Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers this week approved the hire of Chris Hart IV as the association’s new Chief Executive Officer. Beginning Dec. 4, Hart will lead the association as it enhances educational opportunities, raises its profile through amplified advocacy efforts, and seeks to deliver value-added services through innovation for Clerks and Comptrollers across the state.
Hart’s distinguished career includes serving as a member of the Florida House of Representatives for District 57 (Hillsborough County) from 1998-2002. He has also served as an executive in multiple capacities, including president and CEO of CareerSource Florida, Inc. (2007-2017) and CEO of Enterprise Florida, Inc. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of South Florida and a Bachelor of Science in political science from Florida State University.
“Mr. Hart will provide strong leadership to our association as we optimize the ability of our members to effectively and efficiently serve Floridians through education, legislative action and public awareness of the role and function of the office,” said Marcia M. Johnson, Franklin County Clerk and Comptroller and 2017-18 Board President. “He brings extensive knowledge of the legislative process, which will be critical as we work together with lawmakers to establish sustainable funding for our offices.”
Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers is a statewide nonprofit member association composed of the 67 elected Clerks of the Circuit Court and one independently elected County Comptroller. These leaders in cutting-edge technology have established Florida as a national model, particularly with their statewide Comprehensive Case Information System (CCIS) and the E-Filing Portal. Clerks are independently elected as their duties provide a system of checks and balances, ensuring transparency, access and accountability in local government. While the Constitution Revision Commission convenes this year, Hart and the association will support preserving the roles of constitutional officers as elected, not appointed, positions.
“Our association can achieve great things with a sharpened focus on our vision and mission,” Hart said. “This is a pivotal point in time for the Clerks and Comptrollers, and I look forward to supporting them in their shared commitment to excellence as they seek to effectively and efficiently serve the citizens of Florida.”
Senate approves $692 billion defense budget
The U.S. Senate today passed its annual defense budget for the next fiscal year.
In addition to authorizing $692.2 billion for the Department of Defense and other national security programs, the bill includes a number of projects important to Florida that U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), a senior member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, pushed for, including a provision that will make it easier for commercial space companies to launch more frequently from the Cape, possibly up to twice a day.
The bill, which was approved by the House yesterday, now heads to the president to be signed into law.
Here’s a list of provisions included in the bill that Nelson pushed for:
- Improving Cyber Defenses. As the top Democrat on the Armed Services’ cyber subcommittee, Nelson was instrumental in requiring the Department of Defense to establish new procedures to better detect, counter, and conduct cyber-enabled information operations, like the Russian attempt to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
- Combating Opioid Crisis. Nelson authored an amendment included in the final bill that directs DoD to study the effectiveness of training provided to DoD healthcare providers regarding opioid prescribing practices, initiatives in opioid safety and the use of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for Management of Opioid Therapy for Chronic Pain.
- Upgrading launch infrastructure at Cape Canaveral. Nelson authored a provision that requires DoD to modernize the Air Force’s launch infrastructure and improve launch operations to make it easier for commercial space companies to launch more frequently from Cape Canaveral, possibly up to twice a day. Also included are provisions that provide funding to support automated launch safety systems and reusable launch vehicles that would allow the Air Force to support more commercial launches from the Cape, while reducing costs to the government.
- $300 million to upgrade Florida military bases. The bill authorizes $299.1 million for construction at Florida’s military bases, including a special operations simulator facility at Eglin Air Force Base, near Pensacola; a special operations simulator and fuselage training facility at Hurlburt Field, also near Pensacola; a fire station at Tyndall Air Force Base, near Panama City; a “Guardian Angel” facility at Patrick Air Force Base, at Cape Canaveral; and a wastewater treatment plant at Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville.
- Upgrading testing and training ranges. Nelson secured an additional $35 million in funding to improve infrastructure at the military’s testing and training ranges, including the Eastern Gulf Test and Training Range off Eglin Air Force Base. The additional funding underscores how important these ranges are to our national security and the need to protect them from offshore oil drilling.
- Future ships to Mayport. Nelson authored a provision that would require the Navy to consider a port’s ability to mitigate risks associated with natural disasters and improve fleet response times when deciding where to homeport future ships. Those considerations, if taken into account, would help make Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville a natural choice for future homeporting of a nuclear aircraft carrier and additional amphibious ships.
- Apollo 1 Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. Nelson authored language to authorize the construction and placement of a memorial marker at Arlington National Cemetery to honor the crewmembers of Apollo I who died during a launch rehearsal on January 27, 1967.
- Providing military dependents with the benefits they deserve. Nelson led efforts to include a provision that permanently extends Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance (SSIA) payments, which were set to expire in June 2018. Congress created SSIA to offset the mandatory reductions in payments to some surviving military spouses.
