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Florida Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence Happy To Have Helped Defeat Dangerous Gun Legislation

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The early failure of three proposed bills that would have drastically loosened state gun laws, including one that would have allowed people to bring weapons into a courthouse, is good news for Florida residents and visitors. “No” votes from two Republican senators reinforced that some state legislators are willing to break party lines to vote responsibly.
The Florida Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence is proud of its work in Tallahassee and across the state to help defeat the proposed legislation and will continue to fight for sensible gun laws, including those that would require universal background checks and a ban on the sale of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines.
“These bills were given a fair hearing and failed,” said Patricia Brigham, Coalition co-chair and 1st vice president of the League of Women Voters of Florida. “This is further proof that legislators are listening to voters who do not want irresponsible laws that would continue the gun lobby’s push for ‘guns everywhere.’ It is a victory for public safety.”
The bills were voted down in the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is chaired by Sen. Greg Steube (R-Sarasota) who sponsored two of the bills, just the latest of the proposals he has backed to loosen gun laws in recent years.
In addition to the courthouse-carry bill, another would have allowed concealed carry permit holders to bring guns onto private school campuses with religious institutions on property. The third would have reduced penalties for permit holders who temporarily open carry.
Republican Sens. Anitere Flores and Rene Garcia, both of South Florida, crossed party lines to vote against the private-school and courthouse-carry bills. Garcia voted for temporary open carry, which failed due to a tie vote.
“At a moment when our country is reeling amidst an epidemic of gun violence, Sen. Steube’s gun policy priorities would have allowed more people to have more guns in more places,” said Hannah Willard, senior policy director for Equality Florida. “We applaud the senators who stood on the side of common sense and rejected these dangerous proposals, and we call upon the legislature to take up gun violence prevention policies that would actually make our communities safer.”
Florida PTA Legislative Chair Angie Gallo stressed safety for our children. “The Florida PTA believes that protecting our children and youth from gun violence is paramount and we believe that the safest learning environment, one that is conducive to the highest level of student achievement, is a gun-free environment,” she said. “We applaud the senators who sent a clear message that guns do not belong on any property where a school exists.”
The Coalition To Prevent Gun Violence was created by the League of Women Voters of Florida after the Pulse Nightclub massacre to promote smart gun legislation. It has grown to include more than 120 local, state and national organizations and includes such diverse groups as the Hispanic Federation, Interfaith Council of Central Florida and Doctors for America.

Florida PSC Continues to Collect Data for Spring Hurricane Workshop

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Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) Chairman Julie Brown today provided an update on the open PSC docket established to review electric utility hurricane preparedness and restoration actions during the 2017 hurricane season. The review will explore the potential to further minimize infrastructure damage that results in outages.
The first data requests have been issued to 57 Florida electric utilities, and responses are currently being submitted, compiled, and analyzed. Further requests will be issued to the electric utilities as part of the Commission’s comprehensive review of the causes of damage to electric facilities, vegetation management practices, and communications with customers. The Commission will also be seeking input from other various stakeholders, including local governments, that were impacted by hurricanes and resulting electric power outages.  A solicitation for comments from stakeholders will be issued by the end of December 2017. A Commission workshop to explore the information gathered through the review process and to discuss potential options to further minimize infrastructure damage that results in outages will be held the first week of April 2018.
“To date, the Commission has received more than 370 customer comments. Customer input is of vital importance in analyzing and understanding the customer perspective during our review process,” said PSC Chairman Brown.  “I urge customers to visit our website and provide feedback on how long they had to wait before their power was restored and how well their utility kept them informed throughout the 2017 storm season.”
Customers can provide comments here.
All information submitted to the PSC’s Review of Electric Utility Hurricane Preparedness and Restoration Actions can be reviewed in Docket No. 20170215-EU.

Seminole State to award record number of bachelor’s degrees for Dec. 13 graduation ceremony

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Chief Executive Officer of Central Florida Regional Hospital, and Chair of the Seminole
State College Board of Trustees, Wendy Brandon, will be the keynote speaker.

