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Commissioner Putnam to Present Florida-Grown Christmas Trees to Governor Scott and Cabinet

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MEDIA ADVISORY

Continuing a long-standing tradition, Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam will present Governor Scott, Attorney General Bondi and Chief Financial Officer Patronis with Florida-grown Christmas trees tomorrow, Dec. 13. Bavarian Christmas Tree Farm in Tallahassee provided this year’s trees.
Every year, Floridians harvest approximately 16,000 trees from the state’s more than 100 Christmas tree farms.
Event: Capitol Christmas Tree Presentation Ceremony
Attendees: Governor Rick Scott
First Lady Ann Scott
Attorney General Pam Bondi
Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis
Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam
Franco and Sigrid Camacho, owners of Bavarian Christmas Tree Farm
Date: Wednesday, Dec. 13
Time: 8:30 a.m.
Location: Outside of the Executive Office of the Governor
Plaza Level, Capitol
Tallahassee, Fla.

CRC Announces 2018 Public Hearing Schedule

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The Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) today announced its second statewide tour of public hearings to be held in 2018.
CRC Chairman Carlos Beruff, said, “As promised, the Constitution Revision Commission will be hitting the road again in 2018 to hold its second statewide tour of public hearings. This is a public driven process and upcoming public hearings will allow Floridians the opportunity to shape proposed constitutional revisions before they are placed on the ballot. We are noticing these public hearings months in advance to ensure Floridians are aware of these opportunities and can make the necessary arrangements to attend.”
The dates, times and locations for confirmed public hearings are outlined below. All public hearings are noticed from 1:00-7:00 PM local time. Floridians who fill out an appearance form by 7:00 PM local time will be given an opportunity to speak before the Commission.

CRC 2018 Public Hearing Schedule

South Florida Public Hearing
WHEN: Tuesday, February 6, 1:00-7:00 PM
WHERE: Nova Southeastern University
Rick Case Arena at the Don Taft University Center (UC)
3301 College Avenue
Fort Lauderdale (Broward County)
Central Florida Public Hearing
WHEN: Monday, February 19, 1:00-7:00 PM
WHERE: Eastern Florida State College
King Center
3865 North Wickham Road
Melbourne (Brevard County)
Northeast Florida Public Hearing
WHEN: Tuesday, February 20, 1:00-7:00 PM
WHERE: University of North Florida
Herbert University Center
12000 Alumni Drive
Jacksonville (Duval County)
Northwest Florida Public Hearing
WHEN: Tuesday, February 27, 1:00-7:00 PM Central Time
WHERE: University of West Florida
Conference Center & Ballroom
11000 University Parkway
Building 22
Pensacola (Escambia County)
Tampa Bay Area Public Hearing
WHEN: Tuesday, March 13, 1:00-7:00 PM
WHERE: University of South Florida – St. Petersburg
University Student Center
6th Ave S
St. Petersburg (Pinellas County)
Southwest Florida Public Hearing – To Be Determined

  • The CRC is actively searching for a venue in greater Southwest Florida.

 

University of Tampa Fall Commencement Saturday, December 16

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The University of Tampa will hold its 145th commencement on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 9:30 a.m. at the Florida State Fairgrounds, Expo Hall. The ceremony will include 502 graduates, including 386 bachelor’s degree candidates and 116 master’s degree candidates. The ceremony is free and open to the public.
The speaker for the ceremony, Gregg Bachman, professor of communication, will share “Four Lessons From Your Future” with the graduates. Bachmann was the recipient of the 2016-2017 Louise Loy Hunter Award, which is given annually by its previous recipients to a UT professor for excellence in teaching and cumulative contributions in service and scholarship.
Andrew Arnold, who is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in film and media arts, will introduce the speaker, and Haley Ward, who is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in writing, will deliver the challenge to the graduating class.
In the days leading up to the ceremony, several departments will hold hooding ceremonies for their master’s degree candidates:

