Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 3.25.24
Good Monday morning. Listen to me talk! — If you want to be regaled with the story of my beginnings, changes within the industry, and the power of the Los Angeles Olympics, then I have good news. I joined Ballard Partners' Anthony Williams on the la…
If you want to be regaled with the story of my beginnings, changes within the industry, and the power of the Los Angeles Olympics, then I have good news.
I joined Ballard Partners' Anthony Williams on the latest episode of the 13th & Park podcast.
Give it a listen here, or on your podcast platform of choice.
—
The Florida Chamber Foundation announced a wave of promotions and hires as part of its six-year, $105 million strategic plan to grow Florida into a Top 10 global economy.
The staffing changes include the elevation of Kyle Baltuch to Executive Vice President and Rachel Ludwig to Vice President of Talent Development for the Future of Work. The Chamber also announced that Dr. Keith Richard is coming aboard as Vice President of Research, a newly created position.
"These updates to our team are a big step in a larger strategy to restructure our Chamber Foundation to ensure adequate focus is given to achieving the 39 goals outlined in the Florida 2030 Blueprint's Six Pillars Framework. We are excited about what this means for the future of our Foundation and for Florida," said Don Kiselewski, Executive Director of External Affairs at Florida Power & Light Company and the Chair of the Florida Chamber Foundation Board of Trustees.
Baltuch, previously the Chamber Foundation's Senior Vice President of Equality of Opportunity, will continue working to unite businesses and philanthropic leaders to improve early learning outcomes while working with stakeholders on other goals outlined in the Chamber's Florida 2030 Blueprint.
Ludwig, meanwhile, will continue to build the Future of Work Florida Initiative while also overseeing Florida Business Alliance for Early Learning Project's kindergarten readiness efforts and working to grow the Future of Work Florida's Center for Workforce & Talent Development.
And Richard, a former Vice Chancellor at the Florida Department of Education, will spearhead research initiatives to broaden the understanding of the Florida 2030 Blueprint goals and deliver timely and actionable insights on the dynamics of Florida's communities, economy, and workforce development pipeline.
—
Rep. Tom Leek's campaign for Senate District 7 announced endorsements from all sitting Sheriffs in the four-county seat.
The endorsements came from Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly, Putnam Sheriff H.D. "Gator" DeLoach, St. Johns Sheriff Robert Hardwick and Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood, each of whompraised the Ormond Beach Republican's pro-law enforcement record.
Tom Leek is racking up endorsements for his Senate campaign. Image via Colin Hackley.
"Those of us at the Flagler County Sheriff's Office live by the words 'An Honor to Serve, A Duty to Protect.' After eight years in the Florida House of Representatives, Tom Leek has proven he is a man of integrity who will always do what is necessary to keep his constituents safe, including backing the blue at every opportunity. I am proud to support him in his bid for the Florida Senate," Staly said in a news release.
Leek said he was "beyond grateful" for the endorsements, adding, "Our brave law enforcement officers and first responders put themselves on the line to protect and defend the citizens of Florida each and every day, and I will always have their backs in the Florida Legislature."
Leek was first elected to the state House in 2016 and has risen up the ranks in the chamber, including serving as the Chair of the House Redistricting Committee in the 2022 Session and as the House Budget Chief under Speaker Paul Renner.
He currently represents part of Volusia County in House District 28 and is running to succeed Sen. Travis Hutson in SD 7. Hutson is term limited and has already endorsed Leek in the Republican Primary, where he faces Gerry James.
