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Nelson on administration’s plan to end funding for ISS by 2025

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Following is a comment from U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee, which oversees our nation’s space program, on news today that the administration is reportedly planning to cut off funding for the International Space Station by 2025:

“If the administration plans to abruptly pull us out of the International Space Station in 2025, they’re going to have a fight on their hands. Such a move would likely decimate Florida’s blossoming commercial space industry, which is one of the reasons why Congress has directed NASA to look at extending the ISS to 2028 and to provide a plan to help scientists and researchers continue experimenting in low-Earth orbit beyond that.”

 

Nelson on administration's plan to end funding for ISS by 2025

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Following is a comment from U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee, which oversees our nation’s space program, on news today that the administration is reportedly planning to cut off funding for the International Space Station by 2025:
“If the administration plans to abruptly pull us out of the International Space Station in 2025, they’re going to have a fight on their hands. Such a move would likely decimate Florida’s blossoming commercial space industry, which is one of the reasons why Congress has directed NASA to look at extending the ISS to 2028 and to provide a plan to help scientists and researchers continue experimenting in low-Earth orbit beyond that.”
 

Secretary of State Ken Detzner Inducts Recording Artists The Bellamy Brothers and Visual Artist Purvis Young into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame

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Secretary of State Ken Detzner inducted recording artists The Bellamy Brothers and visual artist Purvis Young into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame yesterday in a ceremony on the Capitol’s 22nd Floor Observation Deck.
“Induction into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame is the highest honor bestowed upon artists by the State of Florida,” said Secretary Detzner. “We are fortunate to have these artists call Florida home as they have brought tremendous distinction to our state through their tireless devotion to their craft. Their work has touched and inspired countless people, and it is fitting that we honor them for their influence, achievements and brilliance.”
The Bellamy Brothers
Pasco County natives David and Howard Bellamy, collectively known as The Bellamy Brothers, are multi-award winning recording artists and performers spanning genres from pop and blues to gospel. Beginning with their first number one hit record in 1976, “Let Your Love Flow,” their success in the pop and country arenas has included more duo nominations in both the Academy of Country Music Awards and the Country Music Awards than any other artists, two Dove nominations, and a GRAMMY® AWARD nomination. They have twenty number one hit country singles, along with more than fifty hits overall on the charts. Their international releases include more than 95 albums.
Purvis Young (1943 – 2010)
A native of Miami’s Overtown neighborhood, self-taught artist Purvis Young frequently worked in a mixture of collage and painting. A prolific creator, Young served three years in prison as a teenager, where he began drawing and studying art books from the prison library. His work, highly influenced by Western art history, is colorful and vibrant, often serving as social critique and a call to action for social justice. His works are found in the collections of private collectors including Damon Wayans and Dan Ackroyd, as well as museums including the American Folk Art Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Black Archives History and Research Foundation of South Florida.
For more information on the Division of Cultural Affairs, please visit dos.myflorida.com/cultural.
About the Florida Artists Hall of Fame
Established by the Florida Legislature in 1986, the Florida Artists Hall of Fame recognizes persons, living or deceased, who have made significant contributions to the arts in Florida either as performing or practicing artists in their disciplines. These individuals contribute to Florida’s national and international reputation as a state with a sustained commitment to the development of cultural excellence. The Florida Artists Hall of Fame currently consists of more than 50 inductees, including musician and performer Ray Charles, actor and director Burt Reynolds, writers Zora Neale Hurston, Tennessee Williams and Ernest Hemingway, filmmaker Victor Nunez, and visual artists Duane Hanson, Robert Rauschenberg and James Rosenquist. For more information about the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, click here.
About the Division of Cultural Affairs
The Florida Department of State’s Division of Cultural Affairs is Florida’s legislatively designated state arts agency. The Division promotes the arts and culture as essential to quality of life for all Floridians. To achieve its mission, the Division funds and supports cultural programs that provide artistic excellence, diversity, education, access and economic vitality for Florida’s communities. For more information, visit dos.myflorida.com/cultural.

