Sunburn The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics 11.1.21 – Florida Politics

Good Monday morning.

First in Sunburn Adrian Lukis, the former Chief of Staff to Gov. Ron DeSantis, is joining top lobbying firm Ballard Partners.

Adrians recent experience at the highest levels of Florida state government significantly expands the depth of our firms formidable expertise in the state Capitol, said firm founder and President Brian Ballard.

His long-standing reputation, as well as his unique experience working closely with Gov. DeSantis, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House, will make him an invaluable partner and adviser for our firms clients.

Lukis has been a top adviser to DeSantis since he was a candidate for Governor three years ago. During his tenure in the administration, Lukis managed the Executive Office of the Governor and all executive branch agencies under the Governors leadership.

He was elevated from Deputy to head Chief of Staff in March; however, he didnt plan to stay long-term because of his young family. He left the position in September.

Before rising through the ranks in the Governors Office, Lukis was a high-level staffer to former House Speaker Jos Oliva. He formerly served as Deputy Staff Director in the Florida House of Representatives and as an attorney for the House Economic Affairs Committee.

Lukis is a graduate of Florida State University, where he earned his undergraduate and law degrees. He worked as a corporate and business law attorney before reentering state government.

I am delighted to join Ballard Partners and to be working with the firms unparalleled team in Tallahassee, Lukis said.

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You may not know her name, but you know her if you watch any sports on television.

Florida DraftKings customers received a targeted text/video message from Jessie Make. It. Reign. Coffield on behalf of Florida Education Champions this weekend, with a reminder to return their petition by mail to support their effort to bring competition in sports betting to Florida, with all tax revenues supplementing the Florida Educational Enhancement Trust Fund.

Registered Florida voters can request a personalized petition be mailed to them through many digital portals that connect to an FEC landing page, and as Jessie says, all they have to do is sign, date and return it, postage-paid, to Make It Reign in Florida.

Clever play in leveraging the power of DraftKings national brand and millions upon millions of dollars in television advertising to add extra power to the petition-phase effort. Were told to stay tuned for more to come this week.

To watch the video, click on the image below:

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According to polling released Friday by the Florida Chamber of Commerce, voters believe the state is headed in the right direction and think DeSantis deserves a second term.

The poll, conducted by Cherry Communications, found that 48% of Florida voters think the state is headed in the right direction compared to 42% who said it was on the wrong track.

Men were more likely to adopt the positive outlook, while the inverse was true for women. The Florida Chamber noted that Hispanic voters said the state was headed in the right direction by a 26-point margin, 57%-31%.

Florida is moving in the right direction, and we need to keep the momentum going, Florida Chamber President and CEO Mark Wilson said. As we just recently addressed Floridas future at our Florida Chamber Foundation Annual Meeting and Future of Florida Forum, theres no better time to unite the business community for good to ensure the right things continue to happen.

The six-point advantage for right direction carries over to the Governors race, the poll shows. Regardless of the opponent, DeSantis retains a strong position in his as-yet-unlaunched reelection campaign.

If his foil is Democratic former Governor and U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, the incumbent would win a second term with a 7% margin. If Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried wins the Democratic nomination, the spread grows to 9%.

The Governors showing comes as Florida voters rate jobs and the economy as their top issue it topped the list due to its strong support among men and Republicans. COVID-19 ranks No. 2, with women and Democrats listing it as their top issue.

The Florida Chamber poll was conducted on Oct. 17-25 by Cherry Communications during live telephone interviews of likely voters. The sample size included 246 Democrats, 254 Republicans and 108 independents. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4%.

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First in Sunburn Vic Torres endorses Annette Taddeo for Governor The Taddeo for Governor campaign released its first wave of endorsements Monday. Democratic Sen. Torres joins former Reps. JC Planas and Cindy Lerner in endorsing Taddeo. Our state has many challenges, and this Governor has put Floridians in harms way, Torres said in a statement Monday. We need a Democratic nominee who will offer the clearest contrast and I know the best candidate to do that is my good friend and colleague, Senator Annette Taddeo. Annette embodies the American dream and has fought against all odds her entire life. Annette has the experience, ethics and leadership to lead our state as Governor and I am proud to endorse her campaign for Governor.

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Spotted at the Governors Mansion Saturday for Halloween festivities with the First Family Secretary Laurel Lee and former Sen. Tom Lee, Secretary Todd Inman and Anne Duncan, Chris Emmanuel, Cody Farrell, Larry Keefe, Stephanie Kopelousos, Alex Kelly, Trey and Tara Price, Christina Pushaw, Chris and Gina Spencer, Meredith Stanfield, Ray Treadwell, Mike Yaworsky, Skyler and Lindsey Zander.

