| | | | |  | | By Kimberly Leonard | Presented by Duke Energy | | 
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during his primary night event at the Sheraton hotel in Nashua, N.H., on Jan. 23, 2024. | Jamie Kelter Davis for POLITICO | Good morning and happy Friday. Donald Trump is suddenly getting involved publicly with Florida’s Republican Party. On social media during the last week, Trump endorsed state Sen. Joe Gruters of Sarasota to fill Florida’s committeeman seat on the Republican National Committee and Miami City Commissioner Kevin Cabrera for vice chair of the Republican Party of Florida. The endorsements are notable given that Trump didn’t weigh in publicly over whether ex-chair Christian Ziegler should resign amid a rape investigation (or who should replace him). But Gruters and Cabrera are among Trump’s longtime allies here. Gruters was the Florida state chair for Trump’s 2016 campaign while Cabrera was state director in Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign. He also works at the Trump-aligned think tank America First Policy Institute. Florida Republicans are getting behind Trump, too. They’ll vote to formally endorse him for president at the Feb. 10 party meeting in Wesley Chapel. Across the state, grassroots members have been holding straw polls or endorsements that favored Trump, even before Gov. Ron DeSantis dropped out of the race. Rep. Dean Black, who chairs the Duval County GOP, will be posting the motion to support Trump. He told Playbook he shared his plans with Florida GOP Chair Evan Power after DeSantis suspended his presidential campaign. Black was one of the few members of the Legislature to stay neutral in the primary, telling Playbook it ensured “nobody is happy with you.” But because of that, he thinks he’s the right person to file the motion in a couple of weeks. Though Nikki Haley is still in the race, he says she has “zero chance” of getting the nomination. He also thinks “we have not heard the last” of DeSantis when his term ends as governor in about three years. “He has an incredible future,” he said. “Primaries are always contentious and stressful,” Black said. “They're healthy and they're an essential part of what we do. But when the people have spoken and made their wishes clear, it’s time to unify. The period of unification is always cathartic.” Power said the Florida GOP’s decision would occur by voice vote “as I find few people who would be opposed.” “The primary is over, there is not a path forward for anyone else to be the nominee,” he said. “Instead of an internal pointless battle we should focus 100 percent on defeating Joe Biden.” — WHERE'S RON? Gov. DeSantis is holding a press conference in Kissimmee at 10 a.m. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch at: kleonard@politico.com | | | | A message from Duke Energy: Duke Energy is working to significantly improve energy reliability, and make the grid stronger and more secure, while also cutting carbon emissions. Strategic investments in equipment upgrades and grid technology are helping reroute power to avoid outages and keep the lights on for Florida’s growing communities. See more ways Duke Energy is building a smarter, more reliable energy future. | | |
|  | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | |
TODAY — Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker is set to hear arguments in Tallahassee in a First Amendment lawsuits filed by pro-Palestine student groups against Gov. Ron DeSantis and state education officials.
TRY AGAIN — Florida wants a do-over on a recent appeals court decision that sided with suspended Hillsborough County prosecutor Andrew Warren in his ongoing legal battle with Gov. Ron DeSantis. Florida Solicitor General Henry Whitaker, who works for Attorney General Ashley Moody, on Thursday formally requested that the entire 11th Circuit Court of Appeals reconsider the ruling handed down earlier this month by a panel of appeals court judges. The judges found that Warren, a Democrat from Tampa who was twice elected state attorney, was likely removed in violation of his First Amendment rights and that a lower court judge should reconsider the case. In that decision, the judges also suggested that Warren could be reinstated by the federal courts. Lawyers representing the DeSantis administration had already said in previous legal filings they would likely challenge the decision and followed through with a lengthy motion. In his brief, Whitaker called the decision backing Warren “deeply flawed” and that the opinion “strikes an unprecedented blow against a state’s sovereign interest in managing its officials and ensuring the faithful execution of its laws.” Whitaker maintained the appeals court panel did not properly interpret previous court rulings on government speech and free speech rights. He argued that the ruling is “transforming the First Amendment from a shield against government oppression into a sword against a governor’s disciplinary actions.” DeSantis suspended Warren, an elected Democrat, in August 2022 after asserting Warren was neglecting his duty because he took such actions as signing a pledge promising to not enforce a newly enacted ban on abortion. Warren sued DeSantis in federal court and asserted his suspension was carried out for political reasons. DeSantis repeatedly mentioned his suspension of Warren in both his re-election campaign and his campaign for president. — Gary Fineout | | | | JOIN 1/31 FOR A TALK ON THE RACE TO SOLVE ALZHEIMER’S: Breakthrough drugs and treatments are giving new hope for slowing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and ALS. But if that progress slows, the societal and economic cost to the U.S. could be high. Join POLITICO, alongside lawmakers, official and experts, on Jan. 31 to discuss a path forward for better collaboration among health systems, industry and government. REGISTER HERE. | | | | |
SOUTHEAST IMPACT — “7,000 women traveled to Florida for abortions in 2023. Key court rulings could soon end those journeys,” reports the Orlando Sentinel’s Caroline Catherman. “This was the closest place they could legally get an abortion, given that the majority of the South banned the procedure after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June 2022 that abortion laws should be left up to the states. In total, one out of 10 of Florida’s 78,250 recorded abortions last year was done on an out-of-state resident.”