AHCA Begins Process to Impose Fines to Facilities in Non-compliance with Emergency Generator Rule
The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) today announced that the Agency will begin fining assisted living facilities and nursing homes that have failed to comply with the Governor’s Emergency Generator Rule. The Agency will issue orders of non-compliance and fines of $1,000 a day for each facility not in compliance with the life-saving rule. The penalty for non-compliance with the rule includes possible license revocation. AHCA has been clear in communicating the cost of non-compliance, and facilities choosing to not enact these life-saving measures must do so immediately.
Secretary Justin Senior said, “The deadline for compliance with the Emergency Power Rule has passed. From day one we have stressed the importance of compliance and we will hold those facilities who failed to come into compliance fully accountable. This rule was written with one goal in mind, and that is to ensure the safety of patients and residents in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. It is a shame that some facilities have ignored these life-saving measures, and we will work with the local emergency management agencies and State Fire Marshal to ensure that nursing homes and assisted living facilities are in compliance.”
If a facility has submitted a statement of compliance to AHCA and the local emergency management agency, AHCA will confirm approval of the emergency power plan by the local emergency management officials and a confirmation of compliance by the State Fire Marshal whose review will be completed within 15 days after implementation.
If a facility has not responded to the Governor’s Emergency Rule in any form, AHCA will issue a notice of non-compliance informing the facility of the fines and possible license revocation. The notice of non-compliance will demand a certified response in 10 days. During this time, each facility not in compliance is being fined $1,000 per day.
The variance process is outlined in Florida law. If a facility has been granted a variance, or is awaiting approval of a variance, it is expected that these facilities will be in compliance by the date granted in the variance. All variances will be granted solely for construction and permitting timelines, and no facility will receive a variance due to cost. If at the end of the variance period a facility has not come into compliance, they will be subjected to fines and possible license revocation. If facilities meet the stringent threshold to obtain a variance, the state is required to grant the variance under Florida law, F.S. 120.542.
AHCA is the regulatory agency that will enforce the fines for both nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
Gov. Rick Scott Directs Additional Florida Highway Patrol Officers to Seminole Heights
To assist the Tampa Police Department’s efforts to keep the Seminole Heights neighborhood safe, Governor Rick Scott today directed the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) to deploy additional officers to the area. These officers will work with the Tampa Police Department to enhance their efforts in patrolling the neighborhood to increase safety. The deployment of FHP Troopers is in addition to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s (FDLE) Tampa Bay Regional Operations Center who has a squad of agents assigned to neighborhood canvassing. FDLE also has agents assigned to vet leads and is providing analytical assistance. FDLE lab analysts continue to process numerous items of evidence. FDLE has also contributed $10,000 to the Crime Stoppers reward.
Governor Scott said, “Safety is our top priority, and we are glad to provide additional state resources from the Florida Highway Patrol and FDLE to the Tampa Police Department to assist in their efforts. I have spoken with Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan and Mayor Bob Buckhorn to offer any resources they may need from the State of Florida. Everyone in the area should continue to listen to local law enforcement who have been working day and night to keep families safe. I am fully confident that our brave law enforcement will bring whoever is responsible for these senseless acts to justice. Our hearts break for the victims of these crimes and their loved ones. Today, we are making it clear – Florida has zero tolerance for violence and crime, and we will stop at nothing to keep our communities safe.”
Mast Statement on Passage of First Major Tax Reform Since 1980s
U.S. Congressman Brian Mast (FL-18) today released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act:
“Bureaucrats in D.C. seem to forget that every dollar they spend is the result of somebody else’s labor. It’s about time that we make the government do more with less and empower the American people to do more with more.
“This is a great accomplishment: the first major tax reform since the Reagan Administration. Our bill simplifies the tax code, doubles the standard deduction for all families, and most importantly, cuts taxes for low- and middle-income families who are struggling just to get by. Every dollar less the government takes, and every dollar more that you keep in your pocket, is a big win. That’s exactly what this bill does and why it will grow middle class paychecks in Florida by more than $2,250 and lead to the creation of more than 55,000 new jobs.”
Background
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act:
- Lowers individual tax rates for low- and middle-income Americans to 0%, 12%, 25%, and 35% so people can keep more of the money they earn throughout their lives, and continues to maintain the 39.6% rate for the wealthiest Americans.
- Significantly increases the standard deduction to protect roughly double the amount of what taxpayers earn each year from taxes – from $6,350 to $12,000 for individuals and $12,700 to $24,000 for married couples.
- Eliminates special-interest deductions that increase rates and complicate Americans’ taxes, so an individual or family can file their taxes on a form as simple as a postcard.
