Subject: POLITICO Florida Playbook: Medical marijuana refugees flee Florida – Beruff’s Cuban confusion -- Ayotte to Foley: Thanks but no thanks – Making a joke of Jeb -- Keys residents (again) say no to genetically modified mosquitoes
From: Marc Caputo <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2016 04:59:42 -0600

04/20/2016 06:58 AM EDT

By Marc Caputo ([email-masked]; @MarcACaputo) with Ali Breland ([email-masked]; @AliBreland) and the staff of POLITICO Florida

Good Wednesday morning, Florida Playbookers. It's April 20th, aka 420 aka "Weed Day." So, knowing we'll have to deal with stoner jokes all day on social media (and looking at the Florida medical-marijuana vote in November), let's start there...

MARIJUANA 'REFUGEES'-- "Florida's Medical Refugees Can't Wait For Cannabis," by WUFT's Caitie Switalski: "Dawn Zuzio's 5-year-old son, Shawn, has spent more of his life inside the walls of a hospital than out. He suffers from chronic lung disease, autism, a hole in his heart and epileptic seizures every day ... As a last resort, Zuzio decided to move her family to Colorado in order to get access to new medicine for Shawn - specifically medical marijuana. Medical refugees are leaving Florida for states where medical marijuana products are readily available, like Colorado." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba8912458ed5082461a15873e1e44d0279e3d3da042fce3424a170

GROWING PAINS -- "Colorado marijuana study: Emergency-room visits surge, but declining stigma at play," by POLITICO's Brianna Gurciullo: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba89121886e09b4786d14e07d1116240a08c2b0f7e66e2dead955b

WHAT WAS HE SMOKIN? - "The Beruff identity: Candidate's conflicting claims about his birthplace," by POLITICO Florida's Daniel Ducassi: The Senate candidate's website says he was born in Miami to Cuban parents in 1958. But in 2004, when he updated his address on a voter registration application, he listed Cuba as his country of birth. 

When Carlos Beruff updated his address again in 2008, he listed Florida as his state of birth. Under Florida law, it is a third degree felony to willfully submit false voter registration information, a fact noted on the form immediately adjacent to where Beruff signed it. 

"Politico should have better things to do with their time," Beruff's press secretary, Joanna Rodriguez, wrote to POLITICO Florida in an email in which she didn't explain what happened. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba891235c24a28dd28eb79eed49dae8cdedd9655af0ed8be6dd93e

--Carlos F. Martin @MiamiCondoLaw: "... 'Doesn't Politico have better things to do?' ... well actually, nope. Candidate veracity is kinda of their thing."

C.R.E.A.M. -- "Marco Rubio's Leadership PAC Made More Payments to Campaign, Senate Staff," by The Wall Street Journal's Rebecca Ballhaus: "Former Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio continued to send monthly payments to top campaign and Senate aides through his leadership PAC in the first three months of the year, a practice that has raised questions with election experts about whether his PAC was subsidizing campaign activities beyond legal limits.

"Mr. Rubio, who dropped out of the primary race on March 15, paid four campaign and Senate aides a total of $32,238 through his leadership PAC, Reclaim America, in the first quarter of 2016, according to a report filed with the Federal Election Commission. Its only other expenditure in the quarter was a $427 to the bank BB&T." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba89123dab4d24bab55b7c493a065b62960f4816e922da4ca9bd9f

MAKING A JOKE OF JEB - "'Jeb! The Musical' parody of 'Hamilton' mocks the Bush campaign," by The Orlando Sentinel's Steven Lemongello: "'Jeb! The Musical' is available online for anyone's enjoyment, with two acts and 46 songs parodying both the failed presidential campaign of the former Florida governor and the musical about founding father Alexander Hamilton. 

"Jeb! An American Disappointment! Please Clap", the musical's full title, opens with a song called "Jeb! Bush, Exclamation Point." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba89126018b2d054cdac5598e31b99ec3533b58b70790a9175912a

FREE SPEECH FIGHT -- "Write-in candidate prompts FEC split over regulating Twitter messages," by POLITICO Florida's Matt Dixon: A 2014 complaint filed by a Florida congressional write-in candidate who received fewer than 10 votes sparked a more than two year review of how much - if any - federal regulation should be placed on political speech through social media outlets like Twitter.

The issue split the Federal Election Commission, which in February deadlocked on a 3-3 vote before deciding to close the case. The commission needs a majority vote to take any action. Commissioners later published explanations of their decisions, underscoring how a complaint filed by a candidate who ran no real campaign and lost by 58 points helped crystalize the ideological divide over how best to deal with political communications on social media. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba891240872768f1e2885a1f42bd50bb878b01ad84a1dae492697a

GHOSTS OF PAST LIVES -- State Sen. Darren Soto, who's running to replace Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson in Florida's 9th District, got into some hot water yesterday when Gawker published a rap Soto wrote while a member of George Washington University Law School's Law Revue, a musical and sketch comedy show. It includes lines like, "back when we were both 1-L's you were in my section/I spent everyday in Con Law, hiding my erection" and "I want to insert my dicta and give you my full case load." 

