Week in review 2-25-17

Here’s a week in review of some of the more important things that happened in the last week.

Perez is the new chair of the Democratic Party. He was the Labor Secretary under Obama and is overall much, much more progressive than anyone who’s ever been in charge of the party. But he was the pick from the so called establishment. The Bernie supporters and people who were looking to reform the party from the ground up were backing Ellison. This is likely the closest vote in the history of the party. And both of the candidates have similar policies and ran on nearly the same platform. Nonetheless someone was going to rage quit the Democratic Party over this. Would it be the so called establishment or the new comers? Let’s now watch as the Bernie crowd takes their energy elsewhere. Fivethirtyeight has a decent read on this. (link)

Florida News:

MCI Maps has a great data heavy read on what the Florida Senate races were all about compared to Clinton. SD8 was lost because Rod Smith under preformed in Alachua County. A common strategy from the Democrats had been to appeal to moderates in Putnam County and win the progressives in Alachua by default. Didn’t work here or elsewhere. (link)

Sen Gainer out of the Pan Handle filed a bill that would make it a second degree misdemeanor to block traffic during a protest. The bill, SB 1096 would also make drivers not liable for unintentionally killing these protesters. (link)

HJR 321 would up the threshold for getting a referendum passed from 60% to 66%. It was increased to 60% from 50% in 2006. (link)

Miami made marijuana possession a citation as opposed to a criminal offense due to the deportation threat faced by undocumented people under Trump (link)

Rick Scott is now the Vice Chair of the powerful Republican Governors Association. This is yet another important key to his 2018 US Senate run. (link)

Around 300 protesters packed a meeting to save Rainbow River. The dispute is over how much water should be allowed to be removed. (link)

Two protesters wedged themselves inside a 3 foot pipe in Marion County. The pipe is part of the controversial Sabal Pipeline. (link)

HB871 would create an animal abuse registry that would help block repeat abusers. There’s no companion in the Senate yet and I get the feeling this is going to be a multiyear effort. (link)

There’s 11 so called pro-gun bills filed by Republicans and gun control bills filed by Democrats. Because Republicans have majorities in the House, Senate, and have the Governor it’s unlikely any of the gun control measures will pass. Instead the focus is on stopping the expansion of these pro-gun bills. (link)

SB 90, which creates incentives for solar energy, is moving forward in the Senate. (link)

Good news. We counted more manatees this year than since we started doing our annual survey. (link) We also counted more Florida panthers than last year. (link)

Corcoran-care is the name of the sickness you’ll likely be facing in the next year. In anticipation of the federal government creating a block grant Medicaid scheme. This program would create private prepaid plans for Medicaid people. Can’t we have single payer already? (link)

Rubio refuses to have a town hall because he’s scared. It’s gotten to the point that people are printing missing Rubio stickers and putting them on milk cartons. They’re even dogging him nonstop every chance they get like on 2/23 at FIU.

Congressman Webster in Lake County left his town hall early and refused to take questions. (link)

Congressman Dunn ran a red light in Tallahassee to avoid talking to protesters. (link)

Rep Rooney from Collier County was a no show so about 200 protesters rallied outside his office instead. (link)

Rep Bilirakis from New Port Richey who had a town hall on 2/11 in which a supporter called Obamacare death panels said he’s still for a full repeal. He hasn’t and likely won’t have another town hall (link).

Trumps approval rating is at 38%. But 83% of Republicans still approve of him. (link)
Trump is likely going to start enforcing Federal marijuana laws. (link)

If you were curious why private prison companies stocks shot up after Trump was elected you know now. Trump cancels an Obama era order to phase out their use this week. (link)

Trump rolled back Obama era protections for trans youth. Apparently Attorney General Sessions pushed this and Secretary of Education DeVos said no. She said this would harm trans youth but she was given an ultimatum to either drop her opposition of resign. She folded. (link)

Trump is giving Breitbart an exclusive, skipping the White House correspondents dinner , and blocked all the news stations that are covering the Russia scandal from a briefing.

VP Mike Pence helped clean up a vandalized Jewish cemetery. What’s the over under on when he’s sworn in as president? (link)

Trump is set to roll back an Obama era landmark EPA ruling that expanded the number of streams and waterways protested. Being able to pollute these waterways is a major priority for manufacturing companies. (link)

The Winter White House is a mess. Over last the weekend 12 plans violated the restricted airspace with 5 of them being buzzed by military aircraft. He’s spent a full 25% of his presidency in Mar-a-Largo. His 3 trips have cost over $10 million for travel alone.

Trump has put the Obama deportation machine into overdrive. The overarching theme from Trump is that undocumented people are violent and should be treated inhumanly. The desired result isn’t a nation free of undocumented people. It’s a nation full of more fearful undocumented people. People less likely to complain about their mistreatment and more easily exploited by 1%ers like Trump.(link)