Flagler College to hold week of events for inauguration of President Joyner

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Flagler College will celebrate the inauguration of Dr. Joseph G. Joyner as the fourth president of Flagler College with a week of community-focused events in February centered on the theme of “Citizenship in a Diverse Democracy.”
While Joyner officially began his presidency in July 2017, an inauguration is a college’s formal ceremony that both installs and celebrates a new president. Flagler will hold an Inaugural Week Feb. 17-24 that focuses on the college’s core values of civility, integrity, collegiality, stewardship and community. The local community is invited to join students, faculty, staff, alumni and visiting scholars to engage in and demonstrate citizenship in a diverse democracy.
Events open to the public include:
Saturday, Feb. 17: Investing in the Community – 9 a.m. Personal Finance and Business Workshops led by Flagler College Faculty and Alumni held in the Ringhaver Student Center, 50 Sevilla St. Topics include estate planning, starting businesses and saving for college. For more information, visit flagler.edu/investinginthecommunity.
Monday, Feb. 19: Alumni Scholars Day – 6 p.m. Panel on “Citizenship in a Diverse Community” in the Virginia Room, Ringhaver Student Center, 50 Sevilla St. This panel will discuss what is required when it comes to citizenship and what a diverse democracy means. Panelists will also discuss the practical tools that can help society build and how to use the country’s diversity to address common goals and challenges. 
Tuesday, Feb. 20: Art & Science Day – 6 p.m. on “Four Channels:  A Collaborative Project Between the Crisp-Ellert Art Museum and the GTM Research Reserve” in the Virginia Room, Ringhaver Student Center, 50 Sevilla St. The panelists will discuss how the partnership developed with the students and staff at the GTMRR, the logistics of the installation itself, and why these community partnerships are such valuable and impactful learning opportunities for students at Flagler.
Wednesday, Feb. 21: International Day – 1 p.m. anticipated start for Naturalization Ceremony in the Lewis Auditorium, 14 Granada St.
Thursday, Feb. 22:  Liberal Arts and Higher Education Day – 7 p.m. Keynote address “Diversity in a Democracy: What Can We Learn from Socrates?” in Lewis Auditorium, 14 Granada St., by Dr. Georgia Nugent, the Senior Fellow at The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC), president emerita of Kenyon College and former interim president of The College of Wooster. Dr. Nugent has been a strong advocate for the continuing importance, power, and vitality of the liberal arts in the 21st century. Her speech will focus on how Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher, can offer us insight into moving forward in an increasing complex world. 
Friday, Feb. 23: Engaging Students in Higher Education Day – 2 p.m. The ART 415 Gallery Management class will host a curator walk-through and reception on the first floor of Kenan Hall with reproductions of political posters from the Yanker Poster Collection in the Library of Congress displayed to represent political activism as it relates to art history, fine art and graphic design.
Joyner will be installed at an invitation-only inauguration ceremony on Feb. 24 in Lewis Auditorium. However, the ceremony will be streamed online at flagler.edu/inauguration.
Prior to his position as president of Flagler College, Joyner was Superintendent of Schools for the St. Johns County School District in St. Augustine, Fla., a position he had held since July 2003. In this capacity, he oversaw a budget of $633 million, and had oversight of 21 major construction and renovation projects exceeding $387 million. Under Dr. Joyner’s leadership, the School District was recognized as the highest achieving of Florida’s 67 school districts for the past 8 years. It continued to rank among the top districts in the state in the percentage of money spent on the classroom and for financial transparency.
For more information on Flagler’s Inaugural Week, visit flagler.edu/inauguration.

Senator Stewart Fires Up Crowd at Women’s Equal Pay Rally

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State Senator Linda Stewart (D–Orlando) on Tuesday addressed advocates of women’s economic equality who gathered at the Florida Capitol to speak out against the various barriers women encounter in the workplace. In an impassioned appeal to her colleagues in the legislature, Stewart urged for a hearing on Senate Bill 594, which she has introduced as a measure to prohibit wage discrimination practices based on sex.

“It is time Florida recognizes that equal pay is not just something to wish for, but something to stand for,” said Stewart. “If you truly value women, the work they do, the rights they have earned, and the respect they are owed, then hear and pass this bill.”

Senate Bill 594 is designed to prohibit an employer from various discrimination practices. This includes “providing less favorable opportunities to employees” and decisions based on their sex, unfair employment practices that relate to employee wages and benefits, and other actions indicative of labor and discrimination that occur in the workplace.

A companion bill, House Bill 393, has been introduced by Representative Lori Berman (D–Lantana).

Senator Stewart Fires Up Crowd at Women's Equal Pay Rally

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State Senator Linda Stewart (D–Orlando) on Tuesday addressed advocates of women’s economic equality who gathered at the Florida Capitol to speak out against the various barriers women encounter in the workplace. In an impassioned appeal to her colleagues in the legislature, Stewart urged for a hearing on Senate Bill 594, which she has introduced as a measure to prohibit wage discrimination practices based on sex.