— DAYS UNTIL —
The Supreme Court to hear arguments in the mifepristone/abortion pill case — 1; Richard Corcoran's 'Standing His Ground: The Inside Story of Ron DeSantis' Rise and Battle for Freedom' releases — 1; Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2024 season — 3; Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' released — 4; March Madness Final Four (women's) begins — 10; March Madness Final Four (men's) — 13; Florida TaxWatch's Spring Meeting — 17; The Masters begin — 18; Kentucky Derby — 41; 2024 Leadership Conference on Safety, Health & Sustainability — 46; 'Bridgerton' new season (part one) premieres on Netflix — 54; French Open begins — 56; 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' premieres — 58; Dave Matthews Band 2024 Summer Tour begins in Tampa — 58; Monaco Grand Prix — 62; the 2024 World Cup begins — 78; season two of 'House of the Dragon' returns to Max — 83; 'A Quiet Place: Day One' premieres — 96; Republican National Convention begins — 112; the 2024 World Cup ends — 115; 2024 MLS All-Star Game — 120; Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games on NBC/Peacock — 123; 'Alien: Romulus' premieres — 142; Democratic National Convention begins — 148; Georgia Tech to face Florida State in 2024 opener in Dublin — 152; Taylor Swift's Eras Tour stops in Miami — 207; 2024 Florida Chamber Annual Meeting & Future of Florida Forum — 210; 2024 Presidential Election — 225; Las Vegas Grand Prix — 238; MLS Cup 2024 — 253; 'Captain America: Brave New World' premieres — 323; Florida's 2025 Legislative Session begins — 344; 2025 Session ends — 403; 'Moana' premieres — 453; 'Thunderbolts' premieres — 484; 'Fantastic Four' reboot premieres — 487; 'Blade' reboot premieres — 592; 'Avatar 3' premieres — 634; 'Avengers: The Kang Dynasty' premieres — 771; Untitled 'Star Wars' movie premieres — 787; Another untitled 'Star Wars' movie premieres — 998; 'Avengers: Secret Wars' premieres — 1,138; 'Avatar 4' premieres — 2,097; 'Avatar 5' premieres — 2,819.
— TOP STORY —
"Biden campaign puts Florida — sort of — in play" via Kimberly Leonard of POLITICO — Democrats haven't won Florida at the presidential level since 2012, and their voters' lackluster turnout in 2022 helped Gov. Ron DeSantis sail to re-election by historic margins. It remains an open question whether Biden's campaign will prioritize or invest heavily in Florida, the home state of Donald Trump.
Jen O'Malley Dillon, Biden's campaign Chair, and Campaign Manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez released a memo in early March, shortly after Super Tuesday, saying the campaign will "invest in key Sun Belt battlegrounds like Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina where Democrats have seen successes in recent years." But they promised to "seize on" undefined opportunities only in states like Florida, where it claims Trump's agenda is unpopular.
Florida will be included in the $30 million ad-buy.
Joe Biden's campaign doesn't see Florida as a key battleground, but it hasn't written it off, either. Image via AP.
And while the campaign's top officials regularly say they have "multiple pathways" to getting the 270 electoral votes needed for Biden to get re-elected, Florida isn't listed among the six key battleground states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — cited as crucial to getting there.
General election media spending in Florida is projected to drop to just $81 million, compared with $350 million in 2020, according to the advertising tracking company AdImpact. That would mean Florida's general election media buys will fall to eighth place in the November elections, after leading in media spending in 2020.
"Florida is kind of a head-fake state," said a Florida-experienced Democratic consultant granted anonymity to speak candidly. "They're going to pretend they are spending money here to try to get Trump to spend money — and it's probably a good strategy knowing how insecure and petty he is because he's not going to want his rich friends in Palm Beach to see 'Broke Don' on television without a rebuttal."
— EPILOGUE —
"DeSantis signs bill to keep suicide media, autopsy reports confidential" via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — Autopsy reports for people who died by suicide and media depicting the act will be shielded from public view under a new Florida law. The measure (SB 474), which DeSantis quietly signed, exempts from general public records requests photos, videos and audio recording of people taking their own lives. It does the same for related coroner documents. Surviving spouses, adult children or siblings can still access autopsy reports, and people who want to access the records can seek a court order to obtain them. A court could authorize the release of the material, including media of the suicide, if it determines the public's need to evaluate government performance outweighs a family's right to privacy.
"DeSantis signs changes to last year's 'union busting' legislation" via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — DeSantis has signed legislation updating a law implemented last year barring certain public sector unions from automatically deducting dues from workers' paychecks and requiring a higher threshold of union participation to remain certified. His signature came in package of 25 other signed bills Friday. The bill (SB 1746) exempts emergency medical technicians, 911 operators and mass transit workers from last year's law, which requires 60% of workers to be union members in order for the union to remain certified. The law also requires additional reporting for unions.
