Just weeks into his tenure as Florida’s Education Commissioner, Anastasios Kamoutsas is hitting the ground running in enforcing Gov. Ron DeSantis’ education agenda.
This week, Kamoutsas courted a headline from the Tampa Bay Times reading, “How Florida’s new education chief is rattling schools with public threats.”
The meat of the article was about how Kamoutsas is defaulting to lobbing complaints against local school districts — whether it be about books the state views as inappropriate or calling out teachers unions — by using his X account.
That has led to some criticism from local officials who say they would rather address concerns privately.
But given DeSantis’ track record of aggressively fighting culture wars in public, that type of jab is surely seen as a badge of honor in the Governor’s Mansion.
Unnamed school officials were also described by the Times as “on edge” and as trying to avoid being “the next target.”
Again, music to the DeSantis administration’s ears.
We’ve written in the past about Democrats’ overreaction to scrutiny of potentially inappropriate school materials while also wondering whether Republicans are responding in the least intrusive means. We’ll concede that some schools and left-leaning areas have been too lax with age-appropriate content moderation, but if the pendulum was too far on one side before, it has probably swung too far in the other direction now.
That seems to be the way our politics is operating these days though, and Republicans still contain a vice grip on Florida’s political system.
So long as that’s the case, the state seems ready to use its power to get districts aligned with state standards. Thus far, Kamoutsas is proving a willing vessel for carrying out that mission. Using modern social media tools may make some local leaders uncomfortable, but it’s part of modern technological means to win over public opinion. And Kamoutsas is taking full advantage.
Now, it’s onto our weekly game of winners and losers.
Winners
Honorable mention: Farmers. Florida’s farming community gets a double shout-out this week.
On Thursday, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, Senate President Ben Albritton and Senate President Pro Tempore Jason Brodeur spoke to media to highlight the state putting $38 million into the Farmers Feeding Florida initiative.
That initiative began in July and aims to put excess fresh produce, meat and other products into food banks for those in need.
The program hopes to eliminate wasted farm products while also providing sustenance to families in need during the Summer, when school meal plans aren’t available.
On top of that, the South Florida Water Management District also announced this past week that farmers in the Everglades Agricultural Area had once again easily surpassed their target for phosphorus reduction, dropping phosphorus runoff by 62% from the Everglades Forever Act’s baseline, which was set by measuring output from 1979 to 1988.
Those farmers have now averaged a 57% reduction since the legislation launched an incentive program in 1996 to encourage phosphorus reduction.
That has helped reduce water pollution in Florida, as phosphorus is one nutrient that allows toxic algae to thrive.
Feeding families in need and helping the environment stay clean — that’s work we can get behind.
Almost (but not quite) the biggest winner: Oyster harvesters. It’s been a long time coming, but oyster harvesters in the Apalachicola Bay appear to be back in business.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is set to allow a limited harvesting period of at least a month in January, but officials hope to begin offering a consistent seasonal harvesting period beginning later next year.
That’s welcome news for an industry that has been completely shut down since 2020, with the industry beginning to collapse years before that.
The move also comes after DeSantis in June signed legislation prohibiting oil drilling in certain sensitive parts of the state. That legislation covers Apalachicola Bay and came as proposals would have allowed drilling in the bay, worrying oyster harvesters anxious about the industry’s recovery.
FWC Commissioners still need to hold a final vote in November, but the period is expected to cover around 94 acres.
Yes, some critics have raised concerns about reopening, worrying a setback could lead to another full closure of the bay and harm the oyster population. Even staff originally recommended waiting until October to reopen the bay.
So Commissioners will need to be careful. But this is an industry that was known around the country earlier this century. They need help, and if the state can do that safely, then it should be welcome news.
The biggest winner: Jay Collins. Congratulations to the state’s new Lieutenant Governor, as Collins finally got the nod from DeSantis this past week.
Collins has a heroic backstory thanks in part to his service as an Army combat veteran, where he earned both a Purple Heart and Bronze Star. He’s also proven his conservative chops during his tenure in the Senate, positioning himself as a close DeSantis ally.
Now, this pick normally wouldn’t create any major policy rumblings. The Lieutenant Governor position in Florida doesn’t carry a whole lot of weight. If it did, DeSantis wouldn’t have left it open for six months after former Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez left to lead Florida International University.
But Team DeSantis has clearly demonstrated a concerted effort this week to push Collins into the public eye. DeSantis as part of his announcement released an epic video showcasing Collins. DeSantis brought him to press conferences and the two appeared together on Mark Levin’s radio show. The Governor even posted a nearly one-hour conversation with Collins on his government X account.