Soto admitted that he did write the song, "as a college student over a decade ago" for "a comic skit among a co-ed comedy troupe that was in poor taste," he said in a statement to Campaign Pro. "But, the fact is that in public life I have been a responsible, consistent and effective advocate for women. ... In Congress, I'll do even more by fighting for pay equity and against Republican efforts to cut health care and defund Planned Parenthood." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba8912bf6a1d14dabcd503f0eaa2016493ae89d1ebcbe32c7eb4db

PAGE TURNER -- "Ayotte received $2K from disgraced ex-congressman Mark Foley," by POLITICO's Burgess Everett: Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) received a campaign donation last month from former Rep. Mark Foley, who resigned a decade ago after allegations surfaced that the Florida Republican sent sexually suggestive messages to congressional House pages. The money arrived just one day before Ayotte weighed in on a brewing sexual abuse scandal in New Hampshire.

After POLITICO inquired about the contribution Tuesday, an aide to Ayotte said it had been returned but could not say when. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba8912853d1f72b5188721114ed03fc0095ea0e5e4872d834ea396

WAITING-- "Curbelo Awaits His Democratic Party Challenger," by The Shark Tank's Javier Manjarres: In what is shaping out to be one heck of a liberal Democrat food fight of a congressional primary election in Miami, Annette Taddeo and former Congressman Joe Garcia continue to slug it out for their party's congressional nomination. Considering that he has a larger donor base of support, Garcia bested Taddeo in the most recent fundraising quarter. Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R), who Taddeo and Garcia are trying to unseat, edged out Garcia's fundraising total by $37,000. Garcia raised $325,000 to Curbelo's $362,000. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba89123afd42d38f574a88b9812023f5576c56b6575b9c16e55343

YOUNG GUN, CROWDED RACE -- "GOP upgrades Mark Freeman to 'Young Gun' congressional candidate status," by Palm Beach Post's George Bennett: "Mark Freeman, a physician who has put more than $1.2 million of his own money into the crowded GOP race for a Palm Beach-Treasure Coast congressional sea t... [against GOP candidates]: Former state Rep. Carl Domino, attorney Rick Kozell, combat veteran Brian Mast, Martin County School Board member Rebecca Negron and pundit Noelle Nikpour have also received the GOP's Young Gun designation. Grower Rick Roth and political consultant Stephen Marks are also seeking the GOP nomination." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba8912969e582c3fabe428ba6d4bc39854b7e040b3ab6689523e30

CHARITY STARTS AT HOME -- "District-Bashing Congressman Doesn't Pay His Own D.C. Taxes On Time," by Washington City Paper's Will Sommer: "Rep. John Mica (R-FL) ripped into the District's finances at a hearing on Metro last week, fuming that he won't 'bail out Washington, D.C.' by funding the transit system ... Between 2006 and 2013, [Mica and his wife] racked up $1,071.81 across 17 penalty payments for paying their property taxes late. In 2006 alone, the Micas were hit with $608.29 in combined late penalties." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba89124b3d3907312e731f9d6a2491e90b4b79eae798d7c920f41c

DOMINOS FALL -- "Broxson announces Senate bid," by POLITICO Florida's Matt Dixon: One day after incumbent state Sen. Greg Evers filed to run for Congress, state Rep. Doug Broxson has decided to run for the open state Senate seat. "I have worked to create jobs by keeping taxes and spending low and by halting the overreach of the federal government," Broxson said in a statement. The Senate District 1 seat, which covers Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Escambia Counties, is very Republican-leaning. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba89121b265a25ff1eee65e42e3a4e33d7a7c75c696e322646a7e3

--Shortly after Broxson made his announcement, Santa Rosa County Commissioner Jayer Williamson announced he'd run for Broxson's seat.

--"House campaign finance tracker: Democrats push to knock off vulnerable Republicans," by POLITICO Florida's Matt Dixon and Brendan Cheney: Democrats are hoping to ride the higher turnout in this year's presidential race to chip away at their deficit in the Florida House. The party is currently relegated to super-minority status in the House, holding just 39 of the chamber's 120 seats. Below is a look at a few battleground races where incumbent Republicans are facing off against Democrats who already have formal party support. In each of the districts, Republicans are seen as vulnerable because they represent swing seats. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba8912f3c2206fc9e67d28ac63cbfbe85ebf591d9a75b25a2df517 

