First came Republican President Donald Trump. Now, get ready for the Democrats who want to drive him out of the White House.
Twenty Democratic presidential candidates will take part in televised debates Wednesday and Thursday in Miami as they try to score points with primary voters.
It remains to be seen how much of an impression the candidates will make during the crowded debates --- 10 candidates will be on the stage each night --- but their statements, utterances and mannerisms will be parsed to try to figure out if any win or lose.
If nothing else, the debates reinforce the importance both parties are placing on Florida in next year’s presidential race. While Democrats chose Miami to host the first debates before the 2020 primaries, Trump formally launched his campaign during a raucous event Tuesday in Orlando.
MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2019
HEMP PROGRAM DISCUSSED: The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will hold a workshop as it prepares to carry out a new law that would lead to the agency administering a hemp program. (Monday, 9 a.m., R.A. Gray Building, 500 South Bronough St., Tallahassee.)
INSLEE MAKES EVERGLADES ANNOUNCEMENT: Democratic presidential candidate Jay Inslee, who is the governor of Washington, will make a policy announcement at the Everglades. (Monday, 11 a.m., Everglades Holiday Park, 21940 Griffin Road, Fort Lauderdale.)
POLK STATE TRUSTEES MEET: The Polk State College Board of Trustees will meet. (Monday, 4 p.m., Polk State College, Winter Haven Campus, 999 Avenue H N.E., Winter Haven.)
DAVIS HOLDS TOWN HALL: Rep. Tracie Davis, D-Jacksonville, will hold a town hall meeting to discuss the 2019 legislative session. (Monday, 6 p.m., University Park Library, 3435 University Blvd. North, Jacksonville.)
ESKAMANI TALKS ABOUT SESSION: Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, will continue a series of events to recap the legislative session. The event also will be livestreamed on Facebook. (Monday, 6 p.m., First Unitarian Church of Orlando, 1901 East Robinson St., Orlando.)
TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2019
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WATER BOARD MEETS: The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board will meet in Pinellas County. (Tuesday, 9 a.m., Tampa Bay Water, 2575 Enterprise Road, Clearwater.)
PENCE ANNOUNCES LATINO COALITION: Vice President Mike Pence will appear in Miami to announce a “Latinos for Trump” coalition as part of President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Miami Airport & Convention Center, 711 N.W. 72nd Ave., Miami.)
RUBIO HOLDS ‘MOBILE’ OFFICE HOURS: Staff members for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., will hold “mobile” office hours in Franklin, Polk, Lee and Lake counties. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., Apalachicola Margaret Key Library, 80 12th St., Apalachicola. Also, 10 a.m., Winter Haven Senior Adult Center, 250 South Lake Silver Dr. N.W., Winter Haven. Also, 10 a.m., Southwest Florida Military Museum & Library, 4820 Leonard St., Cape Coral. Also, 4 p.m., American Legion Post 347, 699 West Lady Lake Blvd., Lady Lake.)
FUGATE SPEAKS TO ECONOMIC CLUB: Craig Fugate, who served as director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Florida Division of Emergency Management, will speak to the Economic Club of Florida. (Tuesday, 11:15 a.m., FSU Alumni Center, 1030 West Tennessee St., Tallahassee.)
BROWARD COLLEGE TRUSTEES MEET: The Broward College Board of Trustees will meet and take up issues such as a 2019-2020 budget. (Tuesday, 1 p.m., Willis Holcombe Downtown Center, 111 East Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale.)
FLORIDA SOUTHWESTERN BOARD MEETS: The Florida SouthWestern State College Board of Trustees will meet in Hendry County. (Tuesday, 3 p.m., Florida SouthWestern State College, Hendry Glades Center, 1092 East Cowboy Way, LaBelle.)
BROWARD LAWMAKERS HOLD TOWN HALL: Sen. Perry Thurston, D-Fort Lauderdale, Sen. Gary Farmer, D-Fort Lauderdale, Sen. Oscar Braynon, D-Miami Gardens, Rep. Bobby DuBose, D-Fort Lauderdale, Rep. Patricia Williams, D-Lauderdale Lakes, and Rep. Anika Omphroy, D-Lauderdale Lakes, will discuss the 2019 legislative session during a town-hall meeting at the Urban League of Broward County. (Tuesday, 6 p.m., Urban League of Broward County, 560 N.W. 27th Ave., Fort Lauderdale.)
FLAGLER STREET PROJECT AT ISSUE: The Florida Department of Transportation will hold a workshop in Miami about a transit service and infrastructure along Flagler Street. (Tuesday, 6 p.m., Manuel Artime Theater, 900 S.W. First St., Miami.)
ORLANDO DEMOCRATS HOLD TOWN HALL: Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, Rep. Amy Mercado and Rep. Anna Eskamani, all Orlando Democrats, will hold a town hall meeting to discuss the 2019 legislative session. (Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., Acacia Banquet Hall, 1865 North Econlockhatchee Trail, Orlando.)
