Two Democrat legislators have filed an appeal of last session’s controversial House Bill 1, the so-called “anti-riot” law, which was pushed by Republicans to punish Black Lives Matter protesters and chill free speech.

Sen. Shevrin Jones (D-Miami Gardens) and State Rep. Angie Nixon (D-Jacksonville) have filed companion bills last week — in collaboration with The Black Collective and the Community Justice Project — to undo the “Combating Public Disorder” law, which not only infringes on everyone’s First Amendments rights but also punishes local law enforcement agencies that don’t treat demonstrators like criminals.

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A subcommittee in the Florida House will hear the first bill Tuesday to legislate the process for felons to get their voting rights restored, which voters approved last year with the passage of Amendment 4 by 64% of Florida voters.
But in the typical bait and switch style of our Republican-controlled legislature, it seems the as yet unnamed bill’s true intention is to make it as difficult as possible for convicted felons to register to vote.
Supporters of the state constitutional amendment that passed last year — including Desmond Meade and the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition that promoted a winning campaign for the “second chances” amendment — have come out against the bill and urge others to also.
Meade, right, called it an “unconstitutional overreach,” which is way too polite.
Ladra calls it a slap in the fact to voters who overwhelmingly approved the amendment and who want to see these people’s voting rights’ restored.
Neil Volz of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition says the measure changes the definition of completed sentence, which has already been established by the Florida Clemency Board. It will also give non-judicial officials a say on the criteria.
The ACLU issued a “make the call” call for voters to call their state reps on the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee and urge them to vote no.
Their Suggested call script:

“Hi, my name is _________ and I’m calling on behalf of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition and 1.4 million formerly convicted people throughout Florida who just had their voting rights restored by Amendment 4 last November.
I’m a Florida voter, and I want to say that I am opposed to Proposed Committee Bill 19-03 in the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee.
I am opposed to the bill because it will restrict the number of people who are eligible to vote. This bill would change the law to allow people outside of the judicial system to determine who can and can’t participate in our democracy. Florida has an existing standard for completion of sentence that is currently being used. Changing that standard represents a threat to what the nearly 65% of Florida voters who approved Amendment 4 intended.
I ask that the Representative please vote NO on 19-03 in the Criminal Justice Subcommittee tomorrow morning. Thank you!

Who to call:

