Want to file for Miami-Dade County Commission? There may be a line.

@doug_hanks

The election is still more than a year away, but the novelty of a crush of open seats on the Miami-Dade County Commission has created such demand that two candidates bumped into each other at the Elections Department Friday while filing their candidacy papers.

Raquel Regalado, a former elected school board member who lost the 2016 mayoral race to incumbent Carlos Gimenez, filed her papers to seek the District 7 commission seat Gimenez once held and that's now occupied by Xavier Suarez. (Really quick: Suarez used to be the mayor of Miami, and so did Regalado's dad, Tomás. Suarez's son, Francis, is the mayor now.) 

"I'm filing to get going," said Regalado after submitting her candidacy papers for the Miami-area seat to the Elections Department in Doral. "It's on." 

One seat away was Marlon Hill, a corporate lawyer who also made his commission candidacy official Friday by submitting filing papers. He's running for the District 9 seat occupied by Dennis Moss, one of the two longest-serving members on the 13-seat board. Hill praised Moss, saying "this election is all about building on the work he has done." 

He negotiates lower rates with Florida's utilities. Will lawmakers reappoint him?

When Tampa Electric wanted a $134 million rate hike in 2013, James Ray “J.R.” Kelly and Florida’s Office of Public Counsel fought them down to $57 million.

When Florida Power & Light wanted a $1.3 billion rate hike, Kelly was there, too, fighting it down to $811 million.

In all, Kelly and the Office of Public Counsel have saved Floridians billions of dollars in potential rate hikes since he took charge of its staff of 15 lawyers and accountants in 2007.

But since then, Florida’s House and Senate haven’t reconfirmed him in the job. That could change — or not — this year.

On Thursday, the group that’s supposed to choose who leads the office — the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Public Counsel Oversight — met for the first time since 2013.

And most of their questions Thursday were about what Kelly’s office does, and what they were supposed to do.

Sen. Bobby Powell, co-chair of the committee, asked Kelly how they were supposed to reappoint him. Kelly responded that he wasn’t sure.

Since he took the job, the House Speaker and Senate President, who set his budget, have told him, “Unless we need something, you keep doing your job,” Kelly said.

Kelly’s office has an obscure but important job. When electric, water or gas utilities ask Florida’s Public Services Commission for the ability to raise hikes, his office is the one that represents consumers before commissioners.

His office, created by the Legislature in the 1970s, negotiates with the utilities and has appealed cases to the state Supreme Court. The office is usually successful in lowering rates, saving Floridians billions over the years.

“Tempers flare in negotiations,” he told lawmakers. “But at the end of the day, we always shake hands. We have a very healthy personal and professional respect for each other.”

Kelly said he isn’t asking for more positions. His budget is a meagre $2.3 million, half a million less than when he started 12 years ago.

Lawmakers on Thursday seemed willing to reappoint him. They’ll have at least one more meeting to decide, but they said they wanted more details on the office’s activities.

Kelly said after the meeting that he welcomed the extra scrutiny.

“Only an ignorant person would say you don’t have room to improve,” he said.

Patronis to Trump: Ease up on medical marijuana banking

Jimmy Patronis, [MONICA HERNDON | Times]

In his recent Senate committee testimony, President Donald Trump's new pick for Attorney General made a point that caught the attention of Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis.

William Barr, who served as U.S. Attorney General under President George H. W. Bush, spoke Thursday about the fact that several states have made laws allowing the use of medical marijuana. 

Barr said the "right way to resolve" the matter is legalizing medical marijuana through the federal legislative process. As for state law, he promised not to go after medical marijuana businesses in states where it's legal. 

“To the extent that people are complying with the state laws, distribution and production and so forth, we’re not going to go after that,” he said.

The Senate panel voted down party lines to move Barr forward, setting up a confirmation vote next week.

In a letter to the President Thursday, Patronis asked him to advise the banks on how they can service the medical marijuana industry without risk of penalty from the federal government before marijuana legislation is potentially passed nationwide.

