DeSantis prepares for 2022
Longtime Deputy Chief of Staff Adrian Lukis was taken advantage of by the Gov. Ron DeSantis to be his new chief of staff, replacing the native of Broward County Shane Strum who is becoming the CEO of Broward Health.
“Despite all the hard work that Shane did, normally Adrian was there with him,” DeSantis said. “He worked incredibly hard. Very experienced, very intelligent. “
The hiring of Lukis is a major victory for DeSantis, who built his political structure by working in Miami with the former Florida Mayor. Jose Oliva and local government.
But while DeSantis maintains stability in his office, who is the biggest winner?
Is Florida’s lobby group, Ballard Partners, the biggest winner?
Lukis is the son of lobbyist Ballard Sylvester Lukis and has been in DeSantis’ executive office since day one, but that was when Ballard Partners was playing well with the governor.
In the past two years, Ballard Partners seems to have fallen out of favor with the DeSantis administration. According to a government source with intimate knowledge of the Ballard-DeSantis relationship, he says it is almost non-existent due to events and deals that took place shortly after the governor’s inauguration.
Could the younger Lukis reduce the division now that he is DeSantis’ chief of staff?
Big Pot seems to smoke the detractors
Thanks to the state senator Jeff Brandes (R), who it says “It’s going to happen,” Florida may be the next state to legalize recreational marijuana, but not everyone in your party is convinced of the idea, and some Republicans are looking to limit their use of medical marijuana.
Florida House Bill 1455 is on the committee this week and is expected to eventually come to a vote, but is more likely to be dead on arrival in the Florida Senate. SEE MORE INFORMATION
Oh, and AG Commissioner Nikki Fried is pushing the medical pot once again. More on that later today …
Orange Bowl Dreams
Ballard Partners Jose Felix Diaz announced that the Miami Dolphins really stink. Playing. Diaz announced that he was elected to the Orange Bowl Committee – “The oldest and most prestigious voluntary nonprofit organization in college football,” according to Diaz.
Show me the money
In the last election, Florida voted controversially to raise the minimum wage to $ 15 an hour gradually by 2026. However, after years of gaining momentum on this topic, state senator Jeff Brandes (R) is seeking to soften the blow to this SJR 854 amendment in the Florida Senate. Senator Shevrin Jones (D) has a lot to say about this measure. SEE MORE INFORMATION
Rick Scott @SenRickScott–Good news! For years I have been asking for TPS for Venezuelans on the run @NicolasMaduros murderous regime, and I applaud today’s action by Administrator Biden to grant it. The US is with the people of Venezuela fighting for freedom
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz @RepDWStweets–For President Biden to grant TPS to suspend the threat of deportation and grant work authorization, @POTUS helps hundreds of thousands of families of #Venezuela stay safe and earn a living without fear of being returned to Maduro’s dangerous and cruel regime.
Mario Diaz-Balart @MarioDB–What better way to celebrate # 305day than drinking freshly made Cuban coffee in our country’s capital.
Ron DeSantis @GovRonDeSantis–Florida is in full swing in our vaccine strategy for the elderly. From our partnership with places of worship and retail pharmacies, to our pilot program for elderly people who live at home, we have vaccinated more than 2.6 million elderly people, representing almost 60% of the elderly population in Florida.
Commissioner Nikki Fried @NikkiFriedFL-Saving #EvergladesRestoration moving forward is vital to our environment and economy. Thanks to @RepHastingsFLand the entire bipartisan delegation for continuous defense on behalf of Florida # Swamp – a national treasure!
Senator Gary Farmer @FarmerForFLSen– Proud to be featured in the new @FLPublicMedia “COVID Classroom” program, exploring the costs of the pandemic for students who already faced obstacles. I’m a little disappointed that no Republicans have joined me in this critical discussion.
