DeSantis takes a position on Russia

Hello and welcome to Tuesday.

An answer — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — a potential contender for the 2024 presidential race — finally weighed in on Monday about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. DeSantis’ remarks came after he had come under persistent criticism for not saying anything about the topic even when he appeared last week at the Conservative Political Action Conference. The Republican governor has routinely sounded off on China, Israel, Cuba and, more recently, Canada and Australia.

Framing — DeSantis came down squarely in what POLITICO Nightly has called the “Blame Putin and Biden” camp. He labeled Putin an “authoritarian gas station attendant with some legacy nuclear weapons” and praised the Ukrainian resistance but he decried some of President Joe Biden’s decisions as weak. DeSantis, echoing former President Donald Trump’s CPAC remarks, also noted that Russia’s aggression occurred under a Democratic administration.

On the same side — But the question is what Florida should do in response. Well, in this instance you will find that a rare moment when Sen. Rick Scott — the state’s GOP former governor — and Democratic Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried are in agreement. Scott sent out a statement where he said “all levels of government” should take “every action possible.” “This is a blatant act of war and must be treated as such. No lobbyist should be working on behalf of Putin’s evil regime or those supporting it and no business should continue to do business with Russian organizations. Government at every level across the United States, and every American citizen, has a role to play in fighting against Russia’s tyranny.”

In Tallahassee — Fried on Monday — who has no control over Florida investments or holdings — sent a letter to the three trustees of the State Board of Administration (DeSantis, Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and Attorney General Ashley Moody) asking that they consider divesting from any Russian-backed entities. The state’s $195 billion pension plan holds about $300 million in “Russian domiciled investments,” according to the SBA. “It is imperative that we not only speak out against these attacks on democracy, but that we ensure Florida taxpayer dollars are not propping up the autocratic regime in Russia,” she wrote.

Reaction — The initial response from the three Republicans was a bit of a shrug with a spokesman for Patronis saying that while Putin is an “evil dictator,” Patronis did not believe this is “right time for clever hot takes” while buildings are being bombed and families killed. (Here’s where we note that Patronis has offered up takes on everything from In-N-Out Burger, the Olympics and Canadian truckers.)

Additional reactions — A spokeswoman for Moody only noted the SBA is already reviewing those investments. Yes, they are as part of their regular due diligence as financial managers. “We are in discussions with our managers and in the process of evaluating the ever-evolving regulatory and economic landscape regarding any holdings in Russia and will adjust our holdings accordingly,” said Dennis MacKee with the SBA. A spokeswoman for DeSantis also pointed to the SBA but added that Fried’s letter was not precise about what types of Russian investments should be targeted. “The letter lacks clarity, making the commissioner appear uninformed or perhaps confused,” Christina Pushaw wrote in an email. “Commissioner Fried claims ‘Florida is a well-known hub for Russian investments’ but does not quantify that or provide specific examples of what she means by ‘Russian investments.’”

— WHERE’S RON? — Nothing official announced for Gov. DeSantis.

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DATELINE D.C.

DESANTIS REFUSED TO SEND GUARD TO D.C. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Twitter on Monday that he had turned down a request to deploy Florida National Guard units to Washington, D.C., to help with security this week that coincides with President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address. The tweet garnered quite a lot of attention — as well as sharp criticism from Democrats — but the Republican governor did not explain the reasoning for his actions.

Response — Christina Pushaw, a spokeswoman for DeSantis, said the governor turned down the request from the Pentagon for help because it seemed “unnecessary” and appeared to be more about “political theatre.” The Pentagon last week authorized as many as 700 National Guard personnel to assist Metro D.C. police and Capitol Police to respond to what it called “First Amendment” demonstrations expected in the capital city. Law enforcement has been expecting a protest modeled after the trucker convoy protests in Canada. States that did send help included Vermont, New Jersey and West Virginia.

Fried rips into governor — Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, during a Twitter Spaces event on Monday, went after DeSantis, noting that he spent money on sending state law enforcement personnel to the Texas-Mexico border last year. She called his actions “unpatriotic,” according to the Floridian.

— “Rubio skipping SOTU over COVID-19 testing mandate: ‘I don’t have time,’” by The Hill’s Chloe Folmar

— “Rick Scott won’t commit to attending Joe Biden’s State of the Union,” by Florida Politics’ A.G. Gancarski

ANOTHER ONE — “Florida Democrat Deutch announces he won’t run for reelection,” by POLITICO’s Gary Fineout: Florida Rep. Ted Deutch is joining the exodus of Democrats leaving Congress, announcing on Monday that he would not seek another term for the safe South Florida seat he has held for the past 12 years. The Boca Raton Democrat and chair of the House Ethics Committee is stepping down in order to become chief executive officer for the American Jewish Committee….He is the 31st House Democrat to announce that they will not run for reelection.


