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Last Call for 2.18.25 – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida

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Last Call – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.

First Shot

After a few Special Sessions, lawmakers are back to regularly scheduled business, advancing several bills proposed for the Regular Session kicking off next month.

Tuesday saw the Senate Health Policy Committee move forward on Sen. Tracie Davis‘ proposal (SB 152) requiring certain health care facilities to install fume extractor systems for surgical smoke, and the same committee OK’d Sen. Jennifer Bradley’s prescription hearing aids bill (SB 126).

Bradley’s proposal continues a yearslong effort to rewrite obsolete state regulations blocking access to mail-order hearing aids — Florida is currently one of only two states in the nation, along with New York, that places a blanket restriction on delivering hearing aids by mail.

The 2025 pitch would allow prescription hearing aids to be delivered by mail so long as an audiologist or hearing aid specialist tests the device before it is sent.

Meanwhile, the Senate Community Affairs Committee cleared legislation by Sen. Jason Brodeur (SB 118) giving the state preemption powers over local governments regarding a future Donald Trump presidential library.

The bill reserves to the state “all regulatory authority over the establishment, maintenance, activities, and operations of presidential libraries.” It blocks “counties, municipalities, or other political subdivisions from enacting or enforcing any ordinance, resolution, rule, or other measure regarding presidential libraries unless authorized by federal law.”

Evening Reads

—“U.S. and Russia pursue partnership in a head-spinning shift in relations” via Anton Troianovski and Ismaeel Naar of The New York Times

—“Marco Rubio is walking into a trap” via Mark Hertling of The Bulwark

—”Donald Trump’s revenge now includes his takeover of the Kennedy Center” via Elisabeth Bumiller of The New York Times

—“This won’t end well” via Ron Fournier of Convulsions

—”Senate Democrats see ‘flashing red warning’ from DOJ ethics memo” via Ben Penn of Bloomberg Law

—”The Trump administration told a judge Elon Musk does not head DOGE. Huh?” via Andrew Prokop of Vox

—”How COVID pushed a generation of young people to the right” via Derek Thompson of The Atlantic

—“An open letter to Congress” via Ana Maria Rodriguez and Toby Overdorf for Florida Politics

—”High-ranking D.C. federal prosecutor resigns after order to investigate EPA grants” via Carol D. Leonnig and Spencer S. Hsu of The Washington Post

—”My radical proposal to save the NBA All-Star Game” via Chris Cillizza of So What

Quote of the Day

“For three years, no one else has been able to bring something together like what we saw today because Donald Trump is the only leader in the world that can.”

— Secretary of State Macro Rubio, on discussions to normalize U.S.-Russia relations and end the war in Ukraine.

Put it on the Tab

Look to your left, then look to your right. If you see one of these people at your happy hour haunt, flag down the bartender and put one of these on your tab. Recipes included, just in case the Cocktail Codex fell into the well.

Pour shots of Russian Standard for Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, who spent the day working to normalize relations with Russia.

Send a Smoked Manhattan to Sen. Tracie Davis, whose surgical smoke amelioration bill receives strong support from Florida nurses.

Tell them not to hold their breath, but Floridians still waiting on insurance payouts from hurricanes Helene and Milton could use a Wait For It.

Breakthrough Insights

Tune In

Gators riding high as regular season hits homestretch

The Florida Gators host Oklahoma tonight, and they have a chance to further solidify their spot as one of the top teams in the country (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2).

Florida (22-3, 9-3 SEC) has earned the program’s highest ranking since ending the 2013-2014 season ranked atop the Associated Press Top 25. The Gators have won four straight games, including road victories over #1 Auburn and #22 Mississippi State.

In the latest Bracketology projection by ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, the Gators are listed as one of four number-one seeds in March Madness. Florida has entered the NCAA tournament as a number-one seed twice before. In 2014, Florida advanced to the Final Four before losing to Connecticut. In 2007, Florida went on to win a second consecutive national championship.

After tonight’s game, Florida has five regular season games remaining, including three against ranked teams: Texas A&M, Alabama, and Ole Miss.

Oklahoma (16-9, 3-9 SEC) opened the season with 13 consecutive victories in nonconference play. Since opening play in the SEC, the Sooners have struggled. Oklahoma has lost five of the last six games. Tonight’s game is one of 10 against ranked teams in an 11-game stretch. The only unranked team Oklahoma has faced since Jan. 28 was LSU, who beat the Sooners on Saturday 82-79.

All 16 SEC teams make the conference tournament, but seeds nine through 16 play opening-round games. Seeds five through eight enter the second round, while the top four seeds receive byes through to the third round.

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Last Call is published by Peter Schorsch, assembled and edited by Phil Ammann and Drew Wilson, with contributions from the staff of Florida Politics.


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Miami-Dade names new resilience chief after first pick’s arrest, despite dropped charges

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After years of environmentally focused government and nonprofit work, self-described “extroverted environmentalist” Loren Parra will take on an expanded job as Miami-Dade County’s new Chief Resilience Officer.

