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Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 2.17.22

Ka-Ching: The House passes its megabudget, which has some pretty good things.

By Peter Schorsch

Good Thursday morning.

RIP: Betty Sembler, the straight-talking anti-drug advocate, dies at 90.

Breaking overnight — “Betty Sembler, political matriarch, anti-drug advocate, and philanthropist, dies at 90” via Peter Schorsch of Florida Politics — Sembler, a prolific and powerful advocate for conservative and Republican policies and politicians, died Wednesday, her family said. She was 90. As half of a potent fundraising duo with her husband, developer Mel Sembler, she was befriended by presidents and dynasties, especially the late George H.W. Bush and his sons, George W. Bush and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. A message from Jan Sher, wife of The Sembler Company’s former executive chairman, Craig Sher, revealed Betty Sembler died Wednesday surrounded by family. “We all know she led a blessed life filled with amazing adventures, but her true passion was her family and all the people she treated ‘like family,’” Jan Sher wrote. “All of our lives were certainly enriches by knowing our dear ‘Aunt Betty.’”

Florida voters want lawmakers to greenlight stricter condo inspection rules but would prefer they butt out of the net metering debate, according to a new poll.

Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy found that 84% of Floridians support requiring utilities to credit customers at the going rate for the excess solar energy they pump back into the grid, a practice known as “net metering.” Utility companies are pushing a change that would allow them to pay a lower rate (SB 1024/HB 741).

Rooftop solar polls well with Floridians.

The prospect is especially unpopular among voters, two-thirds of whom said utilities should instead make it easier for Floridians to install rooftop solar panels.

Enthusiasm varied based on party affiliation. Three-quarters of Republicans and 94% of Democrats said they support net metering, while 57% of Republicans and 82% of Democrats said installing panels should be made easier. However, when the word “incentive” was tossed in, GOP support dwindled to 43%.

“It’s clear that Floridians overwhelmingly support the freedom to choose rooftop solar for their homes and businesses,” said Justin Vandenbroeck, Florida Solar Energy Industries Association president.

Meanwhile, the state’s electorate expressed broad support for legislation (SB 1702/SB 7042/HB 7069) filed in response to the collapse of Champlain Towers South that would require more frequent and thorough condo building inspections.

About 2 million Floridians live in condo units at least 30 years old. Florida is home to 131,773 condo units that are 20-30 years old and more than 105,000 are more than 50 years old. However, most communities do not require periodic inspections to ensure aging buildings are structurally sound.

About six in seven voters told Mason-Dixon that should change, with only 11% of respondents saying they were against an inspection mandate.

“With 86% of Florida voters supporting periodic inspections of multifamily residential units, it’s clear that Floridians want lawmakers to take swift action this Legislative Session to help ensure we never experience another Surfside condo collapse,” said Allen Douglas, the executive director of the Florida Engineering Society and the American Council of Engineering Companies of Florida.

Mason-Dixon conducted the polls Feb. 7-10. They have a sample size of 625 registered Florida voters and a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

Tweet, tweet:

 

@EWarren: It’s appalling, and it’s nothing new: Working people are paying the price for corporate greed.

@AmyEWalter: The thing about politics is that most voters just want their gov’t to work for them. If the basics are going well, they’re more willing to accept change/transformation. When things aren’t going well, they aren’t. Timing matters. Competence matters.

Tweet, tweet:

 

@JeremyRedfernFL: Florida’s Omicron wave peaked at 299 cases per 100k. New Mexico’s wave peaked at 362 cases per 100k. Only one of these two states has an indoor mask mandate and forces school children to wear a mask for 8 hours a day.

Tweet, tweet:

 

@LMower3: I just asked Florida’s Senate President @WiltonSimpson why he didn’t agree to a meeting with Desmond Meade. “Who’s that?” he said.

Tweet, tweet:

 

Tweet, tweet:

 

Tweet, tweet:

 

@AGlorios: Second day in a row in the Florida House press gallery. Second day in a row as the only woman in the room.

@AriannaWMC5: #Wordle has been extremely annoying lately

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