"Brown’s decision puts her on a collision course with former state senator Al Lawson of Tallahassee, who announced he’ll run in the new Fifth Congressional District." "Corinne Brown to run in Jacksonville."

"What's hot, crazy or shady about politics in the Sunshine State"

Marc Caputo: "Gyrocopter mailman v. Wasserman Schultz – Rubio calms donors – Jeb defends his sweaters (really)." "Florida Playbook."

Putnam takes swipe at law limiting gun access for those charged with stalking, drug dealing or having undergone inpatient mental-health treatment

"Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam took at swipe Tuesday at Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring for ending that state’s policy which allows residents to get a concealed weapons’ permit in Florida and carry a gun legally at home."

Herring, a Democrat, ended reciprocity agreements with Florida and 24 other states. The move bars Virginians charged with stalking, drug dealing or having undergone inpatient mental-health treatment from getting a permit in a state with looser gun regulations.

"Rubio flip-flops"

The Sun Sentinel editors: "Marco Rubio flip-flops on helping Puerto Rico."

"Still-unknown opposition"

"With it becoming increasingly likely that Florida voters will be asked again to legalize medical marijuana, the group behind the ballot initiative must prepare for still-unknown opposition." "Who will fight medical-marijuana initiative this time?."

"Jeb can’t attack Trump without triangulating"

Peter Beinart: "The strange, sad tale of Donald Trump and Jeb Bush continues."

After first trying to ignore the billionaire bigot, and then getting humiliated by him, Jeb is now making his willingness to stand up to Trump the centerpiece of his campaign. He’s just released an ad entitled “The Only One,” in which he slams Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and Chris Christie (a sure sign that Christie’s surge in New Hampshire is real) for not attacking Trump. By contrast, the ad shows Jeb lustily going after the GOP frontrunner, while words like “chaos candidate,” “unhinged,” and “liberal” flash onto the screen.

At first glance, this seems laudable. But there are a couple of problems. For starters, Jeb can’t attack Trump without triangulating. In his ad, Jeb doesn’t merely denounce Trump for endorsing Vladimir Putin’s murder of journalists. He also denounces him for being “liberal.”

This summer, when Trump was calling undocumented Mexican immigrants “rapists,” Jeb did something similar. He said Trump’s immigration policies would “violate people’s civil liberties” but also that they’re “not grounded in conservative principles” because they’ll cost too much.

It’s like saying George Wallace was a bad presidential candidate because he opposed African American equality and because he supported too much government spending.

When told of Trump’s comments about Hillary’s “disgusting” trip to the bathroom during the Democratic presidential debate, Jeb did it again. He said that, “Trump is not going to be president because he says these things, it turns people off.” But he added that, “This will enhance her victimology status. This is what she loves doing.” More triangulation.

In Jeb’s view, Trump was wrong to insult to Hillary for, essentially, being a woman, and Hillary was equally wrong for being insulted.

He complains that

The governor’s so-called “news” releases set a new standard in banality. Every governor engages in self-serving media flackery, but Scott has raised it to a new level. It’s the heights of hokeyness.

most of the jobs created in Florida since 2010 would have happened with or without Rick Scott. It’s the natural result of the usual boom-and-bust business cycle. Our economy waxes and wanes, jobs come and go no matter who the governor is. Even one who calls himself “the jobs governor.” . . .

Additionally, most of the jobs added here and around the state appear to pay low-to-medium wages. We don’t hear the governor say much about that.

"Florida Delegation Sets the Stage for Dramatic 2016"

"The Florida congressional delegation endured a year of highs and lows as they focused on veterans issues, the Middle East and leadership contests even as redistricting back home made them keep their focus on 2016." "A Busy Year for Florida Delegation Sets the Stage for Dramatic 2016."

20 million Floridians

"Florida's growth has reached a milestone: For the first time, more than 20 million people live in the Sunshine State. That's according to the U.S. Census Bureau, which on Tuesday released figures showing the state's population at 20,271,272, making Florida the third state to cross the 20 million-people mark." "Florida population milestone: More than 20 million reside in Sunshine State." See also "Florida Population Tops 20 Million."

"What's hot, crazy or shady about politics in the Sunshine State"

Marc Caputo: "FL-SC-NH mega poll: it’s a Trump-Cruz-Rubio race – Haiti’s elections meltdown – Pitbull’s secret FL contract – WARNING SIGNS: dying mangroves, dead fish – scared state Muslims packing heat." "Florida Playbook."

