators and lobbying groups say the new system, called “Direct Payment Program,” does not address the persistent financial shortfall for those medical centers with disproportionately high volumes of Medicaid patients.

“Florida to spend more than $700 million on Pasco Moffitt cancer complex” via Kirby Wilson of the Tampa Bay Times — The Florida Legislature is poised to approve more than $706 million for a new H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute campus in Pasco County. The funding is a major step for the cancer research nonprofit’s plan to build out a 775-acre parcel of land east of the Suncoast Parkway and south of State Road 52. About $600 million of the state money will be parceled out over three decades to help with the construction of the Moffitt Pasco County life sciences park, which will one day include cancer research and health care facilities, as well as retail, hospitality buildings and other developments. Another $106 million in one-time state funding will build out nearby infrastructure, roads in the area, for example.

“American Cancer Society says budget falls short on ‘high demand’ breast, cervical cancer screenings” via Kelly Hayes of Florida Politics — The American Cancer Society (ACS) is disappointed about the recently released Florida budget proposal, which the organization says does not fully fund the Mary Brogan Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. The budget allocates $1.83 million for the program, which provides free or low-cost screenings for Floridians who fall under the program’s eligibility requirements. However, that’s about $1.17 million short of the program’s requested $3 million, an increase in funding the ACS says would help address the record drop in breast cancer screenings at the onset of the pandemic that has yet to return to pre-pandemic rates.

Budget Includes Funding for Low-Income Contraception - Spearheaded by Senate President Wilton Simpson, lawmakers agreed to include funding for long-acting reversible contraception, or LARC, for low-income women in the state budget. LARC methods include intrauterine devices and implants. They are highly effective and can last for several years. The provision was included in last session's budget as well, but the line-item was subsequently vetoed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, which could very well happen again this year. Democrats support funding for LARC but disapproved of the passage of a 15-week abortion ban bill (HB 5). The governor has already vowed to sign that bill into law. Florida Politics 

“Why DeSantis’s new abortion restrictions will be felt far beyond Florida” via Annie Geng of The National Review — On its busier days, the volunteer-run Tampa Bay Abortion Fund receives up to 15 calls requesting support. Callers might seek money for abortions or need assistance traveling to a clinic — whatever the ask, the fund shoulders it. But the picture of abortion access will soon grow complicated in Florida with a 15-week ban, the state’s most restrictive yet. “We were hoping that Florida could be a haven for the South,” Kelly Nelson, founder of the Tampa Bay Abortion Fund, said. Florida also has the right to privacy baked into its state constitution, which would have worked in favor of abortion rights in Florida. Any such right is being whittled away by an increasingly conservative and extreme political base in Florida.

Congressional Democrats are asking Gov. Ron DeSantis for assurances that large numbers of children in Florida won't become uninsured when the COVID-19 public health emergency ends. During the emergency period, the state is unable to drop children from Medicaid in most cases, but once it ends experts fear more than 6 million children might be dropped from the rolls. Florida Politics  

Economy …

“Florida hauls in $200M more than expected in January” via Gray Rohrer of Florida Politics — Florida collected nearly $200 million more than expected in January, a report from state economists posted online Wednesday shows. In January, Florida received $4.07 billion, about $199.7 million more than economists’ predictions. Leading that haul was $3.46 billion in sales taxes, $183.5 million over the estimate. The report warns the jump was affected by inflation and federal COVID-19 funds that were one-time payments during the pandemic. “January collections reflect activity that largely occurred in December, which continued to benefit from federal stimulus payments that have now ended; redirected spending from the hard-hit service sector; and some consumers’ ability to draw down atypically large savings that built up during the pandemic,” the report states.

Unemployment rate - A report released Monday by the state Department of Economic Opportunity showed that Florida's unemployment rate held steady from December to January, remaining at 3.5% for both months. The state's labor force participation was higher in January of 2022 than pre-pandemic levels in February 2020. The Bureau of Labor Statistics modifies its methods annually, meaning the February unemployment report for states won't be published until next week. In January, the national unemployment rate was 4%, which went down to 3.8% in February. According to the U.S. Department of Labor's revised historical data, Florida's unemployment rate has remained below the national average for 14 months in a row. Gov. Ron DeSantis touted the state's freedom first economic policies for the low unemployment rate. DeSantis said, "Florida has surpassed 2019 numbers in almost every regard, including employment and labor force participation while lockdown states continue to lag." DeSantis Press Release / DEO Unemployment Report

Gas prices hit record high after second week of 40-cent increases” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — As the fallout from Russia’s charge into Ukraine continues to spill throughout the West, Florida’s gas prices have shattered their previous record high. That’s according to AAA — The Auto Club Group. Gas prices last week crossed $4 for the first time since 2008 and didn’t stop there. Prices topped out at $4.38 per gallon on Friday before falling slightly over the weekend to $4.35 per gallon on Sunday. AAA’s Florida ticker had dropped to $4.34 per gallon by Monday morning, one cent higher than the national average. The previous record high for Florida gas prices was $4.08 per gallon, set in September 2008.

