Here’s Brunch, a pop-up, weekend email about the 2026 Legislative Session — 2.22.26

Good Sunday morning, and welcome back to “Brunch,” a pop-up newsletter about the 2026 Legislative Session and more.

USA wins! — The United States captured its first Olympic gold in men’s hockey since 1980, edging Canada 2-1 in overtime after Jack Hughes buried a wrister from the left slot to seal the win. The Americans withstood a 42-28 shot deficit and leaned on standout goaltending to secure only their third gold in the sport. Earlier, Eileen Gu soared to gold in the women’s freeski halfpipe final following a weather delay, adding to her two silvers. With medals wrapped up, Italy will pass the Olympic flag to France, host of the 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps. The Paralympics begin March 6 and run through March 15.

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The last two weeks have been an interesting split-screen situation for me working from home. On one side is the Florida Channel, with its unparalleled coverage of the Legislative Session. On the other screen, there is the gorgeous Winter Olympics.

The Milan Cortina Games officially end today with the Closing Ceremony (2:30 p.m., NBC) at the 2,000-year-old Verona Arena, a historic amphitheater that predates even the Colosseum.

It’s actually a wonderful day, at least for me, on the tube. The Olympics flow into Celtics versus Lakers into “Industry” (currently the best show on TV, IMO) into the season finale of the really enjoyable “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.”

Forgive me for the short intro, but I am going back to watching the Olympics. Please enjoy Brunch.

— Breaking overnight —

The U.S. Secret Service announced Sunday that an armed man was shot and killed after entering the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago.

— The name of the person who was shot has not been released. According to the Secret Service, he was “observed by the north gate of the Mar-a-Lago property carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can.” The incident took place at 1:30 a.m. Sunday.

— The suspect, who was in his early 20s and from North Carolina, was reported missing a few days ago by his family. Investigators believe he left North Carolina and headed south, picking up a shotgun along the way, Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said.

— The box for the gun was recovered in his vehicle, Guglielmi said. The man drove through the north gate of Mar-a-Lago as another vehicle was exiting and was confronted by Secret Service agents, Guglielmi said. The agents confronted the armed man, and he was fatally shot. Investigators are working to compile a psychological profile, and a motive is still under investigation.

He was shot by Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputy, the agency said.

— SOTU showup —

President Trump is delivering his State of the Union, and Florida Republicans are making their plans known.

— Mr. Wonderful: Sen. Rick Scott is bringing a personality from Shark Tank as his guest to the State of the Union address on Tuesday. Kevin O’Leary, an investor who held the center seat on the reality show since its debut on ABC, will attend the speech. “Kevin is a fellow Floridian, a successful entrepreneur, and has long been a voice for economic growth in America. Kevin understands what the American Dream means and, like me, has lived his dream building businesses and creating jobs,” Scott said.

— Rap with Randy: One of President Donald Trump’s strongest supporters will preview Monday’s State of the Union address on the phone with whoever calls in. U.S. Rep. Randy Fine will also discuss “what House Republicans are doing to advance the America First agenda,” per a release from his office. The call will take place on Monday, Feb. 23, at 5 p.m. (ET). The dial-in number to join the call is (833) 946-1538.

— Tune in: As usual, the speech comes at 9 p.m., but networks will pregame an hour before. And cable news channels will start chopping it up hours before that. Have your café cubano ready, though. Last year, the President talked for over 100 minutes.

— SPOTTED —

Spotted at a Mar-a-Lago fundraiser for Attorney General James Uthmeier: Jeff Aaron, Freddie Fingers, Alina Habba, U.S. Attorney Jason Quiñones, Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer, Lewis Stahl, Enrique Tomeu, Alex Witkoff, and Brad Burleson, Adrian Lukis, and Eileen Stuart of Ballard Partners.

Heads-up:

— Rally call —

Jay Collins is heading to Miami for a family-friendly campaign rally Monday evening.

— When and where: The event will take place on Monday at 6 p.m. at The Hub, 1501 Biscayne Boulevard.

— On the invite: Collins’ campaign is encouraging supporters to bring family and friends as he continues building momentum in his bid for Governor.

— The pitch: A South Florida stop aimed at energizing grassroots supporters and expanding his statewide footprint as he tries to create some momentum in the Governor’s race.

