Last Call for 2.25.26 – 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

The Florida Chamber Foundation has tapped Corrie Melton as its new Vice President of Talent Development for the Future of Work, tasking her with helping close Florida’s talent gap and strengthening the state’s workforce pipeline.

Melton most recently served as Vice President of Talent Development at the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce, where she worked with employers, educators and community partners to connect job creators with workforce solutions. She also participates in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Talent Pipeline Management program.

“Florida’s continued economic success depends on our ability to develop and attract a skilled workforce,” said Florida Chamber President and CEO Mark Wilson. “Corrie’s experience working directly with employers and community partners will help accelerate our efforts to close the talent gap, strengthen workforce participation and ensure Florida remains the best place in the nation to live, work and do business.”

In her new role, Melton will continue advancing the Foundation’s Future of Work Florida initiative, building on work led by Rachel Ludwig and Maria Briceno. The effort aims to align business, education and workforce leaders around “cradle-to-career” talent development, including a focus on skilled trades and Florida’s Top 30 in-demand careers.

She will also lead the Florida Business Alliance for Early Learning, which works to engage business leaders in early childhood education goals outlined in the Florida 2030 Blueprint, including ensuring children enter kindergarten ready to learn and read at grade level by third grade.

“Corrie is a strong partner in advancing Florida’s talent priorities, and her leadership will help continue the momentum of Future of Work Florida,” said Ludwig, Vice President of Global Operations and Strategic Partnerships at GED Testing Service and an Advisory Board Member for the Foundation’s Future of Work initiative.

Melton added, “As a former teacher and workforce champion, I am honored to join the Florida Chamber Foundation and support its mission to secure Florida’s future through building a stronger and more competitive workforce. I look forward to working with partners across Florida to support job creators, strengthen talent pipelines, and help prepare our workforce to contribute to a top 10 global economy.”

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With the agenda now set, the Office of Insurance Regulation is moving ahead with its 2026 Insurance Summit, scheduled for April 15-16 in Tallahassee.

The two-day event will open Wednesday morning with welcome remarks from Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky, followed by breakout sessions on OIR’s market oversight functions, property and casualty, and life and health.

After overviews led by a Deputy Insurance Commissioner at OIR, the sessions drill down to the brass tacks — forms and rates, application processes and financial reporting requirements. A resiliency panel featuring experts from FIU, FSU, UCF and UF comes at the midway point.

A welcome reception will close out Wednesday’s programming.

Thursday shifts to broader themes, beginning with a General Session on artificial intelligence in insurance — like nearly every industry, AI has added some wrinkles to the insurance market, and regulators have stated they are developing guardrails that would require insurers to maintain a “human-in-the-loop” and not hand over underwriting and claims decisions to agentic AI.

Data call evolution, consumer perspectives on property damage claims and marketplace options, and legal updates from OIR’s Office of General Counsel comprise the final set of breakout sessions.

Yaworski will then bring it in for a landing with a panel discussion featuring insurance regulators from North Dakota, Georgia, California, Missouri and Louisiana, followed by a closing address titled “Insurance on the Horizon.”

The Summit will be held at the Augustus B. Turnbull III Florida State Conference Center on FSU’s main campus. Registration remains open through March 30, with details available on OIR’s website.

Evening Reads

—”Republicans stare down epic voter enthusiasm gap ahead of 2026 Midterms” via Liz Goodwin and Scott Clement of The Washington Post

—”The most important line from Donald Trump’s State of the Union” via Zack Beauchamp of Vox

—“Trump’s State of the Union: Medals, fearmongering, and arguing with Dems” via Nikki McCann Ramirez and Ryan Bort of Rolling Stone

—“What happened after Elon Musk took the Russian army offline” via Ibrahim Naber of POLITICO

—”The fall of a strongman: Inside Nicolás Maduro’s last days in power” via Anatoly Kurmanaev, Mariana Martínez and Tyler Pager of The New York Times

—“Who are Florida’s most liberal, conservative members of Congress?” via Scott Maxwell of the Orlando Sentinel

—”MAGA is raging over the Jeffrey Epstein Files. But they’re not mad at Trump” via David Gilbert of WIRED

—”Bill Gates apologizes to foundation staff over Epstein ties” via Emily Glazer of The Wall Street Journal

—”House passes bill in response to Hope Florida saga” via Alexandra Glorioso of the Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times

—”New emergency rules finish an administrative challenge to AIDS drug program cuts” via Christine Sexton of the Florida Phoenix

Quote of the Day

“I would just say stay tuned.”

— Gov. Ron DeSantis, on a likely Special Session to address homestead property taxes.

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.

The future of mobility is on the horizon, but the Cocktail of the Future is available today, anywhere with a quantity license.

DeSantis still has the better part of a year left on his final term, but the House is already gathering the ingredients for a See Ya Later, Alligator.

Gainesville voters were subject to a Sneak Attack when lawmakers quietly passed an amendment that would shut down the fight over who controls their municipal utility.

Breakthrough Insights

Tune In

Gators closing in on SEC basketball title

Seventh-ranked Florida travels to Texas to face the Longhorns tonight as the Gators try for an eighth straight victory (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2).

Florida (21-6, 12-2 in SEC) leads the conference standings by two games over Alabama and Arkansas. With only four games remaining in the regular season, including tonight’s matchup, the Gators are on the doorstep of clinching the conference championship. After facing Texas, Florida returns home to host 20th-ranked Arkansas on Saturday.

Florida is projected as a three-seed in the NCAA Tournament in ESPN’s most recent Bracketology report. Florida will likely play in the Tampa regional if it remains among the top teams in the country.

This season, the Gators have won six straight SEC road games, which matches the second-longest such streak in program history.

Most of the Gators’ success can be attributed to the front court. Florida leads the nation in rebounding and is third nationally in second-chance points. Center Rueben Chinyelu is the nation’s leading rebounder, averaging 11.8 rebounds per game. Florida forward Thomas Haugh leads the team in scoring at 17.3 points per game, with forward Alex Condon adding 14 points and eight rebounds per game.

Any team that has a chance to contend with Florida must have strength up front. The Gators are looking like a Final Four contender again.

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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.