See, it ain't about the money or even being number one
You gotta know when it's all over, you did the best you could've done
And knowing that it's in you and you never let it out
is worse than blowing any engine or any wreck you'll ever have
Emails and text messages obtained by POLITICO show Florida’s new election law was drafted with the help of the Republican Party of Florida’s top lawyer — and that a crackdown on mail-in ballot requests was seen as a way for the GOP to erase the edge Dems had in 2020.
.
@RonDeSantisFL
goes on TV and calls Gillum "articulate" and says he "performed well" during debates, but that we don't need to "monkey this up" by electing
@AndrewGillum
Democratic chairwoman Terrie Rizzo blasts DeSantis and says he is using"racist dog whistles."
Democrats on floor told that some Republicans are calling their actions an “insurrection.” They respond that they have a right to be in House.
@SusanLValdes
says they didn’t break windows or bust down doors
Inbox from
@NikkiFried
- “Any Member of the Florida House who stayed on the floor in protest of the racist, unconstitutional maps proposed by Ron DeSantis will receive an automatic endorsement from me. These brave members of the legislature will will receive funding" from her PC
As expected
@GovRonDeSantis
signed the bill that would complete shield his travel records from the public. It takes effect immediately and since it's retroactive it wipes out any pending record requests made for those records.
Boom.
@GovRonDeSantis
vows Disney will not win battle with state. Says Fla Leg will void development agmt & says since Disney "opened" things back up the state will "look" at hotel taxes, look at putting tolls on roads, look at developing property owned by new district
One text message exchange showed RPOF chair Joe Gruters defending a Senate proposal to cancel all existing mail-in ballot requests, saying that it would be “devastating” for Republicans to keep them valid heading into the 2022 election
Florida
@GovRonDeSantis
says whether he got a booster shot is a "private matter" and he wasn't going to let it "be a weapon" for people to use. Former President Trump last week said it was "gutless" for politicians to avoid answering the question
Did you know? Florida's surgeon general - Dr. Scott Rivkees - was once chair of the dept of pediatrics at UF College of Medicine. He once served as a professor of pediatrics at Yale... So maybe at some point he will talk to the public about the current surge & children. Maybe.
Florida's unemployment rate has jumped from 10.4% in June to 11.3% in July. Fla was one of 9 states nationally that saw its unemployment rate go higher
A week after his education commissioner issued an executive order that says brick and mortar schools have to be open 5 days a week (absent health officials saying otherwise)
@GovRonDeSantis
now says "I am not going to dictate" what school districts do. ????
In a stinging defeat for Gov. Ron DeSantis and Fla. Legislature, a Florida judge said he will temporarily block a new law that would prohibit all abortions in the state after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
The emails and texts were handed over in discovery to those challenging Florida's election law in federal court. POLITICO put in a records request to House, Senate and governor's office for the items
New: On Wednesday, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement told POLITICO that it had found nothing illegal in an effort pushed by New York City billionaire Mike Bloomberg and others to help pay off the fines and fees of convicted felons seeking to become eligible to vote.
Gruters to House sponsor Blaise Ingoglia: “We cannot make up ground. Trump campaign spent 10 million. Could not cut down lead,” he said about mail-in ballot requests
Florida
@GovRonDeSantis
today signed a bill shielding spaceflight companies from liability if a crew member is killed during spaceflight activities. Among the companies that lobbied on the bill was SpaceX - the company controlled by Elon Musk.
Breaking: A federal judge Sunday night sided with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings in a fight with Florida over vaccine passports, granting the cruise line’s request for a preliminary injunction that blocks a state law barring businesses from requiring proof of vaccination.
Gruters (R-Sarasota) also said it would hurt the GOP in non-partisan races, noting that “our school board member got killed” in a local race. Gruters last week filed legislation that would ask voters to make school board races partisan.
