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CFO Jimmy Patronis: SEC Right to Appoint Cryptocurrency Chief

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Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis released the following statement regarding the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) appointment of Valerie Szczepanik as the first cryptocurrency adviser. As Associate Director of the Division of Corporation Finance and Senior Adviser for Digital Assets and Innovation, Szczepanik will oversee how securities laws apply to emerging digital asset technologies, including Initial Coin Offerings and cryptocurrencies.

CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “The SEC’s appointment of a cryptocurrency chief is a forward-thinking and bold move. My office has been closely following cryptocurrency, and as with all emerging technology, there comes a new risk for consumers to be defrauded. With the Seminole County Tax Collector now accepting bitcoin as a form of payment and Tampa/St. Petersburg and Miami/Ft. Lauderdale ranking seventh and eighth in the top 10 bitcoin-friendly cities, it’s important we stay ahead of the game when it comes to consumer protection.

“Just last week my office issued a consumer alert on cryptocurrency investment scams. Today, I’ve directed my staff to set up a call with Associate Director Szczepanik to discuss how we can continue to protect consumers in our state.”

Melrose woman claims top prize in $2,500 A WEEK FOR LIFE Scratch-Off game

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The Florida Lottery announces that Katherleen Duggan, of Melrose, claimed a top prize in the $2,500 A WEEK FOR LIFE Scratch-Off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. She chose to receive her winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $2,040,000.00.

Duggan purchased her winning ticket from Hitchcock’s, located at 7380 State Road 100 in Keystone Heights. The retailer will receive a $4,000 bonus commission for selling the winning Scratch-Off ticket.

The $5 Scratch-Off game, $2,500 A WEEK FOR LIFE, launched in July 2017, and features more than $103 million in total cash prizes and over 7.5 million winning tickets. The game’s overall odds of winning are one-in-3.95.

Scratch-Offs are an important part of the Lottery’s portfolio of games, generating more than $784 million for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF) in FY 2016-17, and comprising approximately 68 percent of ticket sales.

Appointments by Governor Rick Scott for Wednesday, June 6, 2018

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Gov. Scott Appoints Eleven to the Florida Interagency Coordinating Council for Infants and Toddlers

Governor Rick Scott today announced the five reappointments and six appointments to the Florida Interagency Coordinating Council for Infants and Toddlers.

Dr. Sara Evans, 35, of Pensacola, is an assistant professor at the University of West Florida. She is reappointed for a term beginning June 5, 2018, and ending January 1, 2020.

Cheryl Miller, 40, of Sarasota, is a therapist with Manatee Children’s Services. She succeeds Arwyn Holmes and is appointed for a term beginning June 5, 2018, and ending January 1, 2020.

[Read more…] about Appointments by Governor Rick Scott for Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Commissioner Adam Putnam Hosts Hurricane Preparedness Round Table

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Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam today hosted a hurricane preparedness round table discussion in Fort Myers.

Among the participants were: Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto, Representative Dane Eagle, Lee County Undersheriff Carmine Marceno, Fort Myers Fire Chief John Caufield, Lee County Commission Chair Cecil Pendergrass, Sanibel Mayor Kevin Ruane, Lee County Emergency Management Director Lee Mayfield, Lee County Assistant Manager Christine Brady, Fort Myers Fire Department Emergency Management Specialist Judith Hartwell, and Major Glenn Kramer with the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement.

Stuart man claim $2 million top prize playing FLORIDA 20X THE CASH Scratch-Off game

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The Florida Lottery announces that Frank Caprio, 69, of Stuart, claimed a $2 million top prize in the FLORIDA 50X THE CASH Scratch-Off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. He chose to receive his prize in a one-time, lump-sum of $1,600,000.00.

Caprio says his wife is more excited than he is, “We’re planning a trip to Italy. We want to see it all!”

Caprio purchased his winning ticket from Ben & John’s Shell located at 400 West Indiantown Road in Jupiter. The retailer will receive a $4,000 bonus commission for selling the winning Scratch-Off ticket.

The $10 game, FLORIDA 50X THE CASH, launched on January 15, and gives players the opportunity to multiply their winnings by up to 50 times. The game also offers over $162 million in cash prizes, plus eight $2 million top prizes. Overall odds of winning are one-in-3.46.

Scratch-Offs are an important part of the Lottery’s portfolio of games, generating more than $784 million for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF) in FY 2016-17, and comprising approximately 68 percent of ticket sales.

