After a successful legislative session, the Christian Family Coalition (CFC) Florida, the state’s leading human rights and social justice advocacy organization, will host a prayer breakfast on Tuesday May 2nd at the Four Points by Sheraton Downtown Tallahassee at 7:00AM where it will thank legislators for their role in successfully advocating CFC’s Legislative Priorities.
CFC’s lobbying efforts were essential in getting pro-family, pro-life, pro-religious freedom, and pro-Israel bills adopted by the legislature. Anthony Verdugo, the Founder and Executive Directors of CFC said, “This is a historic day as we pray with and thank our state legislators for their support of Florida families.”
Citizen activists from all across the state made the trek to Tallahassee to personally thank the legislators for their hard work in protecting Florida families, their rights, and liberties.
“It’s a great opportunity to get to meet our legislators in person, when most of the time they are too busy. Personally thanking them for what they do and taking time out of their busy schedules to speak to us means a lot us and to all those they represent,” said Ismael Arroyo, a 34-year-old Miamian and citizen activist.
The Christian Family Coalition was founded with the purpose of serving as a voice for the pro-family citizens of Florida to ensure that our religious liberties are protected from government intrusion. The Christian Family Coalition works to introduce pro-family legislation at the state and local levels of government. We inform and educate citizens on where candidates stand on the issues that affect the traditional family unit.
Senate Passes Legislation to Reduce Property Taxes
Constitutional Amendment Would Provide Additional Homestead Exemption
The Florida Senate today passed House Joint Resolution (HJR) 7105, Increased Homestead Property Tax Exemption. Sponsored in the Senate by former Senate President Tom Lee (R-Thonotosassa), the legislation proposes an amendment to the Florida Constitution to provide an additional homestead exemption of $25,000.
“For most families a home is their largest and most meaningful personal and financial investment. If approved by Florida voters in November 2018, this amendment will provide significant savings for homeowners across our state,” said Senate President Joe Negron (R-Stuart).
“As our state recovers from the Great Recession, the Florida Legislature has prioritized broad-based tax relief for families and businesses,” said Senator Lee. “This legislation builds on that commitment by giving voters the opportunity for substantial annual savings on their property taxes.”
The amendment will take effect January 1, 2019, if approved by Florida voters. Homestead property owners will receive an exemption from ad valorem taxes, except levies by school districts, for the assessed valuation greater than $100,000 and up to $125,000.
Background
Every person who owns and maintains a permanent residence (homesteaded property) in Florida is eligible for a $25,000 tax exemption applicable to all ad valorem tax levies, including levies by school districts. An additional $25,000 exemption was approved by Florida voters in 2008 and applies to homestead property value between $50,000 and $75,000. This exemption does not apply to ad valorem taxes levied by school districts. Not more than one exemption is permitted for any individual or family unit or with respect to any residential unit.
Article XI, Section 1 of the Florida Constitution authorizes the Legislature to propose amendments to the Florida Constitution by joint resolution approved by a three-fifths vote of the membership of each house. Article XI, Section 5(e) of the Florida Constitution requires approval by 60 percent of voters for a constitutional amendment to take effect.
Governor Scott Signs “Key to Independence Act”
Governor Rick Scott signed SB 60, known as the “Keys to Independence Act,” which helps children in Florida’s foster care system obtain driver’s licenses. This legislation makes permanent a pilot program signed into law by Governor Scott in 2014 and expands the program to include children in out-of-home settings, such as relative or non-relative care givers.
Governor Scott said, “I’m proud to sign this legislation today to help Florida’s teens in foster care and out-of-home settings obtain their drivers licenses. This bill continues our efforts to help children in our foster system thrive and live their dreams in our state. I would like to thank DCF Secretary Mike Carroll and Florida Guardian ad Litem Executive Director Alan Abramowitz for their hard work on this important legislation.”
Florida Department of Children and Families Secretary Mike Carroll said, “Ensuring foster children in Florida have the opportunity to take part in age-appropriate activities such as participating in extracurricular activities, going to the beach, and getting a driver’s license is important for developing life-skills and healthy emotional development. We are grateful for the support from Governor Scott and the Florida legislature in removing barriers for children in foster care to have the same opportunities as every other child.”
To see a copy of the transmittal letter, click HERE.
Media Advisory: Press conference on passage of statewide condominium reform
Rep. Jose Felix Diaz and Sens. Rene Garcia and Jose Javier Rodriguez will host a press conference on Tuesday, May 2nd, 2017, following passage of statewide condominium reform. HB 1237/SB 1682 eliminate conflicts of interest in condominium association operations, create greater transparency and access to records, and clarify the application of criminal penalties in the context of condominium associations.
WHO: Rep. Jose Felix Diaz, Sen. Rene Garcia, Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez
WHAT: Press conference on passage of statewide condominium reform
WHEN: 8:40 am, Tuesday, May 2nd, 2017
WHERE: Outside Senate chamber
Governor Scott Signs SB 7004 into Law
Governor Rick Scott today signed the following bill into law.
SB 7004 – OGSR/Peer Review Panels/Department of Health – This bill retains the public record exemptions for biomedical and cancer research programs within the Department of Health.
To view a copy of the transmittal letter, click HERE.
Pentagon: Maintaining oil drilling moratorium in Gulf vital to military readiness
UPDATE: Sen. Nelson spoke briefly on the Senate floor this evening about the letter his office obtained today from the Pentagon. You can watch video of Nelson’s remarks here:
The Pentagon says maintaining the current moratorium on oil and gas activities in the Gulf of Mexico beyond 2022 is “essential for developing and sustaining our nation’s future combat capabilities.”