"DeSantis signs bill that makes demolishing historic Florida buildings easier" via Alexandra Glorioso of the Miami Herald — DeSantis signed a bill on Friday making it easier for local developers to level historic buildings near Florida's coast, potentially threatening Miami's iconic Art Deco architecture. The bill, SB 1526, limits local governments and local preservation boards from protecting notable establishments from being torn down, which would affect the Miami Beach board that controls the fate of 2,600 buildings in its locally designated historic districts. It was one of 25 bills DeSantis quietly signed on Friday without a press event. Bill proponents have said the changes are crucial to ensuring that buildings are up to code near Florida's coast, where flooding is a problem since older buildings aren't always the sturdiest.
All Florida inmates will soon have to provide DNA samples to the state.
"DeSantis signs bill requiring DNA samples from all Florida inmates" via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — DeSantis just signed legislation that could lead to cold case closures across the Sunshine State. The bill (HB 533), which goes into effect immediately, requires all Florida inmates who don't already have DNA in the state's database to provide a sample by Sept. 30. State law already requires many individuals arrested or convicted of certain offenses to submit DNA samples, including those charged with sexual assault, indecent exposure, murder, robbery, battery, burglary, felony firearm violations and theft. The samples then go into a database for cross reference. Florida Department of Law Enforcement officials say they lead to more than 4,500 hits yearly in unsolved crimes.
"Vacation rental bill divided lawmakers. Now it's drawing calls for DeSantis to veto it" via John Kennedy of the USA Today Network-Florida — One of the most contested bills of the 2024 Legislative Session is now the subject of calls for a DeSantis veto, with the state's effort to take over more control of vacation rentals still a sizzling topic. DeSantis' Office is on the receiving end of demands that he kill the measure (SB 280), which is drawing heat for a range of reasons. "It's like a lot of things in Tallahassee, they approve something without considering what it does to people who are actually involved in doing these things. They don't understand," said Palm Beach County Tax Collector Anne Gannon, who said the legislation jeopardizes $75 million in tourist tax collections her county receives from vacation rentals.
—OTHER STATEWIDE —
"DeSantis eyes Special Session to crack down on Haitian migrants" via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — Florida legislators may have to return to Tallahassee again before the 2024 election, as DeSantis has some work for them regarding Haiti. "I'm working with folks to craft, if there's something we can do in a Special Legislative Session, to give our law enforcement more authority to arrest and detain, because I think that will be a huge disincentive for people to come if we can do it," DeSantis said on the Sean Hannity radio show. The Governor likely would seek legislation like Texas' SB 4, which is currently blocked by a federal appeals court.
Chris Spencer is in as the next executive director at the State Board of Administration. Image via Colin Hackley.
"DeSantis nominates Chris Spencer to head key board that manages FL's mammoth investment funds" via Mitch Perry of the Florida Phoenix — DeSantis has nominated Spencer to serve as the executive director of the State Board of Administration (SBA), the investment organization that manages the state's mammoth investment funds, including the Florida Retirement System and the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund. The position is currently held by Lamar Taylor, who has served as the interim head of the agency since Ash Williams resigned from the position in September 2021. Taylor will continue as the permanent SBA chief investment officer. Spencer has served as the director of policy and budget for the executive office of the Governor since July 2019 and has "managed the development and implementation of the state's multi-billion-dollar budget," according to the news release.
—2024 —
"'I want a fighter': Donald Trump Jr. lobbying dad to pick one of these possible running mates" via Jon Levine of The New York Post — Trump Jr. is lobbying his father to select a running mate who can take a punch — and hit back even harder, he told The Post. "What I want in that role is I want a fighter," Trump Jr. said. "I understand what they are going to throw at us. "In 2016 you needed someone to balance out [the ticket] — that's where Mike Pence made sense, sort of the yin and yang, but [given] the vicious nature of the swamp and the insanity we see on a daily basis, you need someone who can take those hits," said Trump Jr.
