U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom of the Southern District of Florida permanently halted a portion of the lobbying ban approved by voters in 2018.

The restriction barred public officials from lobbying, on issues of policy, appropriations, or procurement before governmental bodies or entities while in office.

Bloom determined the amendment language to be too broad and poorly defined, agreeing with the Plaintiffs in the case.

The six-year ban on lobbying pertaining to former state and local officers after leaving office was not blocked by Bloom and will continue to be in effect.

The 2023 session of the Florida Legislature adjourned sine die on May 5.

Florida lawmakers approved a $117 billion budget that includes $2.7 billion in tax cuts for consumers and businesses, then moved quickly to adjourn their regular session.

The new budget that starts July 1 is $5 billion higher this last year’s, thanks largely to unexpectedly high revenue collections.

The budget adds nearly $2 billion to the state’s reserves, bringing the total to about $10.9 billion, about $4 billion less than Gov. Ron DeSantis requested.

The Florida Legislature has ended its special session today, February 10.

Legislators passed bills supporting state control over Disney’s special district, migrant flights, and police election units.

The bills will now be sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis where it is expected he will sign the bills into law.

Lawmakers will now prepare for the start of their upcoming regular session on March 7.

The Republican-controlled Florida Legislature will hold a special session this week to deal directly with Disney World’s Reedy Creek Improvement District.

Gov. Ron DeSantis previously pushed lawmakers to end the existence of Reedy Creek and in April of 2022, signed into law the legislation abolishing the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

Now, the state must decide whether to assume control of the district and how to deal with the district’s debts.

The special session began February 6.

A special election has been set for February 27, to fill the seat recently vacated by former Commissioner Ken Russell.

Commissioners had 10 days to appoint a replacement to serve out the remainder of Russell’s term but could not find a consensus candidate.

District 2 comprises portions of Coconut Grove, Brickell, Edgewater, Morningside and downtown.

Gov. Ron DeSantis scheduled a special primary and election to replace former state Rep. Joe Harding who resigned after he was indicted on charges of wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements.

Harding previously represented House District 24.

The special primary is scheduled for March 7 with the special election following on May 16.

The Office of Secretary of State is expected to announce reporting dates for any PACs making contributions or expenditures to influence the elections.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis won his bid for reelection against his Democratic challenger Charlie Crist.

DeSantis won by a wide margin with almost 60% of the vote.

DeSantis appears to have done well in Miami-Dade County, which has historically voted Democratic.

Florida Democrat Maxwell Frost has won the seat for Florida’s 10^th Congressional District.

Frost becomes the first member of Generation Z to serve in the United States Congress.

Frost defeated his Republican opponent Calvin Wimbish and will succeed the current Democratic Representative Val Demings.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is planning to call another special session to address the property insurance industry.

The governor is working with lawmakers to schedule the upcoming session.

While no confirmed date has been announced, DeSantis indicated lawmakers could convene sometime after the November 8 election and before the end of the year.

Democrat U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch has submitted his resignation, which became effective September 30.

Deutch was first elected to Congress in 2010, representing northern Broward County and southern Palm Beach County in what is now Florida’s 23^rd  Congressional District.

Deutch is leaving to join the American Jewish Committee where he will become the new CEO.

The district will be without a representative until a winner of the November election replaces him in January.

The Tallahassee City Commission adopted Ordinance No. 22-O-20 and Resolution 22-R-22, amending certain lobbying provisions.

Ordinance No. 22-O-20 repeals the requirement of quarterly compensation reports and requires lobbyists to register individually rather than by firm.

Resolution 22-R-22 raises the registration fee from $25 to $500. The changes are effective December 31.

Q: I have taken on a new role handling our company’s government outreach in Florida. I will likely be lobbying both state and local officials. Where do I get started?

A: Florida offers a labyrinth of compliance issues for state and local lobbyists. The decentralized nature of the regulatory landscape means you may need to register at the state level, as well as in each individual city or county where you will be active.

At the state level, registration is required prior to engaging in lobbying activities. This includes any attempt to obtain the goodwill of a legislator, executive official, or employee of either branch. Registrants must select whether they will be lobbying the Legislative Branch, Executive Branch, or both. Activity reports for the state are limited to lobbying firms, who must disclose compensation received on a quarterly basis. Gift disclosures may also be required for any registered lobbyist, but we will discuss these in a moment.

Engaging with city or county officials is where staying compliant can be complicated. Most cities and counties have their own registration and reporting ordinances. Luckily, a general theme throughout is the requirement to register prior to engaging with officials. Most locales require annual registration, for either the calendar year or fiscal year, and reporting of lobbying activities. Be careful here to note the reporting periods as they can differ from the registration period. Some cities, such as Orlando, do not require the submission of a report if no expenses were incurred during the reporting period.

Also, be sure to note additional requirements such as meeting logs, lobbyist trainings, or registrations with subgroups of a municipality. For example, Miami-Dade County Publics Schools has its own registration requirement separate from Miami-Dade County.

Finally, whether you are registered with the state or a municipality, state statutes require quarterly disclosures of gifts to certain officials and employees. These reports include gifts valued at more than $25 given to officials or employees who file financial disclosures with the state; however, no such report is required if no reportable gifts were given. And, as always, please be sure any gift is permissible according to the relevant ethics rules.

For more information, be sure to check out the “Registration” and “Reports Required” sections of the Lobbying Compliance Laws online publication for Florida and its municipalities. If you have any questions, please feel free to learn more and contact us at www.stateandfed.com

A federal judge rejected a Florida law limiting contributions to political committees that support ballot initiatives.

U.S. District Judge Winsor has issued a permanent injunction against Senate Bill 1890 and House Bill 921.

These bills placed a $3,000 contribution limit on donors to political committees sponsoring or opposing ballot initiatives.

Senate Bill 1890 was scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2021, and House Bill 921’s effective date was July 1, 2022, but neither bill will take effect following the ruling.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bills 7001 and 7003 to prohibit lobbying by a public officer and a former justice or judge during public service and for a six-year period after leaving public office.

The bills were passed to implement Amendment 12, a 2018 constitutional amendment.

Both bills will take effect December 31, 2022.