| | | | |  | | By Kimberly Leonard | |  South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem speaks in Oxon Hill, Md., Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. | Alex Brandon, File/AP | Good morning and welcome to Tuesday. Last night, the governor bragged about keeping the state open during Covid, authorizing restrictions on transgender rights and sending troops to the U.S.-Mexico border. Then the governor topped it off with a broadside against the media. But the governor was not Ron DeSantis. She was Kristi Noem. The Republican of South Dakota was in West Palm Beach promoting her new book, “No Going Back.” The political memoir has gotten a lot of backlash because of a section where she writes about killing her unruly dog, Cricket, and because of several continued rounds of scrutiny over her portrayal of events, one of which is false and has to be corrected. Last night, Noem boasted about winning elections and repeatedly praised Donald Trump, who wasn’t there but was the idol of the audience in attendance, the Club 47 Trump fan club. In other words, it had all the elements of a vice presidential try out, even though Noem isn’t likely to get the nod, POLITICO previously reported. But what stood out about her remarks was how similar her policy victory lap sounded to a DeSantis stump speech. When she talked about how South Dakota bucked other states, she didn’t liken her conservative policies to those here in Florida — even though most members of the audience were Floridians. After the event, three different attendees told Playbook that Noem’s Covid policies were attractive to them, even if they didn’t see her as a possible vice president. Though they harbored no ill will over it, they also noted that DeSantis initially locked down the state before soon reversing course. The big difference between the way Noem talked about Covid and the way DeSantis did was that Noem edited out the fact that Trump was president during this period, whereas DeSantis made it a key contrasting element when he entered the presidential race. It’s not clear whether Noem’s omission to give Florida some credit for similar conservative bona fides was intentional. She did, however, make one particularly ears-perking remark by criticizing people who’d run against Trump and were now aiming to get into his good graces. DeSantis is one of those people, though so are several others considered to be on Trump's VP shortlist, including some who ran in 2016. “Now they're back on your team, aren't they — begging for help?” she said she told Trump, not naming anyone in particular. “‘Oh, Mr. President, we think you're so fantastic,’" she continued, impersonating other politicians. “Why would you run against him then? He obviously was the right plan from the beginning.” If the dig was meant to include DeSantis, it wouldn’t be the first time. Before DeSantis entered the presidential primary, Noem’s office criticized him to the National Review because, at the time, he hadn’t signed a restrictive abortion bill into law. DeSantis’ office declined to comment. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch at: kleonard@politico.com. | | | | THE GOLD STANDARD OF POLICY REPORTING & INTELLIGENCE: POLITICO has more than 500 journalists delivering unrivaled reporting and illuminating the policy and regulatory landscape for those who need to know what’s next. Throughout the election and the legislative and regulatory pushes that will follow, POLITICO Pro is indispensable to those who need to make informed decisions fast. The Pro platform dives deeper into critical and quickly evolving sectors and industries—finance, defense, technology, healthcare, energy—equipping policymakers and those who shape legislation and regulation with essential news and intelligence from the world’s best politics and policy journalists.
