Last Call for 2.4.26 – 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

Lingering friction between the Florida House and Senate resurfaced this week as lawmakers sparred publicly over the timing of their respective budget rollouts, a reminder of last year’s drawn-out Legislative Session and strained inter-chamber relations.

The dispute emerged after the Senate announced it would delay introducing its budget, prompting criticism from House leadership. Rep. Lawrence McClure responded sharply, pushing back on any suggestion that the House bore responsibility for the delay.

“With respect to Senator Hooper, during this term the Florida Senate has demonstrated little interest in respecting legislative traditions,” McClure wrote on social media. “Any timing issues they are having in pulling together their Senate budget have absolutely nothing to do with the Florida House.”

Sen. Ed Hooper, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, had tweeted a series of posts emphasizing process, tradition and cooperation while acknowledging the Senate’s decision to adjust its schedule.

Hooper thanked Committee Chairs and staff for working “nights and weekends” on the budget and credited Senate President Ben Albritton for “returning at a run” to help finalize the plan. He said the Senate opted to delay Committee rollouts to align with the House.

“Traditionally, the chambers introduce budgets the same week,” Hooper wrote. “It is important for us to keep that tradition & roll out the same week as our partners in the House.”

As a result, the Senate rescheduled its budget rollout for Committee consideration on Feb. 12, rather than earlier in the week. Hooper struck a conciliatory tone in later posts, repeatedly referring to the House as “partners” and expressing confidence that the chambers would complete budget work on time.

Still, the exchange underscored underlying tensions after a 2025 Session marked by prolonged negotiations. While both chambers publicly insist they are aligned heading into the heart of budget season, the sharpness of McClure’s response — and the Senate’s emphasis on tradition and coordination — suggests sensitivities remain close to the surface.

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Florida’s childhood poverty rate continued to decline over the past year, with 3,192 fewer children living in poverty statewide, according to a new analysis from the Florida Chamber Foundation’s Florida Prosperity Initiative.

Despite having more children overall, Florida reduced the number of children living in poverty from 714,768 to 711,576. Since the Initiative launched, the number of children living in poverty has fallen by more than 200,000.

The findings indicate continued momentum toward the Initiative’s goal of cutting childhood poverty in half by 2030, one of 39 long-term benchmarks in the Florida 2030 Blueprint, which aims to position Florida as a Top 10 global economy. Florida currently ranks 15th.

According to the analysis, more than half of Florida’s children living in poverty reside in just 150 of the state’s 983 zip codes. Thirty-five counties reduced childhood poverty over the past year, while 31 saw increases. Childhood poverty rates ranged from a high of 39.3% in Hardee County to a low of 6.5% in Santa Rosa County.

“This progress illustrates the power of business leaders with big hearts and reinforces Florida’s growing reputation as a national model for tackling generational poverty through localized, data-driven solutions,” said Mark Wilson, President & CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce. He noted that Florida’s childhood poverty rate has dropped from 23.3% to 16.5% since he first testified before Congress on the state’s ZIP code–driven approach.

Leaders emphasized that sustained focus remains necessary to ensure economic growth reaches every family, particularly at the neighborhood level.

Child safety, identified as a root cause of poverty, was also highlighted as a key priority. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said his office is working with communities and law enforcement to strengthen protections for children.

“Safety for children in Florida should never depend on a zip code, which is why I’m working with the Florida Prosperity Initiative in driving real change at the neighborhood level to strengthen protections and close gaps to opportunity and self-sufficiency,” Uthmeier said.

The Florida Chamber Foundation is expected to release a full statewide report later this month and host a nationwide webinar to discuss the findings and next steps. 

Evening Reads

—”Donald Trump’s call to ‘nationalize’ elections adds to state officials’ alarm” via Nick Corasaniti of The New York Times

—“Fulton County goes to court to demand return of ballots seized by FBI” via Mark Berman and Jeremy Roebuck of The Washington Post

—“How Stephen Miller stokes Trump’s boundary-pushing impulses” via Josh Dawsey and Tarini Parti of The Wall Street Journal

—“Inside the ICE forum where agents complain about their jobs” via Vittoria Elliott of WIRED

—”Trump’s occupation of Minneapolis has broken the Justice Department” via Ian Millhiser of Vox

—”Senate leadership delays release of budget proposal until Feb. 12” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics

—”Senate panel gives first OK to bill revising eligibility to state condo-hardening grant program” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics

—”Bill forcing Ron DeSantis to quickly call Special Elections passes first Committee” via Liv Caputo of the Florida Phoenix

—”Florida Supreme Court declines to consider ballot language for recreational pot measure” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics

—”DeSantis, citing report with anonymous source, declares victory in Hope Florida scandal” via Alexandra Glorioso and Lawrence Mower of the Tampa Bay Times

3 Questions

Florida’s four specialty children’s hospitals – Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, Nemours Children’s Hospital, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, and Wolfson Children’s Hospital – are designated to care for the most complex pediatric medical diagnoses, including childhood cancers. Together, they are leading a statewide effort to elevate pediatric cancer treatment and research so Florida families can access world-class care close to home.