"Marco Rubio: 'I've never talked to Donald Trump,' about Vice President post" via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics — Rubio continues to say that he has not talked to Trump or his team about running for Vice President, but strongly defended the former President during a weekend appearance on ABC News. At one point, ABC News' Jonathan Karl showed a clip of Rubio in 2016 calling Trump a "con artist" and telling Republican voters they should not vote for him. Rubio fired back that that was during the campaign and later in the interview said there was merit to Trump's assertion that he has immunity during acts that occurred while he was President. Rubio said anyone asked to be Trump's running mate should be "honored" but he also reiterated that he has no communication with anyone in the Trump campaign about the position.
Marco Rubio maintains he hasn't had any conversations about being Donald Trump's running mate.
"Trump wins Florida primary: What turnout, mail voting showed us" via Jay Cridlin of the Tampa Bay Times — Trump had already secured his party's presidential nomination with victories in primaries on March 12, but winning his adopted home state gives him that much more steam heading into this summer's Republican National Convention. Trump's support was slightly weaker among Floridians who voted early and by mail, with DeSantis and Haley combining for more than a quarter of those votes in some parts of the state. In Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties, Trump had 72.5% of mail-in votes, followed by Haley at 23% and DeSantis at 4.5%. Conversely, Trump garnered 90% of Tampa Bay's in-person vote on Tuesday, with Haley and DeSantis at 6.9% and 3.1%, respectively. DeSantis' best finish came in Leon County, where he lives in Tallahassee and ended up with 7.4%. (DeSantis' office did not respond to multiple requests about how or whether he voted.)
"Florida GOP candidate saddles up to show support for President Trump" via Frieda Powers of American Wire — A Republican contender for the House District 94 took time off of the campaign trail to saddle up on a different trail with Trump fans in a creative demonstration of support. Meg Weinberger, a candidate for House District 94, joined fellow Trump supporters for part of the trek spanning from West Palm Beach to Palm Beach Island, where the former president's Mar-a-Lago estate is located. But this was no ordinary Trump-flag-waving parade. Weinberger and her group showed their support while on horseback. The group, joined by top horse trainer Rick Steed who made the trip from his Ft. Myers home on the state's west coast, was well received as they traveled across the portion of Palm Beach County.
— DOWN BALLOT —
"'No. 1 is money:' Can Florida Democrats raise the cash to compete this year?" via Steven Lemongello of the Orlando Sentinel — The day after Tuesday's municipal elections, Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said the party had a "tremendous night … showing that Florida continues to be in play." DeSantis had another description of Florida Democrats: "the best opposition party we could ever ask for." Although this year's presidential and U.S. Senate races will be major challenges for Democrats, party leaders have cited Special Election victories earlier this year in Jacksonville and Central Florida as signs of a competitive playing field that could lead to winning back some legislative seats in November. Whether the party will raise enough money to contend, however, is another question.
If Florida Democrats hope to be competitive in 2024, Nikki Fried and the party will need to raise a lot of cash.
"Former Polk Commissioner Randy Wilkinson becomes eighth candidate in HD 48 race" via Gary White of the Lakeland Ledger — Wilkinson, a former Polk County School Board member and county Commissioner, has joined a crowded race for an open seat in the House. Wilkinson, 70, filed last week to run in House District 48. That seat is open as Rep. Sam Killebrew, a Winter Haven Republican, has served four terms, the maximum allowed. Wilkinson becomes the eighth candidate in the race, and all are Republicans. He joins Jon Albert, Jerry Carter, Chad Davis, Kenneth Hartpence, Deborah Owens, Amilee Stuckey and Benny Valentin as candidates. HD 48 covers much of eastern Polk County, stretching north to the Poinciana area and west to the Lakeland Highlands area. Wilkinson said he lives in Highland City.