She’ll take the post instead of Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s first pick for the post, Curtis Osceola, who was arrested last month following an alleged domestic violence incident. Prosecutors have since dropped all charges.

Parra will oversee a restructuring of the Miami-Dade Office of Environmental Risk and Resilience. She’ll also keep her prior responsibilities as Chief Bay and Water Resources Officer while assuming the added duties of Chief Heat Officer, a previously separate and individually staffed position.

“My administration is updating our approach to making our people and property more resilient across Miami-Dade,” said Levine Cava, who is working to reduce her administration’s spending ahead of a tight budgeting year.

“This new structure will empower our resilience experts to work directly on critical projects within our departments, reducing risks and costs for residents and County operations and better protecting our community now and in the long term.”

The Mayor’s Office announced Parra’s promotion Friday, roughly a month after she named Osceola, then the Chief of Staff for the Miccosukee Tribe, for the Chief Resilience Officer position. Less than a week after announcing Osceola’s hiring and mere days before he was to begin working for the county, police booked Osceola on charges of battery against his fiancée and resisting arrest without violence.

An arrest report the Miami Herald obtained said officers arrived on the scene and witnessed “various signs of disturbance” at the couple’s apartment and that he and the woman had visible but superficial injuries.

Osceola’s lawyer said his client was innocent of wrongdoing, was wrongly arrested and that Ring security footage would exonerate him. Levine Cava said at the time that her office would review the situation and that Osceola’s starting date would “be delayed while the legal process takes course.”

Prosecutors dropped charges against Osceola on Friday, the same day Parra’s selection was announced.

Parra, a 32-year-old Democrat, comes to her new position with more than a decade in government and nonprofit roles. Her work history includes close to five years in different roles at the Everglades Foundation, two years as Regional Director for former U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, two years as Director of Public Affairs for the Miami Foundation and two years as Levine Cava’s Senior Director of Communications.

She holds an MBA and bachelor’s degree in political science and sustainable studies from the University of Florida.

A county press note said that in her most recent post, Parra helped the county to increase its state and federal lobbying efforts to restart the Biscayne Bay Southern Everglades Ecosystem Restoration project and integrate the county’s flood-reduction and water quality-improvement work.

“I am honored to step into this role at such a critical time for Miami-Dade County,” Parra said in a statement. “Our residents are facing a changing climate each day — with sunny day flooding, extreme heat, and more frequent and intense storms. Now is the time to take bold action to protect our neighborhoods, our economy and our natural resources. I look forward to working with residents, businesses and experts across the county to build a more prepared and sustainable future.”

Parra replaces Interim Chief Resilience Officer Patricia Gomez, who took over for Jim Murley, the first person in the role, after his retirement last year. The job is a top post within the county’s Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources.

County records show Parra earned an annual salary of $171,770 as Chief Bay and Water Resources Officer. Gomez’s salary is listed as $214,173.


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Shane Abbott seeks lower drug costs for Medicaid program, hopes to save the state millions

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Republican Rep. Shane Abbott wants the state to pay less for prescription medications to serve Medicaid patients.

Abbott has filed a bill (HB 657) that would require drug manufacturers to sell certain medications to Medicaid pharmacies at discounts available under the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program.

His bill would apply to medications on the Medicaid preferred drug list that are covered under 340B, which includes most commonly prescribed medicines as well as those for chronic illnesses and diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, cancer and diabetes.

If passed, the measure would reduce costs for the state by lowering the cost of drugs purchased for Medicaid patients.

Under the bill, the state would essentially be guaranteed to pay lower prices. It includes language that would require drug manufacturers, if they sell a medication to a Medicaid pharmacy at a price higher than the 340B Drug Pricing Program discount, to pay a rebate to the state to comply with the negotiated price.

The 340B program is part of federal legislation requiring manufacturers to sell discounted prescription drugs to certain health care organizations. Passed in 1992 as part of the Public Health Service Act, it does not directly require the reduced costs for Medicaid.

Abbott’s legislation would ensure that drugs purchased for use among Medicaid recipients would receive the same discounts under the federal pricing program.

If passed, the bill would take effect Jan. 1, 2026. Abbott expects companion legislation in the Senate soon. He doesn’t anticipate any partisan squabbles, either.

“This is a nonpartisan issue where everyone looks at it and goes, ‘if we’re saving money we’re saving money,” said Abbott, himself a pharmacist.

He described 340B prices as “bottom of the barrel,” and said his bill would extend those lower prices to the state as it facilitates Medicaid, rather than only applying to drug prices for those without insurance.

While he acknowledged the prescription drug industry will no doubt push back against his bill, Abbott said it is a potential huge cost savings to taxpayers, though he also noted it would be up to state health officials to determine exactly how much the legislation would save.

