Latest news with #DeSantis
Newsweek
4 hours ago
- Health
- Newsweek
Ron DeSantis Blocks Repeal of 'Free Kill' Medical Malpractice Law
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has blocked a bill which would have repealed a so-called "free kill" medical malpractice law in the state. Why It Matters This year, the Florida legislature approved a bill that would have repealed a 1990 Florida law that bars unmarried adult children over the age of 25 and their parents from recovering medical malpractice damages in cases involving the deaths of their parents or children. This law has been known as the "free kill" law and Florida is the only state in which it exists, having been signed into law by then-Governor Lawton Chiles. Since 2017, Florida has had no caps on pain and suffering awards in medical malpractice suits because the Florida Supreme Court ruled them unconstitutional. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a public event where he announced he would sign a bill banning the use of fluoride in public water systems, Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Miami. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a public event where he announced he would sign a bill banning the use of fluoride in public water systems, Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Miami. AP Photo/Lynne Sladky The state House approved the measure 104 votes to 6. On May 1, the Senate passed it 33 votes to 4 and rejected an amendment that would have included caps. What To Know DeSantis said the bill lacked limits on damages and claimed this would make it harder for the state to recruit doctors. He said the proposal could "open flood gates" for litigation. What People Are Saying DeSantis said: "If you don't have those caps, then you really are incentivizing a lot more litigation to take place in the state of Florida. None of that is free lunch. Somebody will have to pay for it. And unfortunately, I think if this bill became law, I do think the cost would be borne by the physicians, who would potentially flee the state, to people that wouldn't have as much access to care." Florida law firm Palmer Lopez previously described the law as one of the Sunshine State's "most controversial medical malpractice statutes," adding that: "If you do not have a surviving spouse or any children younger than 25, the grim reality is that you're the sole individual with the legal standing to initiate a wrongful death claim against the doctor. Tragically, by the time your case could potentially reach court, you would no longer be alive to see it through [ …] While the situation may sound absurd, it, in fact, describes the reality of many medical malpractice victims in Florida." Jacksonville Republican Senator Clay Yarborough previously said: "This is a 35-year-old law that needs to be repealed. It's unjust. It shouldn't be on the books." Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joe Ladapo said: "The wise thing to do in that situation is to have caps in that situation. Frankly, it's insane to have a system with no caps on noneconomic damages." What Happens Next The legislature could override DeSantis' veto in the next week. Meanwhile, DeSantis signed new legislation on Wednesday that will impose tougher penalties on individuals who abandon pets during natural disasters.
Politico
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Politico
Florida's immigration crackdown week
Good morning and happy Friday. Immigration has been a top issue driving discussions and decision-making in Tallahassee this year. But the topic dominated headlines across the state this week possibly more than any other time since January. The week started with the DeSantis administration celebrating a map released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that showed Florida, more than any other state, had leveraged the help of local police to identify and remove undocumented people. And by Thursday, the state assisted with one of Florida's largest-ever raids in Tallahassee. Gov. RON DESANTIS praised the raid as a 'major bust,' while one of his spokespeople, SIERRA DEAN, joked that the blue-speckled map ICE published was the only instance the public would see the state turn blue during the governor's term. State Attorney General JAMES UTHMEIER delivered an alliterative review: 'Detain. Deport. Deliver for the American people.' More than 30 people were arrested Thursday of about 100 detained, reported USA Today Network — Florida and Ana Ceballos of the Miami Herald. Tampa's Homeland Security Investigation's unit said on X that some had previously been deported or had criminal backgrounds, but others who were questioned appeared not to have been living here illegally. It was all the latest instance of Florida working to carry out President DONALD TRUMP's agenda, especially when it comes to illegal immigration. Last month, ICE and local law enforcement arrested more than 1,100 people during a six-day crackdown. But it hasn't been all smooth sailing. Though DeSantis signed a sweeping illegal immigration bill into