Florida Sends 25 FHP Vehicles to Puerto Rico to Aid in Recovery

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Governor Rick Scott today announced that Florida has donated 25 Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) vehicles to the Puerto Rico Police Department to support law enforcement needs and Hurricane Maria recovery.

Governor Scott said, “Since Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico last year, I have visited the island six times to offer guidance, assistance and support. We’ve made it a priority in Florida to aid Puerto Rico in their recovery from this devastating storm. I’m glad that the Florida Highway Patrol, on behalf of Floridians, has stepped up and honored a request to provide additional surplus police cruisers to the island. These 25 vehicles will assist law enforcement efforts as they work to rebuild. We will continue to do all we can to support Puerto Rico’s recovery.”

This announcement is part of a continued commitment from the state of Florida to assist Puerto Rico as they recover from the devastating impacts of Hurricane Maria. The vehicles had been out of circulation and were ready for surplus before they were donated. Per the state’s replacement criteria, FHP law enforcement vehicles may be taken out of circulation when they reach 80,000 miles or are eight years old. In November, 50 FHP troopers were deployed to Puerto Rico for one month to assist the Puerto Rico Police Department with security operations and traffic control needs.

“The Florida Highway Patrol is proud to continue assisting the Puerto Rico Police Department following Hurricane Maria,” said Colonel Gene Spaulding, Director of the Florida Highway Patrol. “These donated vehicles are another way Florida is supporting the people of Puerto Rico in their recovery.”

Actions taken by Governor Scott following Hurricane Maria:

  • On September 28th, at the request of Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló, Governor Scott traveled to San Juan, Puerto Rico to help coordinate response and recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria.
  • On October 5th, the Governor entered into a host-state agreement with FEMA – Florida is the only state willing to enter into this type of agreement to help families displaced by Hurricane Maria.
  • On October 11th, Governor Scott met with Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen, Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture Congressman Mike Conaway, Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security Congressman Michael McCaul, and Congresswoman Jenniffer González-Colón.
  • On October 30th, the Governor’s office sent a letter to the Office of Management and Budget. See the letter HERE.
  • On November 3rd, Governor Scott led a delegation of Florida utility providers to Puerto Rico at the invitation of Governor Ricardo Rosselló.
  • On November 9th, the Governor activated the State Emergency Response Team to assist families displaced by Hurricane Maria. See the Governor’s press release HERE.
  • On November 15th, the Governor sent a letter to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan urging them to support Florida’s efforts to support those displaced from Puerto Rico by Hurricane Maria. See the Governor’s letter HERE.
  • On December 21st, Governor Scott spoke with Congresswoman Jenniffer González-Colón regarding Puerto Rico’s recovery from Hurricane Maria.
  • On December 22nd, Governor Scott spoke with U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen regarding recovery efforts for Florida and Puerto Rico.
  • On January 3rd, Governor Scott sent a letter to the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations urging the Senate to immediately pass a significant Hurricane Irma and Maria disaster relief package. See the Governor’s letter HERE.
  • On January 11th, Governor Scott spoke with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Brock Long regarding the FEMA Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program and the importance of continued communication between federal, state and local partners as families continue to recover from Hurricane Maria.
  • On January 12th, Governor Scott met with Governor Ricardo Rosselló and joined him for a Puerto Rico recovery town hall meeting to discuss ongoing relief efforts.
  • On January 24th, Governor Scott, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, California Governor Jerry Brown and Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló issued a joint letter urging the U.S. Senate to improve and expeditiously pass supplemental disaster funding, and for Congress to send the bill to the President. See the letter HERE.
  • On February 5th, Governor Scott visited Puerto Rico with Governor Ricardo Rosselló to assist with ongoing Hurricane Maria recovery efforts.
  • On February 7th, Governor Scott spoke with FEMA Administrator Brock Long regarding Governor Scott’s recent trip to Puerto Rico.
  • On February 7th, Governor Scott announced a new partnership to connect families displaced by Hurricane Maria with jobs in Florida. See the announcement HERE.
  • On March 5th, Governor Scott traveled to Puerto Rico to meet with Congresswoman Jenniffer González-Colón and attend the Puerto Rico State of the State Address.
  • On April 18th, Governor Scott met with Congresswoman Jenniffer González-Colón in Washington D.C. to discuss how Florida is working to help Puerto Rican evacuees in the state.
  • On April 18th, Governor Scott also spoke with FEMA Administrator Brock Long to discuss the FEMA Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program and the importance of keeping the FEMA case managers the Governor previously requested on the ground across the state.
  • On May 18th, Governor Scott announced that Florida Department of Education Commissioner Pam Stewart would travel to Puerto Rico on May 20th to meet with Puerto Rico Department of Education Secretary Dr. Julie Keleher and offer continued guidance and support. See the Governor’s announcement HERE.
  • On May 31st, Governor Scott traveled to Puerto Rico at the invitation of Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló to continue to offer guidance, advice and assistance regarding ongoing Hurricane Maria recovery efforts. During his visit, Governor Scott met with Governor Rosselló, Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State Luis G. Rivera-Marin, and Speaker of the House Carlos Johnny Méndez.

