| | | | |  | | By Kimberly Leonard | Presented by Duke Energy | CAREFUL THIS WEEKEND — “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declares state of emergency ahead of Gulf storm 'Invest 97L,’” by Douglas Soule of USA Today Network — Florida. LAST NIGHT — “US recognizes opposition candidate González as the winner of Venezuela’s presidential election,” reports The Associated Press.
|  Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a rally on July 31, 2024 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. | Spencer Platt/Getty Images | Good morning and happy Friday. Former President Donald Trump’s latest policy missive has its roots in Florida. One of his latest ideas is to eliminate taxes on Social Security income. It emerged on Truth Social, so there isn’t a detailed plan to look at. Still, it’s easy to see how it might resonate here, home to one of its biggest proponents in Congress and where more than one in five residents are seniors. The announcement comes after Trump similarly promised he’d cut taxes on tipped income. Brian Hughes, Trump campaign senior adviser, said it was all part of Trump’s position that Americans should be able to “keep more of their own money" and his goal to "protect our seniors." Any savings for fixed-income seniors would likely be popular in theory, given how much the price of living here has soared on everything from housing to storm coverage and car insurance. About 40 percent of seniors on Social Security pay taxes on it now. But it’s not clear the idea — which the former president has yet to present as a detailed policy proposal — would be politically palatable overall. Republicans have traditionally drawn attention to the deficit, and cutting the tax risks undermining Social Security’s future. The tax is already used to shore up Social Security’s trust fund, which is projected to become unsustainable in 2035 and trigger cuts. Implementing Trump’s idea fully would likely cost the federal government at least $1.6 trillion over a decade, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. But as it turns out, a Floridian — GOP Rep. Daniel Webster — has for years co-introduced a bill to nix the tax on Social Security. Other GOP members of Congress from Florida who’ve co-sponsored his bill include Reps. Aaron Bean, Matt Gaetz, Bill Posey and Anna Paulina Luna, who was campaigning in Nevada with GOP vice presidential nominee JD Vance this week. Webster said in a statement he was “thrilled” Trump was considering his proposal. “My bill would eliminate the unjust double-tax and boost retirement income for millions of seniors,” he said. Social Security is often one of the biggest campaign talking points in any given year. Republicans have proposed privatizing the program though Trump rejected the idea as president and didn’t suggest cuts to be applied to retirement (he did propose some cuts to disability claims). When Trump was running for president in 2020, economists warned that his idea to cut the payroll tax threatened Social Security’s financial outlook. The current Republican Party platform promises to leave Social Security untouched, but in the past Republicans have tried to raise the retirement age. It was even something that Trump attacked Gov. Ron DeSantis over during the 2024 presidential primary, though in a 2000 book Trump floated privatization and raising the age for eligibility. The Harris campaign pointed to Trump’s shifting history, with spokesperson Joseph Costello saying, “no matter how much he lies today, Trump’s own record makes clear that he will gut critical benefits for millions of Americans if he takes power.” Florida Democrats held their own call geared toward seniors this week, where they celebrated the anniversary of Medicare. They’re heading into the November election with new benefits President Joe Biden signed into law, for which Vice President Kamala Harris cast a tie-breaking vote in the Senate. These include $35 insulin for an estimated 3.3 million seniors and a $2,000 cap starting next year on what seniors will pay out of pocket annually for prescriptions. Government price negotiation for 10 expensive medicines, just to start, will come for seniors in January 2026. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget in the campaign reporting that Playbook should look at? Get in touch at: kleonard@politico.com.