“It is time Florida recognizes that equal pay is not just something to wish for, but something to stand for,” said Stewart. “If you truly value women, the work they do, the rights they have earned, and the respect they are owed, then hear and pass this bill.”
Senate Bill 594 is designed to prohibit an employer from various discrimination practices. This includes “providing less favorable opportunities to employees” and decisions based on their sex, unfair employment practices that relate to employee wages and benefits, and other actions indicative of labor and discrimination that occur in the workplace.
A companion bill, House Bill 393, has been introduced by Representative Lori Berman (D–Lantana).

Attorney General Bondi’s Statement on Passage of SB 8 by the Senate Appropriations Committee

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Attorney General Pam Bondi today issued the following statement on the unanimous approval of SB 8 by the Senate Appropriations Committee:
“I am thrilled this life-saving legislation is moving quickly through the legislature. We must continue our fight to end the opioid crisis that is claiming more than 14 lives a day in our state.”

Governor Rick Scott’s Statement on VISIT FLORIDA

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Please see below a statement from Governor Rick Scott regarding the Florida Senate’s proposal to cut VISIT FLORIDA’s funding to $50 million, a reduction of $26 million from this year’s funding.
“I completely oppose the Florida Senate’s proposal to cut VISIT FLORIDA’s budget by a third. I will fight to protect the 1.4 million jobs that rely on Florida’s tourism industry by making sure that VISIT FLORIDA gets $100 million this year. After the devastating hurricane season we faced last year, we shouldn’t be playing games with our state’s tourism industry.” – Governor Rick Scott

Florida Department of State to Present Cultural Arts and Folk Heritage Awards

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Secretary of State Ken Detzner today announced that the Florida Department of State Cultural Arts and Folk Heritage Awards will take place in the Capitol’s 22nd Floor Observation Deck on January 24, 2018 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The ceremony will include a presentation of the Florida Folklife Program’s Folk Heritage Awards, the Division of Cultural Affairs’ Diversity and Inclusion Awards, and the induction of recording artists The Bellamy Brothers and visual artist Purvis Young into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame.
“From music to art to dance and everything in between, these individuals and organizations represent such a broad spectrum of our state’s rich and diverse arts and culture community,” said Secretary of State Ken Detzner. “Their work has and continues to inspire and bring people together and it is an honor to recognize the award winners for their role in elevating arts and culture in Florida.”
Doors will open at 5:00 p.m. for a reception beginning at 6:00 p.m., with the Awards Ceremony to begin at 7:00 p.m.
The award winners are listed below.
Florida Folk Heritage Awards:
Pedro Bullaudy, Tampa
Marshall Davis, Miami
Jeff Klinkenberg, Tampa
Diversity and Inclusion Awards:
Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida, North Miami Beach
ArtSouth, a Not-for-Profit Corporation, South Miami
Asian Cultural Association of Central Florida, Longwood
Atlantic Center for the Arts, Inc., New Smyrna Beach
Coexistence, Inc., Embracing Our Differences, Sarasota
Creative Clay, St. Petersburg
Florida Tax Collectors’ Kids Tag Art program, Fort Myers
Dr. Gary Keating, the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus, Fort Lauderdale
Henry B. Plant Museum, Tampa
Jacksonville Children’s Chorus, Jacksonville
Karen Peterson and Dancers, Inc., Miami
Michael Killoren, Morean Arts Center, St. Petersburg
Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center, Miami
NAEMI (National Art Exhibitions of the Mentally Ill Inc.), Miami
Orlando Repertory Theatre, Orlando
Partnership for Strong Families, Gainesville
Suzanne Pomerantzeff, Academy of Ballet Arts, St. Petersburg
The Arc of Palm Beach County, Riviera Beach
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe of Florida, Inc., Sarasota
Florida Artists Hall of Fame:
The Bellamy Brothers, Darby
Purvis Young, Miami
About The Florida Folklife Program
The Florida Folklife Program, a component of the Florida Department of State’s Division of Historical Resources, documents and presents Florida’s folklife, folklore and folk arts. The program coordinates a wide range of activities and projects designed to increase the awareness of Floridians and visitors alike about Florida’s traditional culture. Established in 1979 by the legislature to document and present Florida folklife, this program is one of the oldest state folk arts programs in the nation. The Florida Folklife Program is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts’ Folk and Traditional Arts Program. For more information about Florida folklife, visit flheritage.com/preservation/folklife.
About the Florida Artists Hall of Fame
Established by the Florida Legislature in 1986, the Florida Artists Hall of Fame recognizes persons, living or deceased, who have made significant contributions to the arts in Florida either as performing or practicing artists in their disciplines. These individuals contribute to Florida’s national and international reputation as a state with a sustained commitment to the development of cultural excellence. The Florida Artists Hall of Fame currently consists of more than 50 inductees, including musician and performer Ray Charles, actor and director Burt Reynolds, writers Zora Neale Hurston, Tennessee Williams and Ernest Hemingway, filmmaker Victor Nunez, and visual artists Duane Hanson, Robert Rauschenberg and James Rosenquist. For more information about the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, click here. 
About the Division of Cultural Affairs
The Florida Department of State’s Division of Cultural Affairs is Florida’s legislatively designated state arts agency. The Division promotes the arts and culture as essential to quality of life for all Floridians. To achieve its mission, the Division funds and supports cultural programs that provide artistic excellence, diversity, education, access and economic vitality for Florida’s communities. For more information, visit dos.myflorida.com/cultural.
About The Division of Historical Resources
The Florida Department of State’s Division of Historical Resources (DHR) is responsible for preserving and promoting Florida’s historical, archaeological, and folk culture resources. The Division Director’s office oversees a grants-in-aid program to help preserve and maintain Florida’s historic buildings and archaeological sites; coordinates outreach programs such as the State Historic Markers program and the Florida Folklife program which identifies and promotes the state’s traditional culture. DHR directs historic preservation efforts throughout the state in cooperation with state and federal agencies, local governments, private organizations, and individuals. The Division director serves as the State Historic Preservation Officer, acting as the liaison with the national historic preservation program conducted by the National Park Service. The Division is comprised of two Bureaus, archaeological research and historic preservation. For more information, visit flheritage.com.