Campaigns and Elections …

Elections Police Part of National GOP Voting Strategy - Gov. Ron DeSantis' move to create a new law enforcement unit to investigate election-related crimes is part of a broader, national push to crackdown on voter fraud in GOP-led states. Last week, Florida lawmakers passed a DeSantis-backed bill (SB 524) that creates a new state office to investigate allegations of voter fraud with a new "Elections Security Force." A similar proposal, expanding the state Bureau of Investigation's authority to probe election fraud claims, passed the House of Representatives in Georgia on Tuesday. In Texas, an "Election Integrity Unit" was created within the attorney general's office to solely investigate illegal voting. Additionally, Republican legislators in Arizona filed more than 100 bills seeking to alter state elections, including one measure that would establish an "Election Bureau" with subpoena power. Claims of rampant voter fraud were heightened following the 2020 presidential election when Donald Trump lost to Joe Biden. But evidence to back widespread election crime has been sparse, even after multiple states initiated investigations into their own election security systems. Opponents of the new laws say new voting requirements and harsher penalties for election-related crimes are unnecessary because voter fraud is very rare, and the new efforts may scare away legitimate voters. Brad Ashwell, Florida state director of All Voting is Local said, "This is very much a response to pressure to pursue even more outlandish ideas, like relitigating the 2020 election." Opponents expect some of the provisions passed to be challenged in court. Backers of the measure emphasize that they are only focused on improving election integrity and accountability. Sen. Travis Hutson, the Republican sponsor of the recently passed Florida elections bill said, "Are we afraid of our elections being too secure?" while defending his legislation during the 2022 state legislative session. Associated Press / New York Times

“DeSantis vs. Disney is the strongest signal yet he plans to run in 2024 — regardless of what Donald Trump does” via Philip Klein of the National Review — There’s been a lot of speculation about DeSantis’ 2024 ambitions. For a long time, many people assumed that he would definitely run if Trump decided not to, but that he would be unwilling to risk the damage that a bitter primary against Trump would do to his long-term political ambitions. However, DeSantis’s public feud with Disney is the strongest signal yet that he plans to run for President, regardless of what happens with Trump. Going to war against Disney is not something he’d likely do so gleefully if he were planning to spend the next five years as Governor of Florida.

“Alex Sink endorses Charlie Crist for Governor” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Sink is putting her political capital behind Crist for Governor. The Thonotosassa Democrat endorsed the Congressman on Tuesday. “From his time serving the people of Florida as Governor to his tireless service for Pinellas County in Congress, Charlie Crist has spent his career fighting for all Floridians. There is no doubt that he is exactly the leader we need back in Tallahassee,” Sink said. Sink won election as CFO in 2006, the same year Crist was elected Governor as a Republican. She remains one of the most prominent Democrats in the state and, in 2010, was the Democratic nominee for Governor herself. While she lost the Governor’s race to Republican Rick Scott, she has remained a powerful force in Florida Democratic circles.

“Three former South Florida policymakers endorse Annette Taddeo for Governor” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — Three former South Florida policymakers have joined several other current and former elected officials backing Democratic Sen. Annette Taddeo’s run for Governor. Former Hialeah City Council member Paul Hernández and former Miami Beach Commissioners Michael Góngora and Joy Malakoff are throwing their support behind Taddeo, whose campaign announced the endorsements Thursday. “I am honored to be supported by these exceptional public servants,” Taddeo said. “These endorsements are just more examples of the broad coalition of people our campaign is bringing together as we prepare to take on Ron DeSantis later this year.”

“Barbara Sharief might be taking on Lauren Book in the new SD 35” via Anne Geggis of Florida Politics — Sharief said she is strongly considering a race for Senate District 35, potentially setting up a primary challenge with Book. Sharief came in third in last fall’s Special Election for Congress. She was part of a crowded field of Democrats competing for the nomination to succeed U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings. Sharief said she’s leaning toward running for the state Senate seat instead of a rematch with Democratic U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and Dale Holness, who are running in the regularly scheduled contest for the seat in Florida’s 20th Congressional District.

