Sunrise

The Governor signs House Bill 1, calling it the “anti-riot bill.” Democrats call it the “anti-protest bill” … and an assault on the First Amendment.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— The Senate Appropriations Committee passes a bill to crack down on social media platforms that censor hate speech. So much for Republicans being champions of business and small government.

— The House State Affairs Committee passes an election reform bill that is loved by Republicans and despised by Democrats.

— The sponsor of the bill limiting the THC content in smokable medical marijuana says his bill appears to be dead — but strange things have been known to happen on the final day of the Legislative Session.

— And finally, a Florida Man was beaten by bystanders at a carnival … for good reason.

A select group of state lawmakers spent the weekend trying to work out the difference between the House and Senate budgets. Think of it as a high-stakes version of "Let's Make a Deal." And if you're a teacher waiting on that thousand-dollar bonus suggested by the Governor, you may already be a loser.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— Once again, Gov. Ron DeSantis is dismissing the medical experts when it comes to COVID-19. While the CDC says vaccinated people should continue to wear a mask, DeSantis claims it's unnecessary.

— But Dr. Anthony Fauci says there's a reason to keep your mask on, even after you've been vaccinated.

— DeSantis also has problems with the way the feds have handled the pause on the J&J’s vaccine to investigate links to a rare form of blood clots. Fauci says the pause could end by the end of the week.

— Florida's economic recovery may have hit the pause button in March as the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.7%.

— Florida added more than 30,000 new jobs in March… and 40,000 people joined the labor pool.

— And finally, a Florida Man tried to escape from a hospital after police took him there to remove a cell phone from his butt.

The Senate votes to crack down on violent protests and a House committee advances a bill on police standards designed to weed out bad cops.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— Those two bills are basically the Yin and Yang of Florida lawmaking.

— The Senate Appropriations Committee votes to make changes in the unemployment system to increase benefits and make it easier to sign up for help.

— The House votes to repeal the free kill bill by allowing the parents of adult children to sue if their child dies as a result of medical malpractice.

— The House also passes a bill targeting teachers who commit sexual abuse and avoid punishment by simply resigning.

— And finally, a Florida man was busted from running in the buff, and a Florida Woman was busted for fraud — and the 170 pounds of pot they found in her bathroom. Must have been stinkweed.

The Senate has begun debate on a bill cracking down on protesters.

Also, on today's Sunrise:

— As Senators debated the right to protest, the House was voting to ban transgender athletes from playing on the girl's team.

— The House also approves a bill to try to limit foreign influence at Florida colleges and universities.

— The head of the Florida Council of Churches says the Legislature is behaving in a most ungodly way this year. The Rev. Dr. Russell Meyers tells Sunrise that the Legislature's actions are all about White supremacy.

— And finally, a Florida Woman is working as a judge — but only when she feels like it. She could face sanctions after accusations of neglecting her full-time job.

On Tuesday, House belittled the rights of transgender people and condemned Democratic Socialism. They even had a bill allowing prayer at high school championship games. It was one of those days in the fun House.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— Gov. Ron DeSantis suspends Johnson & Johnson vaccines after the feds call for a pause to investigate a handful of cases where people developed blood clots. But DeSantis still has faith in J&J.

— Nearly half a million Floridians have already received a J&J vaccination … including the Governor.

— Now that the breach at the Piney Point phosphate pond in Manatee County has been sealed, DeSantis says it's time to end this threat to the environment for the last time. The Governor ordered Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Noah Valenstein to close it down and clean it up and take legal action against HRK Holdings — the hedge fund that owns Piney Point.

— The Mayor of Key West travels to Tallahassee to ask the Governor for protection from mega cruise ships. Renowned fishing guide William Benson says most ships are fine, but the big ones can do serious damage.

— And finally, a Florida Woman is accused of threatening to kill the Vice President because she's not black.

The Florida House could vote on a bill today to bar transgender students from the women's team. Democrats oppose the bill … but they don't have the votes to stop it.

Also, on today’s #Sunrise:

— Gov. Ron DeSantis is fuming over “cancel culture.” This time, it's personal. He's upset that YouTube removed one of his video roundtables on COVID-19 because it violated their rules about misinformation. So, DeSantis invited the doctors who took part in that discussion to another roundtable to talk about censorship.

— The Governor is also warning corporate CEO's not to get involved in the fight over changing election laws. He says they have no right to interfere in Florida politics.

— DeSantis says corporations can do all the lobbying they want over taxes and regulations … but he warns them to stay out of social justice issues.

— With less than three weeks left in Session, the push is to strike a new deal over gambling. The biggest change would allow pari-mutuels to keep their slots and card rooms without having any live races.