Lawmakers demand action after Interior official admits Florida not “off the table” for drilling

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Republicans join Democrats in demanding Florida be removed from
plan after official tells Congress Zinke’s pledge ‘not an official act’

A bipartisan group of Florida lawmakers today called on Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to remove Florida from the Interior department’s  draft five-year offshore oil drilling plan.
The move comes just days after a senior Trump administration official admitted during questioning at a House Natural Resources Committee hearing Friday that an announcement Zinke made in Tallahassee two weeks ago, in which he declared Florida “off the table” for new drilling, was “not an official act” and that Florida “is still being considered under the agency’s proposed plan.”
Last week’s stunning admission by the acting director of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Walter Cruickshank, confirmed what many lawmakers, including U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), had been telling their constituents all along – that the announcement Zinke made following a 20-minute meeting with Gov. Rick Scott was nothing more than a “political stunt” and not an announcement of official policy.
Now, in a joint letter today to Zinke, lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle are weighing in to demand that the secretary take action to officially remove Florida from the plan.
“In light of Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Acting Director Walter Cruickshank’s recent statement before the House Natural Resources Committee that the Planning Areas off Florida’s coasts are still under consideration for offshore drilling, we write to reiterate our strong opposition to any attempt to open up the eastern Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas drilling,” the lawmakers wrote. “We object to any efforts to open the eastern Gulf of Mexico to drilling, and we urge you to remove this area from the five-year plan immediately.”
The letter, led by U.S. Sens. Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Marco Rubio (R-FL), was signed by 22 of Florida’s 27 congressional delegation members – and will serve as the delegation’s official public comment on Interior’s proposed five-year drilling plan.
Almost immediately after Zinke made his announcement, Nelson sent the secretary a letter requesting specific details on any changes made to the agency’s five-year drilling plan. Zinke has not yet responded to that request.
Later that same day, Nelson filed legislation to permanently ban drilling off Florida’s coast. And took to the Senate floor to warn his fellow Floridians that the secretary’s promise to take Florida off the table is “just empty words” until he takes the formal steps necessary to publish a new draft plan.
Nelson announced last week that he has placed a “hold” on three Dept. of the Interior nominees slated to work under Zinke and will keep that hold in place until Zinke rescinds the current draft five-year drilling plan and replaces it with a new draft that fully protects Florida’s coasts.
A copy of the lawmakers’ letter to Zinke is available here.