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Public affairs firm RedRock Strategies expanded its Florida footprint with the addition of Greg Ungru and Skylar Swanson.

Both Greg and Skylars dynamic skillsets and dedication to winning are a welcomed addition to the RedRock Florida team, said Kayla Lott, RedRocks Senior Strategist. As we continue to grow in Florida, having Gregs extensive political experience and Skylars digital expertise on the team will help us continue to help our clients and friends be successful.

RedRock Strategies has built a national presence in the public affairs, digital, and political consulting spaces for over two decades by defining what it takes to win. I look forward to working with Skylar and Greg to expand our Florida footprint and help our clients get from where they are, to where they want to be.

Ungru has more than two decades of experience in The Process. The Ohio State University alum and current Florida State University MBA candidate served under four Governors, holding leadership positions in the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and Department of Economic Opportunity as well as Marsys Law for Florida, LeadingAge Florida, the Florida Sports Foundation and the Republican Party of Florida.

Swanson started her career in then-Rep. Keith Perrys legislative office later moved over to the campaign side where she served as Fundraising Director for his 2016 and 2018 Senate campaigns. The FSU alum and current University of Florida graduate student then worked as Communications Director in the House Majority Office, and in 2020 she joined Attorney General Ashley Moodys communications team.

SITUATIONAL AWARENESS

@RonBrownstein: 1 big reminder from Fox Virginia Gov poll: theres no escaping Prez shadow in modern US politics. If Bidens approval really is just 43% w/Virginia voters Tues, itll be long night for (Terry) McAuliffe. If its 43% on 11/22, it will be brutal for Ds. Thats why bolstering (Joe) Biden is their job one.

@WalshFreedom: Its Trumps Party. If you dont support Donald Trump, you have no future in this Republican Party. None. No whining. It is what it is.

@NumbersMuncher: The Lets Go Brandon stuff is stupid, childish nonsense you see among teens trying to speak in code. The Southwest pilot was an idiot for saying it and knew full well what he was doing. Everyone on the right and left on here are losing their minds over the dumbest stuff.

@Deggans: Im wondering about existing school vaccine mandates for mumps, measles, polio. At some point, those were all new drugs, as well. If DeSantis had been Floridas Governor when the polio vaccine was rolled out, would he have opposed children taking that, too?

@ElectProject: Last-minute costume change this year: Im going as an academic exercising their free speech. Very scary to some folks, apparently

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DAYS UNTIL

St. Petersburg Municipal Elections 1; Floridas 20th Congressional District Primary 1; The Blue Angels 75th anniversary show 4; Disneys Eternals premieres 4; Yellowstone Season 4 begins 5; Disney Very Merriest After Hours will debut 7; U.S. to lift restrictions for fully vaccinated international travelers 7; Miami at FSU 10; Hawkeye premieres 13; Special Session on vaccine mandates begins 14; ExcelinEd National Summit on Education begins 17; FSU vs. UF 26; Florida Chamber 2021 Annual Insurance Summit begins 30; Jacksonville special election to fill seat vacated by Tommy Hazouris death 36; Steven Spielbergs West Side Story premieres 39; Spider-Man: No Way Home premieres 46; The Matrix: Resurrections released 51; The Book of Boba Fett premieres on Disney+ 58; CES 2022 begins 65; NFL season ends 69; 2022 Legislative Session starts 71; Floridas 20th Congressional District Election 71; Special Elections in Senate District 33, House District 88 & 94 71; Florida TaxWatchs 2022 State of the Taxpayer Day 72; Joel Coens The Tragedy of Macbeth on Apple TV+ 74; NFL playoffs begin 75; XXIV Olympic Winter Games begins 95; Super Bowl LVI 104; Daytona 500 111; St. Pete Grand Prix 118; The Batman premieres 124; Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness premieres 187; Top Gun: Maverick premieres 207; Platinum Jubilee for Queen Elizabeth II 213; Thor: Love and Thunder premieres 249; San Diego Comic-Con 2022 261; Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse sequel premieres 340; The Flash premieres 368; Black Panther 2 premieres 375; Avatar 2 premieres 410; Captain Marvel 2 premieres 473; Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania premieres 627. Dune: Part Two premieres 718.