law earlier this year, a portion of the law that makes it illegal for undocumented people to enter Florida has been blocked in court. On Thursday, one of Uthmeier's lawyers faced questions in Miami over the state AG potentially being held in contempt of court over that law. While Uthmeier wasn't present for the hearing, U.S. District Judge KATHLEEN WILLIAMS — an Obama-era appointee — sharply criticized him for comments he made that seemed to undermine her order. Williams raised not only a letter Uthmeier wrote, but news interviews. She loosely quoted one from Newsmax, saying there were 'buckets' more to choose from, where Uthmeier said he would not 'rubber stamp' Williams' orders or 'bow down and withhold my oath.' He further argued that a judge 'can't order people around who are not under the jurisdiction of the court.' Uthmeier's attorney, JESSE PANUCCIO urged the judge to focus on the letter alone. He argued Uthmeier was merely stating his opinion on her ruling without undermining the court's orders — pointing out that arrests haven't occurred under the new law since Uthmeier first notified law enforcement of the block. As the judge weighs her decision, what jumps out about Uthmeier's public comments on the judiciary is how much they mirror those of Trump and his allies, who've argued that judges aren't allowed to control the power of the executive branch as questions swirl over whether they'll openly defy multiple orders to halt the president's agenda. And remember: It remains an open question whether Trump will get behind Uthmeier's 2026 election or select a handpicked alternative. WHERE'S RON? Gov. DeSantis is holding a press conference in Jupiter with Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget that Playbook should look at? Get in touch at: kleonard@ ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... 'FREE KILL' VETOED — 'DeSantis on Thursday vetoed a bill that would have expanded malpractice claims filed against doctors, saying the measure would lead to a spike in frivolous cases and an exodus of medical professionals from the state,' reports POLITICO's Arek Sarkissian. 'Florida's current malpractice law bans adults and parents from claiming pain and suffering in a malpractice suit, instead only allowing for consideration of economic damages. FL HB6017 (25R) sought to remove the ban on pain and suffering, which DeSantis said would open the floodgates for more lawsuits, driving up malpractice insurance claims and compelling droves of doctors to leave the state.' GOV ON UF PRESIDENT CONTROVERSY — 'DeSantis gave a tepid response Thursday to the University of Florida's decision to hire University of Michigan President Santa Ono — as key conservatives push to quash the move over Ono's past support of diversity, equity and inclusion programs,' reports POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury. 'Florida's GOP governor acknowledged statements from Ono that have triggered Republican blowback made him 'cringe.' But he expressed faith in the University of Florida trustee board's determination that the school leader 'reached the limit on campus leftism.'' The governor said: 'People are saying, 'Well, you know, you could have woke here.' No, that's not going to happen, because if he were to go in and do that, he will lose his job in Florida.' SENTENCED — 'An Everglades scientist found guilty of contempt of court will surrender in July to serve a 10-day jail sentence, according to a judge's order issued Thursday,' reports Jenny Staletovich of WLRN. 'Tom Van Lent was sentenced to time behind bars after the Everglades Foundation accused him of stealing trade secrets three years ago. Van Lent denied stealing protected documents, but a judge found him guilty of criminal contempt after he disobeyed an order to stop deleting information from his computers. Van Lent said he was erasing personal documents.' — 'Chamber summit: Amid controversy, Casey DeSantis pitches Hope Florida to business community,' reports Drew Wilson of Florida Politics. PENINSULA AND BEYOND TODAY — Florida A&M University's board of directors will meet at 2 p.m. to talk about the compensation for incoming president MARVA JOHNSON, reports Tarah Jean of the Tallahassee Democrat. They've already agreed on a salary range of $450,000 to $750,000. — 'St. Cloud prevents Pride Month proclamation on Pulse anniversary through blanket 'pause,'' reports Natalia Jaramillo of the Orlando Sentinel. — 'Dynasty city: How three Miami families may extend their decades of political power,' by the Miami Herald's Douglas Hanks and Tess Riski. ...HURRICANE HOLE... TALLYING THE BILL — The Miami Herald has estimated the cost of putting together hurricane kits ahead of this year's season, including water, non-perishable food and a weather radio. STORM SAVINGS — 'Squabbling legislators have kept the Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday from landing as the new windstorm season starts June 1, but a new state website shows how homeowners can save even bigger bucks,' reports Anne Geggis of the Palm Beach post. 