| | | | A message from Duke Energy: Duke Energy is always working hard to find ways to help customers save. Already this year, Duke Energy has received approval to lower rates for residential customers in Florida twice! We also offer customers easy-to-use energy efficiency programs and tools like Usage Alerts and Pick Your Due Date to help Florida customers take more control over their energy use and bills. Learn more about how much customers can save with this new, lowered rate. | | | |  | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | PROPERTY INSURANCE REGS — State regulators held a nearly three-hour hearing on Thursday going over a nearly 14 percent rate hike being proposed by Citizens Property Insurance. Officials with the state-created carrier that has more than 1.2 million policyholders testified and answered questions about why the rate hikes were justified. One key reason offered by Citizens officials is a 2022 change in state law that requires Citizens to charge rates that are non-competitive with private companies to spur people to leave the carrier. Citizens CEO Tim Cerio pointed out that private carriers had raised rates 103 percent since 2019 but that Citizens — which has its rates subject to an annual cap — has raised them 31 percent. During the hearing, regulators heard complaints from legislators representing Monroe County as well homeowners who live in the Florida Keys. Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez and Rep. Jim Mooney, who submitted written comments, told the Office of Insurance Regulation that Monroe County residents were getting hit with the second-highest rate hikes in the state. They said it was unfair to hikes rates for about 20,000 policyholders in the county because no other carriers write policies there. — Gary Fineout
|  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody attend a press conference at the Broward County Courthouse on August 18, 2022 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. | Joe Raedle/Getty Images | AS THE PAGES TURN — The Atlantic Coast Conference on Thursday handed over more than 250 pages of documents to Attorney General Ashley Moody that Moody contended were public records under Florida law. The documents included numerous agreements between the ACC and ESPN, which has the media rights to televise ACC sporting events. Moody sued to get the documents amid an ongoing separate legal battle between Florida State University and the ACC, as FSU tries to find a way to exit the conference without paying hundreds of millions related to media rights. “In a victory for transparency, the ACC has made documents available that are at the center of FSU’s legal fight with the conference,” Moody said in a statement. “These previously withheld contracts are vitally important to understanding why the ACC wants to impose large fines on a Florida university if it leaves the conference.” Many pages of the documents were blacked out, including parts that spelled out how much ESPN has to pay the ACC and what constitutes the ACC's “conference territory.” The ACC, which had asserted the documents were not public records at all, was allowed to redact some of the documents as trade secrets. — Gary Fineout AGREEMENT — “FPL says it has a deal with environmental groups in conservation goals dispute,” reports POLITICO’s Bruce Ritchie. “Florida Power & Light Co. on Thursday told state regulators they have reached a deal with environmental and energy justice groups over the utility's proposed energy conservation programs. FPL said in a filing to the Public Service Commission that it had agreed to increase participation in programs to assist low-energy customers in reducing their energy use. The program helps customers pay for weatherization or other fixes that would ultimately help them consume less energy.” AG BACKLASH — “Florida, GOP AGs fire back at Treasury over state’s ‘fair access’ banking law,” by POLITICO’s Michael Stratford. “Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody slammed the Biden administration on Thursday over its recent warning that the state’s new laws restricting how banks can refuse service to certain customers may undermine federal efforts to fight money laundering and terrorist financing. Moody, along with 19 other Republican attorneys general, accused the Treasury Department of fearmongering and invoking national security concerns ‘as cover for large banks’ abuse of power’ for political purposes.” EBT CARD DISPARITIES — “Families face food insecurity in Florida, other GOP-led states,” reports Kate Payne of The Associated Press. “Millions of American children are going without extra food this summer, after 13 states declined to participate in a federal program that helps families in need buy groceries. Thirty-seven states, four U.S. territories and five Native American tribes are benefitting from the program, according to the Department of Agriculture. Qualifying families with children who rely on school meals to get enough to eat are getting an extra $120 per child this summer to help feed their kids.” GET IN LINE — “Wealth migration to Florida brought private school surge. The result? Years-long waitlists,” by the Palm Beach Post’s Katherine Kokal. “Booming private school demand emerged during the pandemic years as more than 700,000 people moved to Florida. For those who left behind New England private schools with tuition more than double the costs in Palm Beach County, South Florida's private schools aren't just appealing for their academics or sports. They're also cheaper.” PLEASE HOLD — “DCF blocked more than 700,000 calls in April from people who wanted to speak to a real person,” reports Jackie Llanos of the Florida Phoenix. “The Florida Department of Children and Families blocked 54 percent of phone calls from people wanting to reach one of its call center agents in April, according to data presented in federal court Wednesday. The agency, which handles calls related to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, lacks standards governing the number of blocked calls or hangups by clients because they can’t remain on hold, the call center’s director Nichole Solomon testified on Wednesday.” POST-INJUNCTION — “Florida may have to pay businesses’ legal fees after ‘Stop Woke’ ruling,” reports News Service of Florida. “Attorneys for the businesses Tuesday filed an 11-page motion that asks a judge to determine that the plaintiffs are entitled to recover legal fees and costs. The motion came four days after Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker granted a permanent injunction against part of the law, officially dubbed the Individual Freedom Act, that sought to restrict business from addressing race-related issues in workplace training.” REVISITING — “NRA again asks court to overturn Florida law banning people under 21 from buying long guns,” reports Dara Kam of News Service of Florida. “After a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, the National Rifle Association on Wednesday urged an appellate court to find that a 2018 Florida law banning people under age 21 from purchasing rifles and other long guns violates the Second Amendment. The Republican-controlled Legislature and then-Gov. Rick Scott rushed to include the age restriction in a sweeping school-safety bill after Nikolas Cruz, who was 19 at the time, used a semiautomatic rifle to kill 17 students and faculty members at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February 2018. Federal law already prevented people under 21 from buying handguns.”