- Establishes a new Family Credit, which includes expanding the Child Tax Credit from $1,000 to $1,600 to help parents with the cost of raising children and provides a credit of $300 for each parent and non-child dependent to help all families with their everyday expenses.
- Reduces the tax rate on the business income of Main Street job creators to no more than 25% – the lowest tax rate on small business income since World War II.
- Lowers the corporate tax rate to 20%, down from 35%, which today is the highest in the industrialized world.
- Maintains the Mortgage Interest Deduction for mortgages up to $500,000.
- Maintains popular deductions that help low- and middle-income families, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, charitable deductions and deductions on 401(k) retirement accounts.
The bill would:
- Lead to the creation of an additional 56,530 jobs in Florida, according to the nonpartisan Tax Foundation.
- Raise after-tax income for middle class families in Florida by an average of $2,252, according to the nonpartisan Tax Foundation.
- Allow 41,887 taxpayers in the 18th District that claim the child tax credit to deduct an addition $600 per child.
- Drastically reduce taxes for 61,644 taxpayers in the 18th District that have small business income – capping the rate at 25%.
- Simplify tax filing for many of the 105,875 taxpayers who currently itemize their taxes, as a result of doubling of the standard deduction and other simplifications.
Sen. Bill Nelson statement on Sen. Franken
Following is a statement from U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) on Sen. Al Franken:
“Sexual harassment is never acceptable. The Senate Ethics Committee will fully investigate this troubling incident, as I believe they should.”
Giving thanks for Florida’s one-of-a-kind Osceola wild turkey
Did you know there are five subspecies of wild turkey in North America? However, Florida is the only place in the world where the Osceola subspecies is found. Also known as the Florida wild turkey, this unique bird lives only on the Florida peninsula. It’s similar to the eastern subspecies, which is found in north Florida, but tends to be smaller and darker with less white barring on the wings.
Many people don’t know that wild turkeys are powerful fliers. They can fly as fast as 55 miles per hour for short distances. However, to conserve energy, turkeys spend most of their time on the ground, where they search for acorns, seeds, fruits, leaves, insects, small reptiles, frogs, snails and more. They are woodland birds, preferring open forests and where forests and fields meet.
Wild turkeys are social animals and typically flock together in groups. These wary birds have excellent eyesight and will run away or fly to a tree to escape danger. At night, they roost in trees to avoid ground predators.
“Wild turkeys are an amazing conservation success story in Florida and across North America,” said Brian Yablonski, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Chairman. “They had almost disappeared by the turn of the century, with populations remaining in remote pockets of habitat. However, thanks to science-based wildlife restoration efforts, today Osceola and eastern wild turkeys are thriving throughout the state.”
Because the Osceola subspecies is only found in Florida, the Sunshine State is a must-hunt destination for hunters pursuing their Grand Slam. The National Wild Turkey Federation, which recognizes grand slam accomplishments, works with the FWC’s wildlife professionals to support habitat improvement projects and the use of scientific data to conserve wild turkey populations and provide sustainable hunting opportunities. Wild turkey meat, which is leaner than store-bought birds, provides a delicious and clean-eating alternative for the Thanksgiving feast.
From the FWC family to yours, have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.
Jacksonville man turns $20 into $1 million playing $5,000,000 GOLD RUSH DOUBLER Scratch-Off game
The Florida Lottery announces that Munib Garvanovic, 53, of Jacksonville, claimed a $1 million prize in the $5,000,000 GOLD RUSH DOUBLER Scratch-Off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. He chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $745,000.00.
Garvanovic purchased his winning ticket from Gate, located at 1001 Monument Road in Jacksonville. The retailer will receive a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the winning Scratch-Off ticket.
The $20 game, $5,000,000 GOLD RUSH DOUBLER, features six top prizes of $5 million, 30 prizes of $1 million, and more than $752 million in total cash prizes! This $20 game offers more than 16.8 million winning tickets, and overall odds of winning are one-in-2.99.
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.
FDLE’s Operation Gravity leads to arrest for fraud, grand theft
Agents with Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Miami Regional Operations Center arrested Peggy Sue Juffre, 43, of 629 Southwest 167 Way in Pembroke Pines, Florida, for one count of organized fraud and one count of grand theft in the first degree.
According to investigators, Juffre embezzled nearly $300,000 from her employer, a fitness company based in the Miami area, between January 2015 and January 2016. FDLE’s investigation began after the business owner discovered the funds were missing, confronted Juffre, and reported the theft.
FDLE agents, with the assistance of the Office of the Statewide Prosecutor, obtained an arrest warrant for Juffre based on the results of the investigation. Juffre turned herself in to FDLE on Tuesday.
Juffre was booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Bond has been set at $10,000.