Attracting a large field? — Deutch’s seat is solidly Democratic and appears likely to remain that way after redistricting. There are lots of names already being thrown around as possible candidates, including Broward County Commissioner Jared Moskowitz, a Democrat and former legislator who also served as the state’s emergency management chief under Gov. Ron DeSantis. Moskowitz told Playbook that he expects to make a decision this week.

Others in the mix — The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported that other potential candidates include Mark Bogen, who is also a Broward County commissioner, state Sen. Gary Farmer and Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis. State Rep. Chip LaMarca, a Lighthouse Point Republican, told the newspaper he was also thinking of running for the seat.

— “Sen. Rick Scott says his GOP agenda didn’t call for a tax increase. Experts think it did,” by PolitiFact’s Madison Czopek

CAMPAIGN MODE

DEMOCRATS GET A CANDIDATE — “Hattersley to challenge Patronis in CFO race,” by POLITICO’s Matt Dixon: Former Democratic state Rep. Adam Hattersley is challenging Republican CFO Jimmy Patronis, representing Democrats first viable Florida Cabinet candidate for the 2022 midterms. Hattersley served in the Florida House from 2018 to 2020 but the statehouse to run for the 15th Congressional District. He lost in the Democratic primary, and former Republican Rep. Ross Spano ultimately won the seat.

Looking for a way — The former U.S. Navy nuclear submarine officer will now make a statewide bid against Patronis, who will be a heavily-favored incumbent. Patronis has raised more than $2.2 million since the start of the 2022 election cycle between his campaign and an aligned political committee. “I am not denying it is going to be a tough race, but I would not be jumping in if I didn’t think I had a path to win,” Hattersley told POLITICO during a Monday interview.

‘YOUR VOTE WILL COUNT’ — “DeSantis praises controversial election laws as federal judge set to rule on 2021 measure,” by POLITICO’s Gary Fineout: The Republican governor asserted that the formation of a new elections office, as well as last year’s contentious election law, should reassure residents about the security of their vote. Republican groups have agitated for a full-blown audit of 2020 elections and right-wing groups continue to make unsubstantiated claims of fraud in Florida even though former President Donald Trump won the state handily.

Who’s on the 2022 ballot again? — “We’re proud to be the leader in this,” DeSantis said during a press conference in Vero Beach. “And I can tell you this …I am very confident to tell Floridians that your vote will count in 2022. Don’t worry. A lot of work has gone into it. But your vote will absolutely count.”

Coming soon — Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker on Monday canceled a final hearing in the case and said instead he will try to work quickly to weigh thousands of pages of evidence, court briefs and testimony over whether the 2021 law discriminates against minorities, the elderly and voters who are disabled. Walker said in a court filing that “time is of the essence” but added that “now this court will tackle the multitude of issues in the same way — indeed, the only way — one eats an elephant: one bite at a time.”

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

YOUR LEGISLATURE AT WORK — “As Floridians face massive rent hikes, problem takes a backseat to culture wars in Legislature,” by Orlando Sentinel’s Skyler Swisher: “As housing costs skyrocket in Florida, measures that aim to help tenants struggling with soaring rent hikes have gone unheard in the Legislature. Legislation has languished that would require landlords to provide more notice of impending rent hikes, allow local government to impose rent control measures and shield pregnant women from eviction.”

NO COMPROMISE — “A Republican tried to soften Florida’s ‘don’t say gay’ bill. That didn’t work out,” by Tampa Bay Times’ Kirby Wilson and Miami Herald’s Ana Ceballos: “A Republican state senator offered an amendment to the so-called ‘don’t say gay’ bill Monday in an attempt to reduce partisan tensions over one of the most controversial measures of the legislative session. His GOP colleagues voted the idea down, then voted to move the bill to a full Senate vote. Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, argued that his amendment would fix the most contentious portion of House Bill 1557, which would bar schools from teaching lessons on gender identity or sexual orientation in kindergarten through third grade — or in ways that are not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate in other grades.”

MOVING ALONG— “PFAS bills readied for House, Senate floor votes,” by POLITICO’s Bruce Ritchie: Bills that have cleared their House and Senate committee hearings without opposition would block the state from setting or enforcing cleanups for hazardous “PFAS” chemicals that are used in household items like stain-resistant carpets.

Response — But a national environmental group representative on Monday called the legislation “wimpy” because she said it largely relies on the EPA rather than the state to take action when she said the federal agency has shown little willingness to do so. “EPA is being a wimp but Florida is being wimpier,” Kyla Bennett of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a government environmental watchdog group, told POLITICO.