More than 3,500 students will graduate from Seminole State this fall.
The graduation ceremony is set for Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. in the CFE Arena at UCF.

Seminole State College of Florida will award more than 3,500 degrees and certificates this fall, including a record number of baccalaureate degrees, according to the College’s Department of Enrollment Services.
Students from each of the College’s four schools will cross the stage for Commencement on Wednesday, Dec. 13, at 7 p.m. in the CFE Arena at the University of Central Florida.
Among the graduates this fall will be 203 baccalaureate students – a record for the College – representing five of Seminole State’s four-year degrees, including the College’s first-ever class to graduate from its Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Health Sciences program.
Seminole State offers seven bachelor’s degrees, including its new Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing (BSN).
Chief Executive Officer of Central Florida Regional Hospital, and Chair of the Seminole State College Board of Trustees, Wendy Brandon, will be the keynote speaker at commencement.
With numerous triumphs in the healthcare industry, including leading the opening of the new Oviedo Medical Center, Brandon, Orlando Business Journal’s 2017 Businesswoman of the Year, is one of Central Florida’s foremost healthcare executives. She is also a board member of CareerSource Central Florida, the Seminole County Regional Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Seminole and the Orlando Economic Partnership. She also served on the Foundation for Seminole State College Board of Directors from 2009-2011.
Tickets are required for admission to the graduation ceremony. For those unable to attend, a live video feed of the ceremony will be available online. To learn more, please visit the graduation website.

POWERBALL® jackpot reaches an estimated $212 million

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More Than $14.6 Million For Education in Florida!

The POWERBALL® jackpot for Saturday’s drawing has now reached an estimated $212 million. In addition to the multi-million dollar jackpot, players also have the opportunity to win a variety of lower-tier prizes ranging from $4.00 to $2 million by matching any of the non-jackpot-winning combinations.
“The excitement is growing statewide for Saturday night’s jackpot,” said Florida Lottery Secretary Jim Poppell. “This POWERBALL jackpot is not only exciting and entertaining, it has enabled the Lottery to generate more than $14.6 million in contributions for Florida students and schools.”
As a reminder, players are encouraged to sign the back of their tickets at the time of purchase and keep them in a safe place. Players should also check their tickets carefully because even if they don’t win the jackpot, they can still win cash prizes of up to $2 million.
Jackpot prizes are paid in 30 annual installments or as a one-time, lump-sum payment. Winners have 180 days from the applicable drawing to claim their prize. To receive the cash option of an estimated $133.2 million, jackpot prizes must be claimed within 60 days of the drawing.
Players who want the chance to become Florida’s 13th POWERBALL jackpot winner can purchase tickets at any of the more than 13,000 authorized Florida Lottery retailers across the state. The Florida Lottery would like to remind all players to play responsibly; it only takes one ticket to win. Like all Florida Lottery products, players must be 18 or older to play.
Saturday night’s POWERBALL drawing will be held 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. Florida Lottery game drawings are broadcast on 17 carrier stations throughout the state.

Strange Asteroid from Other Solar System Sparks Rush of Excitement Among Astronomers