TOP STORY

Florida bars state professors from testifying in voting rights case via Michael Wines of The New York Times Three University of Florida professors have been barred from assisting plaintiffs in a lawsuit to overturn the states new law restricting voting rights, lawyers said in a federal court filing. The ban is an extraordinary limit on speech that raises questions of academic freedom and First Amendment rights. University officials told the three that because the school was a state institution, participating in a lawsuit against the state is adverse to UFs interests and could not be permitted. In their filing, the lawyers sought to question DeSantis on whether he was involved in the decision. The universitys refusal to allow the professors to testify was a marked turnabout for the University of Florida. A spokeswoman for the university, Hessy Fernandez, defended the prohibitions, saying: The university did not deny the First Amendment rights or academic freedom of the professors. Rather, the university denied requests of these full-time employees to undertake outside paid work that is adverse to the universitys interests as a state of Florida institution.

UF professors could testify in voting rights case if they are unpaid, spokeswoman says via Danielle Ivanov of The Gainesville Sun To be clear, Fernandez stated, if the professors wish to do so pro bono on their own time without using university resources, they would be free to do so. That allowance for unpaid work was not mentioned earlier when Gary Wimsett, UFs assistant vice president for conflicts of interest, told two of the professors that UF will deny its employees requests to engage in outside activities when it determines the activities are adverse to its interests. Wimsetts statement does reflect a view the UF President Kent Fuchs expressed at a September Faculty Senate meeting. Fuchs reminded the group that the state government has authority over almost all areas of the universitys operation.

Nikki Fried decries UF repression of First Amendment rights DeSantis has again and again shown his willingness to politicize the school we love and use it to drive his own agenda even if that means silencing faculty who are standing up for Floridians right to express themselves freely, the Agriculture Commissioner and candidate for Governor said in a statement. We deserve leaders who respect our Constitution, who understand the First Amendment, and who will uphold our institutions not tear them down in a misguided and desperate attempt to hold on to power. Florida has seen these types of discriminatory laws to restrict voting rights before. They were wrong then, and theyre wrong today. Gator Nation knows what it takes to stand up and fight.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz calls for UF reversal on professor testimony denial UFs decision to prevent its professors from speaking out in court against a state law that suppresses minority voting rights is appalling, Wasserman Schultz said in a statement. We must speak out and renounce it. If allowed to stand, the restraint of these professors speech will undermine every UF claim to honor academic independence and free speech. It will damage UFs ability to recruit and retain top faculty and stifle fundraising. UF will stand out in anti-academic exile, rather than an exemplar of higher learning. My hope is that President Kent Fuchs swiftly reverses this egregious action.

STATEWIDE

In addressing Florida business leaders, Ron DeSantis takes on corporate wokeness via Mary Ellen Klas of the Miami Herald After months of getting the cold shoulder from large corporations who refused to endorse his COVID-19 policies, DeSantis had harsh things to say at the annual meeting of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, blasting what he called the rise of corporate wokeness. If youre using your power as a corporation, and youre leveraging that to try to advance any ideology, I think its very dangerous for this country and Im not just gonna sit idly by, DeSantis warned as he presented the keynote speech to the audience at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress resort in Orlando. In the rambling 30-minute speech, DeSantis warned the business audience that he has no tolerance for corporations that use their influence for political messaging.

DeSantis: Uproar over Surgeon General nominee is manufactured via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics DeSantis told a national cable television audience that uproar over his appointed Surgeon General was manufactured and that he had no plans to withdraw the nomination of Dr. Joseph Ladapo. On Thursday, DeSantis recorded an interview with Fox News personality Laura Ingraham, but part of it did not air until late Friday. The Governor was asked about Sen. Tina Polsky and her decision to ask Ladapo to leave her office because he refused to wear a mask even after she told him she had a serious medical condition. Polsky was diagnosed with breast cancer and this week began radiation treatment. Ladapo, who was appointed to his post in late September, later released a statement saying he refused to wear a mask because he cannot communicate clearly or effectively with a mask.

Floridas legacy of slow-rolling parole keeps thousands of people behind bars some, for decades past their eligibility date via Justin Garcia of Scalawag magazine According to the Florida Commission on Offender Review (FCOR), the agency that administers parole, from 2015 to 2020, only 152 parole-eligible people out of 6,851 considered cases were granted parole, or less than 2% of the cases reviewed. Of those, just 86 people paroled were serving time for murder or attempted murder. The commissions 2020 Annual Report said there were 3,959 incarcerated people who were eligible for parole that year, and 424 releasees actively on parole supervision. Between October 2019 and September 2020, the commission made 1,419 parole determinations and granted parole to 41 incarcerated people about 1% of parole-eligible prisoners in Florida. Floridas numbers are staggeringly low compared with the parole boards of neighboring Southern states, too.