— Record visitors —

Florida’s tourism engine finished 2025 on a high note, posting its strongest fourth quarter ever amid another record year overall.

— Q4 snapshot: An estimated 33.5 million visitors came to Florida in the fourth quarter of 2025, a 0.6% increase over Q4 2024 and the highest fourth quarter total on record.

— Who’s coming: Of those Q4 visitors, about 30.3 million were domestic travelers, and roughly 3.2 million were international.

— Full-year mark: Calendar year 2025 visitation reached 143.3 million, edging up 0.2% from 2024.

— Domestic dominance: Americans accounted for 91.5% of all visitors in 2025, totaling about 131.1 million trips.

— The takeaway: Florida remains the nation’s heavyweight tourism draw, with steady growth even off an already massive base.

— Final approach? —

Session is crossing Day 40 out of 🤷‍♂️. If it’s 60 — and that’s a big if — the fasten seat belt sign is about to ding ahead of the final approach. Here’s what the weather looks like at your destination.

— Where we’re at: Day 40 marks a pivot point. Committees are winding down, chamber floors are heating up, and more needs to be accomplished in a shorter span this year than most.

— What’s still in play: Basically, take half the bills filed this Session and chuck them in the garbage. More than 50% of legislation filed this year hasn’t made a Committee agenda, and with time ticking away, they’ll likely die in the waiting room.

What’s next: Math meets horse trading. Both chambers have passed a GAA, but once again there’s a 10-figure gap … it’s not insurmountable, but it’s not a rounding error either. If 2025 didn’t happen, it’d be worth the effort to detail the key checkpoints lawmakers must hit to gavel out on March 13. But 2025 did happen, and we all walked into 2026 knowing a post-Session St. Patrick’s Day was a pipe dream.

— What’s getting oxygen: Hat tip to LobbyTools for tracking what Tally insiders are keeping tabs on. The most tagged measures cluster around three themes — suits against the government (HB 145, SB 1366), AI (SB 482, HB 1395, HB 659) and homestead property tax (pick a random House bill in the low-200s and odds are it’s on the list).

— The big picture: This is the compression phase. The funnel has narrowed. Hard. Committees have already started rolling silverware. Rules is more backlogged than I-4 at 5:15. And layered on top is a $1.4 billion gap.

Are we having fun yet?

— Power play —

Hyperscale data centers are officially on the radar.

— HB 1007, sponsored by Rep. Griff Griffitts, is teed up for its first Committee stop Tuesday in State Affairs — a notable step for a 38-page proposal that doesn’t even have a direct analog in the Senate (yet).

— The Panama City Beach Republican’s bill sets guardrails around where and how large-scale data centers can operate in Florida. Among other things, it would prohibit siting them on agricultural land or near certain conservation areas, keep the public in the loop through notice and hearing requirements, establish a state-level review process, and bar local governments from offering economic incentives to attract them.

— The bill also blocks utilities from shifting costs incurred to accommodate the added mega-wattage onto rank-and-file ratepayers and mandates additional sunshine on major water use permits.

— If it wasn’t clear already, this isn’t a recruitment pitch, it’s a brake check. If the temperature in 17 HOB that morning is hotter than the gust of a Cloudplate T2, then it may be another year before a shovel hits the dirt on a 300-plus-acre box in no man’s land.

— Sideline support —

A bill inspired by last year’s Teddy Bridgewater saga is headed to the House.

— SB 178, sponsored by Sen. Shevrin Jones, has cleared the full Senate and is now in House Messages after passing unanimously out of its Committees and throwing 2013 Russell Athletic Bowl numbers onto the scoreboard in its floor vote.

— The measure would require the Florida High School Athletic Association to adopt bylaws allowing head coaches to use personal funds — up to $15,000 per team, per year — to provide food, transportation, and recovery services for student-athletes. Under the proposal, those contributions would be presumed not to be “impermissible benefits,” provided they’re reported to the FHSAA, made in good faith, and not used for recruiting.

— The bill’s roots trace back to Bridgewater’s suspension from the head coach job at Miami Northwestern after rule-hawks learned he that he covered the tab for a few Uber rides and meals for his players — charges that few would flag as recruiting inducements unless they watched him shred CFB’s then-No. 1 pass defense in a Sugar Bowl many of us would rather forget.