— Lawmakers are now waiting to see if the Governor can seal a deal for a new gaming compact with the Seminole Tribe.

— And finally, a Florida Woman has been sentenced to 29 days in jail for assault after deliberately coughing on a woman with brain cancer.

After a marathon eight-hour meeting, the Senate Appropriations Committee advances HB 1, the anti-protest bill that no one seems to like.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— It appears the only people who support HB 1 are Gov. Ron DeSantis and GOP leaders in the Legislature — but that's all it takes to pass the bill.

— Over the past week, Florida had 42,407 new cases of COVID-19 and 347 newly reported deaths. When compared to the previous week, the number of deaths is down while the number of new cases is up … but there's something fishy about the fatalities. We'll tell you why.

— North Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz has been getting lots of coverage likely … the kind most lawmakers would be ashamed of discussing. But not Gaetz. He talked about those allegations during a speech in South Florida.

— On Sunrise SoapBox, the Cliff Notes version of the speech.

— How would you spend $3.5 billion from the federal government? Would you believe to fix state buildings and other properties? The technical term is "deferred maintenance." You'll hear the House Speaker's spirited defense of deferred maintenance.

— And finally, a Florida Woman crashed her car and told police she was Harry Potter. It might have been funny except for the federal judge she ran over on the sidewalk.

Another spike in COVID-19 cases, the most in almost two months.

Also on today’s Sunrise:

— Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody filed suit against the federal government to get cruise ships back in business.

— Legal experts say it's not likely to work, but from a political standpoint, it already has.

— The House votes to impose the sales tax on online purchases using the $1 billion annual windfalls to fix the unemployment system. But critics say they fixed a part that wasn't broken and ignored the real problem.

— The Senate signed off on the final changes, and the bill is now headed for the Governor.

— The House also voted to abolish the Lawton Chiles Endowment Fund, much to the dismay of Rep. Joe Geller.

— Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried tells the U.S. International Trade Commission that Mexican imports of cucumbers and squash cost Florida farmers millions of dollars and thousands of jobs

— And finally, a Florida Man is accused of stealing a car from the Kansas Highway Patrol and leading officers on a 100-mile-an-hour chase … while his hands were still cuffed behind his back.

Gov. Ron DeSantis steps up his attack on CBS over their report on “60 Minutes,” which accused him of setting up a pay-for-play system for vaccine distribution.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— DeSantis spent almost 30 minutes trashing corporate media and “the left” without taking any questions. He had to get back to the Governor's Mansion to present the first Florida Medal of Freedom to legendary FSU football coach Bobby Bowden.

— Bowden was forced out in 2009, and the Seminoles have yet to find a better coach — or a better person.

— The Senate approves an insurance reform bill. Supporters claim it's the only way to slow the skyrocketing cost of property insurance … opponents say it's a crisis created by the insurance industry.

— Wednesday was budget day in Tallahassee as the House and Senate took their respective spending plans to the floor. This is just one step in the budget process. Think of this as a dance between two partners who both want to lead.

— The House and Senate paused for a moment of silence to honor Congressman Alcee Hastings, who passed away Tuesday.

— And finally, a Florida Man went for a joyride in a stolen ambulance.

The latest COVID-19 casualty count from the Florida Department of Health: more than 5,500 new cases and 70 additional fatalities. The state’s death toll has reached 34,434. Almost one in 10 people in Florida have now been infected by the coronavirus and one in 63 have died.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— Gov. Ron DeSantis tees off on 60 Minutes, saying their story accusing him of setting up a "pay to play" system for the COVID-19 vaccine was bogus. The Governor's outrage focused on one part of the story in an effort to make the whole thing look wrong. It was not.

— The Senate Rules Committee approves the Privacy Protection Act. Sen. Jennifer Bradley's bill would allow you to opt-out of the data collection process; business lobbyists don't like it one bit.

— A House committee approves a bill to prohibit transgender students in high school or college from playing on the women's team. The ban is now ready for the House floor.

— The Florida Department of Law Enforcement breaks up a drug ring operating out of the Tallahassee region. The ten-month investigation was called "Operation No Warning.” More arrests are expected.

— Congressman Alcee Hastings of Palm Beach County died at the age of 84 of pancreatic cancer. Fellow South Florida Congressman Ted Deutch says it was an honor to serve with him. DeSantis will soon schedule a special election to fill Hastings’ seat in the U.S. House.

— And finally, a Florida Man says his arrest for hosting a strip show at his bar was actually payback by the cops for ignoring COVID-19 safety rules.