Nelson blasts Facebook for reports it shared user data with dozens of companies

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U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) took to the Senate floor today to blast Facebook for failing to disclose that it had shared users’ personal information with at least 60 companies, including four Chinese electronics manufacturers.

According to reporting from the New York Times, among the companies with access to Facebook user data was Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, which has close ties with the Chinese government and may pose a threat to U.S. national security. Other companies with Facebook data sharing arrangements included the likes of Apple, Amazon, Blackberry, Microsoft and Samsung. The companies had access to vast amounts of detailed Facebook user data, including the information of friends who may not have consented to having their personal information accessed and shared.

“The bottom line is these revelations are yet another example of questionable business practices by Facebook that could undermine basic consumer privacy,” Nelson said in a speech on the Senate floor today.

In April, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared in front of a joint hearing of the Senate Commerce and Judiciary Committees to answer questions in the wake of political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica harvesting private data from more than 87 million Facebook profiles.  During the hearing Zuckerberg apologized for his company’s negligence and pledged to do better. He also asserted that consumers own their personal information and control it how it can be seen and used.  But today’s reporting in the New York Times raised questions about the accuracy of Zuckerberg’s testimony.

On the Senate floor, Nelson pointed out that while Zuckerberg told lawmakers in April that app developers were prohibited from collecting friends’ information in 2014, he failed to mention that device manufacturers were still able to access the information and never revealed the data-sharing agreements.

“…it’s hard to know what’s true anymore,” Nelson implored.  “What in the world is next and what in the world is going to protect Americans’ personally identifiable private information?”

Nelson’s remarks come just one day after he sent a letter to Zuckerberg demanding answers from Facebook in the wake of an earlier Times report that the company offered numerous device manufacturers special access to private user information.  The letter gave Zuckerberg a June 18 deadline to answer.

The letter Nelson sent to Zuckerberg yesterday is available here.

Following is a transcript of Nelson’s remarks on the Senate floor.

Senator Bill Nelson
Remarks on the Senate floor
June 6, 2018

Sen. Nelson: Madam President, it’s interesting that the majority whip just spoke about China and this senator wants to talk about Facebook and some of the things that are threatening national security and our personal privacy.

I rise to speak on the recent press reports on Facebook and how the social media giant partnered with at least 60 mobile device manufacturers and shared user information with the likes of Apple, Amazon, Blackberry, Microsoft and Samsung.

And just today on the subject of China, the New York Times is reporting that Facebook also partnered with four Chinese electronic manufacturers, including Huawei which is known to have close ties with the Chinese government and may pose a national security threat to the U.S. According to the Times, these companies had access to vast amount of Facebook’s user data, including the information of friends who may not have provided proper consent to access and share personal and their personally identifiable information.

Madam President, we don’t know all the facts yet, but it’s clear what Facebook claims and what the New York Times is reporting, it doesn’t end up squaring up. As a result, the chairman of the Commerce Committee, Senator Thune, and I as ranking member wrote a letter to Mark Zuckerberg asking that he answer a number of questions about the New York Times reporting.

Specifically, Senator Thune and I want to know who exactly these business partners are and what are the nature of these agreements. We want to know what safeguards are in place and whether Facebook conducted adequate oversight to protect user customer information from unauthorized use and storage.

And we also ask whether Facebook users and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) were aware of these business agreements. Currently, Facebook is operating under a 2011 consent order as part of a settlement with the FTC. And it’s not clear whether their data sharing agreements are in violation of that order.

The bottom line is these revelations are yet another example of questionable business practices by Facebook that could undermine basic consumer privacy . Remember, less than two months ago, Mr. Zuckerberg appeared in front of our committee and a joint committee hearing with the Judiciary Committee to answer questions in the face of the Cambridge Analytica fiasco.