'The website … explains how hurricane-proofing a home not only fortifies against Mother Nature's wrath, it could also soften the hit from paying windstorm insurance premiums if homeowners follow certain steps.' … As for the hurricane preparedness tax holiday: DeSantis thinks it should be reinstated, he said during a press conference Thursday in Fort Myers. But as Gray Rohrer from USA Today Network — Florida noted, with hurricane season starting Sunday it won't happen ahead of the peak storm period as it usually does, given that the budget is still in limbo. — 'Vital hurricane hunter missions scrapped due to aircraft issues, cap on crew flight hours,' reports Kimberly Miller of the Palm Beach Post. CAMPAIGN MODE LOCAL CANDIDATE BACKING — Ruth's List Florida, which backs Democratic women who support abortion rights, has released its endorsement of candidates running for local office: MIRA TANNA for Orlando City Council District 3, KYANDRA DARLING for Florida House District 62, LAURA DOMINGUEZ for re-election to the Miami Beach City Commission, and state Rep. LAVON BRACY DAVIS for Florida Senate District 15. — 'Maxwell Frost backs LaVon Bracy Davis in the race to succeed Geraldine Thompson,' reports Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics. — 'Conservative social media personality threatens Lakeland with legal action,' by Sara-Megan Walsh of the Lakeland Ledger. TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP IMPERSONATOR — 'Federal authorities are investigating a clandestine effort to impersonate White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, according to people familiar with the matter, after an unknown individual reached out to prominent Republicans and business executives pretending to be her,' reports Josh Dawsey of the Wall Street Journal. 'In recent weeks, senators, governors, top U.S. business executives and other well-known figures have received text messages and phone calls from a person who claimed to be the chief of staff, the people familiar with the messages said.' — 'Todd Chrisley released from Florida prison, Julie from Kentucky. What to know about Trump pardon,' by USA Today Network — Florida. — 'Trump pardons Jupiter shark divers who destroyed a fisherman's longline, released catch,' by Hannah Phillips of the Palm Beach Post. DATELINE D.C. ETHICS SPOTLIGHT — 'A congressional watchdog office has found reason to believe that Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick requested community project funding, also known as earmarks, on behalf of a for-profit entity — a potential violation of House rules,' reports POLITICO's Hailey Fuchs and Nicholas Wu. 'The findings of a new report made public Thursday by the Office of Congressional Conduct — which reviews outside ethics complaints against House members and recommends further action to the House Ethics Committee — builds on the allegations the Florida Democrat has been facing since 2023.' HOPE FLORIDA SCRUTINY HEADED TO DC — Sen. RICK SCOTT told reporters during a press conference in Pensacola that Florida Chief Deputy Attorney General JOHN GUARD — whom Trump nominated as judge on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida — would face questions about his involvement in Hope Florida during confirmation hearings, report Jim Little and Edward Bunch III of the Pensacola News Journal. DISTURBING CONDITIONS — 'A member of Congress who made an unannounced visit to the Krome North Service Processing Center in southwest Miami-Dade County said migrants in deportation proceedings are being subjected to overcrowded and inhumane conditions where they are forced to carry out bodily functions without privacy,' reports Jacqueline Charles of the Miami Herald. LATEST STOCK TRADES — 'Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida and his wife, Erika Donalds, bought or sold between $8,008 and $120,000 worth of stock on April 10, a week after Trump's tariff declaration, according to a NOTUS review of new congressional financial disclosures,' David Levinthal reported. — 'Congress could kill rooftop solar tax credits used by Florida homeowners,' reports Emily Mahoney of the Tampa Bay Times. ALL ABOARD — Rep. GREG STEUBE (R-Fla.) has introduced legislation that would require the DC Metro's governing body to be renamed Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA) and Metrorail the 'Trump Train' — or otherwise lose federal funding. ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN BIRTHDAYS: State Rep. Kaylee Tuck … former Rep. Dan Miller … Marco Rubio alum Rob Noel … former state Rep. Julio Gonzalez … former state Rep. Dwight Dudley … (Saturday) Elizabeth Dos Santos of Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart's office ... former state Sen. Charlie Dean … former state Sen. Daryl Jones … (Sunday) state Sen. Danny Burgess … Tallahassee Democrat's Jeff Burlew … Lyndee Rose of LOTUS Strategies … journalist Jake Stofan of Action News Jax.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Will federal cuts and state budget battle put Florida's hurricane readiness in peril?