UNDERAGE WORKING — Florida joins nationwide push to rewrite labor laws for minors, reports POLITICO’s Lawrence Ukenye. State GOP lawmakers are trying to advance legislation that would allow teenagers to work longer hours and take jobs on construction sites. While they argue these efforts are designed to help families put more money in their pockets, some advocates fear these rollbacks could hinder academic performance and violate federal law. OVERHAUL — “Florida State Guard could operate outside of the state if new bill becomes law,” reports News Service of Florida’s Jim Turner. “The Florida State Guard, revived by DeSantis, could operate outside Florida and be called into service anytime he ‘deemed necessary,’ under a bill approved Thursday by a House panel.” CARE INTERRUPTED— “Trans women in Florida prisons say a new law has upended their health care,” reports Beth Schwartzapfel of The Marshall Project. “They say medications and other accommodations have been abruptly changed or delayed with little or no explanation. In 2017, a five-person panel, the Gender Dysphoria Review Team, was created to approve gender dysphoria diagnoses before incarcerated people could begin treatment. Since the law’s passage last May, those whose treatment depends on the team say they have waited for months. Some have been told the team isn’t meeting at all now, leaving them in what they describe as a ‘twilight zone.’” — “While many home insurance companies are leaving Florida, these 6 are opening soon,” reports Brandon Girod of the Pensacola News Journal TOPLINE DIFFERENCES — House, Senate unveil initial environmental spending proposals, per POLITICO’s Bruce Ritchie. House and Senate initial spending proposals are far apart on spending for conservation easements, Indian River Lagoon sewer systems and projects to counter sea level rise and flooding. — “Southern Plains bumble bee, found in Florida, could soon become an endangered species,” reports Brandon Girod of the Pensacola News Journal | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | | | | | A message from Duke Energy:   | | |
MARK YOUR CALENDARS — Walt Disney World and the DeSantis-backed district have agreed to a June 24 trial date for a public records lawsuit, per the Orlando Sentinel’s Skyler Swisher.
BOARD FALLOUT — “Florida students protest imminent closing of university LGBTQ+ center,” reports NBC News’ Matt Lavietes. “The protest took place the day the Florida Board of Governors, the governing body of the State University System of Florida, voted to prohibit funding for diversity, equity and inclusion programs and activities at the state’s public universities.” ABORTION LAWS — “A Miami-Dade County abortion clinic will pay a $10,000 fine as part of a settlement with the state over allegations that the clinic did not properly comply with a law requiring information to be provided to women at least 24 hours before abortions,” reports News Service of Florida. | | CAMPAIGN MODE | |
POST-PRIMARY — “In his first official act since dipping out of the 2024 presidential race, Gov. Ron DeSantis attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the filling of the first cell of the 6,500-acre stormwater treatment area that's part of the Everglades Agricultural Area reservoir,” per Ed Killer of Treasure Coast Newspapers.
STATE HOUSE RACE — “Boca Raton Democrat starts 2024 bid to unseat Republican with $378,000 in campaign cash,” reports the Palm Beach Post’s Stephany Matat. “Jay Shooster, a consumer protection attorney, accumulated the funds via two channels, his campaign account and through his political action committee, Future Leaders Florida.” ENDORSEMENT — The Florida Democratic Party is backing former state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith for Florida Senate District 17. He has raised more than $350,000 for the race. | | | | YOUR GUIDE TO EMPIRE STATE POLITICS: From the newsroom that doesn’t sleep, POLITICO's New York Playbook is the ultimate guide for power players navigating the intricate landscape of Empire State politics. Stay ahead of the curve with the latest and most important stories from Albany, New York City and around the state, with in-depth, original reporting to stay ahead of policy trends and political developments. Subscribe now to keep up with the daily hustle and bustle of NY politics. | | | | | | | DATELINE D.C. | | | |  Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL). | Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images | VEEPSTAKES — “Marco Rubio shoots down VP trial balloon,” reports Florida Politics’ A.G. Gankarski. “During a Fox News interview, the Senator rebuffed a question from host Brian Kilmeade about being Trump’s running mate. ‘Well, we’re both from the same state, so that’s probably not going to work that way,’ Rubio said.” THIS WEEKEND — “Jill Biden to visit Palm Harbor on Saturday,” reports Allison Ross of the Tampa Bay Times. “She is scheduled to speak Saturday afternoon at a fundraiser for the Biden Victory Fund in Palm Harbor.” | | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | |
— “Florida Legislature has a Jimmy Buffett Day at Capitol, plans for 'Margaritaville' plate,” per Elena Barrera of the Tallahassee Democrat
BIRTHDAYS: Tallahassee Democrat’s Byron Dobson ... Dave Royse, author and journalist ... Jan Pudlow, former senior editor at The Florida Bar and former journalist … (Saturday) Former U.S. Rep. John Mica …. Doug Bell of Metz, Husband & Daughton … (Sunday) Helen Kalla with LotSixteen … Jason Lyons, founder and CEO of Wall Street Conference | | | | A message from Duke Energy: As Florida communities grow, Duke Energy is focused on delivering the most reliable energy – with new grid technology that reroutes power to avoid outages, equipment upgrades to make the grid stronger, security enhancements to prevent physical or cyberattacks, and better communication to keep customers in the know.
Learn more about how Duke Energy is improving the electric grid to make it stronger, smarter and more resilient. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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