EAGLE SPEAKS TO GOP CLUB: House Majority Leader Dane Eagle, R-Cape Coral, is slated to discuss the 2019 legislative session during a meeting of the Cape Coral Republican Club. (Tuesday, 7 p.m., Personal Touch Catering, 1530 Santa Barbara Blvd., Cape Coral.)
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2019
LAGOA SPEAKS AT BAR CONVENTION: The Florida Bar will start its annual convention, with sessions including a panel of prominent women lawyers and judges. Supreme Court Justice Barbara Lagoa is expected to be part of the panel. (Wednesday, events start at 8 a.m., with panel of women lawyers and judges at 1 p.m., Boca Raton Resort & Club, 501 East Camino Real, Boca Raton.)
FLAGLER STREET PROJECT AT ISSUE: The Florida Department of Transportation will hold a workshop in Miami about a transit service and infrastructure along Flagler Street. (Wednesday, 8 a.m., Brave Church, 1300 S.W. 87th Ave., Miami.)
PAROLE CASES CONSIDERED: The Florida Commission on Offender Review will consider cases from across the state. (Wednesday, 9 a.m., Betty Easley Conference Center, 4075 Esplanade Way, Tallahassee.)
RUBIO HOLDS ‘MOBILE’ OFFICE HOURS: Staff members for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., will hold “mobile” office hours in Osceola and Jefferson counties. (Wednesday, 9 a.m., Robert Guevara Community Center, 501 Florida Parkway, Kissimmee. Also, 10 a.m., Jefferson County R.J. Bailar Public Library, 375 South Water St., Monticello.)
VALENCIA COLLEGE TRUSTEES MEET: The Valencia College Board of Trustees will meet and take up issues such as a 2019-2020 operating budget. (Wednesday, 9:30 a.m., Valencia College, School of Public Safety, 8600 Valencia College Lane, Orlando.)
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES ON TABLE: Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office will hold one in a series of roundtable discussions about mental health and criminal justice issues. (Wednesday, 11 a.m., Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, 3228 Gun Club Road, West Palm Beach.)
OSTEOPATHIC BOARD HOLDS CALL: The Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine will hold a conference call. (Wednesday, noon. Call-in number: 1-888-585-9008. Code: 742225236.)
ROONEY SPEAKS TO GOP CLUB: Former U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., will speak to the Republican Club of the Palm Beaches. (Wednesday, noon, Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Center, 1301 Belvedere Road, West Palm Beach.)
SOUTH FLORIDA COLLEGE BOARD MEETS: The South Florida State College Board of Trustees will meet. (Wednesday, 1 p.m., South Florida State College, Highlands Campus, 600 West College Dr., Avon Park.)
HILLSBOROUGH COLLEGE TRUSTEES HUDDLE: The Hillsborough Community College Board of Trustees will meet after holding a workshop. (Wednesday, workshop at 2:30 p.m., with board meeting at 4 p.m., Dr. Gwendolyn W. Stephenson District Administration Center, 39 Columbia Dr., Tampa.)
CENTRAL FLORIDA COLLEGE BOARD MEETS: The Board of Trustees of the College of Central Florida will meet. (Wednesday, 3 p.m., College of Central Florida, Founders Hall, 3001 S.W. College Road, Ocala.)
I-4 INTERCHANGE PLANS EYED: The Florida Department of Transportation will hold an open house about designs for Interstate 4 interchange improvements at Daryl Carter Parkway and Sand Lake Road. (Wednesday, 5 p.m., Rosen Jewish Community Center, 11184 South Apopka Vineland Road, Orlando.)
RIGHTS RESTORATION AT ISSUE: The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, which led efforts to pass a November constitutional amendment to restore voting rights to felons, will hold an event that will include discussion about the implementation of the amendment. (Wednesday, 6 p.m., Dr. James R. Smith Neighborhood Center, 1723 Bruton Blvd., Orlando.)
DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES DEBATE: Ten Democratic presidential candidates will appear in the first of two nights of televised debates in Miami. The candidates who will participate Wednesday are U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey; former U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro; New York Mayor Bill de Blasio; former U.S. Rep. John Delaney of Maryland; U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii; Washington Gov. Jay Inslee; U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota; former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke of Texas; U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio; and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts; (Wednesday, 9 p.m., Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. The debate will be televised on NBC, MSNBC and Telemundo.)
THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2019
CANADY MAKES ‘STATE OF THE JUDICIARY’ SPEECH: The Florida Bar will continue its annual convention, with events including a “State of the Judiciary” address by Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Canady. Justices Barbara Lagoa, Robert Luck and Carlos Muniz, who were appointed to the court early this year, also will be introduced. (Thursday, events start at 8 a.m., with State of the Judiciary address at 12:15 p.m., Boca Raton Resort & Club, 501 East Camino Real, Boca Raton.)
RUBIO HOLDS ‘MOBILE’ OFFICE HOURS: Staff members for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., will hold “mobile” office hours in Liberty and Orange counties. (Thursday, 9 a.m., Veterans Memorial Civic Center, 10405 N.W. Theo Jacobs Way, Bristol. Also, 9 a.m., South Creek Branch Library, 1702 Deerfield Blvd., Orlando.)
TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION HOLDS CALL: The Florida Transportation Commission will hold a conference call. (Thursday, 10 a.m. Call-in number: 1-888-585-9008. Code: 421319736.)
GULF COAST COLLEGE BOARD MEETS: The Gulf Coast State College Board of Trustees will meet. (Thursday, 10 a.m., Gulf Coast State College, William C. Cramer, Jr. Seminar Room, Panama City.)
SUPREME COURT RELEASES OPINIONS: The Florida Supreme Court is scheduled to release its weekly opinions. (Thursday, 11 a.m.)
GROUP DISCUSSES ELECTION EFFORTS: The progressive group For Our Future will hold a briefing for reporters about 2020 election efforts, including efforts to defeat President Donald Trump. (Thursday, noon, Miami Dade College, Wolfson Campus, Miami.)
NORTHWEST FLORIDA WATER BOARD MEETS: The Northwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board will meet in Walton County. (Thursday, 1 p.m. Central time, DeFuniak Springs Field Office, 700 U.S. 331 South, DeFuniak Springs.)
ESKAMANI DISCUSSES SESSION: Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, will continue a series of events to recap the legislative session. The event will also be livestreamed on Facebook. (Thursday, 6 p.m., The Paragon School, 4710 Adanson St., Orlando.)
FLAGLER STREET PROJECT AT ISSUE: The Florida Department of Transportation will hold a workshop in Miami about a transit service and infrastructure along Flagler Street. (Thursday, 6:30 p.m., West End Park, 250 S.W. 60th Ave., Miami.)
NORTH CENTRAL PLANNING COUNCIL MEETS: The North Central Florida Regional Planning Council will meet in Columbia County. (Thursday, 7 p.m., Holiday Inn and Suites, 213 S.W. Commerce Blvd., Lake City.)
DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES DEBATE: Ten Democratic presidential candidates will appear in the second of two nights of televised debates in Miami. The candidates who will participate Thursday are U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado; former Vice President Joe Biden; Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind.; U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York; U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris of California; former Gov. John Hickenlooper of Colorado; U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont; U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell of California; author Marianne Williamson; and entrepreneur Andrew Yang. (Thursday, 9 p.m., Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. The debate will be televised on NBC, MSNBC and Telemundo.)
FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 2019
FLORIDA BAR LEADERS INSTALLED: The Florida Bar will continue its annual convention, with events including a general assembly that will feature swearing in Vero Beach attorney John M. Stewart as the Bar’s president and Miami attorney Dori Foster-Morales as president-elect. (Friday, events start at 8 a.m., with general assembly at 9:30 a.m., Boca Raton Resort & Club, 501 East Camino Real, Boca Raton.)
MEDICAID EXPANSION WEIGHED: State analysts will hold a workshop that is the first in a series of meetings to consider the financial impact of a proposed constitutional amendment that would expand Medicaid coverage. The proposal, which supporters hope to place on the November 2020 ballot, would expand Medicaid coverage to low-income adults who currently are not eligible. Florida lawmakers have repeatedly rejected such an expansion, which is optional for states as part of the federal Affordable Care Act. The proposed constitutional amendment would expand eligibility to people whose incomes are up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, an amount that varies depending on the number of people in a family. Under state law, the Financial Impact Estimating Conference is required to analyze how such initiatives would affect revenues and costs for state and local governments. A newly passed state law (HB 5) also will require the analysts to evaluate impacts to the economy and the state budget. (Friday, 8:30 a.m., 117 Knott Building, the Capitol.)
CHIROPRACTIC BOARD MEETS: The Florida Board of Chiropractic Medicine will meet. (Friday, 8:30 a.m., Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate, 1500 Masters Blvd., ChampionsGate.)
RUBIO HOLDS ‘MOBILE’ OFFICE HOURS: Staff members for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., will hold “mobile” office hours in Pinellas, Collier and Pasco counties. (Friday, 9 a.m., Upper Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce, 101 State St. West, Oldsmar. Also, 10 a.m., Golden Gate Library, 2432 Lucerne Road, Naples. Also, 1:30 p.m., New Port Richey Public Library, 5939 Main St., New Port Richey.)
ACUPUNCTURE BOARD MEETS: The Florida Board of Acupuncture will meet in Central Florida. (Friday, 9 a.m., Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate, 1500 Masters Blvd., ChampionsGate.)
LAWSON AT TIGER BAY: U.S. Rep. Al Lawson, D-Fla., is slated to speak to the Capital Tiger Bay Club. (Friday, 11:30 a.m., Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, 505 West Pensacola St., Tallahassee.)
MURPHY, WALTZ SPEAK IN ORLANDO: U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., and U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., will speak to the Tiger Bay Club of Central Florida. (Friday, noon, Camping World Stadium, Varsity Club, 1 Citrus Bowl Place, Orlando.)
POST-SESSION ‘OUTLOOKS’ CONSIDERED: The state Revenue Estimating Conference will meet to take up what are known as post-session “outlooks” and measures that affect state revenue. (1:30 p.m., 117 Knott Building, the Capitol.)