DATELINE TALLY

Coming soon to Tallahassee: The DeSantis anti-vaccine show via Steve Bousquet of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel DeSantis is obviously running for something, because he called a special session the week of Nov. 15 to give employees greater protection against vaccine mandates as ordered by Biden. Republican lawmakers, relegated to extras in DeSantis latest one-man show, will comply, of course. They dont have a choice. The Governor also wants to tighten the so-called parents bill of rights, the new law used to attack school board mask mandates in Broward, Miami-Dade and elsewhere. You notice that major societal problems that directly affect people seldom warrant Special Sessions.

To watch DeSantis vow (via Twitter) on vaccine mandates, click on the image below:

DeSantis calls Special Session on COVID-19 vaccine mandates, backs off on business liability via Gray Rohrer of the Orlando Sentinel DeSantis formally called a Special Session to address COVID-19 vaccine mandates on employees by businesses and local governments, ordering the Legislature to convene from Nov. 15 to Nov. 19. But DeSantis backed off from stripping COVID-19 liability protections from businesses that impose vaccine mandates on their workers. A DeSantis spokeswoman said the ultimate goal is to prevent businesses from firing workers who opt against getting vaccinated, and there will be other enforcement mechanisms to dissuade companies from requiring vaccines in the first place.

Lawmakers, officials resist testifying about election law via John Haughey of The Center Square On May 6, DeSantis signed a hotly-contested elections bill into law. DeSantis signed Senate Bill 90, adopted a week earlier by state lawmakers in a partisan vote, during a rally sponsored by Club 45 USA, a Trump fan club, and covered live as an exclusive on Fox & Friends. Me signing this bill says: Florida, your vote counts, your vote is going to be cast with integrity and transparency, and this is a great place for democracy, DeSantis said, acknowledging, again, that Floridas 2020 election was the nations gold standard in electoral professionalism and security. Much has changed since, including, going on record to discuss how the legally-embattled SB 90 was crafted and adopted despite overwhelming citizen opposition.

Happening today House Minority Co-leader Evan Jenne will hold a virtual news conference, 10 a.m., Zoom link here. The event will be livestreamed on The Florida Channel.

Happening today House Democrats will host a virtual news conference to discuss the redistricting process: Jenne and Reps. Joe Geller, Kelly Skidmore and Dan Daley, 1 p.m. Zoom link here.

Happening today The House Public Integrity and Elections Committee meets to discuss draft definitions regarding the 2018 constitutional amendment making changes to lobbying, 4 p.m., 404 House Office Building.

For your radar With Florida facing a historic shortage of health care workers, leaders from a diverse set of affected organizations have come together under the banner of the Health Care Workforce Coalition, and today at 10:30 a.m. will hold a roundtable discussion at the Florida Health Care Association Education and Training Center that promises not just a description of the problem but also some solutions. Everyone from nursing homes, assisted living facilities and hospitals to veterans services and home health care organizations are struggling to hire enough nurses, nursing assistants, and other professionals. The workforce shortage is affecting their ability to meet the needs of Floridians amid COVID-19 and the states growing elderly population, and theyre looking to the Legislature to help address the challenges they face. The roundtable discussion will take place at the Florida Health Care Association headquarters, the states largest association of long-term care facilities.

Advocates question education requirements in proposed personal care attendant rule via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics State health officials were given a list of concerns relating to a new proposed rule that would allow unlicensed staff called personal care attendants to work in nursing homes as the industry struggles to find the workers it needs to care for residents. Florida Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program legal advocate Lynne Hearn told Agency for Health Care Administration officials the proposed rule they published didnt meet the requirements of the 2021 law because it doesnt require personal care attendants to complete 16 hours of classroom education. Instead, the proposed rule requires 10 hours of classroom teaching and six hours of supervised simulation, where the candidate must exhibit competency in all areas of training.