POTTY PUSHBACK -- "Former Florida Chamber officials blasts controversial NC bathroom bill," by POLITICO Florida Matt Dixon: In his new role, a former longtime Florida Chamber of Commerce official has blasted a controversial North Carolina law that has drawn boycotts from companies and conventions across the county. The bill signed by Republican Gov. Pat McCrory the same day it passed the General Assembly overturns a Charlotte ordinance that allowed people to use bathrooms based on the gender they identify with rather their gender at birth. It also limited cities from making tougher ordinances beyond baseline laws established in state law. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba8912bc58c147c9cae3f04d6add1bb88996001d31e3f53ac79a69

REMINDER: BOOZE IS LEGAL -- "Court suspends judge accused of restaurant rant, being drunk on the bench," by POLITICO Florida's Matt Dixon: A day after a judicial panel filed formal charges accusing Miami-Dade County Judge Jacqueline Schwartz of presiding on the bench while intoxicated, the Florida Supreme Court unanimously decided to suspend her. Justices ruled Tuesday that the suspension would be with pay for now but is considering whether to change that to without pay. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba89125957df332507873d1094a60493c2e8103ded1033df70c5d1

SICK BROWARD HEALTH -- "Gov. Rick Scott, a foe of government-run hospitals, is key to Broward Health's fate," by South Florida Sun-Sentinel's David Fleshler: "Now this consistent foe of government-run health care holds in his hands the future of Broward Health, the public hospital system roiled by suicide, outside investigations and financial difficulties. The governor suspended two board members last month, filling one seat with one still left to fill. His chief inspector general is conducting a wide-ranging inquiry into possible wrongdoing in the system, having requested a massive quantity of contracts, personnel files and other documents." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba89120fa02271689864524e579ef6c02987a41ea07dae46faf53a

FIRST, CONTRIBUTE MONEY... -- "Bob Graham gives environmentalists tips on working with lawmakers," by POLITICO Florida's Bruce Ritchie: Meet with lawmakers before they take office, make issues "tangible" and don't give up on them as adversaries, former Gov. Bob Graham told environmentalists during a webinar Tuesday. "Democracy is not a one-step process," he said. "You may celebrate victory this year, and you may be commiserating over failure next year." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba89124819ceff910d1474a5dcd9cd190a4da80ecbcc3ef832e765

RISING TIDE -- "Florida Is Even More Screwed Than We Thought," by Gizmodo's Alissa Walker: The Army Corps of Engineers recently predicted that sea levels around Miami-Dade County-one of the southernmost counties-would rise an average of 15 inches by 2045. That was enough to spur some cities into action, but now it has been determined that a statewide plan needs to be fast-tracked to ensure that the state's population is all equally protected, according to the Miami Herald. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba8912e3e71c349ed7a185d70a60a6eb67ad905e250efbb85dfedd

TAXING WITH THE FISHES -- "City seeks rehearing of Fish House suit," by Pensacola News Journal's Will Isern: "The city of Pensacola isn't ready to let go of its claims that the Fish House owes millions in back rent, despite a ruling to the contrary from an Escambia County judge earlier this month.On the last day it was possible to do so, the city filed for a rehearing of the case originally brought by Fish House owner Collier Merrill and his business partner, Ray Russenberger in January 2014." The Fish House is a must-stop for candidates; Merrill is a pal of MSNBC's Joe Scarborough http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba8912340893e766ff1f811de535fd6a3540088dd6f8e0e333c176

THE TAX MAN COMETH? -- "Tax Attorneys See Reason for Clients to Worry About Panama Papers Inquiries," by Daily Business Review's Monika Gonzalez Mesa: "Whenever you see a big international story like this involving offshore accounts and offshore entities, there's a spike in potential clients inquiring about how to come forward," said Jeffrey A. Neiman, tax controversy partner at Marcus Neiman & Rashbaum in Fort Lauderdale. "The driving factor to bring someone into compliance is almost always fear. As the reality of the fishbowl world we live in becomes more clear, more and more individuals are coming forward to declare offshore assets." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba89126c20b5bdebd8f99463c43c7f0f0f21d3f2d63e3b6f93dbe4

MORE CUBA CONFUSION... -- "Cuba officials call Obama's visit an 'attack,' Raul Castro labels U.S. as 'enemy,'" Fox News Latino: "Weeks after President Barack Obama's historic trip to Cuba, officials from the Communist island have ramped up their attacks on the U.S. On Monday, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez called Obama's visit 'an attack on the foundation of our history, our culture and our symbols.'