Florida's traditional preparations for hurricane season are being blown off course by a budget stalemate in Tallahassee – and sharp cuts in Washington, D.C. A dispute between GOP state House and Senate leaders means the typical sales tax holiday on hurricane preparedness items won't be held at the onset of hurricane season as it usually does. The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season lasts from June 1 till Nov. 30. And the winnowing of the federal workforce has hit some agencies important to hurricane forecasting and response, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), leading some to question whether the state will be able to handle a busy hurricane season. 'I am worried that FEMA is going to fail this summer,' U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Coral Springs Democrat, told a U.S. House committee May 11. Moskowitz was Florida's emergency management director under Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2019-2021. He agrees FEMA needs reform and could give block grants to states – something DeSantis has repeatedly argued for – but was alarmed that U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem advocated for shuttering the agency entirely. And when Cameron Hamilton, the acting FEMA administrator, told a Congressional committee on May 7 he didn't believe they should shutter the agency, he was ousted the next day. Moskowitz believes eliminating FEMA would bankrupt small states hit with a disaster and could even imperil large states: 'Florida and Texas might be able to survive one hurricane this summer without having to cut health care or education or their (transportation) budget – but not two.' At NOAA, which houses the National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center, nearly 1,000 employees were fired or took buyouts under pressure from the Trump administration. Leaders at NOAA and FEMA have said they still retain the resources necessary to be prepared for hurricane season. Gov. Ron DeSantis, too, has said Florida will be ready with or without FEMA. At an event in Tampa recently, he said Florida's preparation gathering resources and coordinating utilities and line workers to restore power is done without federal help. FEMA reimburses local governments for debris removal and helps individuals with housing, food and supplies in the aftermath of a storm; DeSantis said he assumes those programs will still be available. 'On the core preparation, response and then stabilize and get people back to normal - just know that we've never relied on FEMA for any of that here in the state of Florida,' DeSantis said. 'If we're called upon to do it again for this hurricane season, we will do it again.' But Florida residents could miss out on a sales tax holiday to stock up on their own gear to prepare for storm season. House and Senate leaders have deadlocked over the budget, including over a tax cut bill, meaning no hurricane preparedness sales tax holiday has been approved yet this year. Lawmakers have passed 11 such holidays since 2006, including at least one every year since 2017. The holiday typically includes items like batteries, radios, tarps, generators and flashlights that would be exempt from sales taxes. The Senate included a holiday that would run from May 15–31 in its tax package (SB 7034) but the House didn't include any sales tax holiday in its bill (HB 7033). House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, has pushed for an overall reduction in the sales tax for all items, moving it from 6% to 5.25%, and slighted the idea of sales tax holidays in the process. 'This will not be a temporary measure, a stunt or a tax holiday,' Perez said March 26 in unveiling his plan. 'This will be a permanent, recurring tax reduction. This will be the largest state tax cut in the history of Florida.' But Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, has been wary of cutting the rate too drastically. And DeSantis killed a tentative 'framework' for a deal between the chambers that included a smaller sales tax cut, leaving a budget stalemate in place. Lawmakers have until June 30 to pass a final budget, which DeSantis then must approve, to avoid a partial state government shutdown. The state's 2025-26 fiscal year starts July 1. If a hurricane preparedness sales tax holiday is included in a final tax cut bill, it is unclear when it would start. But it likely wouldn't be until well into hurricane season, as the state's Department of Revenue and retailers would have to prepare for it even after the bill was signed into law. DeSantis, who included the sales tax holiday in his budget recommendations, said May 29 he wants lawmakers to include it in any final bill. Gray Rohrer is a reporter with the USA TODAY Network-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at grohrer@ Follow him on X: @GrayRohrer. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Will budget battles put Florida's hurricane readiness in peril?