"The size and staggering growth of the medical marijuana industry, paired with limited regulated banking options, puts patients and employees in dangerous situations as potential targets for criminal activity," Patronis wrote, describing Florida's $300 million and growing medical marijuana industry. "We are now facing a tremendous safety threat as most dispensaries operating in our state are doing so as cash-only businesses."

Federal data released in June shows that by the end of last March, just 411 banks and credit unions across the country were “actively” banking with marijuana businesses.

Banks have been hesitant to service the medical cannabis industry because it's still illegal on the federal level, and former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions once indicated that he was going to be stricter than the previous administration on medical pot.

Patronis said since most Florida banks and credit unions won't bank with medical marijuana businesses, it leads to legitimate medical marijuana treatment centers transporting millions of dollars "in duffle bags of cash and even driving the cash endlessly around in trucks," he wrote.

"I know first-hand the risks that come with handling large amounts of cash, which are even greater when a business operates entirely on a cash basis," Patronis wrote. "These businesses are easy targets for criminals and criminal activity [...] We must reassure financial institutions that there will not be retribution for servicing businesses that act within the state’s legal framework." 

Florida's marijuana banking problems became national news during the midterm elections when then-candidate for Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried had her campaign accounts closed twice — with both BB&T and Wells Fargo citing contributions from the industry. 

“I appreciate Chief Patronis highlighting this crucial issue — an issue I dealt with firsthand while campaigning for this office," she sid Thursday night. "Our growing medical marijuana and cannabis industry faces an uphill battle when they must fight to gain access to basic financial services, which limits their stability, competition, and safety. Secure financial services will allow our businesses to compete and thrive, and add to our state’s economy while expanding access for sick and suffering patients.” 

Get the governor an airplane, Florida Senate budget chair says

When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis revealed his proposed budget last week, it didn’t include any money for a fleet of state airplanes.
Senate budget Chair Rob Bradley wants to fix that.

Speaking to his colleagues on the Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, the Fleming Island Republican said that senators should find money to get the governor an airplane.

“He has to move in very short periods of time when events happen, and he needs to have transportation that’s appropriate, whether he asks for it or not,” Bradley said.

“So I think that’s something that we need to work towards in this budget, to make sure that our governor has appropriate transportation,” he added. “This is a large, diverse state, and he has to have an airplane.”

Florida’s governor and Cabinet have been without an airplane since 2011, when Rick Scott became governor and he sold off the state fleet.

That left DeSantis, who took office last month, to use a plane owned by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Tampa in DeSantis' first week in office.

House Speaker José Oliva has also expressed support for a plane.

Asked afterwards for details about how many planes would be needed and how much they would cost, Bradley said he didn’t know the details.

“The details we will work out,” he said. “I just think that needed to be said.”

Should high schoolers be taught how to balance a checkbook? Bill filed again to require it

The Seminole High School Class of 2018 graduation cap and tassel during Commencement Ceremony at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. DIRK SHADD | Times

 

The idea of making “financial literacy” a high school graduation requirement is far from a new idea in the Florida Legislature, but this year its foremost champion has a different face. State Sen. Dorothy Hukill, a Republican from Port Orange, sponsored the measure for years, with the idea that students should be able to balance a checkbook, calculate interest rates and otherwise know how to manage their money before they fully join the workforce.

 

But after Hukill died last year, Sen. Travis Hutson, R-Elkton, has taken up the effort.

 

“She was a good friend,” Hutson said. “So it’s an emotional bill and I’m looking forward to getting it across the finish line in her honor.”

 

The bill, SB 114, passed through its first committee, the Senate Education Committee, with unanimous “yes” votes on Tuesday. Hutson said he’s optimistic that the House, which has in the past been resistant to the idea, will be more open to it this year in part due to some fresh-faced new members.

 

“There are people in the House that are younger that believe this is important and they never had this opportunity whereas their parents did,” he said. "We got rid of this program and we’re bringing this back.”

 

After lawmakers from both parties praised the bill, several also said they should consider extending the school day or the school year as more curriculum requirements and programs pile up, plus it would help keep Florida “competitive,” said Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee.