Nelson calls for better coordination to address housing needs of hurricane victims
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson today joined nearly a dozen other U.S. senators in urging the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to work together to provide housing assistance to thousands of displaced Puerto Rican and U.S. Virgin Island residents.
In a letter to FEMA Administrator Brock Long and HUD Secretary Ben Carson, the senators called on the agency heads to heed recommendations made in the aftermath of similar disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina, and to establish a disaster housing assistance program to help expedite temporary and long-term assistance for low-income households.
The senators emphasized that the federal government must do everything in its power to assist the victims of these hurricanes.
“We write with deep concern about the federal response to Hurricanes Maria and Irma, particularly as it relates to addressing the housing needs of the multitudes of newly-displaced families in Puerto Rico and the USVI,” the senators wrote. “It remains unclear to what extent FEMA is coordinating with HUD to respond to the disaster. Moreover, we are concerned that a lack of effective coordination will unnecessarily delay assistance and could have disastrous consequences for the families in greatest need. We are prepared to work with you to provide additional resources for unmet needs and to work to ensure that assistance is deployed effectively to help families on the islands.”
In addition to Nelson, the letter was signed by Sens. Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Al Franken (D-MN), Bob Menendez, (D-NJ), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bran Schatz (D-HI) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).
The full text of the letter below and a PDF copy is here.
November 15, 2017
The Honorable Brock Long
Administrator
Federal Emergency Management Agency
500 C Street SW
Washington, DC 20472
The Honorable Ben Carson
Secretary
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
451 Seventh Street SW
Washington, DC 20410
Dear Administrator Long and Secretary Carson:
We write with deep concern about the federal response to Hurricanes Maria and Irma, particularly as it relates to addressing the housing needs of the multitudes of newly-displaced families in Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands (USVI). Among them are some of the over 100,000 families in Puerto Rico who were receiving assistance from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) at the time Maria made landfall. While we were pleased the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released long-awaited guidance on housing resources for hurricane survivors in Puerto Rico on October 30, 2017, it remains unclear to what extent FEMA is coordinating with HUD to respond to the disaster. Moreover, we are concerned that a lack of effective coordination will unnecessarily delay assistance and could have disastrous consequences for the families in greatest need.
The federal government’s responses to previous disasters of similar scale should be instructive. To address temporary housing needs in the wake of Katrina, the Bush Administration initially chose to provide some displaced families with trailers, cash grants, and short-term stays in hotels and motels—solutions that proved inadequate to meet the needs of affected residents. Months later, the Bush Administration conducted a comprehensive review of the federal government’s response to the disaster, identifying lessons learned and furnishing recommendations on how the federal government should respond to future disasters. One of those recommendations was closer coordination between FEMA and HUD.[1] It is crucial for the agency and the department to heed this essential recommendation, especially given the scope of the devastation in Puerto Rico and USVI.
As part of that coordination, we encourage you to consider establishing a disaster housing assistance program (DHAP). Such a program would allow the federal government to leverage its relationships with housing agencies across the country to help respond to the crisis. It would also facilitate improved data sharing among FEMA, HUD, public housing authorities, and other housing providers in the states to expedite temporary and long-term assistance for low-income households. Ultimately, the policies that the department and the agency consider must be informed by federal and local coordination, including: a combination of FEMA’s disaster assessments, data provided by the governments of Puerto Rico and USVI, and the needs of citizens on the islands.
We are prepared to work with you to provide additional resources for unmet needs and to work to ensure that assistance is deployed effectively to help families on the islands. To that end, we request prompt answers to the following questions:
1. What resources are available for the people of Puerto Rico and USVI today to quickly and properly house displaced persons—both for people on the islands and for those who have evacuated to the mainland?
2. How many HUD-assisted households were impacted by Irma and Maria, and to what extent—if any—is FEMA coordinating with HUD to ensure that displaced persons in Puerto Rico and USVI are quickly and properly housed?
3. What are your deadlines for coming up with temporary medium- and long-term housing solutions for the people of Puerto Rico and USVI?
4. Given the initial damage assessments of public housing infrastructure, single-family homes, and rental units for Puerto Rico’s and USVI’s lowest-income residents, what are some options available to the people of Puerto Rico and USVI, housing authorities in Puerto Rico and USVI, and housing authorities and organizations in diaspora states to meet the additional needs of displaced families?
5. Have you identified any data sharing gaps that must be addressed in order for federal disaster benefits to flow efficiently to Puerto Rican and USVI families in need of housing in the wake of Hurricanes Maria and Irma? If so, what is required to improve data sharing at the federal and local levels?
Hurricanes Maria and Irma have presented a housing crisis that the people of Puerto Rico and USVI may face for months or years to come. We must do all to ensure these citizens will be assisted in an adequate and timely manner. We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