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Gov. DeSantis nears record as Florida ramps up executions in 2025
Gov. Ron DeSantis is on pace to set a record for the number of executions in one year, having already presided over the deaths of five convicted murderers by the end of May, with two more scheduled to die in June. The seven death warrants DeSantis signed so far this year are the most by a Florida governor since 1984 and 2014 when the governors then – the late U.S. Sen. Bob Graham and current U.S. Sen. Rick Scott – signed eight. 'In 2023 when DeSantis was running for president, we saw six executions," said Maria DeLiberato, executive director of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. "Now, when the Trump administration, whose attorney general is from Florida (referring to former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi), calls for increased use of the death penalty, Florida is executing people at an unprecedented rate,' DeLiberato said about this year's schedule. Many of the state's conservative leaders laud DeSantis for carrying out a capital sentence, however. In 2023, after he signed death warrants for Donald David Dillbeck and Louis Bernard Gaskin, then-Attorney General and now-U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody pointed to DeSantis at an event and said, "I have never been so proud to be a Floridian. A lot of it is due to this guy right here." Also, state Sen. Jonathan Martin, R-Fort Myers, has credited DeSantis with initiating and driving the push for expanding the death penalty, especially in cases involving child sex abuse. Martin sponsored the bill to make child rape a capital crime and thanked DeSantis for his leading the effort to get the Supreme Court to "reconsider" executing rapists. 'He's standing between the child molesters and the wokeism (and our kids). We need to continue to support him and maybe, some day, he'll have more of a decision on these federal judges,' Martin said. U.S. presidents appoint federal judges. After the governor ended his run for the Republican presidential nomination last year, DeSantis fully embraced Trump's agenda as a governing guide for Florida. And Trump signed an executive order his first day in office directing U.S. attorneys to seek the death penalty for any conviction for which it is permitted. DeSantis responded with seven signed death warrants in three months. A request for comment is pending with the governor's press office. From 2023: Executions climb across U.S. because of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, report shows He also proclaimed Florida the leader when it comes to immigration enforcement assistance to Trump's drive for mass deportations, and he criticized Congress for lack of support of Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to cut government spending – and started a Florida DOGE to streamline government. Why? 'He's focused on the presidency because, if he wants to stay in politics, that's the only slot available for him since he doesn't seem to be interested in the (U.S.) Senate,' said Charles Zelden, a professor of history and political science at Nova Southeastern University in Broward County. In fact, Fox News recently placed DeSantis third in a ranking of potential 2028 GOP presidential candidates, behind Secretary of State Marco Rubio, until recently a U.S. senator from Florida, and Vice President J.D. Vance. And Zelden sees DeSantis maneuvering to leverage the power he has as governor to position himself in a race for the nomination against two Washington-based competitors. When he ran for president last year, a report by a death penalty watchdog group attributed a 25% increase in executions nationwide to Florida under DeSantis. While a majority of registered Republican voters support the death penalty as a crime-fighting tool, overall public support for it is at a 50-year low. States like Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, and Ohio, all carried by Trump in November, have introduced bills to abolish it. Florida has included child rape as a capital offense, in defiance of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, and made it easier to impose a death sentence by repealing a unanimous jury requirement. The governor must wait until inmates exhaust all appeals and the Board of Executive Clemency clears their case to sign a warrant for a death sentence to be imposed. About 100 death row inmates, including seven added to the list this year, are eligible for execution. DeSantis, who is term-limited, will leave office in 18 months and the Iowa and New Hampshire GOP primaries are a year after that. 