— The House companion to Jones’ bill (HB 1253) is heading into its second stop on Tuesday after a lights-out performance in the Student Academic Success Subcommittee earlier this month. Education & Employment is the last line of defense between this one and a tight spiral to DeSantis’ desk.

— Safety net squeeze —

Health and nutrition advocates from the Florida Policy Institute, the Florida Health Justice Project, 1199-SEIU and The AIDS Institute are warning of legislation that would deepen the fallout from looming federal Medicaid cuts by layering on new state-level restrictions.

— Beyond Washington: SB 1758 and HB 693 would go further than proposed federal changes by adding work requirements and new paperwork hurdles that advocates say increase the risk that eligible Floridians lose coverage.

— Kids in the crosshairs: HB 693 would repeal Florida’s bipartisan policy allowing lawfully residing immigrant children to enroll in Medicaid and CHIP without a five-year waiting period.

— Big stakes: Nearly 4 million Floridians rely on Medicaid and about 3 million depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, even as more than 500,000 low-income adults remain uninsured because the state has not expanded Medicaid.

— The ask: The coalition wants lawmakers to reject the bills as written and focus on shoring up, not shrinking, Florida’s health and nutrition safety net.

— Penguin power —

The Florida Aquarium’s African penguins are waddling back into the Capitol, as the Aquarium renews its push for state dollars to harden its Tampa campus against storms and floods.

— More than cute: Aquarium officials say the tuxedoed visitors are living reminders of what’s at stake — animal habitats, life-support systems and science-based conservation programs threatened by hurricanes and coastal flooding.

— Storm protection push: The Aquarium is seeking funding for a perimeter storm and flood protection project after its request missed the cut in last year’s budget, despite floodwaters reaching the facility during 2024’s Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.

— Coral cash: Lawmakers are also being urged to continue funding Florida’s coral reef restoration and recovery work through the Department of Environmental Protection, which has helped produce tens of thousands of new corals statewide.

— The message: resiliency dollars now could prevent far costlier damage later — to both iconic species and the ecosystems that sustain Florida’s economy.

— Children’s Week —

A Capitol staple is back, with Children’s Week Florida kicking off Sunday with a slate of events spotlighting kids, families and youth advocates.

— Hands on display: The week opens with the Celebration of the Hands in the Capitol Rotunda from 3-3:30 Sunday, unveiling artwork from children, families, educators and lawmakers from across the state.

— Advocacy night: Monday’s Advocacy Dinner and Awards Ceremony takes place from 5-8 p.m. at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center. The event will bring together hundreds of educators and advocates, featuring keynote speaker Coy Bowles of the Zac Brown Band and recognition of this year’s advocate award winners.

— Day at the Capitol: Children’s Day on Tuesday starts at 9:15 a.m. with a news conference on the Capitol steps, followed by Storybook Village and Storybook Garden from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., where lawmakers and guests can read to children.

— Teen focus: Wednesday’s Teen Day gives nearly 100 students from around Florida the chance to hear directly from legislators and learn about the lawmaking process at the Old Capitol from 9:30-10:30 a.m.

— Seahawk showcase —

Keiser University will take over the Capitol Rotunda on Thursday morning, kicking off its annual Capitol Day with an 8:30 a.m. news conference.

— Milestone moment: This year’s event doubles as a runway to the university’s 50th anniversary in 2027, with leaders highlighting its statewide footprint and workforce focus.

— Who’s attending: Chancellor Arthur Keiser, Vice Chancellor Belinda Keiser, Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez and other higher-ed and athletic leaders are slated to join students and alumni from campuses across Florida.

— By the numbers: A recent economic impact study pegs Keiser’s annual impact at $5.9 billion, supporting nearly 45,000 jobs and generating more than $1.9 billion in income statewide.

Throughout the day, the Seahawk community will fan out across the Capitol complex, pitching lawmakers on the university’s role in producing workforce-ready graduates for Florida’s key industries.

— Week ahead —

Here’s your rundown on the week ahead.

Monday: The Capitol’s annual youth takeover begins with the first of four jam-packed days of Children’s Week programming, but it’s sharing the spotlight with the Safety Net Hospital Alliance, which is sending leaders from its member hospitals to Tallahassee just as lawmakers begin hashing out numbers for the 2026-27 budget year. Their timing gets a perfect 10.

