Politics
Last Call for 3.31.26 – 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
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday signed two bills aimed at tightening Florida’s criminal penalties for child exploitation and ensuring certain offenders remain behind bars after conviction.
The measures, HB 445, known as “Missy’s Law,” and HB 1159, were approved as part of a broader push by the administration to strengthen protections for children and increase penalties for sexual offenses.
“Justice demands that those who victimize innocent people face swift and meaningful consequences,” DeSantis said in a statement, adding that the bills “strengthen law and order in Florida by holding dangerous criminals and sex offenders accountable for their crimes. In Florida, we will always fight to protect our children and deliver justice for victims of crimes.”
Missy’s Law overhauls part of the state’s pretrial detention framework for specified dangerous crimes. Under the new law, defendants who are found guilty or enter a plea in cases involving certain violent or exploitative offenses must be immediately placed in custody and held without bond while awaiting sentencing.
The legislation also expands Florida’s statutory list of dangerous crimes to include certain computer pornography and child exploitation offenses, a change intended to prevent automatic release at a defendant’s first court appearance.
Attorney General James Uthmeier tied the bill to the 2025 killing of 5-year-old Missy Mogle.
“Last year, we proposed Missy’s Law after the tragic murder of five-year-old Missy Mogle at the hands of a convicted, abusive pedophile who was allowed to remain out on bond by Judge Tiffany Baker,” Uthmeier said. “Missy’s Law removes judicial discretion and ensures dangerous criminals are locked up after conviction.”
Separately, HB 1159 increases criminal penalties tied to child sexual abuse material and expands the list of offenses under state law. The measure raises penalties for using a child in a sexual performance, possessing or distributing abusive material, and generating sexual abuse material.
The bill also establishes mandatory minimum prison sentences for certain offenses committed by adults and creates a life felony for the aggravated exploitation of a child younger than 12.
Evening Reads
—“Donald Trump is flailing on Iran” via Jonathan Chait of The Atlantic
—“Iran warns U.S. tech firms could become targets as war expands” via Dana Alomar of WIRED
—”A Russian tanker tests the limits of Trump’s Cuba squeeze” via José de Córdoba and Vera Bergengruen of The Wall Street Journal
—“Why an 8-1 Supreme Court just ruled in favor of anti-LGBTQ+ ‘conversion therapy’” via Ian Millhiser of Vox
—“The rise of the digital oligarchy” via Jonathan Taplin of Rolling Stone
—”Gov. Ron DeSantis says lawmakers can expect to be tied up in Special Sessions for up to six weeks” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics
—“As Uthmeier argues for felons to have guns, Florida prosecutors step in” via Dan Sullivan of the Tampa Bay Times
—“Why DeSantis didn’t campaign for Republican who lost GOP seat in Senate” via Romy Ellenbogen of the Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times
—“The ‘Blue Ribbon’ Projects bill died this Session. Will it come back?” via Mitch Perry of the Florida Phoenix
—“Artemis II’s lunar quartet of astronauts break the Apollo mold” via Richard Tribou of the Orlando Sentinel
“That’s just kind of the way the cookie crumbles.”
— Gov. Ron DeSantis, on not getting involved in SD 14.
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.
Gov. DeSantis defended ordering an Old Frienemy by signing a bill renaming Palm Beach International Airport for President Donald Trump.
Looksmaxxer Clavicular may be getting an Alligator Bite from Uthmeier for a stunt he pulled in the Everglades.
Despite recent heightened economic uncertainty, Florida’s top business leaders are still ordering Sunshine and Rainbows.
Breakthrough Insights
Tune In
Rays’ McClanahan set for first start since 2023
The Tampa Bay Rays continue a three-game series in Milwaukee against the Brewers tonight (7:40 p.m. ET, Rays.TV).
Tampa Bay handed Milwaukee the first loss of the season in a Rays 3-2 win last night. Nick Fortes drove in the go-ahead run with two outs in the ninth to improve the team’s record to 2-2 in the early season. Last season, the Rays won four of the first five games of the season, then lost six of eight and finished the season 77-85.
During the offseason, the Rays traded veterans Brandon Lowe and Shane Baz for prospects as they pivoted to build for the future. While it is too early to say how the build has paid off, there are some positive signs in the season’s opening week.
First baseman Yandy Dias has started the season with a hot bat. Dias has 11 hits in 20 at-bats, while Jonathan Aranda has six hits and four runs batted in through four games.
The Rays are scheduled to send left-hander Shane McClanahan to the mound for his first start of the year. McClanahan has not pitched in the Major Leagues since 2023, when he went 11-2 in 21 starts. The Cape Coral High School and USF product missed the last two seasons after Tommy John surgery and a nerve injury in his left triceps.
The series concludes tomorrow afternoon with the Rays scheduled for a three-game series in Minnesota starting Friday.
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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.