"Obama came here to dazzle the non-state sector, as if he wasn't the representative of big corporations but the defender of hot dog vendors, of small businesses in the United States, which he isn't," Rodriguez said. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba8912e7e90c15134665567f56b8576c356fec79ab61344a30f2e6

-- "How a Castro-less Cuba Could Be America's Friend," by John Culhane in POLITICO Magazine: "The decades-old standoff between the United States and Cuba may be dying, but only by degrees. The question is, what is being born in its place? Are the two countries headed toward something more than a relationship between "frenemies" (a term I heard more than once from actual Cubans when I visited the island recently)-especially after Cuba finally rids itself of its octogenarian revolutionary brothers, Raul and Fidel (ages 84 and 89, respectively)? Or is the gulf between America and Cuba destined to remain far wider than the Florida Straits, as Raul Castro's statement seems to suggest?" 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba8912866b99df6ae04b058c39cd86c53c9bb537bfa7076808b883

-- "Cuba's President Raul Castro retains top Party post," BBC News: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba89122169dfd7dab355f489ebe310e6093e2b369ecc77f4a2da34

-- "Cuba's Fidel Castro acknowledges his age in rare speech," by BBC: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba891252249aa4fc96107698f625cde9ad35c4cc5b8e03422edaea 

-- "Fidel Castro gives rare speech saying he's nearing the end," by AP: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba891284c61dfe0e18af8b0c768954aaba3a63f1385de573a20913

PUERTO RICO UPDATE -- "Puerto Rico markup unlikely this week," by POLITICO's Colin Wilhelm: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba89122a70c5c96116ff789a8ddbe11917192afc75ab7cc499427f

--"Democrats bash GOP for collapse of Puerto Rico bill," by POLITICO's Rachael Bade: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba891231dd08b8d86d70e048d4b472e3ff65a3e377a0e6f07d9de9

-- "Chloe's Law" Soto-Plasencia legislation signed by Governor," by The Orlando Political Observer's Frank Torres: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba891225b15a31383938a2c01b662d1e8d47464af03eb992e0d32d

-- "Dem Chief Touts Debates But Refuses To Debate Primary Opponent," America Rising: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba8912daa084b88c48d0fe610441d6ed7c86b69a13a7f4984de782

-- "Pink moon rises this week as Lyrid meteor shower peaks," by Palm Beach Post's Kimberly Miller: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba8912c207a43631e95bf4377ee5c880d1ef01b309ae395b2d3d02

-- "Roger Stone Demands Equal Time on CNN after Nasty Attacks By Ted Cruz (VIDEO)," by Gateway Pundit's Jim Hoft: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba8912ba85f6a39d2c6826cc55dbf5686e1f2b75fdbe38a90002f2

-- "GOP 'King of Dirty Tricks' on RNC's Plan to Stop Trump," by Rolling Stone's Janet Reitman: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba8912a0cc5efa1b30cbe0e8fde7932222ed5015d2207f728fc9f6

-- "Sunset Mansions Vs. Sunshine Laws: Do Shell Companies Darken Florida's Image?" by WLRN's Tim Padgett: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba891290232c27b63c2ef9d80f14bd6e8bce64b172c94de6a7da6f

-- "Docs not happy about enhanced Medicaid payment proposal," by POLITICO Florida's Christine Sexton: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba89126741453c88b9a6f09357f65b9d5be5d28beecb9009af94c7

FOR I WAS HOMELESS, AND YOU TOOK MY STUFF -- "Fort Lauderdale Police Are Confiscating Homeless People's Property," by Broward-Palm Beach New Times' Jess Swanson: "In 2014, Fort Lauderdale commissioners passed a city ordinance that prohibited 'personal property to be stored on public property.' ... This week, the ordinance was enforced, shaking up the homeless community near Stranahan Park. A handful of bright orange warning tickets have been issued. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba8912712d58ca0ac638b4650066790e62d4a47440d6de5a28d27a

FLAKKA, WE HARDLY KNEW YA -- "Flakka's rise and fall: from crisis to clampdown," by Sun Sentinel's Tonya Alanez: "Nearly as quickly as flakka burst onto Broward County's street-drug scene, unleashing mania that had users stripping naked in the streets and racing from packs of imagined killers, the designer drug has faded from the local landscape. ... Experts credit a ban of the drug in [China] the overseas country that was the chief supplier combined with a laser-focused local effort to eradicate it from the streets." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba8912b6364a161f8c932a518c23bb163f77bd1525102b6e0add6f

FRANKENSKEETERS - "Residents oppose potential release of genetically modified mosquitoes," by WPLG-10: "It's meeting day at Florida Keys Mosquito Control in Marathon, and Mila Demier and other residents are voicing their concerns. ... She's opposed to a new trial that would release millions of genetically modified male mosquitoes into neighborhoods in Key Haven to control the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which carries dengue fever and the chikungunya and Zika viruses." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba8912c701f3d590d16644a09bfef5187eedc76712f466ae262850

FOR MORE political and policy news, check out Politico Florida's home page: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=229704719cba8912535fd35d4ea656f8053b03dfef692e56af58760c5760cadc And please follow out staff @mdixon55, @christinesexton, @dducassi, @jessicabakeman and @bruceritchie on Twitter.

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