| | | | DID YOU MISS IT? On Tuesday, POLITICO and McKinsey convened three conversations in D.C. with policymakers and space experts, including NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. The discussions also featured a panel of experts, an interview with Sens. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) and an executive conversation with McKinsey's Ryan Brukardt.
The conversations focused on the next great innovation frontier – the space industry, including deeper discussion around which sectors of the global economy see their growth arc in space and what the role of government leaders is in expanding and regulating the growing number of orbital ideas. CATCH UP AND WATCH HIGHLIGHTS HERE | | | | | | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | YEAR IN REVIEW — “Sitting down with Mayor Deegan: Her wins, frustrations from the first year in office,” by Hanna Holthaus of the Jacksonville Florida Times-Union. “[Jacksonville Mayor Donna] Deegan is ‘not built for’ just sitting in her office. As a self-described impatient, extroverted-introvert, Deegan has pushed her priorities for a year — and is at times frustrated by the time required to lift projects from the ground. The upcoming year’s budget will be a ‘lean’ one, but it will also be one of the first opportunities to see how she will continue toward accomplishing her remaining goals.”
| | | | A message from Duke Energy:   | | | | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | MORE CASH COMING IN — The political committee that Gov. Ron DeSantis helped create to fight the two proposed amendments on abortion and marijuana — and get involved in other campaign battles this fall — has begun to pull in some major donations. The latest campaign report filed late last week shows that the Florida Freedom Fund received $500,000 from Michael Dearing, a venture capital firm head. The committee also received $100,000 from a trust connected to Thomas Monaghan, the founder of Domino’s Pizza who also helped establish Ava Maria University in southwest Florida. The Florida Freedom Fund is one of two committees that are being led by James Uthmeier, who is also chief of staff for DeSantis. Uthmeier is also leading Keep Florida Clean, a committee that was recently launched to oppose Amendment 3, the initiative that would allow recreational marijuana. — Gary Fineout MOVING ON — “Stanley Campbell’s campaign manager parting ways weeks from Democratic Primary,” by Florida Politics’ Jacob Ogles. “U.S. Senate candidate Stanley Campbell’s campaign manager is parting ways with the Treasure Coast Democrat. Millie Ayala Raphael will leave the campaign formally at the end of July. … The campaign said Raphael, founder and CEO of Progress For Florida, is currently in negotiations for a leadership role with a national organization.”
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Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., speaks during an event on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024. | Susan Walsh/AP | FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) and Mario Díaz-Balart (R-Fla.) are introducing a resolution today in which they accuse Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of attempting to steal the election and and “recognizes Edmundo González Urrutia as the president-elect of Venezuela.” The resolution also calls for “the imposition of new sanctions on the Maduro regime” and “sanctions targeting individuals and entities involved in subverting democracy and repressing the opposition,” in text shared exclusively with POLITICO. The resolution also calls on the U.S. government to reject Maduro’s claim to victory and “employ all available diplomatic and economic means to pressure the Maduro regime to honor the true election results.” — Mia McCarthy
| | | | A message from Duke Energy: What’s better than lowering rates? Lowering rates twice! Already this year, Duke Energy has received approval to lower rates for residential customers in Florida two times. These savings can go a long way, especially as temperatures rise. Warmer temperatures can mean customers need to use more energy to stay cool, so this is great news for customers. In addition to lower rates, Duke Energy also offers a variety of energy-saving tips and programs to help customers save energy and money.
Learn more about how Duke Energy’s new, reduced rate helps customers save. | | | | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | BIRTHDAYS: Dean Cannon, president and chief executive officer of GrayRobinson and former Florida House Speaker ... former St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman … Kevin Cate, owner of CATECOMM … Heidi Carr, professor at the University of Miami … (Saturday) Former Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro García Padilla … (Sunday) Former state Rep. Andrew Learned … Writer and journalist Leonora LaPeter Anton, formerly of the Tampa Bay Times … Herbie Thiele with Sachs Media. | | | | 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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