  • Thursday, Dec. 14:
    • Department of Education hooding ceremony, 6 p.m., Plant Hall, Grand Salon
  • Friday, Dec. 15:
    • Department of Nursing hooding and pinning ceremony, noon, Plant Hall, Grand Salon (by invitation only)
    • Department of Health Sciences and Human Performance hooding ceremony, noon, Plant Hall, Music Room
    • Sykes College of Business hooding and awards ceremony, 6 p.m., Plant Hall, Fletcher Lounge
    • M.S. in Instructional Design and Technology hooding ceremony, 6 p.m., Plant Hall Music Room

To view a live webcast of Saturday’s commencement ceremony, CLICK HERE. Tweet at #utampa.
UT Graduates by the Numbers:
Total graduates = 502
Countries represented = 49
% of graduates from Florida = 49
Undergraduate Students
Total bachelor’s degree candidates = 386
Summa cum laude (GPA 4.0) = 1
Magna cum laude (GPA 3.75 or higher, but less than 4.0) = 28
Cum laude (GPA 3.5 or higher, but less than 3.75) = 59
Top 3 most popular undergraduate majors in this class = Accounting, Management and Criminology
Graduate Students
Total master’s candidates = 116
With honors (GPA 3.9 or higher, but less than 4.0) = 15
With highest honors (GPA 4.0) = 6
MBAs awarded = 35

Sen. Bill Nelson on CHIP funding

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Following is a statement from U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) on Congress’s failure to reauthorize the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which provides coverage for over 8.9 million children across the country, including nearly 400,000 in Florida:
“Congress needs to act now before thousands of children in Florida lose their health insurance. Sadly, it seems the Republican-controlled Congress is more focused on cutting taxes for multinational corporations, instead of providing health care to children in need. That’s not right. Congress needs to get its act together and start working for everyday people, not major corporations.”
Nelson cosponsored legislation – known as the KIDS Act of 2017 – that would reauthorize the CHIP program for five years.
 

Commissioner Adam H. Putnam to Address Rural Economic Development Summit

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MEDIA ADVISORY

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam tomorrow will address the Rural Economic Development Summit, which is hosted by the Florida Rural Economic Development Association, in St. Augustine.
Event: Commissioner Adam H. Putnam to address the Rural Economic Development Summit
Date: Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017
Time: 5:45 p.m.
Location: Renaissance World Golf Village Resort
500 S. Legacy Trail
For more information or to access the Summit agenda, please contact Executive Director of the North Florida Economic Development Partnership Jeff Hendry at 850-443-7103 or [email protected].

Gov. Scott Applauds CRC for Passing Proposal to Make It Harder to Raise Taxes

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Governor Rick Scott today made the following statement regarding the Constitution Revision Commission Finance and Taxation committee’s passage of a proposal that would make it harder for politicians to raise taxes and fees by requiring 2/3 majority vote by future legislatures to increase any taxes or fees. The proposal will be heard by the full CRC. If approved, Florida voters would have the opportunity to add this measure to the Florida Constitution.
Governor Scott said, “I want to thank the members of the CRC’s Finance and Taxation committee for protecting Florida families from unfair tax and fee increases by future politicians. As a businessman myself, I understand how the decisions made in Tallahassee can affect companies and families who rely on Florida’s low tax burden to succeed. I will also continue to work with the legislature to get this amendment on the ballot, and will stop at nothing to ensure that we continue to build on our success of cutting taxes more than 75 times during our time in office. I would also like to thank Commissioner Fred Karlinsky for sponsoring this amendment and fighting to ensure our state’s continued economic growth.”

Statement by Commissioner Adam Putnam on Updated Citrus Crop Forecast, Need for Federal Assistance

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Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam released the following statement today after the U.S. Department of Agriculture released its monthly citrus crop forecast for the 2017-2018 season:
“While much of the state has recovered and moved on from Hurricane Irma, Florida’s citrus growers continue to grapple with the unprecedented damage, which is still unfolding in many groves. Florida’s growers need support and they need it as quickly as possible. I will continue to work with Governor Scott and leaders in Washington to get Florida’s growers the support and relief they need to rebuild.”
The USDA’s forecast of 46 million boxes of oranges for the 2017-2018 season is down four million boxes from the November estimate. Today’s forecast represents a decline of more than 80 percent since the peak of citrus production at 244 million boxes during the 1997-98 season.
In the wake of Hurricane Irma, Commissioner Putnam announced that Florida citrus sustained more than $760 million in damages. In weeks following Hurricane Irma, Commissioner Putnam joined Governor Rick Scott in Washington D.C to discuss the agricultural damage and to request federal assistance with Florida’s Congressional Delegation.