New and renewed lobbying registrations:

Oscar Anderson, Tasi Hogan, The Southern Group: Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida

Matt Bryan, David Daniel, Thomas Griffin, Jeff Hartley, Lisa Hurley, Jim Naff, Teye Reeves, Smith Bryan & Myers: GLP FLA

Emily Buckley, Dean Mead: Florida Ambulance Association

Chris Chaney, The Advocacy Group at Cardenas Partners: Gigly

Carlecia Collins, GrayRobinson: Conservation Florida

Candice Ericks, Ericks Consultants: FLITE Center, Intero Group HIM Services

Matthew Herndon, RSA Consulting Group: David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts, Miracles Outreach, Tampa Bay Partnership, Tampa Theatre

Scott Jenkins, Delegal Aubuchon Consulting: New York Life Insurance Company

Timothy Keck: Mission Health Communities

Jennifer Kelly, Foley & Lardner: ACT Environmental & Infrastructure

Travis Moore, Moore Relations: ONR App

CORONA FLORIDA

DeSantis cant figure out who made COVID-19 all political via Philip Bump of The Washington Post Nearly 1.2 million residents of the Sunshine State contracted the coronavirus over those three months, nearly a third of the total the state has seen since the pandemic began in February 2020. More than 13,000 Floridians died as the virus whipped across the state, more than 17% of the deaths the country saw during that period despite Florida having only 6.5% of the countrys population. And for DeSantis, that somehow means that its time to boast about what a good job the state has done. Throughout the pandemic, Floridas case rates have been worse than the countrys 57% of the time.

Florida posts lowest rate of COVID-19 cases per capita in nation via Scott Powers of Florida Politics Florida recorded just 12,151 new COVID-19 cases in the past week. By federal counts, which are slightly different from Floridas tabulations but still in the same ballpark, the Sunshine States most recent tally of newly-confirmed cases now gives Florida the lowest per capita rate of new cases in the country. Floridas 12,115 seven-day case tally in the federal report works out to a rate of 56 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents, better than all the other 49 states. The CDC data covers a week that is one day behind the week that the Florida Department of Health reports in its Friday announcements. However, the federal data, which covers the week through Wednesday, can be used to compare states, as the CDC complies like data from all states.

Florida COVID-19 update: 1,711 cases added to tally, hospital patients continue decreasing via Devoun Cetoute of the Miami Herald

South Florida has now administered 1.25M vaccine doses as COVID-19 cases continue to fall via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics South Floridas tri-county area has hit another benchmark in vaccine distribution, surpassing 1.25 million doses administered. Miami-Dade County has put nearly 672,000 shots in arms since vaccines became available. That number is nearly 357,000 in Broward County and around 225,000 in Palm Beach County. The number of doses administered rose 12% week-to-week in Palm Beach County and 2% in Miami-Dade. Browards number fell 4% week-to-week. That vaccine push has seen 94% of Miami-Dades population get at least one shot. Broward County has administered at least one shot to 83% of its eligible population, and Palm Beach sits at a 75% vaccination rate.

Miami-Dades COVID-19 vaccination rate is very high. Heres why you might be skeptical via Daniel Chang and Ana Claudia Chacin of the Miami Herald No Florida county is as well-protected against COVID-19 as Miami-Dade, where 94% of residents 12 and older had received at least one dose of vaccine as of Oct. 28. At least thats the percentage the state health department tells the public. As of Friday, 24 Miami-Dade ZIP codes logged a mathematically impossible vaccination rate of greater than 100% of eligible residents who have received at least one dose. Florida gathers and shares the data to help guide pandemic response planning, a purpose for which some local officials say the information is useless. There are 24 Miami-Dade ZIP codes where the share of eligible residents who have received at least one dose reportedly exceeds 100%.

In Miami-Dade, predominantly Black and low-income ZIP codes are still behind on vaccination via Ana Claudia Chacin and Daniel Chang of the Miami Herald Despite flaws in the Florida Department of Healths reporting of vaccination rates for each of the 80 ZIP codes in Miami-Dade, an analysis of the data reveals trends that suggest areas with predominantly Black and low-income residents are falling behind on vaccination against COVID-19. In the nine Miami-Dade ZIP codes where more than half of residents describe themselves as non-Hispanic Black, the average vaccination rate was just 48% of the population as of Friday. Only one of the nine ZIP codes had more than 50% of their population fully vaccinated.