 

“When you have a limited amount of time there’s only so much you can do,” he said, after also expressing his support for a different bill that would continue an early education music program.

 

“I’d love to join ... in a discussion of changing that agrarian calendar we go by now and figuring out how we put more hours in the day or look at extending the school year,” agreed Sen. Manny Diaz, R-Hialeah, the committee’s chairman. “I think we have two examples here that are very valuable but it becomes difficult to put in the school day.”

DeSantis names Palm Beach County real estate executive to lead Department of Management Services

Gov. Ron DeSantis has named commercial real estate executive Jonathan Satter to lead Florida’s Department of Management Services, he announced Monday afternoon.

Satter will now lead the state agency that manages state property and workers' benefits.

“With his extensive experience in real estate development and property management, I know the department is in fantastic hands and I am confident in his ability to use our tax dollars wisely and strategically in his new role at DMS," DeSantis said in a statement.

He was most recently managing director of U.S. operations for Canada-based Avison Young, a private commercial real estate services firm. He had his own company, WGCompass, from 1999 to 2013, when it was acquired by Avison Young.

In 2005, Satter was named by former Gov. Jeb Bush to the board of Palm Beach County’s Health Care District, a safety net health system created by voters.

He served on the health care district from 2005 to 2011. During his tenure, a couple of the taxpayer-funded district’s real estate decisions raised eyebrows.

In 2011, health care district officials decided to buy $4 million in land to build a new public nursing home, rather than use land the county was willing to give away nearly for free.

A Palm Beach Post investigation into the sale found it was sold to a group of investor’s led by the district’s own real estate agent. The agent was also friends with Satter’s wife, professional golfer Michelle McGann.

Satter told the Post that he had no involvement in the sale.

Also while he was chairman, the district bought an office building in 2009, in the depths of the Great Recession, according to the Post. When the district sold the building six years later, the district ended up losing $2 million on the deal.

Chief Executive Nicholas Romanello told the Post in 2015 that the health care district would be changing its real estate strategy.

“Special taxing districts should probably not be in the business of being big real estate owners,” Romanello told the Post.

After report of low Hurricane Michael donations, readers send in thousands

Readers of the Miami Herald and the Tampa Bay Times sent in more than 40 checks to the United Way of Northwest Florida to go toward Bay County's long term recovery group. Many of their letters referenced the story. (Courtesy of Bryan Taylor).

 

In the days following a Times/Herald report that donations toward Hurricane Michael recovery were severely lacking, Bryan Taylor, the president of the United Way of Northwest Florida, arrived to the post office to see the charity’s mailbox stuffed with envelopes.

 

“We’re so grateful for the overwhelming response,” he said.

 

This local chapter of the United Way manages the funds for the new Bay County Long Term Disaster Recovery Organization, which was highlighted in the Times/Herald report. That group, which is made up primarily of local nonprofit and faith leaders, is just getting off the ground to address the many issues still ahead for recovery in Bay County — home to Panama City and Mexico Beach where Michael made landfall last October.

 

READ THE REPORT: Hurricane Michael recovery has a big problem: People aren’t donating

 

In the five days following the story’s publication, Taylor said they received approximately $16,200, a massive uptick. Of that, about $7,100 came in the mail from Times/Herald readers who referenced the story in their letters, all of whom asked that the funds be designated for the Bay County group.

 

“I’ve been wanting to contribute to Michael recovery and this is a perfect way — having a long-term recovery organization can help a community in so many ways,” one reader wrote.

 

“I realize this is a drop in the bucket, but I want you to know that this donation is a direct result of the January 27th article in the Tampa Bay Times,” wrote another.

 

The rest of the donations came online or through United Way’s text-to-give option. A single donor in Miami gave $5,000. Most, if not all, of those gifts will also be dedicated to the Bay County group, depending on what instructions the donors gave in the online portal.

 

The Bay County Long Term Disaster Recovery Organization will use this money to help families in some of the hardest-hit areas to fix their homes and clear debris, Taylor said.

 

“I want to send our most sincere thanks to those who not only read (the) story but responded in such a generous way,” he said.