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DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | |  Metal remains of a building lie in the road at the entrance to Railroad Square in Tallahassee, Fla., Friday, May 10, 2024. | Phil Sears/AP | IN TORNADOES’ WAKE — “Tallahassee senior apartments left without power for four days after storms, tornadoes,” reports of USA Today Network — Florida. “Brookestone Senior Residences, which has more than 100 units of affordable housing for seniors … [has] been without power since Friday's storms, meaning no lights, no elevators for those who can't take stairs and no electricity for at-home dialysis … On Sunday, someone posted there were residents walking along Apalachee Parkway, near where the building is located, asking for food. Management hadn't been at the complex since Thursday, residents said, and wheelchair-bound and disabled tenants were stuck on the second and third floors.” MEANWHILE — “Gov. DeSantis signs bill raising age to strip in Florida, combats human trafficking,” reports Douglas Soule of USA Today Network — Florida. “Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Monday afternoon that bans anyone younger than the drinking age from working at an ‘adult entertainment establishment,’ affecting not only strip clubs but places like adult movie theaters and libraries, too.” HITTING THE AIRWAVES — Smart & Safe Florida, the organization pushing for voters to support legalizing adult-use marijuana, is out with four ads today that will run on TV, radio and digital. The group is spending $5 million on this round, in which the messaging focuses on how people would have access to regulated cannabis rather than what’s available on the black market, which could be tainted. The ads include “Vote Yes,” “Freedom,” “Available” and “Clear Choice.” DROPPED — “Group drops federal voter eligibility lawsuit against Florida and DeSantis,” reports POLITICO’s Gary Fineout. “The group that pushed to restore voting rights for most convicted felons in Florida is abruptly dropping its federal lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis and local elections officials. The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition filed the lawsuit last July and asserted that the voter eligibility process in the state was intimidating, confusing and unconstitutional. But after holding a confidential mediation session last week, the group now says that new rules being developed by Secretary of State Cord Byrd and the state’s elections office may render its lawsuit “moot,” according to a report filed with the court on Monday.” BIG INTERVIEW — “New Florida ACLU leader vows to fight ‘repressive’ new laws,” reports Dara Kam of News Service of Florida. “Saying the country is at a “deeply, deeply disturbing” juncture, Bacardi Jackson — a veteran litigator whose civil-rights advocacy is in her family history — is taking the mantle as executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida. Jackson started the job Monday amid a growing number of challenges to laws passed by the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. During a wide-ranging interview with The News Service of Florida, Jackson said she views her new position as an opening to spur action at a critical juncture in the history of the state and the nation.” BEHIND AFFORDABILITY CRISIS — “New Florida law roils its condo market three years after Surfside collapse,” by the Wall Street Journal’s Deborah Acosta. “Miami has enjoyed one of the biggest real-estate booms in the country. Home prices have doubled since 2018, according to real-estate brokerage Redfin. Now, thanks to a new law in response to the partial collapse of a building in Surfside that killed 98 people, apartment owners are dumping their units on the market because they can’t afford the six-figure special assessments.” NEWS YOU CAN USE — “Home insurance mistakes to avoid as we enter hurricane season,” by the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Ron Hurtibise. “It’s tempting for homeowners, particularly seniors on fixed incomes, to put off critical upgrades or reduce their insurance coverage to save money. But doing so can leave people vulnerable, insurance experts say. With forecasters predicting an active hurricane season this year, agents urge everyone to review the conditions of their homes and the adequacy of their insurance policies.” NO. 1 — “Florida leads country in mass shootings after gunfire injures several. What to know,” by C.A. Bridges of USA Today Network — Florida. “Tallahassee's early Sunday morning shooting of multiple people at a shopping center means Florida remains the state with the most mass shootings across the country, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive. The shooting occurred early Sunday morning as the darkened city was still coping with widespread destruction and power outages from multiple tornado strikes Friday. Tallahassee police say they responded to find two men dead at the scene and two other adult victims wounded.” TRIAL DELAYED — “How Medicaid became a battleground between Biden and DeSantis,” by Christopher O'Donnell and Romy Ellenbogen of the Tampa Bay Times. “The DeSantis administration is headed to federal court in Jacksonville to defend its handling of the removal of hundreds of thousands of residents from Medicaid. The case, originally scheduled for Monday, is among several pending legal challenges that have made Medicaid — a federal health insurance program administered at the state level — an ideological battleground between the DeSantis and Biden administrations. The case was postponed over the weekend by Judge Timothy J. Corrigan. It’s unclear when it will be rescheduled.” THREAT IN NATURE — “This disease is the latest threat to Florida’s vulnerable mangrove trees,” by the Tampa Bay Times’ Max Chesnes. “In a mangrove tree, the fungi acts like chicken pox or shingles: It lurks until it’s stressed — then the symptoms begin. In the case of red, white and black mangrove species, that usually means curled leaves, dark spots, stem lesions and fallen leaves.” | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | |  Court deputies exit vans that transported jurors to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., Aug. 4, 2022. | Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP Photo |
LONG AWAITED — “Parkland school massacre site is readied for demolition. Here’s what to expect next month,” by the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Lisa J. Huriash. “A moment that many South Floridians have awaited comes next month: Workers will demolish the Parkland school building where 17 students and staff members were killed in a 2018 massacre. Then will come the next effort: Deciding what will go in that place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High … For years, many community members have wanted the fenced-off building gone, no longer wanting to see a reminder of the killings at the school. Then last year, the Broward school district announced it would be demolished this summer, after the school year ends. And the district recently confirmed the 1200 building is still on track to be razed next month, likely by mid-month.