— LOCAL: S. FL —
"Miami-Dade must start over on approving controversial project by Biscayne Bay, Judge says" via Douglas Hanks of the Miami Herald — Miami-Dade broke the rules in a 2022 vote to expand the county's Urban Development Boundary for an industrial project near Homestead, a Tallahassee Judge ruled, backing a state finding of a flawed approval process. The DeSantis administration contends Miami-Dade granted too many delays in allowing developer Aligned Real Estate Holdings to pursue County Commission approval to transform 380 acres of farmland into a project known as the South Dade Logistics and Technology complex. Construction there requires expanding the county's development zone farther into agricultural areas, and Commissioners narrowly passed the change over a veto by Mayor Daniella Levine Cava in late 2022, concluding a process that had its first Commission vote nearly a year earlier.
"Miami hires controversial administrator amid scandal. She says she did nothing wrong" via Joey Flechas of the Miami Herald — Facing his own controversy about his spouse's involvement in city business, Miami City Manager Art Noriega this week hired Doral's recently fired City Manager, a longtime administrator who lost her job amid allegations that her own spouse improperly benefited from city resources. Noriega made the hire as he faces his own wave of scrutiny over the city's furniture purchases with Pradere Manufacturing, a company owned by his in-laws that employs his wife. Barbara "Barbie" Hernandez, who was fired as Doral City Manager in January, will begin her new job as Miami's assistant city manager for operations on April 1. In her new role in Noriega's administration, she will be paid an annual salary of $235,000.
"Margate Police Chief retires amid scrutiny over text messages" via Lisa J. Huriash of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Margate's Police Chief announced his retirement the day after City Commissioners agreed to dock his pay during a six-month probation period where he could've faced being fired in the end anyway. In an email to the City Manager obtained by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Chief Joseph Galaska said he was retiring "on my own accord." "Under the current circumstances, my request to retire as soon as possible, and that I may be afforded to utilize accrued time until my request is approved, making my retirement effective immediately," he wrote. The City Manager informed City Commissioners by email minutes later that he would have the city's attorney draft a "separation/retirement" agreement for their consideration.
Rabbi, activist and former lawmaker Barry Silver died Thursday. He was 67. Image via RabbiBarrySilver.com.
"Prominent community activist, politician and lawyer Barry Silver dies at 67" via Chris Persaud of the Palm Beach Post — Rabbi Silver, a longtime prominent community activist, lawyer and former state lawmaker, has died at age 67 from colon cancer. The temple he co-founded, Congregation L'Dor Va-Dor, announced his death. Even when he was a boy, long before fighting for people's rights to seek abortions, wear thongs or feed the homeless, Silver was already honing his lifelong craft of rallying public attention to causes he championed — in this case, properly recycling newspapers. It was the 1960s in Stamford, Connecticut, when he and his four brothers convinced the city to start a recycling program separating newspapers from other trash, his brother Noah recalled.
— LOCAL: C. FL —
"onePulse dumps tax bill on Orange County" via the Orlando Sentinel — The onePulse Foundation left Orange County a parting gift when it went belly up: an unpaid property tax bill. The $50,000-plus obligation accompanied a piece of land on 438 W. Kaley St. that the group seeking to commemorate the Pulse nightclub manager bought with a county grant of tourist tax funds, and then handed over to the county in late 2023 when it announced its inability to build a promised museum on the site. "The Foundation has indicated they do not have the funds to pay the property taxes and, therefore, do not intend to do so," wrote Roseanne Harrington, Chief of Staff to Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, in a memo to the County Commission.
"Lake Wales Mayor Jack Hilligoss, a pastor, turns his church into a political force" via Gary White of the Lakeland Ledger — Hilligoss, senior pastor at HighPoint Church in Lake Wales, stood onstage on a recent Sunday morning, telling congregants that if they were not already registered to vote, they could "get right with God" and sign up after the service. Directing church members to a registration table, Hilligoss said they would find Lake Wales City Commissioner Danny Krueger, "who is a member of HighPoint Church and has been a fantastic Commissioner here for Lake Wales, and he needs your support. In fact, when you go to vote, just think of this: Danny and Danny. OK? That's all I'm going to say." That was a reference to the April 2 election, in which Krueger and fellow City Commissioner Daniel Williams face challengers.
