| | | | |  | | By Kimberly Leonard | |  Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at Florida International University, Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) | AP | Good morning and happy Friday. Vice President Kamala Harris returned to Florida yesterday and, as expected, bashed some of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ most controversial policies. Harris made the stop at Florida International University in Miami as part of her effort to mobilize college students and young people. The stop also comes as broader questions linger over how much the Democratic National Committee will fight for Florida in 2024 given massive inroads by Republicans and the expensive nature of campaigning here. But Harris’ focus wasn’t on whether Democrats could reclaim Florida’s purple status, though she notably wore a purple suit to the event. Her pitch was more about urging young people to vote so that members of Congress and the White House could set federal laws on matters such as abortion, voting and gun restrictions to offset policies in states like Republican-leaning Florida. Moderators rapper Fat Joe and actor Anthony Ramos, as well as students, peppered Harris with prepared questions for about 45-minutes. She found several ways to dig at “extremist” and “so-called leaders” like DeSantis, repeating themes she’s touched on during previous visits to the state. She criticized Florida’s 2022 15-week ban as “immoral” for not providing exceptions for rape and incest and accused Florida lawmakers of not knowing “how women’s bodies work” when they crafted and passed this year’s six-week abortion ban. She also criticized a Florida voting law that made it more difficult for people convicted of felonies to vote — after voters approved a constitutional amendment allowing otherwise. “It does not have to be this way,” she said, pointing to other states. Asked about the various comments, DeSantis’ office opted only to speak to the voting rights’ issue, saying Florida “has made elections more secure” thanks to DeSantis. “While we don’t have time to address all of the vice president’s lies, we vehemently disagree with her contention that child rapists and murderers have a right to vote,” said Jeremy Redfern, DeSantis’ press secretary. (Note: Florida’s voting right’s amendment did not extend to people convicted of such crimes but laws in other states vary.) Even if national Democrats don’t try to compete for Florida, it’s still a great place to raise campaign cash. Harris was set to attend two fundraising events in Miami Shores last night after her official duties. Meanwhile, DeSantis was fundraising on her home turf of California, apparently selling out tickets for three different events, CBS News reported. — WHERE'S RON? Gov. DeSantis will host a campaign event in Long Beach, California. Watch here. He’ll also speak at the California GOP Convention in Anaheim, Calif., and an interview with Bill Maher will air on Max at 10 pm. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch at: kleonard@politico.com
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BIPARTISAN BONHOMIE — Florida Rep. Daniel Perez (R-Miami) is fresh off his speaker designation ceremony and, during Florida’s Future Conference on Thursday at the University of Miami, reiterating that the GOP-led Legislature should be more focused on quality in the laws it passes.
“When bills are filed, when policy is discussed and turned into laws, are you filing something that really matters? I don't want the members of the House to waste time on issues that aren’t important to communities,” Perez said. Perez said he would spend the coming months attending policy-geared events throughout the state, and encouraged his colleagues in the legislature to do the same so they could come into the next session ready to tackle problems facing the state. The one rule? To leave partisanship at the door. Will this set a new tone in the Legislature moving forward? Democratic Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, who spoke at the event and is up for reelection, said: “He’s going to be the best speaker ever, because he’s going to do it with such heart.” MORE THAN 30 NEW FLORIDA LAWS ARE GOING INTO EFFECT ON SUNDAY — Here’s a roundup of a few:
The minimum wage is also set to go up tomorrow, but WUSF Public Media’s Gabriella Paul writes that many workers in Florida are still struggling. UTILITY PLAYER — Florida Supreme Court rules on FPL rate settlement, siding with environmental group, by POLITICO’s Andrew Atterbury: The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday rejected the reasoning used to justify a more than $1 billion rate increase for Florida Power & Light Co., handing a victory to an array of groups that challenged the deal approved by state utility regulators. A majority of justices, in a split 4-2 decision, blasted the Florida Public Service Commission — the board hand-picked by DeSantis — for its handling of the rate hike sought by Florida’s largest utility. KIDS LOSING HEALTH COVERAGE — Fears mount after hundreds of thousands of kids removed from Medicaid, by POLITICO’s Arek Sarkissian: Florida has removed more than 336,000 children from its Medicaid program over the past six months after federal Covid-19 pandemic funding dried up, and experts fear that given the state’s track record, many of those children will go uninsured. The Florida Department of Children and Families began a process of cutting Medicaid coverage for well over 1 million people earlier this year due to expiration of federal funds. DCF has since removed just over a total of 731,000 recipients as of last week, according to information provided by the agency to POLITICO. More than 336,000 of the Floridians who lost Medicaid coverage were children. MOTION TO DISMISS — The DeSantis administration asked a judge to dismiss Walt Disney World’s lawsuit in a filing submitted yesterday evening, saying the governor shouldn’t be the target of the suit because he didn’t enforce the law