Jon Bon Jovi cancels Miami Beach concert after testing positive for COVID-19 via Samantha J. Gross of the Miami Herald

Its a personal choice: DoD civilians, contractors protest COVID-19 vaccine mandate via Jim Thompson of the Northwest Florida Daily News A mix of local Department of Defense civilian workers and military contractor employees spent hours Thursday morning along Eglin Parkway protesting federal mandates that require them to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or have an approved exemption. At midmorning Thursday, about two dozen people stood between Gardner Drive and Cherokee Road in Shalimar waving signs with slogans opposing the mandates. Several participants revealed frustration with what they see as bureaucratic bungling surrounding the mandates, particularly with regard to basic communication from the DoD and employers on deadlines for vaccination and the processing of requests for exemptions on the allowable spiritual or health grounds.

Duval Schools lifts its mask requirement as COVID-19 rates dip in Jacksonville via Emily Bloch of The Florida Times-Union Starting Monday, students attending Duval County Public Schools and employees will no longer be required to wear masks on campus. Thats because the citys COVID-19 positivity rate has finally dipped low enough to categorize Duval Countys transmission status as moderate instead of substantial or high. Dr. Sunil Joshi, President of the Duval County Medical Society Foundation, said he wouldve preferred to see the districts mask policy stay in place until community spread decreased even further. Duval Countys positivity percentage dipped weeks ago, but the average number of new cases took longer to achieve.

With masks optional at most Florida schools, some students with disabilities feel cast aside via Leslie Postal of the Orlando Sentinel JJ Holmes, who has cerebral palsy, cannot both wear a face mask and use his communication device. Because COVID-19 poses heightened risks to his health, his doctor said everyone around him at school should wear a mask to keep him safe while he uses his iPad in class, according to his mother, Alison Holmes. But Seminole schools do not require masks, so the 11th grader has not been at Lake Mary High School this year. He and his mother argue the Seminole school district is violating federal law by refusing to require masks, as some districts did when COVID-19 cases surged in August. Falling COVID-19 caseloads give his mother hope JJ might be able to return to campus in January. But another surge in cases, which experts say is possible, could alter their plans.

TUES ELECTIONS

11 Democrats on ballot to replace late US Rep. Hastings via Brendan Farrington of The Associated Press Some candidates running to replace Hastings are saying its a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent the diverse South Florida district. In this case, thats hardly an exaggeration. Eleven Democrats are on the ballot in Tuesdays Primary Special Election, including state Rep. Omari Hardy, who was 3 years old when Hastings was elected in 1992. Hastings was the longest-serving member of Floridas congressional delegation before he died in April after suffering from pancreatic cancer. Turnout is expected to be low on Tuesday, and its conceivable the next U.S. House member to represent the district can win the primary with 10% of the vote.

EMILYs List endorses Barbara Sharief in CD 20 Special Election via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics

Miami Mayor seeks second term as he raises national profile via Adriana Gomez Licon of ABC News 10 Miami Mayor Francis Suarez is hoping to easily secure a second term Tuesday, with his reelection campaign showing he can raise millions as he seeks to elevate his profile at a national level. Suarez gained name recognition for launching an effort to lure technology investors to the city at the beginning of the year. Analysts say Suarez was astute to seize a moment when some investors were looking to move to South Florida for tax reasons and looser COVID-19 restrictions during the pandemic. The Mayor has been more than willing to assist. In December, when someone tweeted about moving Silicon Valley to Miami, Suarez replied, How can I help? The effect his tech push has had on migration and job creation is still unclear as census numbers do not yet include data for 2021.

Eight candidates, some very familiar to voters, vie for two Miami Beach Commission seats via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics

Proposed 2 a.m. liquor ban will damage Miami Beach economy for years to come via Hank Fishkind of the Miami Herald The city of Fort Lauderdale, some 40 years ago, decided it wanted to do away with being a Spring Break destination, raising many of the same concerns that Miami Beach officials have when they talk about wanting to shut the Party down in their city. Fort Lauderdale successfully erased its name off the lists of top Spring Break destinations, but they also invited localized economic depression for 25 years. Eventually, the beach was redeveloped, but it took over decades for the economy to spring back. Miami Beach is inching toward the same fate. The 2 a.m. alcohol ban is a bad idea at an even worse time. We are in the midst of a very fragile economic recovery from the pandemic. An alcohol ban will undoubtedly have a devastating impact on the hospitality industry.

Miami Beach group opposing 2 a.m. alcohol rollback debuts ad highlighting leaked Mayor call via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics

Orlando City Commissioner Robert Stuart faces tough challenge from Nicolette Springer via Scott Powers of Florida Politics

Orlando City Commissioners trying to keep the band together via Scott Powers of Florida Politics

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Sunburn The morning read of what's hot in Florida politics 11.1.21 - Florida Politics