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Tallahassee’s worst kept secret is out. Ladra had heard about an affair between senators Anitere Flores and Oscar Braynon III for more than a year, maybe two. But we didn’t care. Not then. Not really. Not so much now, either. It was only mildly interesting because of its bipartisan nature. Flores is an ultra conserative Republican in District 39 (Kendall). Braynon is a Democrat in District 35 (Miami Gardens).
Other than that, it’s a pretty garden variety soap opera. What should bother people is that someone put secret surveillance on two duly elected lawmakers for some special interest purpose. It isn’t sexual harassment, though it is being bunched into group thought with Jack Latvala‘s and Jeff Clemens‘ very real transgressions. It isn’t corruption — as in the city of Hialeah, where the former mayor’s chief of staff got his side dish a job she was wholly unqualified for (more on that later). It isn’t even non-feasance — unless there was taxpayer paid travel that was unnecessary so the lovebirds could coo far from home. But, really, who can prove “unnecessary”? You say tomato blah blah.
At the end of the day, we are talking about the actions of two consenting adults, longtime friends, on their own time in their own personal space. It is none of our business. Ladra would be far more concerned with all the people rumored to be sleeping around in local government and at the school board, where it’s allegedly led to jobs and contracts.
So why is everybody getting their panties in a bunch about this? Because of  perceived partisan conflicts of interests?
Some folks say Braynon — the minority leader who sought and fundraised for Democrat candidates — tossed his little love bunny an easy peasy candidate in the 2016 election on purpose. Or did you think Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is the best the blue party can do? This is that race that trustfund baby Andrew “Richie Rich” Korge abandoned because, as he said, he was getting no Dem love. Others say the affair may be why Flores blocked those open carry bills last year that most of her colleagues supported. As if Braynon threatened to cockblock her if she didn’t block glocks at committee? Poppycock.
This is all smoke and mirrors intended to keep us away from the real story: Who paid for the secret surveillance and anonymous website and, as importantly, to what end? Is the NRA behind it? This is possible. And the ramifications are far more important than some nerdy policy pillow talk. It’s why there should be an state or FBI investigation.
Many political observers think that former Sen. Frank Artiles — who was forced to resign in shame after a racist and sexist rant with black legislators at a Tallahassee eatery — was the one behind this website as a kind of payback. The video tape that was taken via a secret camera was installed by a private investigator that has reportedly worked for one of Artiles’ well-known Tallahassee lobbyist buddies. But while Artiles certainly has the (un)ethical fortitude to do something like this, we’ve never seen him have such follow through before. He’s all bark, no bite. And how would he fund it? Artiles is mean spirited, but smear campaigns cost money. The NRA has tons of that.
Las malas lenguas told Ladra that there could be an ethics complaint coming. But that was a month ago and nothing has happened. Because there really was no ethics violation. If anything, the relationship proves that Republicans and Democrats can work together if they take their clothes off. I suggest they add a Nude Days to the themed schedule at the capitol, like Lobby Days, Dade Days, Children’s Days and Dentists Day.
No, Ladra thinks maybe the front page story in the Miami Herald was the end game. Maybe that was really the intent of the smear job anonymous website that outed the affair days before session began, with video tape and photographs to go with the allegations but no specific accusations as to just how those affections allegedly affected Florida voters and residents (hint: it didn’t). Ladra suspects there will be no ethics charge coming. In fact, there’s been very little fallout so far, which no doubt was the intention of the lawmakers strange, joint mea culpa “forgive us” announcement as the session began.
“As this 2018 session of the Florida Legislature gets underway, we do not want gossip and rumors to distract from the important business of the people, That’s why we are issuing this brief statement to acknowledge that our longtime friendship evolved to a level that we deeply regret. We have sought the forgiveness of our families, and also seek the forgiveness of our constituents and God. We ask everyone else to respect and provide our families the privacy that they deserve as we move past this to focus on the important work ahead.”
Since then? Nada. Silencio. People have, indeed, given them their privacy.
But (sorry, Anitere) we will hear of this again — in political mailers and TV ads. Not by the Dems. They don’t attack each other with the same relish the Republicans have for one another. And hasn’t Anitere borne the brunt of the slutshaming in this case, although both she and Braynon are married? How sexist is that? Anyway, even though Flores is termed out this year, everyone knows she has (had?) other political ambitions right here at home (otherwise she’d have to get a real job). Some think county commissioner. Others believe Miami-Dade mayor is more her size. She could also be headed up, into Congress or U.S. Senate. Why not? Either way, Flores was unlikely to fade into the footnotes — until now. A young mother of two, this can’t be easy on her personally. And if she runs, especially for anything so fiercely competitive and dirty as county mayor, she will have to face a wildly ugly negative and selatious smear campaign. She may choose not to.
Which may have been the idea. And that is why this needs to be investigated. Because the whole thing could have been set up by political operatives pre-empting Flores’ future electability. Think about it. She would be a formidable fundraiser and supremely viable 2020 candidate for mayor. And you know there is a long list of people already eyeing that job for themselves. County commissioners Esteban Bovo and Xavier Suarez are just the most obvious.
So then wouldn’t this be political extortion? It is not sexual harassment but it is, at the very least, political harassment, which is just as bad if not worse. If the intention here is to run someone out of office, in other words silence Braynon or Flores or, worse, coerce them to vote a particular way — or to push a particular bill through committee — then this entire smear campaign should be investigated as a crime. Even if it was Artiles behind it, the voters in Senate District 40 — where he intends to challenge Sen. Annette Taddeo (never thought I’d be typing those words) this year, believe it or not — deserve to know the lengths to which Magilla Gorilla will go to avenge his detractors.
Who paid that investigator for the video and whoever built the website? Was it Artiles? Was it the NRA? Was it someone else? Shouldn’t we find out?
Ladra calls on the FLDE and Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate the creation of the website and the video tape that implicated the two legislators. After all, today it’s Flores and Branyon, but tomorrow it could be another senator, a state rep or your friendly, local city council member being strongarmed by the NRA or some solid waste company or gaming giant. Ladra sees a whole cottage industry exploding if there are no consequences.
Not for Flores and Braynon. But for whoever could be extorting them.

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April showers bring May flowers, but what do elections, transportation meetings and town halls bring?

The Cortadito Calendar starts April off with a long day on transit and transportation talk as the new Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization, the old Metropolian Planning Organization with a new name, meets for two meetings Monday like its in a hurry or something. Then we have another massive Tuesday before us.

What is it about Tuesdays?

As always, please keep sending information about your government meetings, candidate forums and political powwows to edevalle@gmail.com and they’ll keep appearing in the Cortadito Calendar. Try having something on a Wednesday or a Friday.

MONDAY — April 3

10:15 a.m. — The Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization (the old MPO) will start an marathon of meetings at 10:15 a.m. Monday — not 10 a.m., not 10:30 a.m. — to discuss fiscal priorities. There will be presentations about financing options as the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority lays out the toll road structure and the Citizens Independent Transportation Trust talks about tax increment financing. There will also be a discussion about integrating any south rail corridor project to a Homestead park and ride.