As World Cancer Day is recognized today, Florida Politics spoke with Alicia Schulhof, president of Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, about how Florida’s Specialty Hospitals for Children are advancing Florida’s leadership in pediatric cancer research and treatment.

Q: Florida recently made a $30 million investment in pediatric cancer care. Why is this funding so significant for children and families across the state?

Schulhof: Each year, nearly 1,000 Florida families hear the unimaginable words, “Your child has cancer.” For too many families, that diagnosis has meant not only navigating a difficult medical and emotional journey, but also leaving our state – and their loved ones and support networks – to access highly specialized care.

This investment will ensure that Florida’s children can access the most advanced, specialized pediatric cancer care here in our state. 

Johns Hopkins All Children’s Cancer Program is nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report. As pediatric cancer care is highly specialized, building top-tier programs requires sustained investment in research, clinical expertise and advanced infrastructure. The state’s funding represents a pivotal moment, expanding access to cutting-edge therapies and clinical trials for Florida’s children.  

The investment will support positive outcomes for kids like eight-year-old Ryan, who was diagnosed with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in 2021. He is thriving today thanks to the care he received at Johns Hopkins All Children’s.

We are grateful to Gov. Ron DeSantis, First Lady Casey DeSantis and the state Legislature for this important investment in the health and well-being of Florida’s children.

Q: How are Florida’s Specialty Hospitals for Children working together to meet this goal?

Schulhof:  What makes Florida’s Specialty Hospitals for Children unique is both our mission and our collaboration. As the only four hospitals in Florida solely focused on pediatric care, we collectively serve the majority of children with complex and rare cancers in our state. By working together, we can align our strategies, share best practices, and build complementary programs that raise the standard of care across the state.

Q: What does the path forward look like for advancing pediatric cancer care in Florida?

Schulhof: Florida’s Specialty Hospitals for Children are focused on four key priorities: expanding research, recruiting top pediatric cancer specialists, growing advanced clinical programs, and investing in state-of-the-art infrastructure and technology.

This investment will allow these four hospitals to expand research and drive innovations that will define the future of pediatric cancer care; attract world-renowned specialists and build the strongest teams; provide Florida children with more access to cutting-edge therapies and clinical trials; provide world-class clinical and research facilities; and create a significant return on investment for our state through economic and social benefits. 

As Florida’s leaders work to build a better future for our state, Florida’s Specialty Hospitals for Children are committed to ensuring that every child can receive the care they need without leaving their community.

Quote of the Day

“If a decision not to prosecute proves innocence, then the entire (Jeffrey) Epstein client list is innocent. Facts are stubborn things.”

— Rep. Alex Andrade, on DeSantis’ claim of victory in the Hope Florida scandal.

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 Florida Supreme Court served a Last Word to the recreational pot amendment by declining to consider its ballot language.

Senators are giving a Leash to dog breeders by advancing a bill that would place more regulations on the industry.

Gov. Ron DeSantis may be getting a Chop Chop if a bill that would require him to call Special Elections more quickly continues to move in the Senate.

Breakthrough Insights

Tune In

Panthers clinging to faint playoff hopes

The Florida Panthers try to dig their way out of the basement of the NHL’s Atlantic Division as they host the Boston Bruins tonight (7 p.m. ET, TNT).

The Panthers sit two points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs in the division standings and ahead of only the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference standings. It’s a far cry from the last two seasons that resulted in the Panthers hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup as the NHL champions.

Florida has been ravaged by injuries this season, but defensive lapses and poor penalty killing have limited the two-time defending champions’ success this season.

With the NHL taking a nearly-three week Olympic break starting Friday, the Panthers are in desperate need of a positive result. After tonight’s game, the Panthers will travel to Tampa Bay to face the Lightning before taking off until Feb. 26.

Is there enough time for the Panthers to course-correct? After the Olympic break, the Panthers will have just 25 games to make up ground on a playoff spot and without a full arsenal of players, the task seems nearly impossible. Left winger Brad Marchand is dealing with an undisclosed injury, and there is no word on his return. Forward Aleksander Barkov has been out since October with a knee injury and is on injured reserve. Center Sam Bennett is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

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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.