Sunrise

A budget stalemate between the House and Senate is forcing the 2020 Legislative Session into overtime. Gov. Ron DeSantis says it’s no big thing.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— And then there were three. A new case of coronavirus has emerged in Florida — the sister of a woman who recently returned from northern Italy; now she is hospitalized for the illness.

— The Senate votes to right an old wrong by compensating a Jacksonville man who spent 43 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit.

— Opponents of two bills gutting the citizen’s initiative process claim Republican lawmakers are trying to protect their own power and silence opponents by making it just about impossible for average folk to put a constitutional amendment on the Florida ballot.

— Steve Vancore and Peter Schorsch try to make sense out of the hectic Super Tuesday presidential primaries.

— Checking in with Florida Man, including a guy who mooned an entire restaurant and another who runs a ministry called “Hot Dogs for Hope.” Now, he faces weenie-related charges.

Right now, the Legislature is secondary to a public health emergency. Gov. Ron DeSantis declared the emergency and Surgeon General Scott Rivkees, who has details on the two confirmed cases of coronavirus, offered a list of suggestions for protecting yourself.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— One of the Governor’s priorities, a bill requiring employers to use the federal E-Verify system to screen new hires, clears committees in both the House and Senate.

— The Senate advances Sen. Dennis Baxley’s bill requiring public school teachers to start the day with a minute of silence in the classroom. The House version of that bill is currently on the special-order calendar in the House.

— And the latest tales of Florida Man, which includes a burglary suspect who digs gopher tortoises. Literally.

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There is light at the end of the tunnel, as we’ve entered the penultimate week of the 2020 Legislative Session. It also means it's time to start making deals to move all those bills that are on hold.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— The Florida primary isn’t until March 17, but early voting begins today in some counties and by Saturday, they’ll all be open for early voting.

— In the aftermath of the South Carolina primary, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz is endorsing Joe Biden in the Florida primary. Steve Schale — who runs a pro-Biden PAC — talks about what’s next for the Democrats as they try to figure out who is the best to be Donald Trump.

— Officials at the state health department say there are now three labs in the state that are able to test for the coronavirus; that means faster test results.

— Magdalen Bader, a 90-year-old survivor of the Nazi death camps at Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen, shares her story with state lawmakers as they took up a bill on Holocaust education in Florida schools.

— A couple of gems from Florida Men: One of them is looking for a new place to open a swinger’s club, police accusing another of sucking a man’s toes in the hospital.

The Ron DeSantis administration is trying to calm any public fears about the spread of coronavirus. The Governor says they’re committed to transparency, but there are still some questions they will not answer.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— Despite opposition from big business, the Commerce Committee in the House approves a bill requiring employers to use the E-Verify system to check the immigration status of new hires. But the bill only applies to government agencies and companies that do business with them.

— DeSantis signed a bill abolishing the sweetheart deal enjoyed by the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, happening as the House Committee on Public Integrity was grilling the chief financial officer and board members of the coalition about its finances and the millions of dollars that ended up in the pocket of the former director. Renzo Downey, the Florida Politics reporter who’s been covering the committee hearings, talks about the situation.

— A Florida man says he’s going to pray the coronavirus away — but only in Florida — while another just found the largest known prime number.

After clearing the Rules Committee, a bill making it harder for citizens to amend the state constitution heads for the Senate floor.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— The House approves a bill to keep sex offenders who victimize children from being released from jail while appealing their conviction.

— A bill to crack down on indecent exposure also clears the Rules Committee and is ready for the Senate floor, as well as advanced a bill allowing college-athletes to profit to cash in on their fame without losing their scholarships.

— A House budget committee is taking a “see no evil, hear no evil” approach to discrimination against LGBTQ students at private schools that receive state money.

— Rich Templin of the AFL-CIO talks about his opposition to bills making it harder to place a citizen’s amendment on the ballot and allowing more secrecy when universities search for a new president.

— In on all-female version of Florida Man, a woman is lucky to be alive after being shot in the head and another arrested on a murder charge when her boyfriend died after being zipped into a suitcase for hours.

As the clock starts running down on the 2020 Session, bills are dying. One example — alimony reform. The Senate sponsor says it’s not going to happen this year.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— A group called Veteran’s Cannabis Project is asking state lawmakers NOT to cap the amount of THC in medical marijuana.

— Environmentalists are praising a Senate bill two force the state to spend at least $100 million a year on the Florida Forever program. At one time, it received $300 million a year, but the latest crop of lawmakers have cut it back.

— A Senate budget subcommittee that deals with education issues voted to expand the voucher system that allows students to attend private schools. In a rare moment of synergy, the panel also approved “Alyssa’s Law” requiring panic buttons in public schools.

— Pollster Steve Vancore gives his take on the turmoil created among Democrats by the rise of Bernie Sanders.

— As for Florida Man, he’s trying to figure out how a pink thong ended up under the passenger seat of his Jeep.

Special Guest: Steve Vancore.

Bernie Sanders managed to unite Democrats and Republicans, by committing a major faux pas by saying something good about Fidel Castro — the kiss of death in Florida politics.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— Congressman Charlie Crist wants the state Surgeon General to be more transparent about Florida’s efforts to combat the coronavirus.

— Gov. Ron DeSantis says he has a problem with the vaping bill currently under debate in the Senate, and another bill that preempts any local government regulations over Airbnb rentals.

— A House committee investigating the Florida Center Against Domestic Violence spends hours grilling board members about the compensation for their former director, Tiffany Carr.

— The latest on Florida Man, who was hit in the penis with a taser after trying to shoplift some rib-eye steaks by stuffing them in his pants.

With just three weeks to go before sine die of the 2020 Legislative Session: Good luck to all the legislative staffers who’ll be pulling all-nighters during these final weeks.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— A House committee is raking the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence over the coals, as it holds a public hearing about its spending practices.

— We’ll hear from Gov. Ron DeSantis on the battle over E-Verify — one of his priorities this year. Sen. Tom Lee, who sponsored the Senate version of the E-Verify bill, said the changes are so bad, the Governor should veto it, but DeSantis says it’s still a work in progress

— And the further adventures of Florida Man, who is offering a $1,000 reward for a certain Florida Woma

The House is sending Gov. Ron DeSantis a bill requiring parental consent for minors who seek an abortion.

 Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— The Senate Appropriations Committee approves a bill to raise the age for vaping and ban almost all flavored vaping products.

— Officials with the state college system unveil a new program to help veterans and members of the military navigate the higher education system, get a degree and transition to civilian life.

 — Sen. Tom Lee, who has spent more than 20 years in the Legislature, talks about what has changed over the years, and many of those have diminished the system.

 — An all-female version of Florida Man, including a woman accused of running over her boyfriend with a golf cart after a day of barhopping.

The House will be voting today to require parental consent for abortions and to strip the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence of their exclusive contract with the state.

Also, on today’s Sunrise:

— A federal appeals court in Atlanta rules against the state in a challenge over voting rights for former felons. The Governor’s office says they’ll appeal.

— President of New College Donal O’Shea comes to The Capitol at an existential moment. He’s trying to stop a bill that calls for his University to become a branch campus of Florida State University.

— Crime survivors gather at The Capitol calling for major changes in the criminal justice system. They want more rehabilitation and less incarceration to break the cycle of violence.

— Steve Vancore gives his take on Florida’s presidential preference primary and the scandal at the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

 — The continuing adventures of Florida Man — who has a serious drug problem.

Special Guest: Steve Vancore.