Daniel Williams and Danny Kruger are each facing opposition in their re-election campaigns.
"Two incumbents face challengers in Lake Wales City Commission election" via Gary White of The Lakeland Ledger — Two incumbents are seeking second terms on the Lake Wales City Commission, with each facing at least one challenger in the April 2 election. Williams, elected in 2021 in Seat 2, is contending with a pair of newcomers to politics, Brandon Alvarado and Crystal Higbee. Krueger, who has held Seat 4 since 2022, is opposed by Carol Gillespie. Both seats have residency requirements, though voting is open to all city residents. Seat 2 encompasses the east portion of the city, while Seat 4 contains the northwest sections, including the Lake Ashton community. The winners of the nonpartisan elections will earn three-year terms.
— LOCAL: SW. FL —
"Recount confirms Teresa Heitmann as winner of Naples mayoral race" via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Mayor Heitmann won re-election following an expensive race that ran into overtime. Heitmann faced two challengers as she ran for re-election, former City Councilman Gary Price and sitting City Councilman Ted Blankenship. On Election Day, results showed Heitmann led Price by just 12 votes, around 0.1% of all votes cast, and a tight enough margin to trigger a recount. Of note, Heitmann's lead grew to 22 votes after the counting of accepted provisional ballots and the curing of several vote-by-mail ballots initially left uncounted for bad signatures. When a machine recount was conducted on Saturday, it confirmed that result, and Heitmann won with 3,269 votes to Price's 3,247. Blankenship received 2,049 votes.
Teresa Heitmann won re-election over challenger Gary Price by just 22 votes.
"Manatee County power failure spills thousands of gallons of Piney Point wastewater" via Victoria Villanueva-Marquez of the Bradenton Herald — A power outage at Manatee County's pretreatment facility forced the release of 6,000 gallons of untreated Piney Point wastewater, according to a pollution report filed with state officials. The spill, which has been reported to the Department of Environmental Protection, happened when a breaker tripped, cut power to the plant and left workers without a way to communicate. During the outage, workers discovered a transfer pump continued to send 6,000 gallons of wastewater from Piney Point to the pretreatment plant, which is meant to remove certain hazardous elements from the water before an injection well sends it thousands of feet below the surface. The spill stopped about 10 minutes later when workers manually shut off the pump.
"Manatee County approves new schools, and hires a new County Attorney" via Jesse Mendoza of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — Manatee County Commissioners approved plans for two new schools, and a high school expansion, in the Lakewood Ranch and Parrish communities. Commissioners approved the measures during a public land use meeting, where they also approved plans for a law enforcement academy that includes a shooting range, changes to plans for the Shops at Harrison Ranch, and a contract for new County Attorney Pamela D'Agostino. For the Manatee County School District to build a prototype K through 8 school at 17210 Academic Avenue in Lakewood Ranch, on about 40 acres of land. The 227,000-square-foot school facility would include a 24,404-square-foot gym and related infrastructure.
"Sarasota activist, former city official Kathy Kelley Ohlrich files to run against Eric Arroyo" via Christian Casale of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — A Sarasota activist and former city official announced she will challenge incumbent Arroyo to represent District 3 on the Sarasota City Commission. Kathy Kelley Ohlrich has been involved in local politics both inside and outside of City Hall, serving on Sarasota's Disability Advisory and Planning Boards, as well as the Glen Oaks Ridge representative for the Coalition of City Neighborhood Associations. "For the past few years, the city commissioners have made decisions without taking into consideration the needs and wants of their constituents, despite the significant impact these decisions have on neighborhoods. That's unacceptable," Ohlrich said in a statement. The Wisconsin native said she first visited Sarasota in 1976 and made the city her permanent home about 30 years later.
"Sarasota Commissioner didn't report his ties to Ken Thompson Park developer, officials say" via Christian Casale of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — Though Sarasota City Commissioner Eric Arroyo brought developer Jeffrey Koffman to City Hall in February to pitch a plan for private development at Ken Thompson Park, city officials did not learn the two of them had business ties until more than a month later. Those ties were to the company Koffman planned to use for what he envisioned as the revamped park's main attraction: A "park golf" course. Koffman co-owns Park Golf Entertainment, which he said is the sport of park golf's exclusive marketing arm in the U.S. However, neither Koffman nor Arroyo disclosed to city officials that the city commissioner was the company's registered agent.