— “Florida Legislature: Seven things to watch in the final two weeks,” by Miami Herald’s Mary Ellen Klas

— “Bill hiking payout caps for lawsuits against government clears final House committee,” by Florida Politics’ Jesse Scheckner

— “FL School Board member salaries appear to be on hold in Legislature; now it’s a question of term limits,” by Florida Phoenix’s Danielle J. Brown

— “Fentrice Driskell questions if two-map solution will pass court muster,” by Florida Politics’ Jacob Ogles

— “Bill requiring hospitals, nursing homes, ALFs to allow visitors passes last House panel,” by Florida Politics’ Christine Jordan Sexton

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

DEADLINES — “Florida hospitals trying for 100 percent COVID vaccine rates for workers as mandate looms,” by Miami Herald’s Daniel Chang: “After months of paying bonuses to persuade employees to get vaccinated or hitting them with extra training and penalties if they didn’t, Florida hospital leaders say their institutions are well on the way to complying with a federal mandate to inoculate their workers against COVID-19. As of Monday, hospitals were required to have all workers fully vaccinated or to grant them an approved exemption, though federal regulators are giving facilities more time to comply with the mandate without being penalized — as long as they have achieved at least a 90% compliance rate.”

‘I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY I AM HERE’ — “She refused to wear a mask at a West Boca restaurant. In court, she led supporters in prayers as she called for mercy,” by Sun Sentinel’s Eileen Kelley: “Some were moved to tears as their new friend, an ardent anti-masker, lay on the ground leading her faithful followers in prayer and calling for mercy. Over and over for a solid 10 minutes. But there were no tents and stage lights for this revival; instead, there was a very patient judge, multiple bailiffs and some 30 supporters of Cindy Falco-DiCorrado, a Boynton Beach woman who was arrested in January 2021 for causing a ruckus at a West Boca bagel shop when she shouted at customers and employees about their rights to stay mask-free.”

PENINSULA AND BEYOND

HITTING HOME — “Florida is already seeing climate change. New global report says it could worsen,” by Miami Herald’s Alex Harris: “The nearly 2,000-page report had a global focus, but Florida was repeatedly used as an example of a place where the impacts of climate change were already being felt, both economically and environmentally. The report specifically mentions Florida multiple times, including: Tidal flooding worsened by sea rise has led to almost $500 million in lost real estate value from 2005 to 2016 in Miami-Dade alone, ‘and it is likely that coastal flood risks in the region beyond 2050 will increase without adaptation to climate change.’ Miami-Dade’s efforts to raise roads and build stormwater pumps have raised property values, leading to inequality for vulnerable populations Floridians could be forced to retreat from the coast as sea levels rise.”

UM, WHAT? — “Prescription drugs are contaminating Florida’s marine life, researchers find,” by Inside Climate News’ Aman Azhar: “Fish and marine life off South Florida’s coast are ingesting high amounts of pharmaceuticals flushed down the drain or excreted in wastewater, because outdated treatment facilities are unable to detect and filter out the contaminants. Results from a study by researchers at Florida International University’s Coastal Fisheries Research Lab have identified 58 different pharmaceuticals in 93 bonefish, sampled along a 200-mile stretch of South Florida’s coastline over a three-year period. In one case, the researchers found 16 different drugs in a single fish.”

FIRST IN FLORIDA PLAYBOOK — Nolan and Michael Greenwald are co-chairing the inaugural Palm Beach Summit on Countering Anti-Semitism in partnership with the Palm Beach Synagogue on March 15 at the Colony Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida. This summit will convene current and former senior U.S. officials as well as foundations, schools, and local organizations discuss tackling the growing domestic and international threat of antisemitism.

— “Suncoast Parkway opens into Citrus County,” by Tampa Bay Times’ Barbara Behrendt

ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN

— “Derek Jeter leaves post as Miami Marlins’ CEO, shareholder,” by The Associated Press’ Tim Reynolds: “Derek Jeter went into the offseason talking about the Miami Marlins spending more money on contracts, figuring out ways to contend and continuing to build for the future. His focus — or the Marlins’ focus — apparently has changed since. And now, the Hall of Fame player has left the organization, both as its CEO and a shareholder. Jeter announced a surprise departure from the Miami Marlins on Monday after 4 1/2 mostly unsuccessful years that didn’t come remotely close to matching his success as a player for the New York Yankees.”

WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Katie Miller, a communications consultant and a Trump WH alum, and Stephen Miller, founder of America First Legal and a Trump WH alum, on Friday welcomed Jackson Grant Miller, who joins big sister Mackenzie. Pic ... Another pic

BIRTHDAYS: Former Rep. Carlos Curbelo … state Rep. Travaris McCurdy … POLITICO’s Lorraine Woellert ... Journalist and writer Rosanne Dunkelberger