Impacts of Florida Governor’s New Anti-Venezuela Action Are Unclear

FOREIGN AFFAIRS | In a fiery speech in Doral on Monday, Florida Gov. Rick Scott announced that he will be moving ahead with a proposal that would prohibit any organization that’s financially involved with Venezuela’s Maduro government from doing business with the state of Florida. The governor, however did not specify how this ban would work. For example, it remains unclear whether state employees would be able to purchase airline tickets from Delta, because of the company’s weekly flights to Caracas. The movement toward divestment is also heating up in the State Senate. State Sen. José Javier Rodríguez announced last week that he plans to file legislation during the next session that would sever all financial ties between Florida and companies that help finance the Maduro regime. [Miami Herald]  

OLYMPIC GAMES | It appears that Los Angeles is a “virtual lock” to host the Olympic Summer Games in either 2024 or 2028 following a vote of the International Olympic Committee in Switzerland that is unusual in that the governing body is selecting two winners at once, the other being Paris. The next step, negotiations among the IOC and leaders in Los Angeles and Paris to figure out which city will host first. Los Angeles previously hosted the 1932 and 1984 games, with the latter standing out for turning a profit. [Los Angeles Times; Curbed LA]

• RELATED on Route Fifty: “A Municipal Parks and Rec Facility With Olympic Stature”
   

  

TAXES | It’s official: Seattle City Hall is headed into “disputed legal territory” after city council members on Monday approved a proposal to institute a local income tax on high earners—the so-called “Tax the Rich” plan—that could be used as a way lay the foundation for income taxes in Washington state, which currently lacks one and features one the nation’s most regressive tax structures. At a rally, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said he supports the plan, but acknowledged that it will face a legal challenge. “But let me tell you something: We welcome that legal challenge. We welcome that fight.” There are multiple ways that could play out in the state judiciary, including the possibility that the local income tax won’t even make it to the Washington State Supreme Court, something that income tax advocates hope for. Republicans and other anti-tax advocates say any income tax is unlawful in the state and lack of any income tax and taxes on capital gains has given businesses in the Evergreen State a competitive edge over other states. [Crosscut; The Seattle Times; Seattle Met]

• EARLIER on Route Fifty: “A New Path to Authorize an Income Tax in Washington State May Start in Seattle”

DISASTER RECOVERY | A year ago, streams and rivers across northwestern Wisconsin surged over their banks, killing three people, including a firefighter responding to a rescue call. The flooding washed out roads and impacted 350 homes in eight counties. Tribal communities, including the Bad River Band, haven’t fully recovered yet. "Our roads crew is still out and working and addressing some of the repairs on some of our back roads that still need repairing," said Dylan Jennings, a member of the tribal council. The Menominee tribe helped the Bad River Band with emergency planning assistance following the flood. The harbor and beach community at Saxon Harbor, located near the Michigan border, was severely impacted by the flooding and it’s going to be a long road to recovery. “There’s so many agencies involved; FEMA, DOT, the DNR, the Highway Department—just so many different agencies and departments I have to coordinate this project with,” according to Tara Krall, office manager of the Iron County Forestry Department.  [Duluth News Tribune; Fox 21 Duluth / Superior]

ALCOHOL REGULATIONS | The Maine Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations, which oversees the regulation of alcohol sales in the state, has rejected a proposal from Gov. Paul LePage’s administration that calls for banning the sales of “nips,” small, 50 milliliter bottles of liquor that some say have contributed to litter and increased instances of driving under the influence. [Portland Press Herald]

ELSEWHERE …

• Newark, New Jersey: The mastermind of the mindboggling “Bridgegate” scheme to restrict local access to the George Washington Bridge from Fort Lee, New Jersey, will be in a federal court on Wednesday to learn his sentence. Prosecutors are suggesting no jail time for David Wildstein, a former political appointee of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Wildstein, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in 2015, cooperated with prosecutors investigating the role of the Christie administration in the politically motivated lane closures, which caused massive backups throughout Fort Lee. [NJ.com; The New York Times]

• Raleigh, North Carolina: Domestic violence prevention measures have been signed into law by Gov. Roy Cooper, including S.B. 600, which allows prosecutors to use previous incidents of domestic violence or stalking as evidence of premeditation, opening the door to first-degree murder charges instead of second-degree murder charges in cases where domestic violence victims are killed. [WRAL-TV / @NCCapitol]

• Kansas City, Missouri: Proposals to build a new, modernized terminal for Kansas City International Airport are due July 27 and it’s expected that Los Angeles-based AECOM will compete with Kansas City-based  Burns & McDonnell for the contract to design, build and finance the airport facility. [The Kansas City Star]  

• Nashville, Tennessee: The Nashville-Davidson County Metro Council is considering a resolution from Mayor Megan Barry to use $26 million in reserves for projects including police body-worn cameras and fleet maintenance. [The Tennessean]

• Sioux Falls, South Dakota: City Councilor Theresa Stehly’s proposal to create district-based seats for the local parks board in an effort to increase diversity of its members is meeting resistance from Mayor Mike Huether. [Argus Leader]

• Gainesville, Florida: A local chapter of the NAACP has filed a complaint against City Manager Anthony Lyons for “skirting city policies and the city commission” when hiring an assistant city manager. At issue is whether the city manager has the authority to sidestep the city’s normal request for proposal process when hiring a Philadelphia-based executive search firm.  [Gainesville Sun]
   
• Crescenta Valley, California: Fifteen pounds of marijuana trimmings were found by a member of the Crescenta Valley Town Council during a community cleanup and now the sheriff’s deputies are trying to reunite the herb with its owner. “It was quite a lot of marijuana. I’ve never seen so much,” said Councilman Mike Classens, who came upon the bag on the side of the road. “I could tell immediately it was full of marijuana. It emitted a really strong odor, no question about it.” [Glendale News Press]