Politics

Last Call for 4.15.25 – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida

Published

5 days ago

April 15, 2025

May Greene

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

First Shot

The Senate Committee on Finance and Tax passed the chamber’s tax cut package (SB 7034), which provides targeted tax relief for families and seniors.

Key provisions include permanently eliminating the sales tax on clothing and shoes priced under $75 and a one-year reduction in vehicle registration fees. The bill also continues one-time sales tax holidays for hurricane preparedness, back-to-school items and adds a new holiday for hunting season.

Senate President Ben Albritton emphasized the importance of the targeted cuts on everyday items, stating it will help keep essential items affordable amid rising inflation.

“Permanently eliminating the sales tax on clothing and shoes adds more key essentials to the long list of items like grocery store food, medicine, and diapers that are already tax-free. Inflation has led to significant increases in costs that are negatively impacting families and seniors. Cutting taxes on essential items helps keep Florida affordable,” he said.

In addition to the cuts for the coming fiscal year, SB 7034 calls for a study “to establish a framework to reduce, or hopefully eliminate, property taxes for homesteaded property.” The final decision on property taxes would go to voters in the 2026 General Election.

The bill establishes a Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday from Aug. 1-10 and a Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday from May 15-31. It also offers a two-month Freedom Month Sales Tax Holiday for recreational items and a Tool Time Sales Tax Holiday for skilled trade tools.

Additionally, the legislation extends a freeze on local communication service tax rates until 2031 and introduces the Home Away From Home Tax Credit to assist businesses donating to charities that support families of critically ill children.

Evening Reads

—“‘Alien enemies’ or innocent men? Inside Donald Trump’s rushed effort to deport 238 migrants” Julie Turkewitz, Jazmine Ulloa, Isayen Herrera, Hamed Aleaziz and Zolan Kanno-Youngs of The New York Times

—”Investors dodge U.S. dollar and Treasurys, scared by Trump’s trade war” via David J. Lynch of The Washington Post

—”Trump’s new authoritarian role model” via Zack Beauchamp of Vox

—”Kristi Noem’s made-for-TV approach to Homeland Security” via Michelle Hackman of The Wall Street Journal

—”How to say no to the President” via Nell Minow of The Atlantic

—“Ashley Moody raises $1.6M, brings Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio onto campaign” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics

—”Ron DeSantis touts Hope Florida as ‘great success story.’ What has it done?” via Alexandra Glorioso and Lawrence Mower of the Tampa Bay Times

—”DeSantis Hope Florida scandal looks like real trouble” via Scott Maxwell of the Orlando Sentinel

—”DeSantis slams ‘least productive Florida House’ in modern history” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics

—”Senate Committee unanimously rejects Joel Rudman appointment as Pensacola State Trustee” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics

Quote of the Day

“Some people feel threatened by the First Lady. Let’s just be clear about that.”

— Gov. Ron DeSantis, trashing the House and deflecting the recent inquiries into Hope Florida.

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.

First Lady Casey DeSantis would enjoy an Audit to sip on while the House digs through a stack of Hope Florida’s records.

Veterans can enjoy a can of Nowadays if lawmakers greenlight free medical pot cards for those who served.

When Joel Rudman gets home after the unanimous Nay vote on his Pensacola State College trustee vote, he’d like one of these Rejected Cocktails.

Breakthrough Insights

Tune In

Magic open NBA postseason

The Orlando Magic tries to earn their way into the main playoff field tonight as they host the Atlanta Hawks in an NBA play-in game (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT).

The Magic (41-41) finished the regular season as the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. Orlando ended the season on a hot streak, winning nine of the last 12 games. One of the losses came on Sunday in Atlanta against the Hawks (40-42) in a contest that did not impact the standings. Most of the regulars for both teams did not play in the game.

The two teams met twice in February, with the road team winning each game. Atlanta took the game in Orlando 112-106 on Feb. 10, and the Magic gained revenge 10 days later in a 114-108 win.

Orlando then beat Atlanta at home 119-112 on April 8.

Both teams have lost key players for the season. For the Magic, guard Jalen Suggs and forward Moritz Wagner will not return until next season. Atlanta forwards Jalen Johnson and Larry Nance Jr. and center Clint Capela are done for the season.

The winner of tonight’s game advances to face the #2 seed Boston Celtics in the first round. The loser plays the winner of tomorrow’s Chicago Bulls-Miami Heat play-in 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.

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Politics

Florida State classes resume Monday after fatal shooting, but in-person attendance isn’t mandatory

Published

1 hour ago

April 20, 2025

May Greene

FSU President Richard McCullough promised any support needed for students, staff or faculty.

Classes will resume at Florida State University on Monday, four days after a deadly shooting on campus left two people dead and six others injured, school officials said.

Students and instructors will have the option of holding classes remotely or in person, depending on the class. The school has waived all mandatory attendance policies that could affect grades, so students won’t be punished if they choose not to go to class in person, FSU President Richard McCullough said in a letter to students and faculty.

Students also can request an incomplete grade for their class if they feel they are unable to complete a course, McCullough said.

“We want everyone to receive the support and help they need. For some students that may mean not going back into the classroom,” McCullough said. “For others, the idea of community and gathering, as well as the opportunity to focus on academics, may be beneficial. There is no single right answer for everyone.”

