Last Call for 12.2.25 – 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

The Florida Chamber’s 2026 Legislative Fly-In is set for Jan. 13-14 in Tallahassee, gathering business leaders, policymakers and state officials for two days of briefings as the 2026 Legislative Session gets underway.

The annual event typically serves as an early look at the political and economic issues likely to dominate the coming months, with sessions led by Chamber analysts, legislative leadership and members of the Florida Cabinet.

This year’s program adds a new name: Commerce Secretary J. Alex Kelly.

Kelly’s segment, announced Tuesday, will focus on the state’s strategy to expand the manufacturing sector, strengthen economic development tools, and “unlock the competitive advantages of Florida’s rural communities.”

The Fly-In agenda generally blends political forecasting with policy deep dives.

Last year’s program included updates on tax and budget policy, labor regulations, early learning, aerospace, insurance litigation trends, a briefing on leadership priorities from Senate President Ben Albritton and House Speaker Daniel Perez and a keynote address from Gov. Ron DeSantis.

While a full agenda hasn’t been released, the Chamber said this year’s program will likewise “bring together the leaders who will define Florida’s next chapter of growth and competitiveness.”

Evening Reads

—“Inside Donald Trump’s push to make the White House ballroom as big as possible” via Luke Broadwater of The New York Times

—“Crypto won big in 2024. AI is angling to do the same in 2026” via Henry Burke of Rolling Stone

—“Department of War Crimes” via Rebecca Crosby and Noel Sims of Popular Information

—“DOGE isn’t dead. Here’s what its operatives are doing now” via Makena Kelly and Vittoria Elliott of WIRED

—“Former President of Honduras is freed from prison after Trump pardon” via William K. Rashbaum, Maggie Haberman, Kenneth P. Vogel and Jonah E. Bromwich of The New York Times

—“Why Republicans are sweating Tuesday’s Special Election in Trump country” via Dan Merica of The Washington Post

—“Plaintiffs from last Florida redistricting challenge say lawmakers shouldn’t open ‘Pandora’s box’ again” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics

—“Manatee protection may be eroded under Trump administration’s proposed changes to Endangered Species Act” via Patrick Connolly of the Orlando Sentinel

—“Four property tax bills advance to last House committee despite sustained worry over local shortfalls” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics

—“Fears of cuts to fire departments and emergency services plague Florida property tax proposals” via Liv Caputo of the Florida Phoenix

Quote of the Day

“When the maps don’t reflect our growth, the consequences are real.”

— Voter Nancy Batista, on a proposed mid-decade redraw of Florida’s congressional map.

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.

It’s unclear whether the House State Affairs Committee should get a pat on the back or a Backfire, but they did greenlight four proposed constitutional amendments to overhaul Florida’s property tax framework.

Raise an L’Alliance to Florida Poly and The Skyway Organization for teaming up to spark new developments in advanced manufacturing, materials science, aerospace and workforce development.

The UFC is one Committee stop closer to celebrating specialty license plates with a round of Great Apricot Smackdowns.

Breakthrough Insights

Tune In

Gators face tough test at Duke

The defending national champion Florida Gators travel to Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, to face fourth-ranked Duke tonight (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). 

Florida, ranked 10th in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 poll, has opened the season with five wins and a pair of losses, most recently, an 84-80 defeat by TCU. Tonight’s game is part of the ACC/SEC Challenge, a two-day event that pits teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference against teams from the Southeastern Conference. Other matchups in the event include North Carolina playing at Kentucky and Florida State hosting Georgia.

The Gators have struggled more than expected this season. With their starting frontcourt back, the backcourt has yet to coalesce fully. In games in which they have played their best, the combination of Xaivian Lee and Boogie Fland has led Florida to some impressive victories. 

Lee scored 20 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished four assists in the victory over Providence on Friday. Fland was a standout against Florida State, scoring a season-high 18 points in the win over the Seminoles.

However, the duo has been inconsistent, particularly in turnovers. They will have to take care of the ball against a highly-ranked team in a very difficult road environment.

Duke has opened the season with eight straight wins, including over ranked teams Kansas and Arkansas. Standout freshman Cameron Boozer leads the Blue Devils, scoring 22.9 points and grabbing 9.8 rebounds per game.

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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.