“340B pricing is typically always going to be the cheapest price,” Abbott said. “So I’m going to hold drug manufacturers accountable to the Florida taxpayers to make sure we’re getting the cheapest prices out there.”

He said the “long-term goal is to put several millions of taxpayer dollars back into” the state’s general revenue fund.

While the measure is expected, if passed, to save the state — and by proxy, taxpayers — money, Medicaid recipients would not notice a difference. Medicaid patients already pay reduced or no-cost fees for prescription medications.


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Donald Trump administration looks to slash HUD workers tackling the housing crisis

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The Donald Trump administration’s proposal to cut half of federal workers at the nation’s housing agency is targeting employees who support disaster recovery, rental subsidies, discrimination investigations and first-time homebuyers, according to two documents obtained by The Associated Press.

More than a dozen programs within the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) portfolio would be affected by the loss of some 4,000 positions detailed in the documents, raising concerns among former HUD officials and housing advocates who say a skeletal staff could slow or even stall the department’s critical work.

HUD spokesperson Kasey Lovett on Thursday said the leaked documents “should not be taken as final” as staffing is evaluated throughout the agency. The documents, which aren’t clearly dated but were circulated this week, include total staffing numbers, expected resignations, as well as a projected “Day 120 Headcount” and reduction percentage of staff at individual HUD offices.

Such dramatic staffing cuts are in line with the administration’s broader push to gut government spending, with HUD Secretary Scott Turner in recent days touting his new Department of Government Efficiency task force inspired by billionaire Elon Musk while also announcing $1.9 billion in “misplaced funds” as well as $260 million identified as “wasteful contracts.”

“HUD is following direction from the administration while also ensuring the department continues to deliver on its critical functions, mission to serve rural, tribal and urban communities and statutory responsibilities,” Lovett said in a statement.

Here’s a look at some of the significant staffing cuts under consideration and how it could impact HUD’s most wide-reaching work:

Disaster relief

The Office of Community Planning and Development — which the documents propose cutting by 84% of its staff — is the arm of HUD that helps repair homes and infrastructure after natural disasters, administering $1.65 billion sent to North Carolina after Hurricane Helene.

It also oversees homelessness initiatives and the Community Development Block Grant that funnels billions of federal dollars to local governments for community development programs, such as libraries or affordable housing.

Staff across HUD offices also answer questions, offer guidance and technical support, helping communities navigate federal rules and plan, develop and manage projects.

The proposed cuts outlined in the documents would reduce the office from 936 employees to just 150.

“That would lead to significant delays in funding getting out to communities nationwide,” said Ann Oliva, who worked as a HUD official for a decade and is now CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

“We’ve already heard from programs that have said, ‘We are going to go ahead and pause taking new folks for right now until we understand what’s happening to our funding,’” Oliva said.

Lovett said “disaster relief efforts will not be impacted” in an email, but did not elaborate.

Rental assistance

At the Office of Public and Indian Housing, which facilitates rental assistance subsidies for more than 3.5 million households and supports public housing for roughly 1 million, the headcount could be slashed by half in the coming months, from 1,529 employees to 765 people, according to the documents.

Georgi Banna, General Counsel for the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, said there’s been lots of questions but little information from the administration on how exactly any reduction in staff will be carried out and what the plan will be for HUD’s work if there are mass layoffs.

Banna said cuts to Public and Indian Housing staff could slow down payments for the Section 8 vouchers program that provides rental assistance to millions of low-income people.

The tenants themselves have protections as long as they pay their portion of the rent to the landlord per their lease agreements, but they could ultimately be displaced if landlords quit the voucher program altogether over any breach of contract.

“This program only works well when landlords are involved,” Banna said. “Without landlords, this program can’t exist.”

First-time homebuyers

The Office of Housing, which could face a 44% cut in staff, provides counseling for first-time homebuyers and mortgage insurance, which makes it easier for middle- and lower-income Americans to qualify for a home loan through the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).

The loss of over 1,000 employees could slow down those opportunities for homeownership, said Antonio Gaines, who’s worked at the department for over two decades and is president of AFGE National Council 222, which represents HUD workers.

“There are going to be consequences all the way across the board,” Gaines said.

On X, the department said it will prioritize “the critical role FHA plays in the mortgage market.”

Housing discrimination

As the enforcer of the nation’s fair housing laws, HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity could see hundreds of employees eliminated, including the administrative staff that investigates discrimination complaints.

“They are struggling to do some of the basic functions of the agency,” said Shamus Roller, Executive Director of the National Housing Law Project.

The proposal to trim the department from 572 employees down to 134 people would mean a nearly 77% reduction to the program — the type of bone-deep cut that many housing advocates had long expected as part of the Trump administration’s crusade against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Though Turner has previously committed to upholding the Fair Housing Act, which includes a statutory mandate for HUD to fight discrimination, his administration can remake how the agency carries out the spirit of the law. On Thursday, Turner said on X that HUD had cancelled $4 million in DEI contracts.

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Republished with permission of The Associated Press.


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