Sunburn – The Morning Read Of What’s Hot In Florida Politics – 6.25.20

By Peter Schorsch    

The staff of Florida Politics joins the rest of the state (and much of the nation) to pray for the victims, survivors and families waiting for news of loved ones caught in the tragic Champlain Towers collapse in Surfside. We also thank the first responders who have been heroically working nonstop on rescue efforts.

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Kinley Morgan is the new press secretary for the Senate Majority Office.

Morgan is a veteran Senate staffer with a solid background in communications and will now be working under Senate Majority Leader Debbie Mayfield, a Melbourne Republican.

Previously, Morgan served as a legislative analyst in the Majority Office, focusing on education, military affairs, and tax policy.

An Ocala native, she also served a stint as a legislative aide to Sen. Keith Perry, a Gainesville Republican whose district includes portions of Marion County.

Before her legislative service, Kinley served as a spokesperson for former Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and an account supervisor for Geiger and Associates, a public relations firm specializing in tourism marketing.

Morgan is a graduate of Florida State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in applied American politics and policy.

She succeeds Lisa Kauffman, who recently left the press secretary position to accept a job at Mercury. The bipartisan public strategy firm announced Thursday that she would serve as vice president of its Florida office.

 — SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

—@GovRonDeSantis: Thank you to those who have responded to the tragic building collapse in Surfside. These first responders saved lives. The state has emergency response personnel on-site and will assist in any way it can.

—@MarcoRubio: A substantial number of those living at the Surfside building, which collapsed are originally from overseas. Our office is on-site at the family reunification center to help provide assistance with obtaining humanitarian visas for their loved ones who need to travel to the U.S.

Tweet, tweet:

—@MayorDaniella: I just signed a declaration of local state of emergency that will immediately begin to allocate the necessary resources we need here on the ground. I urge @GovRonDeSantis to do the same at the state level.

—@FrancisSuarez: Our thoughts and prayers are with the families in Surfside as we respond to this tragedy in our community. Thank you to @MiamiPD and @CityofMiamiFire for getting to the scene quickly — we sent 10 fire rescue units along with drones and K-9 units to assist with search and rescue.

—@conarck: “We can confirm we have received two patients from the building collapse in Surfside, but don’t have consent to release more information,” officials from Miami-Dade’s public hospital.

—@kaitlancollins: President (Joe) Biden tells pooler @jeffzeleny he hasn’t spoken to Florida Gov. DeSantis, but White House staff has, and they are waiting to hear whether Florida wants to request federal disaster funds.

—@JaredEMoskowitz: The scene at the reunification center will haunt witnesses for years to come. I am still haunted by those images from 3 years ago in Parkland

—@SamBrockNBC: Surfside Mayor: — Treated 10 ppl on-site — One confirmed fatality from police. Dozens displaced … 50 hotel rooms next door evacuated … Concerned for safety of firefighters responding “It’s hard to imagine how this could happen — buildings just don’t fall down.”

—@AnaCabrera: Search and rescue efforts from FL building collapse are ongoing. “This is not something that’s going to be brief” said Andrew Hyatt, Surfside Town Manager. “It’s going to be … for the long term … and possibly at least a week,” Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Raide Jadallah said.

—@MiamiDadeFire: #MDFR #TRT & #FLTF1 are working in the basement parking garage at Champlain Towers. Firefighters continue working on locating possible victims, while dealing with heavy damage and changing conditions in the parking garage. #SurfsideBuildingCollapse

—@MaryEllenKlas: CNN’s @jaketapper asks @JeanetteNunezFL if @GovRonDeSantis plans to sign the emergency order. She does not answer. Says: “I haven’t talked to him, so I’m sure that we’ll look at it and review it, and he’ll do what’s in the best interest of those individuals.”

—@AGGancarski: So @GovRonDeSantis is doing a political interview with @marklevinshow while @LtGovNunez will talk Surfside condo collapse with @CNN @jaketapper … interesting move for #AmericasGovernor to do a red meat pre-tape instead of a national live hit during crisis.

—@SamBrockNBC: Surfside mayor: -Treated 10 ppl on-site -One confirmed fatality from police. Dozens displaced … 50 hotel rooms next door evacuated … Concerned for safety of firefighters responding “It’s hard to imagine how this could happen- buildings just don’t fall down.”

—@JudiciaryGOP: Kamala caves!

—@FrankThorp: On @MSNBC, @SenSanders to @mitchellreports: “I’m tired of talking about Mr. (Joe) Manchin and Miss (Krysten) Sinema …”