In that hearing Mr. Zuckerberg apologized for his company’s negligence and pledged to do better. He also asserted that consumers own their personal information and control it how it can be seen and used. I want to repeat what I said. He — this is Zuckerberg — asserted that consumers, their users, own their personal information and control how it can be seen and used. That’s what Zuckerberg told our committee. But the reporting in the New York Times suggests that’s not accurate.

While Mr. Zuckerberg asserted that developers were prohibited from collecting friends’ information in 2014, he failed to mention that device manufacturers were still able to access the information. He never revealed these data-sharing agreements in our hearing in April.

As a result, it’s hard to know what’s true anymore. And now we learn that Facebook gave Chinese companies believed to be national security risks access to user data. What in the world is next and what in the world is going to protect Americans’ personally identifiable private information?

Madam President, Facebook is the most popular social media platform in the world with over two billion users. And in the U.S., over 200 million users. And those users interact with each other and post sensitive personal information. The company has a unique responsibility to its users to be vigilant caretakers of their personally identifiable information.

They also have a responsibility to be transparent. I look forward to Mr. Zuckerberg’s response to the letter that Senator Thune and I had sent to him just recently. And it’s high time that Congress act to provide all American consumers with the basic privacy protections that they expect and that they deserve to be protected. And they’re counting on us to do Madam President, I yield the floor.

API Announces New “Explore Offshore” Coalition In Florida

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Supporting Expanded Access To Eastern Gulf of Mexico’s Offshore Oil and
Natural Gas Resources; Part of Larger Effort Backing Expanded Access

API today announced the launch of “Explore Offshore”, a new coalition of more than 100 community organizations, associations, businesses and local leaders in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida who support increased access to offshore U.S. oil and natural gas resources. The Florida effort will be led by Dr. Miriam Ramirez, Former Puerto Rico State Senator, Jeff Kottkamp, Former Lieutenant Governor of Florida, and Wayne Harris, former Okaloosa County Commissioner. Jim Nicholson, who served as Secretary of Veterans Affairs during the George W. Bush Administration, and former Virginia Senator Jim Webb will serve as bipartisan national co-chairs of the coalition.

Dr. Miriam Ramirez, Former Puerto Rico State Senator, Explore Offshore Florida Co-Chairman: “As a native Puerto Rican and a volunteer to rebuild Puerto Rico from the devastation of Hurricane Maria, I know firsthand that we should not take for granted access to reliable energy. The Department of the Interior took a step in the right direction by proposing to open up additional areas of the Eastern Gulf of Mexico to new exploration for oil and natural gas. Our neighbors in the Gulf of Mexico support thriving tourism industries all while developing offshore energy resources that create high-paying jobs to those states, provide much needed state revenue and economic investment, and deliver greater energy security to America.” 

Jeff Kottkamp, Former Florida Lieutenant Governor, Explore Offshore Florida Co-Chairman: “With over 20 million residents and 110 million annual visitors—the availability of affordable energy is critical to our quality of life in Florida.  Access to new sources of domestic oil and natural gas is important to maintain or quality of life in the Sunshine State.  As we consider exploration for new energy sources we must also be mindful Florida’s environment.  We look forward to working with our local leaders to discuss ways to maintain our state’s natural beauty while at the same time expanding opportunities to keep our nation energy independent.”

Wayne Harris, Former Okaloosa County Commissioner, Explore Florida Offshore Co-Chairman: “I’ve had the great honor of serving our country in the military for 27 years, and serving my county as a Commissioner. My focus is on ensuring that future generations get to enjoy the same opportunities that I have, in a nation that is safe and secure. A key to making that possible is putting in place energy policies that support the constant, reliable and affordable supply of energy our families and businesses will always need to grow and thrive. The more of that energy that comes from our own borders the better. It’s time we used recent advances in technology and science to find out exactly what energy resources lay in our waters, and how we can produce that energy in a responsible manner in the years ahead. That’s how we will make Florida and America more energy secure.”

Florida Petroleum Council Director David Mica: “As we plan for our future in Florida, we should keep all options on the table as it relates to accessing domestic oil and natural gas resources and Explore Offshore will be a united voice of Floridians working to do just that.”

The importance of oil and natural gas to Florida:

  • Oil and natural gas will continue to make up over 60 percent of America’s electricity use for at least the next thirty years according to federal government projections, even with the use of renewables on the rise.
  • 67 percent of net electricity generation in Florida in 2017 came from natural gas.
  • By 2035, the oil and natural gas industry could create over 56,000 new high-paying jobs in Florida.
  • Offshore development could result in $2.6 billion in private investment into Florida and $1 billion per year in state revenues.
  • The average salary for oil and natural gas exploration and development jobs is $116,000, including for positions that do not all require a four-year degree.

