Last Call for 1.27.26 – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida

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

First Shot

A behind-the-scenes disagreement boiled over Tuesday, as Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson and Rep. Lawrence McClure sharply criticized Rules Chair Kathleen Passidomo’s handling of a priority agriculture bill.

SB 290, sponsored by Sen. Keith Truenow, was scheduled to be heard by the Senate Rules Committee, but was temporarily postponed at the sponsor’s request. What unfolded next quickly became the larger story.

Following the meeting, Simpson accused Passidomo of reversing gains in agricultural policy and undermining support for farmers and ranchers across the state.

“During the four years of misguided, liberal gamesmanship under my predecessor’s reign over our agriculture industry, the Florida Senate was a reliable backstop to protect solid policies that support our farmers, ranchers and growers,” Simpson tweeted.

“It is unconscionable that a single Committee Chair would pick up that mantle and reverse the gains we’ve made. My hope is that Chair Passidomo reconsiders her support for agriculture in our state and puts the Farm Bill back in front of the Senate.”

McClure echoed that criticism, framing the Committee’s actions as unfair and personal.

“To call only opponents to speak, while one of the greatest advocates for FL Ag is in the hospital. It wasn’t politics, it was intentionally mean,” he tweeted, referring to Senate President Ben Albritton, a citrus grower and Wauchula Republican who is undergoing treatment for a blood clot.

Still, his take isn’t backed up by the transcript.

SB 290 was the final bill heard — or, in this case, not heard — by Rules this morning. After acknowledging Truenow’s request to temporarily postpone the bill, Passidomo offered to take public testimony anyway. She framed the decision as a courtesy to those who traveled to Tallahassee from elsewhere and emphasized that no action would be taken on the bill during Tuesday’s Committee meeting.

“Those of you who are willing and able to come back, I assume (that) Sen. Truenow is listening to stakeholders. Those of you who are not able to come back, I have no problem with taking that testimony today. Is there anybody who wishes to testify, or would you like to come back next week or whenever we take it up again?” she asked, adding, “With this weather, people are having trouble getting places. I even had trouble getting here myself the other day.”

Only one speaker, Edwin Henry, took her up on the offer, and the record does not reflect any supporters being barred from speaking on the bill — Truenow himself noted that stakeholder negotiations were ongoing and that changes were being considered.

Passidomo’s comments remained focused on process; she did not argue the merits of the bill, though sources tell Florida Politics she opposes the legislation as written, and, as those familiar with The Process know, quietly killing bills is a privilege Committee Chairs often indulge in.

Passidomo’s post-meeting comments didn’t engage with the criticism and were similarly procedural: “The legislation was on the agenda today, and I was prepared to hear it. The bill sponsor TP’d the bill, and when he’s ready to present it again, I look forward to a thoughtful discussion on the proposed policy. I’ve reached out to Commissioner Simpson, and I look forward to speaking with him,” she told Florida Politics.

For now, SB 290 remains temporarily postponed, with further discussions expected.

Evening Reads

—“Donald Trump fired him. Democrats canonized him. Now he’s running for Senate in Florida.” via Chris Cillizza of So What

—”The 48 hours that convinced Trump to change course in Minnesota” via Annie Linskey, Alex Leary and Michelle Hackman of The Wall Street Journal

—”Minnesota proved MAGA wrong” via Adam Serwer of The Atlantic

—”U.S. population growth slows sharply as immigration numbers plunge” via Jeff Adelson and Sabrina Tavernise of The New York Times

—”Vern Buchanan to retire from Congress after 20 years of distinguished service” via Peter Schorsch of Florida Politics

—”Who will run to succeed Buchanan in Congress?” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics

—”Where tech leaders and students really think AI is going” via Brian Barrett of WIRED

—”Lawmakers take another try at identifying what is ‘harmful to minors’” via Jay Waagmeester of the Florida Phoenix

—”Florida could ban foreign H-1B visa faculty at state universities until 2027” via Steven Walker of the Orlando Sentinel

—“How Stephen King’s ‘The Shining’ became an opera in Tampa” via Gabrielle Calise of the Tampa Bay Times

3 Questions

Broward Health and Memorial Healthcare System have launched “Better Together,” a collaboration aimed at enhancing access to care and improving health outcomes across Broward County. Now, new legislation (HB 1047/SB 1122) would give the county’s two public hospital districts clearer authority to collaborate under state supervision while preserving independence, transparency, and local control.

Florida Politics spoke with Shane Strum, President & CEO of Broward Health and Interim CEO of Memorial Healthcare System, about what the legislation does, why collaboration matters for Broward families, and how he responds to critics who call it a “backdoor merger.”

What do HB 1047 and SB 1122 actually do for Broward’s public hospitals and the patients you serve?

Strum: At the simplest level, these bills give Broward’s two public hospital districts the legal clarity to work together more efficiently for the people we jointly serve. They grant state‑action immunity, so Broward Health and Memorial can collaborate on joint ventures and shared services under state supervision, which is a framework already used in many other states.

For patients, that means faster, more connected care and services closer to home. Coordinating staffing, facilities, and programs lets us reduce duplication, shorten wait times, and extend emergency, maternity, behavioral health, and chronic‑disease care into neighborhoods that have historically been underserved. It also allows us to reinvest savings into frontline and safety-net services rather than into bureaucracy or fragmentation.

Better Together is already up and running. Why is this collaboration so important, and what has it accomplished so far?

Strum: Better Together has shown what is possible when two public systems decide to put community needs ahead of institutional boundaries. We launched a shared call center that connects uninsured and underinsured residents to primary and maternity care across both systems, so one phone call can get a patient to the right door, regardless of which logo is on the building.

We are also targeting the ZIP codes where health disparities are most severe. In areas that account for a disproportionate share of infant deaths and chronic disease, Better Together is bringing maternal care, primary care, and support services closer to home, often in partnership with community organizations and local governments. These are families who previously faced long drives or long waits for basic services; collaboration is literally moving care into their neighborhoods and addressing food insecurity and other barriers at the same time. HB 1047 and SB 1122 simply give us more durable tools to keep building on that progress.

Critics say this is a “backdoor merger” that weakens transparency and public oversight. How do you respond?

Strum: That claim is simply not accurate. The bills do not authorize a merger, do not change taxing authority, and do not weaken Florida’s Sunshine Laws or public‑meeting requirements in any way. Broward Health and Memorial remain separate public institutions with independent boards, budgets, and audits, and every decision we make continues to happen under the same robust public‑records and public‑meetings framework that exists today.

Some recent polling language has described a scenario where the districts “change how they operate without legal requirements, transparency, or voter approval” — that is not what these bills do and not what Better Together is about. The real choice in front of lawmakers is whether to let two strong public systems coordinate more effectively in full public view, or to leave outdated rules in place while private hospitals close key services and vulnerable communities continue to face gaps in care. Our focus is on making sure Broward families can get high‑quality care, close to home, from public hospitals that remain accountable to them.

Quote of the Day

“Every achievement worth doing began with listening to my constituents and fighting for their priorities. … After 20 years of service, I believe it’s the right time to pass the torch and begin a new chapter in my life.”

— U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, announcing he will not seek re-election.

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.

Send a 20/20 to U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, who is exiting Congress after two decades representing Florida’s 16th Congressional District.

Send one Electric Blue Daiquiri and one Orange Crush to UF for landing a No. 1 ranking in U.S. News’ latest list of top online schools.

Sorry, party flippers, you may have to settle for a Flip Flop Summer rather than a ballot slot when qualifying week comes around.