America’s Dueling Jackpots Compete for Player Excitement

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Multi-state Jackpots offer $420 Million Combined

Excitement is buzzing among Lottery players across the nation as jackpots for both multi-state games, POWERBALL® and MEGA MILLIONS®, have continued to rise to a combined total of $420 million! The POWERBALL jackpot rolled to $229 million after Saturday night’s draw, and the MEGA MILLIONS jackpot rolled to $191 million after Friday night’s draw.

Even if players don’t win the jackpot, they can still claim cash prizes of up to $2 million with POWERBALL and up to $5 million with MEGA MILLIONS. The integrity of all games is of utmost importance to the Florida Lottery. Players are reminded to sign the back of their tickets at the time of purchase and keep them in a safe place.

POWERBALL jackpots start at $40 million and roll until the jackpot is won. Players win by matching the five white ball numbers (1-69) and the red POWERBALL (1-26). There are eight other ways to win non-jackpot prizes ranging from $4 to $1 million or up to $2 million if the ticket includes Power Play. The overall odds of winning a prize in the game are approximately one-in-24.87.

MEGA MILLIONS jackpots start at $40 million and roll until the jackpot is won. Players win by matching the five white ball numbers (1-70) and the golden Mega Ball number (1-25). There are eight other ways to win non-jackpot prizes ranging from $2 to $1 million or up to $5 million if the ticket includes Megaplier. The overall odds of winning a prize in the game are approximately one-in-24.

Purchase your tickets at any of the more than 13,000 Lottery retailers for your chance to become Florida’s newest multi-millionaire. The Florida Lottery reminds all players to play responsibly, as it only takes one ticket to win. As with all Florida Lottery products, players must be 18 years or older to play.

ABOUT POWERBALL IN FLORIDA
Since joining POWERBALL in 2009, the game has generated $1.75 billion in contributions to education statewide. Florida is among the top-selling POWERBALL states in the country, with more than 78 million winning tickets totaling more than $2.2 billion in prizes, including 12 jackpot winners. Florida was also one of the three states nationally to have a winner share in the world record-setting $1.586 billion POWERBALL jackpot in January 2016.

The next POWERBALL drawing will be held tomorrow, December 13, at 10:59 p.m. ET, tickets must be purchased by 10:00 p.m. ET to be eligible for this drawing. National POWERBALL drawings are broadcast live, in high-definition, from the Florida Lottery’s state of the art draw studio in Tallahassee.

ABOUT MEGA MILLIONS IN FLORIDA 
Since joining MEGA MILLIONS in 2013, the game has generated more than $284 million for education, and has awarded more than $297 million in prizes to 38.2 million players.

The next MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be held tonight, December 12, at 11:00 p.m. ET, tickets must be purchased by 10:00 p.m. ET to be eligible for this drawing. MEGA MILLIONS drawings are broadcast on 17 carrier stations throughout the state. Drawings are also available for viewing on the Florida Lottery website and our official YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/floridalottery. Winning numbers are available on the Lottery website, at retailers statewide and by phone at (850) 921-PLAY.

ABOUT THE FLORIDA LOTTERY
The Florida Lottery is responsible for contributing more than $32 billion to education and sending more than 775,000 students to college through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. The Florida Lottery reinvests 98 percent of its revenue back into Florida’s economy through prize payouts, commissions to more than 13,000 Florida retailers and contributions to education. Since 1988, Florida Lottery games have paid more than $53.6 billion in prizes and made more than 2,000 people millionaires. For more information, please visit www.flalottery.com.