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A cigar-shaped asteroid making its way through our solar system is capturing the imagination of scientists around the globe.
This is this first confirmed object in our solar system from another star system, which is what got University of Central Florida Associate Professor Yan Fernandez fired up and calling friends to get telescope time at the Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico last month.
“On very, very short notice they were able to rework the telescope’s schedule —which is set months in advance —to get us four hours of time,” Fernandez said. “Time really was of the essence, since the asteroid was already on its way out of the solar system — since it was discovered after it had already passed by the sun.”
Fernandez and his collaborators published their observations this week in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
“Up to now we’ve really only had our own asteroids to play with, and even though we know asteroids are out there orbiting other stars, we never really had a chance to check out to see if asteroids are made the same way pretty much everywhere or if there are specific things that happen in each planetary system that influence what kind of asteroids you wind up with,” Fernandez said. “In other words, are all asteroids like ours, or are ours unusual?”
He wasn’t alone in jumping at the chance to observe the asteroid. Several astronomers around the globe made frantic calls to get telescope time, including at the European Space Agency’s Very Large Telescope in Chile. Researchers quickly measured the asteroid’s orbit, brightness and color. This was a rare opportunity to collect data to answer some fundamental questions.
The Pan-STARRS survey at the Institute for Astronomy in Hawaii discovered the strange object and named it `Oumuamua. Experts estimate the asteroid could have been coming through the Milky Way for hundreds of millions of years before its encounter with Earth’s solar system.
Fernandez is on a team with Hal Weaver and Casey Lisse from Johns Hopkins University and Bryce Bolin from the University of Washington. The team helped corroborate the shape of the object, its rotation properties and its color, Fernandez said.
“The weirdest thing we found with our particular data is the apparent extreme elongation of the object,” he said. “We just don’t have that many asteroids that are that elongated in our own solar system. We’ve got a real puzzle here, as to whether we’re just really lucky that we got a true oddball asteroid, or if this is a clue about some other process for creating and ejecting asteroids.”
As scientists collect data and answer some questions, a whole host of other questions arise. But that’s just part of the scientific process.
“It’s the real surprises that sometimes lead us to greater discoveries,” Fernandez said.

FWC Commissioners elect new chairman, vice chairman

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At its meeting Dec. 7 in Gainesville, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) elected Bo Rivard, of Panama City, to serve as chairman, effective immediately.
Rivard replaces Chairman Brian Yablonski, of Tallahassee. The term of chairman is one year.
Rivard has served on the Commission since March 2013. He is a partner with Harrison, Rivard, Duncan & Buzzett in Panama City. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and a law degree from Samford University.
Rivard’s legal practice has been focused on representing both public and private clients in health care, land use, transportation, litigation and regulatory matters. He has served as outside counsel for numerous local governments and state agencies.
Rivard is actively engaged in his community. He was chairman of Bay County Chamber of Commerce (2011) and has served on many other local boards. He and his wife, Nicole, have three children and live in Panama City.
Robert Spottswood of Key West was elected vice chairman. Spottswood has served on the Commission since 2015. He is the chief executive officer of Spottswood Companies, Inc. He currently serves as a member of the Third District Court of Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission and recently served on the Governor’s Commission on Healthcare and Hospital Funding. Spottswood received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and his law degree from the University of Miami School of Law.
Spottswood replaces Vice Chairman Aliese P. “Liesa” Priddy, of Immokalee.

Attorney General Bondi Recognizes Anniversary of Pearl Harbor

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Attorney General Pam Bondi today released the following statement recognizing the anniversary of the attack at Pearl Harbor:
“Today we remember all the brave members of our armed forces and innocent civilians lost during the attack at Pearl Harbor 76 years ago. The thousands of American lives taken that morning will always be remembered—as will the service members who answered the call of duty during WWII to defend the United States and safeguard our liberties, including my Uncle Raymond. While I did not have the chance to know my Uncle, who fought on D-Day and passed away just days later from a fatal wound, I will be forever grateful for his sacrifice and for the selfless actions of all the men and women of our military.”

