DeSantis’ book tour, a new chief for Florida Democrats, and emerging education battles

It’s Monday, Feb. 27, and just when you thought Ron DeSantis couldn’t make any more news, he goes on a national book tour.

DeSantis’ new book, “Courage to be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival,” is set to be released on Tuesday — and it is viewed as another indication that the Republican governor is preparing to make a run for the White House in 2024.

Checking a box: The release of Ron DeSantis’ new book is sure to spark a fresh round of speculation about the Florida governor’s political future, and many GOP voters across the country, apparently, are eager for him to jump into the race.

Only two major candidates have formally entered the Republican primary: former President Donalr Trump, and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who announced her campaign earlier this month. Other potential candidates include former Vice President Mike Pence and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. All four have released books.

Media-blitz strategy: DeSantis has been on a news-making binge since the year began, an almost-daily barrage of policy roll-outs, public appearances and political jabs. The approach, rooted in a far-reaching agenda, has targeted everything from suing media outlets to promoting gas stoves.

To Republicans and even some critics looking ahead to the GOP primary, the governor’s effort to flood the zone looks like a dry run for a presidential campaign, showcasing his dedication to making news at a dizzying pace. It’s a strategic choice necessary to take on a famous attention-hog like Trump, they argued, even if he still has a ways to go to match the former president.

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING

Democrats pick new chief: The Florida Democratic Party has chosen its next leader: Nikki Fried.

She was elected during a Saturday afternoon meeting in Orlando. Fried got 52% of the vote for party chair, according to reporters in attendance, besting multiple rivals including former state Sen. Annette Taddeo. Fried, the last Florida Democrat to win a statewide office, is fresh off her single term as Florida’s agricultural commissioner.

Florida GOP picked their new head a week earlier: Christian Ziegler defeated Evan Power 126-100 in the election to chair the Republican Party of Florida. Ziegler is a political consultant with ties to Trump’s advisers. His election was a move that some supporters of DeSantis fear is a “giant Florida win for Trump” heading into the 2024 presidential cycle.

Revisiting campaign promises: DeSantis is reviving a push to adopt more stringent hiring protocols to prevent the employment of undocumented workers, acknowledging that a state law he championed during his first term in office has been ineffective.

The E-Verify proposal is part of a larger immigration package that DeSantis is building ahead of a possible run in 2024. He is expected to use it to attack President Joe Biden’s immigration policy and to reach conservative voters not just in Florida but on a national level.

DeSantis’ migrant flights in flux: The head of the state agency now tasked with handling DeSantis’ migrant relocation program told a state Senate committee that he was not sure whether he will continue the state’s arrangement with Vertol Systems Company, the politically-connected aviation company paid to transport migrants from Texas to Massachusetts.

A legislative fix in court: A Leon County Circuit Court judge dismissed a case against DeSantis brought by a state senator over flights funded by Florida that took migrants to Martha’s Vineyard from Texas last year. Both parties agreed that the Florida Legislature had repealed the portion of the law that was used as a basis for the lawsuit accusing the governor of illegally flying migrants to Massachusetts last September and therefore should be dismissed.

More migrants enter the Keys: A group of 22 people from Cuba arrived in the Lower Florida Keys last week. While the latest surge in migration from Cuba and Haiti has slowed since the state and federal governments stepped up patrols early in the year, boats are still getting through.

Targeting school boards: Three months after the November election that resulted in more than 30 school board candidates backed by DeSantis winning their races, the governor is again indicating he will have a heavy hand in local school board races in 2024.

State scrutinized school districts: The Florida Department of Education told school districts to produce detailed information about the programs and materials they use to address some of the state’s most hotly debated subjects. State officials did not explain why they want the information, which is due Monday.

The price of vouchers: Florida lawmakers have been given two wildly different cost estimates as they consider a bill that would expand school vouchers and offer education savings accounts to all school-aged children in the state. Is it millions or billions? The answer depends on which students are being counted.

Higher education protocols in the hot seat: Florida’s public colleges and universities would be barred from basing hiring, promotion and admissions decisions on a person’s statements and actions regarding race or political ideologies under newly filed bills in the state House and Senate. The legislation is aimed at diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at the state’s higher education institutions, which DeSantis has publicly opposed in recent weeks.

College students are fighting back: Holding signs with phrases like “We only teach facts” and chanting “Hey DeSantis we’re no fools, we won’t let you run our schools,” at least 100 students, faculty and others marched around the main campus of Florida International University last week to protest DeSantis’ education agenda.

Planned Parenthood funding targeted: Citing the Supreme Court case that reversed Roe v. Wade, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has filed a motion to reinstate part of a 2016 law that would have blocked state funds from going to Planned Parenthood and other organizations that perform abortions.

Lethal procedures: Florida’s 100th inmate to be executed in the modern era died Feb. 23 by lethal injection, using a drug that no other state uses and through a process that is being challenged in federal court. Here is what to know about Florida’s lethal injection protocol.

Gunshine State: Florida lawmakers are fast-tracking legislation that would allow people to carry concealed weapons without a permit. That’s despite concerns being raised both by gun rights supporters and those wanting stronger safety measures.

Lawmakers go after media outlets: Florida lawmakers — with the support of the governor — are taking aim at the media, pushing legislation that would dramatically weaken legal standards in place for more than a half century that protect the freedom of the press to report on politicians and other powerful public figures.

All the bark: Florida Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book plans to amend a bill to take out a provision that could have potentially barred pets from sticking their heads out of windows while riding in a vehicle. The provision drew pushback from the public. The bill would still make it illegal for cats to be declawed outside of medical necessity.

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

A public records dilemma: In a new lawsuit, a Florida nonprofit is seeking the call logs and texts of one of six conservative trustees recently installed by DeSantis to the state’s most progressive higher-education institution. New College of Florida, a liberal arts university on Sarasota Bay, home to around 700 students, has made headlines in recent weeks following DeSantis’ rightward overhaul of the institution’s leadership.

George Santos watch: As George Santos sought to woo influential Republicans last summer en route to a New York congressional seat, he quietly held a fundraiser at a lavish estate on Long Island’s North Shore. The evening featured an appearance by the chair of the Nassau County GOP, as well as a performance by country singer Lee Greenwood, whose patriotic hit “God Bless the U.S.A.” became a staple at Donald Trump rallies.

Luna’s national spotlight: U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna is getting national attention after a Feb. 10 publication of a Washington Post profile that questioned whether she had exaggerated parts of her biography and cultural background as she entered the political world. Luna blasted the Post in dozens of tweets, calling the story “BS.” Her office raised numerous issues with the story, which has been amended twice since its publication.

And finally, an honor to highlight: The Miami Herald’s coverage of DeSantis’ involvement in arranging to send two planes with 49 South American migrants to Martha’s Vineyard from Texas in September won the George Polk Award in the political reporting category.

Thank you for reading! The Politics and Policy in the Sunshine State newsletter was curated this week by Tallahassee Bureau reporter Ana Ceballos. We appreciate our readers, and if you have any ideas or suggestions, please drop me a note at aceballos@miamiherald.com.

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