America's Dueling Jackpots Compete for Player Excitement

Posted on

Multi-state Jackpots offer $420 Million Combined

Excitement is buzzing among Lottery players across the nation as jackpots for both multi-state games, POWERBALL® and MEGA MILLIONS®, have continued to rise to a combined total of $420 million! The POWERBALL jackpot rolled to $229 million after Saturday night’s draw, and the MEGA MILLIONS jackpot rolled to $191 million after Friday night’s draw.
Even if players don’t win the jackpot, they can still claim cash prizes of up to $2 million with POWERBALL and up to $5 million with MEGA MILLIONS. The integrity of all games is of utmost importance to the Florida Lottery. Players are reminded to sign the back of their tickets at the time of purchase and keep them in a safe place.
POWERBALL jackpots start at $40 million and roll until the jackpot is won. Players win by matching the five white ball numbers (1-69) and the red POWERBALL (1-26). There are eight other ways to win non-jackpot prizes ranging from $4 to $1 million or up to $2 million if the ticket includes Power Play. The overall odds of winning a prize in the game are approximately one-in-24.87.
MEGA MILLIONS jackpots start at $40 million and roll until the jackpot is won. Players win by matching the five white ball numbers (1-70) and the golden Mega Ball number (1-25). There are eight other ways to win non-jackpot prizes ranging from $2 to $1 million or up to $5 million if the ticket includes Megaplier. The overall odds of winning a prize in the game are approximately one-in-24.
Purchase your tickets at any of the more than 13,000 Lottery retailers for your chance to become Florida’s newest multi-millionaire. The Florida Lottery reminds all players to play responsibly, as it only takes one ticket to win. As with all Florida Lottery products, players must be 18 years or older to play.
ABOUT POWERBALL IN FLORIDA
Since joining POWERBALL in 2009, the game has generated $1.75 billion in contributions to education statewide. Florida is among the top-selling POWERBALL states in the country, with more than 78 million winning tickets totaling more than $2.2 billion in prizes, including 12 jackpot winners. Florida was also one of the three states nationally to have a winner share in the world record-setting $1.586 billion POWERBALL jackpot in January 2016.
The next POWERBALL drawing will be held tomorrow, December 13, at 10:59 p.m. ET, tickets must be purchased by 10:00 p.m. ET to be eligible for this drawing. National POWERBALL drawings are broadcast live, in high-definition, from the Florida Lottery’s state of the art draw studio in Tallahassee.
ABOUT MEGA MILLIONS IN FLORIDA 
Since joining MEGA MILLIONS in 2013, the game has generated more than $284 million for education, and has awarded more than $297 million in prizes to 38.2 million players.
The next MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be held tonight, December 12, at 11:00 p.m. ET, tickets must be purchased by 10:00 p.m. ET to be eligible for this drawing. MEGA MILLIONS drawings are broadcast on 17 carrier stations throughout the state. Drawings are also available for viewing on the Florida Lottery website and our official YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/floridalottery. Winning numbers are available on the Lottery website, at retailers statewide and by phone at (850) 921-PLAY.
ABOUT THE FLORIDA LOTTERY
The Florida Lottery is responsible for contributing more than $32 billion to education and sending more than 775,000 students to college through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. The Florida Lottery reinvests 98 percent of its revenue back into Florida’s economy through prize payouts, commissions to more than 13,000 Florida retailers and contributions to education. Since 1988, Florida Lottery games have paid more than $53.6 billion in prizes and made more than 2,000 people millionaires. For more information, please visit www.flalottery.com.

Blacklidge Posts Strong Fundraising Numbers

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Since entering the race for House District 69 in June, the Republican
has raised almost three times as much as his primary opponent. 

The Ray Blacklidge Campaign today announced that it is leading his Republican primary opponent in fundraising by three to one. Blacklidge raised $5,364 in November and has banked just shy of $77,000 since entering the race in June. In addition, he has raised $20,000 for his political committee, Friends of Ray Blacklidge. He is seeking the District 69 seat in the Florida House of Representatives.
“This community is rallying around our positive message,” said Blacklidge. “I’m grateful for the friends who are joining our team because they believe in our campaign to create jobs and grow our economy. We are going strong, and I look forward to continuing to connect with as many District 69 residents as possible.”

Paid by Ray Blacklidge, Republican, for State Representative