“DeSantis endorses Blaise Ingoglia in SD 11 Primary” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — DeSantis just picked a side in a heated Florida Senate Primary. On Monday, he endorsed Rep. Ingoglia in Senate District 11. “Blaise Ingoglia is a strong conservative who fights to keep Florida free and to deliver for his constituents,” DeSantis tweeted from his campaign account. Ingoglia, a Spring Hill Republican, faces Rep. Ralph Massullo, a Lecanto Republican, for the open seat. Consultant Brad Herold shared polling conducted in January by LiveSurvey that found DeSantis’ endorsement could play a huge role in the nomination fight. It found 76% of GOP voters were more likely to back the candidate with DeSantis’ endorsement, and 63% were “much more likely” to do so.  Note – Massullo has decided to run for the House again and dropped out of the Senate race.

Democratic Rep. Joy Goff-Marcil of Maitland said she will file to run the new District 10 seat in the state Senate this year, with the goal of unseating Republican Sen. Jason Brodeur. The new district includes Maitland and Winter Park as well as all of Seminole County. Orlando Sentinel

“Disney suspends political contributions in Florida as CEO apologizes for silence on ‘don’t say gay’” via Steven Lemongello of the Orlando Sentinel — Walt Disney CEO Bob Chapek is pausing all of the company’s political donations in Florida after the passage of the “don’t say gay” bill and apologized to employees for his silence during the monthslong debate on the measure. In a letter sent to Disney workers, Chapek said the bill was “not just an issue about a bill in Florida, but instead yet another challenge to basic human rights.” “You needed me to be a stronger ally in the fight for equal rights, and I let you down,” he wrote. The company has given more than $100,000 to the Friends of Ron DeSantis PAC since 2019.

COVID-19 …

“Florida weekly COVID-19 update: Number of cases and people in hospital on a downward trend” via Devoun Cetoute of the Miami Herald — In the past seven days, the state has added 1,169 cases and 104 deaths per day, on average, according to Miami Herald calculations of data published by the CDC. Over the past three weeks, on average, 153 fewer new cases were logged each day in Florida, showing a decrease in trends. From March 3-10, Florida has seen 10,211 new cases. New cases were 27% less than those added the previous week. As of Tuesday, March 15, more than 14,220,000 people are fully vaccinated in Florida. The state has logged at least 5,828,601 cases and 72,055 deaths since the pandemic began in March 2020.

“Spring Break 2022: Florida reports 10,000 COVID cases, 863 newly reported deaths in a week” via Mike Stucka and Jennifer Sangalang of The Palm Beach Post — It’s “Spring Break season” for Florida — and the state continues to see a decline in COVID-19 cases. From No. 31 to No. 42 to No. 37: COVID-19 cases are declining, with Florida reporting 10,211 cases and 863 newly recorded deaths. This week, the state moved up a few spots from No. 42 to No. 37 on a list of states where coronavirus spreads the fastest. Also, this is the fourth consecutive week that Florida reported fewer than 100,000 cases in one week. Florida reported far fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending Sunday, adding 10,211 new cases. That’s down 26.1% from the previous week’s tally of 13,823 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.

“Dr. Joseph Ladapo ‘cherry-picking’ studies to back no COVID-19 vaccines for kids, researchers say” via Ian Hodgson of the Tampa Bay Times — When the Florida Department of Health released new guidelines last week suggesting healthy children should not get the coronavirus vaccine, it cited several studies to back up the position. But at least four of the experts whose research was cited say their work was taken out of context. They said they disagreed with Florida Surgeon General Ladapo’s conclusion that the vaccine was more dangerous than the virus for healthy children. Each of the three studies cited by the state concluded vaccines are safe and effective. Florida health officials did not mention that in their two-page guidance.

“COVID-19’s strain on Florida hospitals worse than most states, CDC says” via Chris Persaud of The Palm Beach Post — As COVID-19 infections return to pre-omicron levels in Florida, the spread of the disease and its strain on hospitals remain worse in Florida than most states, new federal data shows. State health officials are offering no answers on why or how to tackle this. While 83% of all Americans live in places where COVID-19 poses a “low” threat to their hospitals, the same is true for just 67% of Floridians, data released Thursday by the CDC indicates. The CDC calculates COVID-19 case rates and hospitalizations in counties to determine if the disease poses a risk of “low,” “medium,” or “high” impact to their health care systems. About 30% of Floridians live in medium-impact areas, and about 2% live in 10 high-risk counties.