The gunman, identified as the stepson of a sheriff’s deputy, arrived on campus an hour before the shooting Thursday and stayed near a parking garage before he walked in and out of buildings and green spaces while firing a handgun just before lunchtime, police said.

In roughly four minutes, officers confronted 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner, a Florida State student, and shot and wounded him, Tallahassee police said.

The two victims who died were Robert Morales, a university dining coordinator, and Tiru Chabba, an executive for food service vendor Aramark, according to family members and attorneys for the families.

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Republished with permission of The Associated Press.

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Politics

Lineworkers get acknowledgement from Duke Energy for their hard work

Published

2 hours ago

April 20, 2025

May Greene

Many Duke Energy lineworkers were at the forefront of restoring power after Hurricane Helene hit the Southern U.S. in September.

Some low-profile workers who have some very high-profile duties were acknowledged by Duke Energy last week.

Friday was National Linework Appreciation Day and Duke Energy, which has more than 1 million customers in Florida, took measure to make sure some of their hardest working employees got the acknowledgement they deserve. Duke officials went out of their way to show their appreciate their “Guardians of the grid.”

The company highlighted that their lineworkers were responsible for restoring power outages for more than 3.1 million of their customers after Hurricane Helene initially hit the Big Bend area along the Gulf Coast in Florida Sept. 26 and then barreled into Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee and beyond.

“Hurricane Helene was one of the most impactful storms in Duke Energy’s history, requiring an unprecedented response. Duke Energy lineworkers – many of whom were personally impacted by the storm – restored more than 3.1 million customer outages in the Carolinas, Florida and Midwest after Helene hit,” a Duke news release said.

Lineworkers make up a substantial portion of Duke Energy’s workforce. The company, based in North Carolina with extensive operations in Florida, employs 10,000 lineworkers. That also includes substation and relay technicians. The substation workers manage energy distribution at the substation facilities while relay technicians are in charge of testing the equipment for power distribution.

Duke Energy Foundation, a nonprofit wing of the company, has kicked in more than $3.3 million in funding for grants to support lineworker programs for participants. The position of lineworker is one of the fastest growing occupations, according to the company. Some 22 community college lineworker training programs currently exist in Duke’s service area.

“Our customers live and work in some of the most vibrant, fastest-growing areas of the country. Duke Energy can efficiently meet current and future energy needs in large part due to our trusted line teams’ commitment to safety and excellence, and we value their work immensely,” said Scott Batson, Senior Vice President and Chief Power Grid Officer for Duke Energy.

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Politics

JD Vance meets Pope Francis on Easter Sunday after tangle over migration, gets chocolate eggs for kids

Published

4 hours ago

April 20, 2025

May Greene

U.S. Vice President JD Vance met briefly with Pope Francis on Sunday to exchange Easter greetings, after they got into a long-distance tangle over the Trump administration’s migrant deportation plans.

Francis, who is recovering from a near-fatal bout of pneumonia, received Vance in one of the reception rooms of the Vatican hotel where he lives. The 88-year-old pope offered the Catholic vice president three big chocolate Easter eggs for Vance’s three young children, who did not attend, as well as a Vatican tie and rosaries.

“I know you have not been feeling great but it’s good to see you in better health,” Vance told the pope. “Thank you for seeing me.”

Vance’s motorcade entered Vatican City through a side gate while Easter Mass was being celebrated in St. Peter’s Square. Francis had delegated the celebration of the Mass to another cardinal.

The Vatican said they met for a few minutes at the Domus Santa Marta “to exchange Easter greetings.”

Vance’s office said the vice president “expressed his gratitude to Pope Francis for inviting him to meet on Easter Sunday and for the hospitality the Vatican has extended to his family.”

“I pray for you every day,” Vance said as he bid Francis farewell. “God bless you.”

In all, Vance’s motorcade was on Vatican territory for 17 minutes. The vice president later joined his family for Easter Mass at St. Paul Outside the Walls, one of the four pontifical basilicas in Rome. The Vances visited the tomb of the apostle St. Paul that is said to be located there.

Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, and the pope have tangled sharply over migration and the Trump administration’s plans to deport migrants en masse. Francis has made caring for migrants a hallmark of his papacy.

Just days before he was hospitalized in February, Francis blasted the deportation plans, warning that they would deprive migrants of their inherent dignity. In a letter to U.S. bishops, Francis also appeared to respond to Vance directly for having claimed that Catholic doctrine justified such policies.

Vance has acknowledged Francis’ criticism but has said he will continue to defend his views. During a Feb. 28 appearance at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, Vance didn’t address the issue specifically but called himself a “baby Catholic” and acknowledged there are “things about the faith that I don’t know.”

Vance met Saturday with the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher.

Vance’s office said he and Parolin “discussed their shared religious faith, Catholicism in the United States, the plight of persecuted Christian communities around the world, and President Trump’s commitment to restoring world peace.”

The Vatican, for its part, said there was an “exchange of opinions” including over migrants and refugees and current conflicts.

The Holy See has responded cautiously to the Trump administration while seeking to continue productive relations in keeping with its tradition of diplomatic neutrality. It has expressed alarm over the administration’s crackdown on migrants and cuts in international aid while insisting on peaceful resolutions to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

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Republished with permission of The Associated Press.

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