Tuesday: Alongside a second wave of hospital advocacy and the Storybook Village & Storybook Garden phase of Children’s Week, the overbooked sked includes Teach Florida’s 2026 Advocacy Mission and the first act of Retail Days — the Florida Retail Federation’s yearly push. Pace yourself.

Wednesday: It’s Emergency Management Day at the Capitol, highlighting the work state agencies do to prep for and respond to actual emergencies — not the fallout from the risky bet you made skipping the refundable ticket surcharge on your Spring Break flight. Children’s Week, meanwhile, hits its growth spurt with Teen Day, so bring something to read while gaggles of middle- and high-schoolers bump you down the list during office hours. Also, FRF’s “rising stars” programming runs during the day, accompanied by a 1 p.m. sugar boost on the 22nd Floor. Don’t tell the teens.

Thursday: The week wraps with Keiser University Day, which will see university officials boldly reinterpret parking pass norms by situating its Nursing Bus — a mobile nursing simulation open to the public — in the large vehicle area. Meanwhile, Children’s Week concludes with “Thoughtful Thursday,” a reflection on the issues affecting Florida’s children, from young kids to teens. Ducks Unlimited is also hosting a reception in the evening, but if you didn’t already know, we regret to inform you that your name isn’t on the guest list.

— Spring Break prep —

Miami Beach officials will preview their March game plan on Tuesday, laying out public safety measures and scheduled events ahead of another high-impact Spring Break season.

— Who’s briefing: Mayor Steven Meiner, City Commissioners, senior city and police officials, and partners from the Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office will outline coordinated enforcement and safety efforts.

— All month long: The city has designated the entire month of March as high-impact, triggering enhanced traffic management, increased staffing and expanded public safety operations.

— Peak weekends: March 12-15 and March 19-22 are expected to bring the biggest crowds, with stricter measures planned during those stretches.

The goal: Keep the season safe, orderly, and enjoyable for residents and visitors alike.

— Gold-medal game —

For the first time since 1980, Team USA wins Olympic hockey gold on Sunday.

— Another gold: The Americans beat Canada for the gold medal in women’s hockey, coming from behind to win in overtime Thursday in Milan, Italy.

— Rivalry math: Sunday’s meeting was the 20th time the U.S. and Canada have met on Olympic ice, with Canada leading the series 12-4-3, including gold-medal wins over the U.S. in 2002 and 2010.

— Florida flavor: The U.S. roster includes Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jake Guentzel, while New Jersey Devils forward Hughes and his brother, Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes, were both born in Orlando.

The United States won its third Olympic hockey gold medal, after victories in 1960 and the Miracle on Ice in 1980.

— Brunching Out —

Country Kitchen is the kind of place you go to meet your friends while chowing down on a huge serving of comfort food, whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

— Backstory: Country Kitchen has been in business for 34 years in three locations. The restaurant has been in its current home on North Monroe for eight years. Server Diana Bynum has been working at all three spots. The children and grandchildren of the restaurant’s original regulars are now her customers.

— Setting: The place exudes a country-themed decor with license plates, signs for old brands and folksy sayings in a laid-back atmosphere with friendly service.

— The menu: Daily meal specials are posted on boards, but customers can also order from the extensive menu. Find favorites such as bacon and eggs or biscuits and gravy, as well as special treats like Bananas Foster French Toast or blueberry pie waffles. Portions are generous. If you have a really big appetite, the Hungry Man Breakfast features three eggs, potatoes or grits, bacon and sausage and a choice of biscuits and gravy or pancakes. We savored a hearty plate of chicken-fried steak with a flavorful, salty-peppery white gravy — delicious. The two-egg (three-egg omelet also available) spinach omelet with tomatoes, cheese and mushrooms is buttery and rich, which we paired with hashbrowns and a large pancake. Other Country Kitchen highlights include pork chops, hamburger steak and banana pudding. Another plus: Your coffee won’t run out.

— Details: Country Kitchen is at 3840 N. Monroe St., #105; 850-562-3293. Hours: Tuesday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. with breakfast ending at 10:45 a.m. The restaurant reopens for dinner from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday hours are 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. with breakfast available all day.