"For the second year running, a state lawmaker has introduced legislation to create a gaming department to oversee the regulation and revenue collection of all legal betting operations in Florida." "State senator files bill to create gaming commission."

Union challenges Florida's embarrassing bonus-pay rules

"Teachers’ union challenges Florida Best and Brightest bonus-pay rules."

Entrepreneurs in action

"An audit conducted at the behest of Florida Gov. Rick Scott shows that every Medicaid managed care plan under contract with the state has paid hospitals more than what is allowed under a 2011 law." "Scott administration says HMOs flouted law."

Workers' comp challenge derailed

"The business community is declaring a small victory after the Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to consider the merits of another legal challenge to the state’s workers’ compensation system."

Late Tuesday the court issued a brief order denying jurisdiction in the case, Florida Workers’ Advocates versus the State of Florida.

Associated Industries of Florida General Counsel Tammy Perdue told POLITICO Florida Tuesday that many of the legal arguments in the Florida Workers Advocates case are similar to arguments in Stahl v. Hialeah, which the court in October agreed to hear.

The Stahl case alleges that the workers' compensation system should not be the exclusive remedy for injured workers because the benefits provided them are not sufficient to waive their right to access to court and a trial by jury.

Bill Cotterell: "The death penalty may be dying, but not in Florida. . . . The national trend might be away from capital punishment, though the statistics are more attributable to conditions on the ground in each court and legislature, in each killer’s case. But Florida’s still got about 400 condemned prisoners and there’s no change in the legal or political will around here." "Death penalty decline is not a trend, just a circumstance."

Running on empty

"The idea of killing the Florida State Employees’ Charitable Campaign isn’t new, it turns out."

A proposal to ditch the campaign circulated last year among staff at the Governor’s Office, the Department of Management Services and other state agencies. Among other things, it pointed out most of the campaign's dwindling donations were going to a state vendor, Solix, Inc.

It was so well received, it won the fellowship’s top honor, the Jeb Bush Award, presented to the students by Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera. And now, the title of the paper has worked its way into DMS’ talking points on the FSECC.

Big of 'em

"Lawmakers open to raises for state workers."

Pimping Jeb!

The Tampa Trib editors are crying in their beer, dumbfounded that many "national commentators were quick to dismiss Jeb Bush’s effective performance."

Having been granted an audience by the desperate Mr. Bush, the star struck editors pimp their man, trumpeting that Jeb! "provides detailed — and realistic — strategies, not vague promises or grandiose boasts. Bush, for instance," . . . prepare yourself to be bowled over by this detailed and realistic strategy . . . Jeb!

would seek to quickly ignite the “tepid” recovery by freeing the nation of unnecessary and costly regulations.

Of course, those with the most to gain - those who can profit by their access to Jebbie, the "Florida political insiders [are] not ready to count Jeb out of race."

Daniel Ruth gives a more accurate assessment: "Given up for dead, the only question remaining was who would dispose of the political corpse of former Gov. Jeb Bush. But the big lug demonstrated during last week's Republican presidential debate that he still has a pulse. Barely." "Jeb Bush plays tough guy."

Jeb! also has that intellectual thing going on: "Continuing strategy of assailing Trump, Bush calls him ‘a jerk’."

More corporate welfare

"Gaetz wants oversight of tourism dollars."

"Prepare for the hounds to be released."

Joe Henderson: "Unless you’re all-in on every National Rifle Association demand, or if you dare suggest a sane reason why sometimes a gun restriction might be a good idea, prepare for the hounds to be released."

The NRA and its puppets in the Legislature — most notably the Florida House — want the state’s 1.4 million people with concealed weapons permits to have freedom to brandish their guns openly. When the NRA wants something, it tolerates no opposition.

Weekly Roundup

"Weekly Roundup: A Political Science Symposium and Lots of Pot."

Florida's Lowell, "the largest women’s prison in the nation"

The Miami Herald writes about the

untold numbers of Lowell inmates who have suffered serious misdiagnoses, delays in treatment and medical neglect over the past decade. The institution — the largest women’s prison in the nation — also has a long history, documented in reports and medical audits, of alarming and even life-threatening deficiencies, ranging from failing to provide routine medications to delaying treatment for inmates with potentially fatal illnesses.