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Erika Donalds talks education policy and gov race

Good morning and welcome to Monday. Gubernatorial candidate Rep. BYRON DONALDS shot to fame in conservative politics largely thanks to his role as a key surrogate for President DONALD TRUMP. But his wife, ERIKA DONALDS, has also been intimately involved in shaping some Trump administration policy — including supporting the Department of Education's unwinding in discussions with the White House and Congress. She leads education policy at America First Policy Institute, a Trump-aligned think tank, and she also serves on the advisory board of the conservative Moms for Liberty group. She additionally is founder and CEO of a charter school management company and foundation (the latter of which has drawn millions of dollars in state contracts, the Florida Bulldog reported). Should her husband be elected governor, all of this means the future first lady of Florida would have significant experience in overhauling education policy, similar to what Gov. RON DESANTIS has done. The Donaldses were at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino over the weekend attending the first-ever CPAC Latino, where Erika Donalds appeared on a panel about education policy. She spoke with Playbook about education initiatives and the gubernatorial campaign shortly before her husband took the stage. What follows are snippets from the conversation. On education policy in the state: Erika Donalds has been a major proponent of Florida's school choice movement, which has culminated in the state allowing students to use vouchers for private or charter schools regardless of family income. Now, she said, it should be easier for families and schools to take part. She noted Florida only uses one main organization, called Step Up For Students, to manage and give out school vouchers, while other states have several for families to choose from, which she said allows for 'competitiveness around customer service and technology.' She also said it should be easier for micro schools, pods and other types of learning environments to participate, and that the state could do more to help charter and private schools expand because the demand is so high, leading to long wait lists. On whether education would be her platform if she were to become Florida's first lady: Though Erika Donalds said 'it might be premature' to discuss a potential platform, she said she cared deeply about improving proficiency in reading and math in the state and in helping vulnerable groups succeed, including those in foster care and the juvenile justice system. 'I've always been very passionate about children who are in difficult circumstances and making sure that they have a pathway to success,' she said, citing her own difficult upbringing and how education was 'the ticket out.' On whether she saw expanding Hope Florida as a way to do that: 'There's been a lot of noise around that,' she said, alluding to the investigation by state House Republicans into the project spearheaded by Florida first lady CASEY DESANTIS. 'I'd love to learn more about the outcomes and what's actually happening there that is helping families, aside from anecdotal. I'm a data person. I want to see the data, understand not only what we're doing, but what other states are doing that are successful, and really understand what the best practices are.' On where things stand with the relationship with DeSantis: The governor hasn't supported Byron Donalds to succeed him, even though Trump has. He instead has talked up Casey DeSantis for the job, but she hasn't made a decision about whether to run. Erika Donalds said her husband and Ron DeSantis haven't talked about the race. 'We've been very supportive of the governor and we think he's done a great job as governor,' she said. 'We're very grateful for all that he's done for our state and we're just hoping to continue that legacy.' On what it's been like to have a spouse become more high-profile: Erika Donalds stressed that the experience has been overwhelmingly positive, with people lining up to take pictures with her husband and even recognizing him when they travel to states like California. It's 'very energetic,' she said, with 'people excited that they have an option that they believe is going to continue what DeSantis has done so far.' Many of them are already greeting the congressman with 'Hey, governor,' she said. But she added she was pleased DeSantis signed a measure into law that would shield the addresses of lawmakers, given some threats their family has received. 'It is disconcerting when those death threats and other threats come in at an increasing rate,' she said, 'and I think it was the right thing to do.' WHERE'S RON? Gov. DeSantis is doing a press conference in Wildwood at 10 a.m., where he's expected to sign the budget. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget that Playbook should look at? Get in touch at: kleonard@ ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Twelve members of Florida's Republican House delegation have signed onto a letter saying they'll support the final version of the 'One Bill Beautiful Bill Act' on taxes, border security and cuts to food and health care programs. The letter went out this morning, led by Rep. VERN BUCHANAN, and is intended to tout provisions to Floridians such as the legislation's tax cuts and its billions of dollars in funding for border security. The legislation, they argued, would be 'putting families first.' They cited a portion that would remove tax from tips — something House members noted would benefit people who work in the hospitality industry in tourism-heavy Florida — as well as how it removes taxes from overtime pay. 'Any member of Congress who opposes this legislation will be voting for the largest tax hike in American history,' Buchanan said in a statement. 