 

Those still wishing to give can donate online at this link, or send checks to United Way of Northwest Florida (Indicate in the check’s memo line that it is for BCLTDRO), P.O. Box 586, Panama City, FL 32402.

About 2020 run, Messam says 'all options will remain on the table'

Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam acknowledged his interest in a presidential run Friday, explaining in a statement to the Miami Herald that "all options will remain on the table."

The Herald reported Thursday that Messam was gauging interest in a long-shot presidential bid. He did not respond to requests for comment for the story - read the article here - but on Friday issued a statement confirming that he is interested in taking a shot at the Democratic party's nomination in 2020.

"Miramar is home, and as mayor I am focused on my upcoming reelection in March. However, I am grateful for the calls and messages I have received from all over the state of Florida and the country. My wife Angela and I count it a blessing that the great record of the city of Miramar would even place us in this conversation," Messam said. "When it comes to being an ambassador for the city, I have always said that all options will remain on the table. Our country's leadership over the last few years has failed to address the myriad of challenges hardworking men and women face every day. Our future as a community, a state, and a country has never seemed more uncertain. Please keep our family in your prayers."

Sen. Lauren Book revives human trafficking bill, but this version doesn't allow victims to sue hotels

Last year, Sen. Lauren Book’s human trafficking bill had a radical idea: allow trafficking survivors to sue the hotels that turned a blind eye to their suffering.

 

But the bill ran up against a behind-the-scenes effort by the powerful hotel lobby to kill it in the waning days of last year’s legislative session.

 

Now, Book, a Democrat from Hollywood, is back with a new version of the bill (SB 540).It does not include allowing trafficking victims to sue hotels, but it does require hotels train their employees to watch for trafficking, like last year’s bill did.

 

Hotels and motels often profit from trafficking, since that’s where it often takes place.

 

“We’re not trying to create the fights and problems there were last year,” Book said. “We know this is a problem. We know where it’s a problem. And we need to address it.”

 

Book’s new bill does four main things:

• Require hotels to train managers and employees to recognize and report human trafficking. Failing to do so would result in a $1,000 fine per employee per day.
• Creates a corporation under the Department of Children and Families that collects those fines, raises money and uses both sources to help trafficking survivors.
• Creates a registry of pimps and johns.
• Requires police recruits, during their academy training, to be taught how to identify and investigate human trafficking.

The details of some of the programs are still up in the air, Book said. The registry, for example, could only be used by police, or it could be made public.

 

After the defeat of last year’s bill, Book said she spent the summer speaking with police and trafficking survivors. This year’s bill includes some of the best ideas she heard, she said.

 

“I think, overall, this addresses a lot of the things that we heard from last session,” Book said. “We’re third in the country when it comes to human trafficking. We need to do better.”

 

The bill does not yet have a House sponsor, but Book believes she can get the bill passed. Last year’s bill sailed unanimously through the Senate’s committees, thanks in great part to the testimony of trafficking survivors and prosecutors

 

Book said some of those survivors will be traveling to Tallahassee again to convince lawmakers.

 

“I’m hopeful we’ll be able to move this along better than last year’s,” Book said. “I’m happier with this product than last year’s, because I think this does more for survivors.”

Rick Scott says Trump should use emergency powers to pay for a border wall

@alextdaugherty

Florida Sen. Rick Scott is urging President Donald Trump to declare an emergency to pay for a border wall if Democrats won’t agree to it.

Less than one week after the longest shutdown in federal government history was temporarily halted, Scott said the president should bypass Congress and use Department of Defense dollars to pay for a border wall, after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared Thursday that there will be “no wall money” in a bill to fund the government beyond February 15.

“If the Democrats refuse to work with him, then the president needs to use his emergency powers to fund border security and include a permanent solution for DACA and TPS,” Scott said in a statement.

Scott’s position is new. He did not explicitly endorse a move that could divert Department of Defense funds from ongoing disaster relief projects to build a wall during the previous shutdown. An emergency declaration by Trump would almost certainly be challenged in the courts, though it would allow the president to sign spending bills to keep the government open without reneging on a campaign promise to build the wall.

More here.