'He's running out of time,' Zelden said during a discussion of DeSantis, capital punishment and presidential politics. 'He believes in the death penalty ... and he's trying to see that it gets carried out before he leaves.' Nine states have executed people this year. Florida leads with five executions, followed by Texas with four and South Carolina with three, including one by firing squad, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Florida next is scheduled to execute Anthony Wainwright on June 10 for the 1994 kidnapping, rape, and murder of a woman, and Thomas Lee Gudinas is set to die June 24 for another 1994 rape and murder. DeLiberato said she believes everyday Floridians don't support executing convicted murderers. She bases that on what she thinks is a telling anecdote: Of the 12 executions carried out since 2023, dozens of capital punishment opponents have gathered outside the state prison in Raiford in silent protest, she said. But for only two of the executions, there's been just a single person standing across the field in support. James Call is a member of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jcall@ and is on X as @CallTallahassee. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Gov. DeSantis signs 7 death warrants in 3 months amid Trump pivot
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
David Jolly's Purple Campaign for Florida Governor
LISTENING TO FORMER CONGRESSMAN David Jolly talk about his all but certain run for governor of Florida, you want to believe—in his prospects, in the state and national Democratic party, and in a turning point for America. Jolly, 52, has been on a decade-long political journey. He was a Republican during his three years in the House of Representatives, then a disaffected Never Trump Republican, then an independent aligned with Democrats. Finally, last month, he became a registered Democrat. And his words are a balm to a party in dire need of it. 'I am coming into the Democratic party right now because I believe in its strength,' Jolly told me Wednesday on the phone. Republicans, he said, have failed to provide an economy for all people, to ensure government is delivering services to those who need them, and to 'lift up and embrace the diversity of our communities and culture.' He called those fundamental Democratic values and the reasons he is excited to officially join the party. Anything else? 'We get to accept science, and math, and public health. It's pretty incredible, right?' Florida under Gov. Ron DeSantis in many ways has pioneered the worst aspects of Donald Trump's presidency, from hostility to immigrants and voting, abortion, and LGBTQ rights, to attacks on corporations like Disney; from policing libraries and colleges, to installing a discredited anti-vaxxer as Florida surgeon general. DeSantis is term-limited and 2026 will be his final year in office, but Florida Democrats are not exactly greeting the opportunity with unity. Even as Jolly was signing on with them, the Democratic leader in the state Senate, Jason Pizzo, said the party was 'dead' and became an unaffiliated voter—one who might run for governor next year as an independent. One Democrat summed it up this way, Politico reported: 'A goddamn shitshow.' But the larger environment could be read as favorable for Jolly, or as favorable as it gets in Florida. There's an open seat, it looks like he wouldn't have intraparty competition for the nomination, and DeSantis and his wife, Casey, could be engulfed by scandal. The gist: $10 million that was meant for Medicaid ended up at Casey's nonprofit, and then at two dark-money groups, and then at a group (run by DeSantis's then chief-of-staff, now the state's attorney general) trying to block legal recreational marijuana in the state. Legislators investigated, state prosecutors are investigating now, and a federal investigation is possible. The general drift, Jolly says, has already percolated down to normal voters who are not political junkies. It should be noted here that Jolly absolutely is a political junkie. He's a lawyer who worked on Capitol Hill, represented a Tampa Bay-area House district, consulted on dozens of races, and ran in a few himself. Normal voters, political junkies—we welcome all and sundry. Come join the best pro-democracy community on the internet by signing up for a free or paid subscription: So if it sounds like he knows how to frame an issue, he does. He sees Trump's overreach, instability