governing the district. The motion comes after Disney narrowed its federal lawsuit to focus on its free speech violation claims. OUTCRY — “Florida's Chinese community calls for reform, repeal of law that limits property ownership,” by WMFE’s Lillian Hernández Caraballo: “An important issue is that the Chinese Floridians who live and work here legally should not be restricted as in the bill,” said Echo King, an immigration lawyer in Orlando and one of the founders of the Florida Asian American Justice Alliance. PERMISSION SLIP — More and more schools are requiring it, writes the Tampa Bay Times’ Jeffrey S. Solochek. “In past years, schools told families they could opt out if they didn’t want their children to read certain materials, take part in specific activities or receive available services. Non-responses were taken as passive consent. As state Republican leaders push to give parents more control over public schools, they’ve shifted the terms. Instead of having concerned parents opt out, they want all parents to opt in.” FAMILIAR FACES — “DeSantis keeps GOP-friendly donors on Space Florida Board,” by Florida Politics’ Jesse Scheckner: “Most notable, perhaps, is reappointed member Mori Hosseini, who over the past two decades has given nearly $3.5 million to the Republican Party of Florida, GOP candidates and other conservative committees.” FREE-FOR-ALL — Florida has few rules for hunting iguana, writes the Palm Beach Post’s Lianna Norman: Apparently the meat from this invasive species tastes like chicken. | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | | |  Miami Mayor Francis Suarez waits to deliver remarks at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on June 15, 2023 in Simi Valley, California. | Getty Images |
ETHICS PROBE — “Miami Mayor Suarez officially under state ethics investigation for World Cup, F1 tickets,” by Miami Herald’s Sarah Blaskey and Tess Riski: “The investigation is based on a complaint made by local activist Thomas Kennedy, which raises questions about who paid for the various tickets worth thousands of dollars and whether Suarez complied with Florida ethics laws requiring the mayor to disclose the source of all gifts — including complimentary access — valued over $100.”
— “'These characters and themes cannot exist:' Florida county removes LGBTQ books from schools,” by the Tallahassee Democrat’s Douglas Soule | | CAMPAIGN MODE | |
IN HIS FACE — ‘It’s the only thing he’s got left’: DeSantis’ rivals try to turn his Florida record against him, by POLITICO’s Gary Fineout and Sally Goldenberg: During Wednesday’s presidential debate, DeSantis frequently defended his record on education, spending, energy policy and access to health insurance — even if some of his opponents’ attacks weren’t completely accurate.
Not long ago, such attacks would have been unthinkable. During his first five years as governor, DeSantis earned seemingly universal acclaim on the right for his policies in Florida: glowing depictions in conservative media, grudging respect or genuine admiration from peers and competitors in Republican politics. MORE FREEDOM SUMMIT SPEAKERS — Florida Lt. Governor Jeanette Nuñez, Attorney General Ashley Moody and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis will speak at the Kissimmee, Fla., event on Nov. 4. Also on the lineup: U.S. Reps. Matt Gaetz and Byron Donalds. DESANTIS SAID HE’D SIGN 15-WEEK ABORTION BAN AS PRESIDENT — He said it in a little-noticed exchange with Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) during Wednesday’s night’s debate, The New York Times’ Nicholas Nehamas reported. DeSantis previously dodged answering the question directly. THE NUMBERS ARE IN — Second GOP debate ratings: Viewership drops by more than 25 percent, by POLITICO’s Andrew Zhang: Around 13 million people watched the first debate. About 9.5 million people tuned in for the second. | | | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | | |
CLASSIFIED DOCS CASE HICCUP — It’s not clear whether there will be a place in Florida to review some of the documents in preparation for the Fort Pierce, Fla., trial. The Department of Justice says some are so sensitive that they can’t be stored in the defense sensitive compartmented information facility with other classified information but can be shown in the Washington, D.C. area.
| | DATELINE D.C. | | | 
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) on Wednesday. | Francis Chung/POLITICO |
ESTABLISHING MOTIVE — What does Matt Gaetz really want? by POLITICO’s Olivia Beavers: Hill Republicans say they don’t believe Gaetz when he insists it “isn’t personal” (though rank-and-file GOP lawmakers are quick to add they don’t know what has set off the Florida Republican).
Some in the GOP chalk it up to Gaetz seeking a future foothold as a conservative TV pundit, others to a desire for name recognition ahead of his widely expected gubernatorial bid in 2026. Still others say he’s sincere in his demands for more spending cuts before voting to fund the government. The speaker hasn’t publicly weighed in. But in private, McCarthy has questioned what he could have done to trigger this level of hostility from Gaetz, according to a longtime ally of the speaker. PAY IT FORWARD — Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) donated his quarterly salary, of roughly $43,000, to three entities that are assisting in Hurricane Idalia recovery efforts: Second Harvest of the Big Bend, the Citrus County Family Resource Center and the Cedar Key Food Pantry. Scott is one of the wealthiest members of Congress and doesn’t take a salary for his Senate job. | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | |
ANOTHER DISNEY LAWSUIT — “Couple suing Disney World claims water slide caused 'painful wedgie,' severe injury,” by WESH’s Bob Hazen: The couple is suing for $50,000 after the wife had to go to the hospital. The incident allegedly happened at the Typhoon Lagoon water park on the Humunga Kowabunga slide.
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