PATRIOTIC LIGHTS INSTEAD — “Lights on Skyway Bridge won’t show rainbow colors for Pride Month. Why?” by the Tampa Bay Times’ Sharon Kennedy Wynne. “For the past three years, the Sunshine Skyway bridge has had a vibrant rainbow light display for one week in June to honor Pride Month. But that won’t be the case this year due to a single Manatee County commissioner who has expressed disapproval of requests for light displays honoring Pride and Gun Violence Awareness Day.” APPEALED — “Miami appeals judge’s racial gerrymandering finding after delaying settlement in lawsuit,” reports the Miami Herald’s Tess Riski. “The city of Miami is appealing a judge’s ruling last month that found the city had racially gerrymandered its voting districts, a move that could further extend a contentious and costly legal battle.” — “Rooftop 'TRUMP 2024' painting can stay. Lake Worth Beach drops citation. Here's why,” by Chris Persaud of the Palm Beach Post. | | | | DON’T MISS POLITICO’S ENERGY SUMMIT: The future of energy faces a crossroads in 2024 as policymakers and industry leaders shape new rules, investments and technologies. Join POLITICO’s Energy Summit on June 5 as we convene top voices to examine the shifting global policy environment in a year of major elections in the U.S. and around the world. POLITICO will examine how governments are writing and rewriting new rules for the energy future and America’s own role as a major exporter. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | CAMPAIGN MODE | |
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — House Speaker Mike Johnson is endorsing Mike Haridopolos for Congress. Haridopolos is a former president of the Florida Senate who has been in the business and political consulting field for the last several years and faces two other Republicans in the primary. He’s running to fill the seat of Rep. Bill Posey, a Republican who abruptly resigned and backed him right before the congressional qualifying period ended.
Johnson in a statement called Haridopolos a “tested conservative leader with a proven record of fighting for lower taxes, balanced budgets and common sense values.” GETTING STARTED — “Ron DeSantis is planning to raise money for Donald Trump in Florida and Texas, AP sources say,” by the Associated Press’ Thomas Beaumont. “DeSantis is making calls to donors while his finance team works quickly to put together a schedule that would include stops in Florida and Texas … The developments also show DeSantis’ effort to offer among his most prized assets — his prolific fundraising network — in a gesture that could pay dividends if he runs for president again in 2028, when Trump would be ineligible to run if he wins this November due to constitutional term limits.” MUCH RUMORED — “DeSantis says his wife Casey has ‘zero’ interest in running for office,” reports Gary Fineout of POLITICO. “When DeSantis was asked about that poll during a bill signing event Monday, he smiled and said, ‘if I had to characterize her interest in getting into the political thicket as a candidate, I would characterize it as zero. But, you know, I think it’s because she has had a front row seat on all the nonsense that goes on when you do it.’” CROWDED FIELD — “A closer look at the 7 candidates to represent Orlando’s District 5,” by the Orlando Sentinel’s Ryan Gillespie. “The seven hopefuls emerged quickly after the downtown and West Orlando-area seat opened up following the indictment of Commissioner Regina Hill. District residents can begin casting ballots on Monday, with early voting set to last until May 19. Election Day is May 21. If none of the candidates get more than 50 percent of the vote, then the top two will advance to a June 18 runoff.” | | TRANSITION TIME | |
— Jackson Peel is leaving the House Democratic Office, where he serves as spokesperson, to join a yet-to-be announced campaign. His last day is later this week.
| | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | |
TRYOUTS — “Florida Man Games seeks contestants for second year,” per the Orlando Sentinel’s Patrick Connolly. “Submissions are open through September for teams interested in participating. Aspiring competitors must submit a video showing all team members with bonus points awarded for creative, fun and memorable clips.”
— “Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disney World gets opening date,” per WFLA’s Rachel Tucker. BIRTHDAYS: Susie Wiles, senior adviser leading the Trump presidential campaign …. Craig Fugate, former FEMA director and former state emergency management director … Todd Reid with Firehouse Strategies.
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