and damaging policies as creating a change environment that will be the backdrop for state races next year, allowing candidates to prioritize state concerns and connect them to the national picture when they want. The top agenda items at Jolly's pre-campaign testing ground, are addressing the unaffordability of property insurance and homes, saving underfunded public schools, and fixing an unsustainable school voucher program. The rest, like those, strike me as ranging from unobjectionable to wildly popular from a Democratic standpoint—codifying the Roe v. Wade abortion framework, improving access to state universities, strengthening the economy and state ethics laws, accepting climate science, reducing gun violence, restoring veterans services, and creating 'a Florida for all' where everyone is 'valued, respected, and welcomed.' These are not new positions for him, Jolly says. He left Congress after dropping out of a 2016 Senate race and then losing his House seat that year in a sharp-edged contest against then-former governor Charlie Crist, a Republican turned Democrat who previewed Jolly's path. Looking back, Jolly called himself 'almost a man without a party while I was serving.' While in the House during the late Obama years, he supported marriage equality, climate science, gun control, 'all those things.' He was always, he says, a George H.W. Bush Republican and celebrated when Bush left the National Rifle Association during the 1990s. In December 2015, after Trump proposed a temporary ban on Muslim immigrants and visitors to the United States, Jolly called on Trump to withdraw from the 2016 presidential race. He said he was a born-again Christian and 'the beautiful thing about this country is I can stand here on the House floor, among my peers and in front of the nation, and declare that faith without fear of any reprisal.' Trump's proposed ban, Jolly said, was a 'heartbreaking' affront to that founding principle. Jolly tried and failed to work across the aisle in Congress. Sometimes Republicans told him not to work with Democrats. Sometimes the parties switched places. When Republicans were clamoring for—wait for it—due process in a Democratic bill barring plane travel by people on no-fly lists, and Jolly was trying to add it, Democrats were told not to work with him.1 Now, in his own trial run for an executive job in his new party, Jolly is going where he wants and saying what he wants. He's held a dozen town halls with a dozen more planned, in all parts of Florida, red and blue. He's explaining to evangelical and other faith communities why he thinks Democratic values are more in line with 'biblical thinking.' He's talking to North Florida agriculture communities about why DeSantis and Trump immigration policies are 'tightening labor and driving up costs for them.' And he is talking, a lot, about crime, especially the dishonest GOP conflation of immigration with crime. This serves a double purpose—to remind voters about that $10 million DeSantis family Medicaid scandal, and to drive home that they've been 'told a lie about immigrant crime,' because research shows immigrants are much less likely than native-born Americans to commit violent and property crimes. 'I say if you're native born, an immigrant or a Tallahassee politician, if you break the law, we're coming for you. That means if you steal $10 million from the Medicaid program, we're going to investigate you,' Jolly tells me. His listeners get it, no names needed. The immigration-crime decoupling is a pillar of his probable run and, if it succeeds, a model for Democrats all over. 'If we can take the crime issue back . . . not only have we reset the policy issues in a more accurate framing for voters, but we also shame Republicans for what they've done. These threads of xenophobia and true anti-immigrant sentiment, we expose,' Jolly says. 'Many Republicans might defend those sentiments, but we'll let that contrast speak for itself,' he adds. 'We'll be the party that fights crime but not communities. And they can be the party that continues to fight communities. And I'm great with that contrast.' Now Jolly just has to prove that most Floridians are great with it, too. That's a steep climb, given the state's recent political history and Republican imperviousness to shaming. But the premise is moral and reality-based, and I'd love to see it tested on voters who maybe, possibly, are ready for something new. Share this article with a Floridian. Share 1 Republicans pushing for due process? The past really is a foreign country.