'This is a pro-growth, pro-worker, America-first bill, and we will send it to President Trump's desk to be signed into law.' The Senate's version of the legislation advanced to debate over the weekend following 51 votes; it's expected to go up for a vote-a-rama in the Senate today. One amendment being considered would end the 90 percent share the federal government gives to states that expanded the Medicaid program to cover low-income people, reports POLITICO's Jordain Carney. Florida doesn't have the Medicaid expansion that most other states have, so there won't be as much effect here regarding that policy change. But Jordain notes the provision itself has been promoted by Sen. RICK SCOTT (R-Fla.). They'll be voting on the amendment today, which would take effect in 2031 and apply to new people enrolling on the program. The House delegation that sent the letter of support argued other changes they're making to Medicaid, such as obligating non-disabled, childless adults who get Medicaid coverage to work, would make the program stronger by 'rooting out waste, fraud and abuse.' The Council of Economic Advisors estimated that in Florida, that would result in $1.5 billion in cuts, which is less than other large states. Critics contend the extra paperwork will just make it harder for people who need the program to stay enrolled, and point to how work requirements in states haven't gone smoothly. The House can expect to vote on the Senate's version of the bill either Tuesday or Wednesday, House Majority Leader STEVE SCALISE told members, according to POLITICO's Benjamin Guggenheim and Meredith Lee Hill. Among the dozen who signed onto the letter are Donalds, and Reps. ANNA PAULINA LUNA and RANDY FINE. ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... WHAT TIME IS IT? The clock has run out and the moment has arrived for DeSantis to act on the $115.1 billion budget that was passed by the Florida Legislature just two weeks ago. DeSantis last week pledged to deal with the budget ahead of July 1 — the date the new budget is supposed to take effect. That means today will likely be the day the governor signs the budget — and hands out line-item vetoes of individual spending items. One potential bit of irony is that the GOP-controlled House, which has been at odds with DeSantis for months now, passed a much smaller and leaner budget of just under $113 billion. It was only after a weeks-long standoff with Senate Republicans that the two sides settled on a higher amount. So DeSantis could make the budget more in line with what House Republicans wanted, even if he also vetoes items lawmakers in that chamber championed. The biggest thing to watch: whether DeSantis trains his veto pen on legislators who bucked him this year. That list has gotten longer than it used to be in previous years and includes lawmakers from Pensacola to Miami. — Gary Fineout AHEAD OF THE WEEKEND — 'Environmental groups on Friday sued federal agencies and the state in federal court over the planned immigration detention center being set up in the Everglades west of Miami,' reports POLITICO's Bruce Ritchie. 'The lawsuit filed in Miami by Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity alleges the state is moving forward without legal authority on the airstrip within Big Cypress National Preserve. And the suit claims the Department of Homeland Security did not conduct environmental reviews under federal law.' GOOD POLITICS FOR DESANTIS — 'Alligator Alcatraz' has been 'a boon for the national profile of both DeSantis and his appointed attorney general, James Uthmeier,' reports NBC News' Matt Dixon. 'Both have received waves of national attention — and a resulting boost to their political stock … DeSantis has long made immigration enforcement a linchpin of his political messaging, so the effort to build a headline-grabbing facility surrounded by swamps, snakes and alligators, is consistent with the administration's overarching policy goals.' PROTESTS ERUPT — 'Hundreds of people, including indigenous groups, environmentalists and immigration advocates gathered outside DeSantis' planned 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention facility in the middle of the Everglades Saturday, the second protest there in a week,' Shira Moolten and Mike Stocker of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. 'About 1,000 stood in the heat along Tamiami Trail near Mile Marker 50 as of early Saturday afternoon, outside the gates of the little-used airfield that is now set to become an immigration detention center. Cars lined the road for miles in each direction. Members of the Miccosukee and Seminole Indian tribes beat drums and led ceremonies with sage to cleanse the area while others carried signs, chanted and wore anti-ICE T-shirts.' BUT TRUMP EXPECTED TO GO TO TUESDAY OPENING — Flight notices indicate the president may be attending the soft launch Tuesday, reports Antonio Fins of the Palm Beach Post. — 'Meet the folks who live near 'Alligator Alcatraz' and call the Everglades home,' by Amanda Rosa of the Miami Herald. PENINSULA AND BEYOND CITY WATER CRISIS — 'The city of Apalachicola, which has been plunged into an emergency over its failing water purification system, told residents on June 27 that it had completed flushing its main lines and that quality was improving,' reports Jeff Burlew of the Tallahassee Democrat. 'But residents reported mixed results at best, with some reporting improvement in the appearance but not the odor of the water. Others saw no change at all.' — 'St. Pete Pride attendees celebrate LGBTQ+ advocacy, resilience,' by Lizzy Alspach of the Tampa Bay Times. ...HURRICANE HOLE... WATCHING THE STORM — 'Two tropical storms formed Sunday on both of Mexico's coasts, and they are expected to drench the region for several days,' reports CBS News. 'Barry, the second named storm of this year's Atlantic hurricane season, became a tropical depression by Sunday night, when it made landfall shortly before 11 p.m. ET. It made landfall over Mexico's east coast about 15 miles south-southeast of Tampico, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.' CAMPAIGN MODE POTENTIAL SENATE CANDIDATE — 'Alexander Vindman — the now-retired Army officer whose testimony provided critical evidence in the first impeachment of President Donald Trump — is now living a much quieter life in Broward County,' reports Anthony Man of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. 'Heavily involved in public policy and politics, he'd return to a much higher profile if he decides to run for U.S. Senate in 2026, something Vindman said in a recent interview he's contemplating.' CAMPAIGN FORMATION — 'Mitchell Berger has never run for office. But he knows a lot about candidates and campaigns,' reports the South Florida Sun Sentinel's Anthony Man. 'The Fort Lauderdale lawyer who has held numerous campaign and government roles has now signed on as campaign chair for David Jolly, a Democratic candidate for governor.' — 'Can Florida politicians replicate Mamdani's success? Young Democrats chime in,' by Kairi Lowery and Zoey Thomas of the Orlando Sentinel. — ''I could do it': Eric Trump ponders a future run for president,' by Phillip M. Bailey of USA Today. ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN BIRTHDAYS: State Sen. Erin Grall … former state Rep. Travis Cummings.