"Sarasota County to allocate $40M toward affordable housing" via Heather Bushman of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — A pool of $40 million for developers looking to build affordable housing is up for grabs, Sarasota County announced. The Resilient SRQ Multifamily Affordable Housing project will allocate the funding to nonprofit developers, for-profit developers, local municipalities and public housing authorities that apply to build affordable units. The funding comes from a more than $200 million Community Development Block Grant Sarasota County will receive from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, per a press release. Applications must propose more than five units, and a minimum of 51% of them must be affordable.
— LOCAL: N. FL —
"HIV patients in Panhandle caught in the middle of nonprofits' contract dispute" via T.S. Strickland of WUWF — In late February, several dozen demonstrators rallied outside the offices of Okaloosa AIDS Support and Informational Services, also known as OASIS, in downtown Pensacola. It was a dramatic escalation in a conflict that has pitted OASIS, a small regional nonprofit, against the world's largest HIV and AIDS health care provider, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, also known as AHF. AHF has been criticized in the past for political advocacy work that some have argued has a tenuous connection to its mission, as well as its aggressive expansion tactics. AHF has filed dozens of lawsuits in jurisdictions across the country, and they are represented by one of the most powerful lobbyists in Florida, Brian Ballard, who has close ties to DeSantis and former President Trump.
— TOP OPINION —
"Are we in the midst of a political realignment?" via Nate Cohn of The New York Times — What's a realignment? It's a lasting shift in the partisan allegiance of the country, or at least a large demographic group. These are epochal, defining moments in American history.
An article in The Financial Times argues that America is undergoing a "racial realignment," seemingly based on the results of our last New York Times/Siena College poll, which found Biden leading by a slim 10 points among Non-White voters, a group that usually backs Democrats by 50-plus points.
This claim strikes me as, at best, premature. The General Election campaign is barely underway, and poll results in February do not constitute a realignment. No one should be remotely surprised if Biden ultimately reassembles his support among Black and Latino voters. Alternately, many of the dissenting voters may simply stay home, as they did in the Midterms. This would be bad for Biden, but it would be no realignment.
Perhaps a more interesting question is whether the current polling would count as a realignment if it held in the final results. Clearly, it would be a significant shift with hugely important electoral consequences, both now and beyond. In the final account, it might clearly demarcate a post-Civil Rights era, when Democrats could count on overwhelming support from nonwhite voters, from a new era when they cannot.
But even in the worst case for Democrats, Biden would probably still win among Black, Hispanic and Asian American voters. This would arguably fall short of counting as a wholesale realignment in political preferences.
If Trump's gains among working-class White voters ultimately extended to working-class Black and Latino voters as well, it would represent the culmination of a decadelong shift in American politics, whether you call it a realignment or not.
"Disney World's 25-year-old Fort Wilderness cabins make room for new ones" via Dewayne Bevil of the Orlando Sentinel — Walt Disney World is replacing and upgrading all 365 cabins at Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, a process that's part assembly line and part intricate dance. The existing cabins, in place since 1999, are manufactured homes on wheels. They'll be replaced with permanent structures the same size as their predecessors — 504 square feet. The first of the outgoing trailers rolled away this week. The replacement cabins will be Disney Vacation Club (DVC) properties, although they will be available to people who are not timeshare owners, too. The average price for the existing cabins has been about $500 per night. DVC members will be in the first set of new units on July 1.
— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —
Best wishes to the tripling-down-even-more-incredibly-talented-than-last-year-yes-we're-repeating-ourselves Sara Clements of Maguire Woods, former state Rep. John Cortes, Matt Floyd of Mosaic, Andrew Rutledge, and former Sen.Maria Sachs.
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Sunburn is authored and assembled by Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Daniel Dean, Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, and Drew Wilson.
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