In a hefty ruling where Judge Mark Walker goes over some of Florida's recent legislative history, he strikes down several provisions of last year's election law. BUT he also rules that Fla must obtain preclearance from the fed court before it enacts new elex laws in key areas
Fla. Ag Commissioner
@NikkiFriedFL
says she will order offices under her direction to ignore
@GovRonDeSantis
directive to lower flags to half-staff for Rush Limbaugh. DeSantis announced his intent to honor Limbaugh at a campaign-styled event on Friday
Inbox: Ellen Freidin, Fair Districts Now: "Under unthinkable pressure from the governor, the legislature has passed what is probably the most intentionally partisan and racist congressional map in the history of Florida" Says map violates standards approved by voters
Fla. Leg decided to shorten the time mail-in ballot requests are valid, but didn't cancel current ones. When asked about his text messages, Gruters said “what I said in my text message was accurate. I think the failure to do a reset will have a detrimental impact going forward.”
Today
@GovRonDeSantis
appointed the CEO of
@FullSail
University - a private, for-profit university - to the board that oversees Florida's public university system. Full Sail competes with public universities for students.
There have been conversations about challenging the law on the grounds that it's very broad and goes beyond the state's open records provision adopted by voters and placed in the Florida Constitution
"At some point, when the Florida Legislature passes law after law disproportionately burdening Black voters, this court can no longer accept that the effect is incidental," Walker wrote
"Based on the indisputable pattern set out above, this court finds that, in the past 20 years, Florida has repeatedly sought to make voting tougher for Black voters because of their propensity to favor Democratic candidates," the judge wrote
Florida Gov.
@GovRonDeSantis
says he "fell asleep" during portions of the SOTU - says with 3 kids it's hard to stay up after 9. But with that said he said that many of the problems in US re inflation, gas prices were caused by Biden
And away we go -
@NelsonForSenate
put out a statement - says that
@ScottforFlorida
prematurely declared victory. "We are proceeding to a recount," Nelson said.
Fla.
@GovRonDeSantis
this a.m. in Akron, Ohio: "Politics is not entertainment, it’s not about building a brand on social media ... It’s about delivering results." He also noted Fla GOP big victory in November & media coverage of Fla Dems demise. "That's what you call winning."
Oh hey the governor's office at 11:24 p.m. sends out release saying
@GovRonDeSantis
has signed 5 bills. One of them was HB 1, but he also signed the bill that will require Floridians to pay sales taxes for online purchases
Florida Dems
@FlaDems
announce that Illinois Gov.
@JBPritzker
@GovPritzker
will be the keynote speaker at their Leadership Blue Gala this weekend in Tampa
Florida
@GovRonDeSantis
signed into law today a bill that immediately closes off to the public key parts of the search process for university and community college presidents - some of the highest paid jobs in state government ....
During debate on voucher expansion, GOP Rep. John Snyder says Fla schools are "failing" and that too many children are not reading as they should. Saying that Fla public schools are failing runs against the normal Fla Republican line. GOP has controlled Fla government since 1999
Suspended State Attorney Monique Worrell says she remains the "duly elected" prosecutor - "Nothing done by a weak dictator" changes that. Says he took action against her to help his failing presidential campaign
"And so they can keep trying to do things. But ultimately we’re going to win on every single issue involving Disney I can tell you that," said DeSantis.
Fla
@GovRonDeSantis
has spent close to $140 million out of a state emergency fund on Israeli flights, sending troopers to the southwestern border, and a response to people trying to come from Cuba & Haiti to the Keys. The fund may soon have a shortfall ...
Big big news in this story -
@marcorubio
tells NYT that in fact THERE WAS AN INTRUSION in Fla by Russian hackers in 2016 - Completely contradicting
@SenRickScott
who attacked Sen. Bill Nelson over it. In 2018 Rubio refused to confirm or deny the issue when it flared up
There you have it. Fla Supreme Court lets recreational marijuana amendment and abortion rights amendment on the ballot.
But on same day the court has upheld Fla's existing 15-week ban on abortion, which means a six-week ban will soon come into law ....