FWC appoints Eric Sutton as executive director

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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) voted to appoint Eric Sutton, assistant executive director, to the position of executive director, effective Dec. 8. Nick Wiley, current executive director, retires later this month.
Commissioners touted Sutton’s extensive experience with challenging conservation issues and his positive relationships with fellow FWC staff.
 “We have received many accolades for the agency under the leadership of Chairman Brian Yablonski and Executive Director Nick Wiley. They have been at the tip of the spear, but it’s the whole family who supports the conservation efforts,” said Commissioner Bo Rivard. “As we continue to face changes and new challenges, it is important to have continuity. Eric has been filling roles lately due to Nick’s national leadership positions and has proven himself capable of this important role.”
Sutton has been the FWC assistant executive director since May 2013. He has worked in government and the private sector since the early 1990s in areas including acquisition and management of public lands, land use regulations, listed species policy, invasive species management and coastal management. He received both his bachelor’s and master’s degree in zoology from the University of South Florida. The emphasis of his work was on endangered species population biology.
“Eric does a great job. I see that he’s got the confidence of his FWC family members, and how dedicated and concerned he is about the agency and people of Florida,” said Commissioner Robert Spottswood.
 “As a sportsman and ecologist, it is a tremendous honor to be able to accept this challenge and represent such a talented and dedicated team managing the tremendous fish and wildlife resources of Florida,” said Eric Sutton.
Sutton’s appointment as executive director will now go to the Florida Senate for confirmation.

Helios Education Foundation Awards Florida College System Foundation $50,000 for Students Impacted by Hurricanes

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Grant will support Florida College System students impacted

The Florida College System Foundation is pleased to announce a $50,000 grant awarded by Helios Education Foundation with the purpose of linking emergency funds to students impacted by the hurricanes who need short-term resources to assist with continuing to pursue their education and achieve their goals.
Grant funds will be used to help students cover the cost of sudden, unexpected and unbudgeted expenses. These include expenses such as replacement books, transportation, housing, utilities, childcare, and other expenses.
Students who were impacted may request up to $500 and colleges are encouraged to use this money as matching funds. Students enrolled in the 19 of 28 colleges located in a disaster area declared by FEMA are eligible to receive funds.
With the financial support from Helios Education Foundation, this will help students stay on track to complete their education.  “Providing students short-term, financial assistance to ensure completion of their long-term postsecondary goal is an investment in them and in our state – one we are proud to make,” said Paul J. Luna, President and CEO, Helios Education Foundation.
Tami Cullens, Chair of the Florida College System Foundation, said, “This generous contribution from Helios Education Foundation will make a substantial impact on those students affected in these communities who are financially struggling to continue pursuing their higher education dreams.”
About the Helios Education Foundation

Helios Education Foundation is dedicated to creating opportunities for individuals in Arizona and Florida to achieve a postsecondary education. Our work is driven by our four fundamental beliefs in Community, Equity, Investment, and Partnership, and we invest in initiatives across the full education continuum.
In Arizona, where Latino students comprise the largest percentage of the K-12 public school population, the Foundation is implementing its Arizona Latino Student Success initiative focused on preparing all students — especially Latino students — for success in college and career. Through our Florida Regional Student Success Initiative, Helios is helping first-generation, low-income and minority students from the state’s large population centers in Tampa, Orlando and Miami achieve a postsecondary education.
Since 2006, the Foundation has invested over $200 million in education programs and initiatives in both states. To learn more about our efforts, visit us online at www.helios.org.
About the Florida College System

The Florida College System is the primary access point to undergraduate education for Floridians, including recent high school graduates and returning adult students. The 28 member colleges of the Florida College System respond quickly and efficiently to meet the demand of employers by aligning certificate and degree programs with regional workforce needs. For more information, click here.
For more information about the Florida Department of Education, visit www.fldoe.org.

FWC approves changes to Gulf greater amberjack season

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At its December meeting in Gainesville, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) set the greater amberjack recreational season in Gulf state waters to open May 1-31 and Aug. 1-Oct. 31. This change is similar to pending changes in Gulf federal waters.
Greater amberjack is overfished and undergoing overfishing, and the season has closed increasingly early in recent years due to federal quotas being met or exceeded. This new season structure will optimize recreational fishing opportunities in both the spring and fall while minimizing harvest during the spawning season, helping to rebuild the stock.
Greater amberjack is currently closed to recreational harvest in Gulf state and federal waters. State waters will remain closed through April 30, 2018.
For more information or to view the presentations given at the Commission meeting, visit MyFWC.com/Commission and select “Commission Meetings” then click on the link below “Next Meeting.”