Might DeSantis assign Collins some pet project to boost him further? It’s possible. Look at how the administration is using Blaise Ingoglia to front the Florida Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
But more importantly, the question is, what’s the goal? The long-running speculation is that DeSantis wants a dog in the fight for Governor in 2026 to go against the Donald Trump-backed Byron Donalds.
For a while, First Lady Casey DeSantis’ name was floated. But a delay in announcing while allowing Donalds to stack cash and endorsements, combined with the still-developing Hope Florida scandal, seems to have lessened expectations that she’ll run.
That’s led observers to predict Collins will take up the mantle, and naming him as Lieutenant Governor is a way to raise his name ID — as much as the position can, at least.
Will it work? And is that even the plan here? We’ll see. But either way, Team DeSantis is intent on making sure Floridians know Collins’ name.
How that will affect a potential Governor’s race is a question for the future. Even if you’re of the mindset that DeSantis is playing second fiddle to Trump in terms of political power in the Sunshine State, DeSantis still has plenty of following, and bringing Collins closer into his orbit is a win for the Army vet.
Losers
Dishonorable mention: Donna Deegan. Is Deegan’s hope for a second term in trouble?
It is if you believe the newest poll from The Tyson Group, which gives Republicans on a generic ballot a 5-point edge in the 2027 Jacksonville Mayor’s race.
Of course, we’re still a ways out from that contest, but this survey is nevertheless notable.
Conventional wisdom has said regional heavy hitters are holding off a run until 2031, when Deegan would face term limits should she win a second term. It’s not even clear which serious Republican would step up to the plate to challenge Deegan in the upcoming cycle, so perhaps her team is feeling optimistic about their chances.
But the poll from Ryan Tyson’s outfit shows there’s an opening. And there’s an appetite among Republicans to give Deegan a serious challenge, even though they would be going up against an incumbent. Why else would Ingoglia be so aggressively trying to message Florida DOGE work in Jacksonville as a magnifying glass on Deegan — even though the City Council there in charge of the budget is controlled by Republicans?
It’s because Republicans are testing political messaging for 2027. Combined with a poll from someone as respected as Tyson showing Republicans have a lane, Deegan better get ready for a bitter battle ahead.
Almost (but not quite) the biggest loser: Joe Geller. Geller is out as Bay Harbor Islands Town Attorney after a 6-1 vote spurred by criticism from Republican Rep. Fabián Basabe.
The move came after Basabe and others accused Geller of not giving his full attention to the job, as Geller also serves on the Miami-Dade School Board.
Wednesday’s vote came as Geller was on vacation in Italy, so make of that what you will.
If it was only Basabe publicly stumping to oust Geller, a Democrat who formerly served in the Legislature, it could be chalked up to simple politics. But multiple Town Council members echoed complaints about Geller’s work delays, with Eric Rappaport pointing to a three-page list of unfinished projects.
On the flip side, however, the Council did just increase the monthly fee of Greenspoon Marder, which employs Geller, from $15,000 to $17,250. So why do that if the Council was upset with his performance?
Nevertheless, all but one Council member voted to give Geller the boot, while retaining Greenspoon Marder with hopes of swapping in a substitute.
The biggest loser: Black bears. After a devastating 2015 hunt officials had to end in just two days, the FWC nevertheless approved another hunt this year, arguing the bear population now needs reining in.
There is some support for that notion, with the estimated population now topping 4,000, up from around 1,200 three decades prior, when Florida put a stop to a then-annual hunt.
But the move has garnered intense criticism from some animal advocates. There has been specific pushback over some methods approved for the hunt, such as hounding and archery — which can leave bears wounded and suffering — as well as baiting, which can attract other animals and disrupt the ecosystem.
Polling has shown the move is unpopular too, with clear majorities opposed to such a hunt.
But the FWC pushed forward unanimously anyway, authorizing a 23-day hunt in December with 187 permits being issued by lottery. Those permits are good for only one bear, hopefully keeping this season in check.
There is already a lawsuit in the works challenging the move. But it’s unclear how such an effort will fare in court. As we’ve mentioned, Florida has held these hunts before, and dozens of other states do as well.
But back to that 2015 hunt — it needed to be stopped swiftly as hundreds of bears were killed rapidly, including nursing mothers. We hope officials are organizing this in a way that doesn’t lead to a repeat.
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