Former President Donald Trump going after Fla latest election law: "I couldn’t care less if Ron DeSanctus runs, but the problem is the Bill he is about to sign, which allows him to run without resigning from being Governor, totally weakens Election Integrity in Florida..."
Florida's surgeon general says "there's total dishonesty" about vaccines, says they can't guarantee safe workplaces, and breakthrough infections are not rare but "common." Suggests people do not know everything about adverse reactions...and then the feed went dark
Fla Leg releases bills for next week's special session on Friday night 3 days before the bills have their first hearing .... In essence, the taxpayers will continue to bail out insurers, rates will likely go up for a lot of folks in the state, and insurers will avoid lawsuits
Fla AG Moody launches antitrust investigation after FSU football snub via
@politico
.... "I’m a lifelong Gator, but I’m also the Florida attorney general, and I know injustice when I see it,” Moody said in a statement shared first with POLITICO
Final set of Fla numbers ahead of today
Vote-by-mail
2.14M Democrats
1.47M Republicans
1.11M NPA/3rd-party
Early vote
1.95M Republicans
1.4M Democrats
971K NPA/3rd-party
About a 115k Dem edge in raw totals
Fla
@GovRonDeSantis
just announced that he's hired Larry Keefe, former US attorney as a "public safety czar." Keefe is a former law partner of Matt Gaetz
@GovRonDeSantis
“They are not superior to the people of Florida,” DeSantis said during an evening appearance at Hillsdale College. “So come hell or high water we’re going to make sure that policy of Florida carries the day...."
This has been up a little while. Sign on church front in downtown Tallahassee on street that runs from Governor’s mansion to Capitol. Near fed courthouse
Fla. Dept of Law Enforcement announced its agents along with Fla Highway Patrol have arrested a Cape Canaveral man for hanging swastikas and other anti-Semitic banners along a bridge over I-4 back in June. The suspect will be charged with criminal mischief ....
Florida has now acknowledged the state was involved in migrant flights to California. State officials released video and information to certain outlets
My latest EXCLUSIVE: Florida Releases Video Showing Migrants Signing Waivers, Celebrating Arrival In California: ‘They Treated Us Very Well!’
@DailyCaller
Lawsuit already filed in federal court this a.m. in Tallahassee against elections bill signed by Gov. DeSantis. and one of the lawyers on it is yes
@marceelias
Fla.
@GovRonDeSantis
has agreed to meet with Disney CEO amid the controversy over "parental rights" bill that is called the "don't say gay" bill by its critics. But governor's campaign put out a fundraising pitch tonight that takes aim at "Woke Disney"
The Florida Legislature voted unanimously in 2016 to eliminate the words absentee & absentee ballot to vote by mail and vote by mail ballot to avoid confusion over what is allowed in the state - which is no-excuse required vote by mail
Here’s the text chain from the Republican, who works in FL politics, where he says absentee ballots & vote-by-mail ballots are the same
Amazing how something that was not a debatable issue or point —something we all accepted— now needs to be debated
F bombs in Senate panel taking up bathroom bill. "Ya'll are here to play a role in Gov. Ron DeSantis' election as president. ... And you know what? When he gets that position he’s going to leave you all behind just like he did the rest of the f------ Floridians."
Fla
@GovRonDeSantis
asked to "please" decriminalize marijuana by 2025. He said he's not going to do that. Said marijuana has gotten stronger and things are being added to it. Wants to keep it away from kids. "We have too many people using drugs in our country right now."
County commissioner says Gov. DeSantis directly worked with a local developer to make sure only select county residents got access to vaccine....here's the story -
More COVID vaccine coming to Manatee. Only residents of these two zip codes can get it
Univ. of Fla. College of Journalism and Communications is launching "Fresh Take Florida," described as "an effort to provide coverage of Florida state government at a time when state capitals are increasingly under-covered." UF will have 6 ppl working out of Times/Herald bureau
@GovRonDeSantis
The poll found 72 percent of those surveyed did not think the state should reopen by the end of April and 76% said the state should only reopen when it's deemed safe by public health experts