Explore Offshore is a bipartisan coalition dedicated to safe and environmentally responsible access to our offshore energy resources to help supply affordable and reliable energy for American consumers, small businesses, and manufacturers. This broad coalition of community organizations, businesses, and local associations across the Southeast has come together to voice support for reliable, safe, and affordable energy.

API is the only national trade association representing all facets of the oil and natural gas industry, which supports 10.3 million U.S. jobs and nearly 8 percent of the U.S. economy. API’s more than 625 members include large integrated companies, as well as exploration and production, refining, marketing, pipeline, and marine businesses, as well as service and supply firms. API member companies provide most of the nation’s energy and are backed by a growing grassroots movement of more than 45 million Americans.

For the national press release click here.

Neighbors Banding Together With Solar to Control Power Bills

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Florida has taken the lead in both residential and utility solar. All across the state neighbors are banding together to bundle their buying power and use their roofs to save money and reduce their utility bills.
Solar co-ops have helped propel the state into a leading position for rooftop solar, with the state leading the nation with a 110% growth rate in residential rooftop solar permits. The co-ops help by bundling consumer buying power and bringing discounts, as well as easy to understand information about how solar can help homeowners save money.
Solar United Neighbors, a non-profit based in Washington D.C., working with their partner the League of Women Voters of Florida, has launched 34 solar co-ops around the state, with many more planned or in process for 2018. Currently there are active co-ops in Orange County, St. Petersburg, Miami-Dade, Highland, Citrus, Franklin, Bay, and Sarasota counties,as well as the Upper Keys. In the past two years, the co-ops have accounted for 10% of all new residential solar in the state.
The co-ops are installing their 1,000th home this summer, using local solar installers from around the state. In just over two years the co-ops have invested almost $10 million in rooftop solar, added 267 jobs, and helped Florida consumers save millions.
Now growing by $1 million a month for rooftop solar, co-op participants all across Florida are jumping on board. “The best part was that by working with the co-op, it was really easy,” said Charlie Behrens, a co-op participant from Orlando. “The last time I went solar, I had to do all of the legwork myself. This meant vetting the installers, researching different hardware, figuring out endless financial permutations and lots of cold-feet second-guessing. This year when we wanted to add panels via the co-op, we had a good clear decision within a day, and at a lower price than we could ever get as just one rooftop.”
Co-op participants work together and with the support of Solar United Neighbors to learn about solar. They form a bulk purchase group that selects one installer through an open bidding process. Participants select the installer whose proposal best serves the needs of the group. The selected installer then develops personalized proposals for each homeowner. Participants then decide if going solar is right for them. The co-ops are free to join and there is no obligation to proceed or purchase a solar system.
Experts say Florida should be one of the top three states in the country for rooftop solar due to days of sunshine and high electric bills stemming from almost year-round use of air conditioning.
“Rooftop solar is one of the very best investments a homeowner in Florida can make,” said Dr. Jim Fenton, Director of the Florida Solar Energy Center at University of Central Florida. “Depending on some variables such as roof orientation, utility, etc., homeowners can expect almost a 14% return per year.”
To help spread the word, the League has released a Sun$ense video campaign to help educate the Florida public. The videos are free to use in their entirety or for b-roll and sound bites.
“Standing room only at our public meetings around the state from cities to small towns showed us that the time was right to use this fun social media device to expand awareness,” said League president Patricia Brigham.
The results speak for themselves. Angela DeMonbreun, state director of Solar United Neighbors, says the neighborhood co-ops contributed nearly 10% of all new residential rooftop solar in Florida in 2017, and is the largest and fastest growing marketplace for Solar United Neighbors, which introduces solar co-ops in nine states.
Videos can be viewed on the League’s YouTube channel. For local interviews of volunteers or solar owners, contact Deirdre Macnab, Chair, League of Women Voters Campaign for Solar (407) 415-4559.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.

Attorney General Bondi’s Statement on the 74th Anniversary of D-Day

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Attorney General Pam Bondi released the following statement regarding the 74th anniversary of the Battle of Normandy:

“Seventy-four years ago today, brave Americans and allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy—my Uncle Raymond, an 18 year-old Army private, was one of them. Days after the battle, he was critically wounded and later died from his injuries. Although I never knew my Uncle Raymond, I am immensely proud to call him my uncle and eternally grateful for his sacrifice and the sacrifices of all our veterans and service members who put their lives on the line so we can live free.”