1:45 p.m. — The same Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization continues its work — like there’s a fire somewhere — with its mobility meeting, in which they will discuss the possibility of establishing a transit authority. Is that another taxing agency? There will also be more presentations as the MDX gives one on its strategic plan and a guy named Jim Wolfe talks about the Coppenhagen tour and pilot project.  They will also hear about the Miami-Dade Quick Build Program. Does it seem to anyone else like a lot is happening on this front?

TUESDAY — April 4

8:30 a.m. –The Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club returned last week with commission candidate Joshua Levy and Puerto Sagua Restaurant was packed (see the photo t the left, courtesy Daniel Ciraldo). This week, the guest speaker is Zachary Eisner, who is also running in Group 2. Next week, we’ll hear from yet another Group 2 candidate, Rafael Velasquez. This looks like it is the real Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club. But longtime moderator, David Kelsey, who is president of the South Beach Hotel and Restaurant Association, hosts another TMBC meeting at another location. He originally was going to launch April 11th but now it’s been postponed to April 25. Meanwhile, this breakfast club will meet this Tuesday morning Puerto Sagua Restaurant, 700 Collins Ave.

9:30 a.m. — The Miami-Dade County Commission is giving mo’ money away at their meeting that begins at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. That includes $19.4 million in information technology equipment and software, $5.5 million to Jacobs Engineering engineering design services for stormwater sewer stuff, another $5.5 million to Ricondo & Associates for aviation planning and consulting services, $5.5 million for training in the human resources department (two separate contracts for $2.5 and $3 million), and $1.6 million for three buses. They’re also going to talk about using some of the County Hall property for a clinic for employees and a day care for employees. And they will probably give final approval to Resorts World Inc, the Genting casino people, to develop a hotel and retail over the Omni bus terminal. The meeting might end by 3 p.m., which is lucky for Commissioner Xavier Suarez because Ladra is certain he will want to go to…

3 p.m. — The city of Miami’s Historic Preservation Board will hear plans from Miami-Dade County and Florida International University to rebuild and re-open the Coconut Grove Playhouse and it looks like there will be plenty of public comment — both for and against. Sure, there are activists and others who support the restoration of the historic building and bring theater back to the Grove. But others think the restoration is really in name only, since the only real part that gets saved is the facade. The proposal aims to demolish the interior of the building and replace the 1,100 seats with a 300-seat theater, a 200-seat restaurant, some retail space and a 400+ space parking garage. Nearby residents are also opposed to having all the loading and garbage access abutting their properties on Charles and Williams avenues, as well as the possible expansion of Main Highway from two to four lanes. They hope that Archtectonica and Jorge Hernandez, the firm and architect proposing this, don’t speak for two hours and “suck all the air out of the room.” This should be a lively discussion.

7 p.m. — A community workshop on the expansion plans proposed by Bal Harbour Shops will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Sea View Hotel, 9909 Collins Ave. The controversial plans have been scaled back from the original proposal to add 300,000 square feet of retail and they no longer want to buy the historic City Hall building adjacent to their property. But some believe it’s still too big and there’s concern about their offer to build a second city hall on Collins Avenue. Why would the village need another city hall, unless they still want to take over the old one? Someone ought to ask that Tuesday night.

WEDNESDAY — April 5

All day — It’s Miami-Dade County Day in Tallahassee and that means that some of our commissioners are going to be in the state capital, urging legislators to pass laws that benefit us and seeking public funding for projects here. They’re going to have paella around noon and then meet with Gov. Rick Scott and the cabinet, Miami-Dade Delegation Chairman Jose Felix Diaz and other 305 legislators before the Mambo Kings reception at Maddox Square at 7 p.m. and the after party at the Hotel Dade Days regulars include Mayor Carlos Gimenez and commissioners Rebeca Sosa, Jose “Pepe” Diaz and Esteban Bovo.

THURSDAY — April 6

11 a.m. — The Miami-Dade Chairman’s Policy Council is expected to meet Thursday to discuss the process for awarding $14 million in grants to non-profits and community organizations. This buck was passed to them at the last commission meeting, where commissioners were unable to give the grants as recommended by the county’s long and thoughful process mostly because some favored political groups were cut out. But Ladra is not certain it’s going to happen, since it’s still Dade Days in Tallahassee and there is an awards luncheon for people in our community that commissioners may want to stay for. There was no preliminary or official agenda online over the weekend.

FRIDAY — April 7

10 a.m. — Miami-Dade Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava will cut the ribbon on the new Accelerate South Dade: Small Business and Nonprofit Incubator at an event from 10 a.m. to noon Friday in Cutler Bay. She will be joined by Cutler Bay Mayor Peggy Bell and Town Manager Rafael Casals at the event at 10700 Caribbean Blvd., Suite 301. Also going: Leroy Jones, Executive Director, Neighbors and Neighbors Association, Inc. (NANA) and representatives of the Economic Development Council of South Miami-Dade, The Beacon Council, the Small Business Development Center at FIU and CareerSource South Florida.

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