“The Department of Defense (DoD) cannot overstate the vital importance of maintaining this moratorium,” Anthony M. Kurta, the acting Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, wrote in a letter to U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz.
The letter obtained today by U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson’s office was sent just days before the president signed an executive order to expand offshore oil and gas drilling.
Nelson, a long-time opponent of drilling near Florida’s coast, often argues in Senate debates that attempts to expand offshore drilling could threaten our nation’s military readiness by disrupting military weapons testing and training in the Gulf of Mexico. In 2006, he and then-Sen. Mel Martinez successfully brokered a deal to ban oil drilling off much of Florida’s Gulf Coast through most of 2022.
As a result, there is currently a no-drilling zone that extends 125 miles off much of Florida’s Gulf Coast and as far as 235 miles at some points to protect vital military training areas in the eastern Gulf until June 30, 2022.
Earlier this year, Nelson filed legislation to extend the moratorium for another five years, from 2022 to 2027.
It’s not the first time the Pentagon has weighed in on the oil-and-gas drilling issue. In 2005, at the request of Nelson, then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said legislation that would allow drilling closer to Florida’s coast is “incompatible with military [testing and training] activities” in the Gulf of Mexico.
Below is a copy of the letter sent to Rep. Gaetz. A PDF is available here. And a PDF copy of the 2005 Rumsfeld letter is available here.
The Honorable Matt Gaetz
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative Gaetz:
Thank you for your letter dated March 24, 2017, regarding maintaining the moratorium on oil and gas activities in the Gulf of Mexico beyond 2022. Since military readiness falls under my purview, I have been asked to respond to your letter on behalf of the Secretary of Defense. The Department of Defense (DoD) cannot overstate the vital importance of maintaining this moratorium.
National security and energy security are inextricably linked and the DoD fully supports the development of our nation’s domestic energy resources in a manner that is compatible with military testing, training, and operations. As mentioned in your letter, the complex of eastern Gulf of Mexico operating areas and warning areas provides critical opportunities for advanced weapons testing and joint training exercises. The moratorium on oil and gas “leasing, pre leasing, and other related activities” ensures that these vital military readiness activities may be conducted without interference and is critical to their continuation. Emerging technologies such as hypersonics, autonomous systems, and advanced sub-surface systems will require enlarged testing and training footprints, and increased DoD reliance on the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act’s moratorium beyond 2022. The moratorium is essential for developing and sustaining our nation’s future combat capabilities .
Since signing the 1983 “Memorandum of Agreement Between the Department of Defense and the Department of the Interior on Mutual Concerns on the Outer Continental Shelf,” the two departments have worked cooperatively to ensure offshore resource development is compatible with military readiness activities. During recent discussions between the DoD and the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, a question arose concerning whether Congress intended the moratorium to prohibit even geological and geophysical survey activities in the eastern Gulf. We would welcome clarification from Congress concerning this matter.
On behalf of the Secretary, I appreciate your interest in sustaining our testing and training activities in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
Sincerely,
A.M. Kurta
Performing the Duties of the Undersecretary of
Defense for Personnel and Readiness
Appointments by Governor Rick Scott for Monday, May 1, 2017
Governor Rick Scott Appoints Robert Arthur and
Carol Stephenson as Judges of Compensation Claims
Governor Rick Scott today announced the appointments of Robert Alan Arthur and Carol Stephenson as Judges of Compensation Claims to the Lakeland and West Palm Beach Districts, respectively.
Arthur, 49, of Brandon, served as a state mediator for the Lakeland District since 2012 and served as the state mediator for the St. Petersburg district from 2005. He was a private mediator from 2004-2005. He received a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and law degree from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law. Arthur fills the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge W. James Condry, Lakeland District.
Stephenson, 64, of Boynton Beach, is Field Legal Counsel for Liberty Mutual at the Law Offices of James C. Norris. She previously was staff council at Nationwide Insurance Company from 1989-1999. Stephenson received a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University and law degree from University of Cincinnati College of Law. Stephenson fills the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Mary D’Ambrosio, West Palm Beach District.
Governor Scott Reappoints Eight Judges of Compensation Claims
Governor Rick Scott today announced the reappointments of eight Judges of Compensation Claims:
Judge Wilbur Anderson, 59, of Daytona Beach Shores, has served as a Judge of Compensation Claims for the Daytona Beach District since 2013. He served as a mediator in the same district from 2011 to 2013. From 1988 to 2003, Anderson was a Judge of Compensation Claims in the Jacksonville District. Anderson received a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and law degree from George Washington University.
Judge Diane Beck, 64, of Bradenton, has been a Judge of Compensation Claims for the Sarasota District since 1995. Prior to that, she was a senior attorney for the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitations Services. Beck was also an adjunct professor of business law at Northern State University from 1986 to 1988. She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and law degree from Stetson University.
Judge Margret Kerr, 57, of South Miami, has been a Judge of Compensation Claims for the Miami District since 2013. From 2007 to 2013, she practiced with Arrick, Peacock & Kerr. She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kent, in the United Kingdom, and law degree from the University of Miami.
Judge Daniel A. Lewis, 60, of Davie, has been a Judge of Compensation Claims for the Fort Lauderdale District since 1988. Prior to that, he was in private practice. He received his bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of Florida.
Judge Ellen H. Lorenzen, 66, of Tampa, has been a Judge of Compensation Claims for the Tampa District since 2004. Previously, she was a sole practitioner from 1998 to 2004. She received a bachelor’s degree from Emory University and law degree from Stetson University.
Judge Mark A. Massey, 53, of Tampa, has been a Judge of Compensation Claims in the Tampa District since 2013. Previously, he was a partner at Walton, Lantaff, Schroeder & Carson, LLC, from 2004 to 2013. He received his bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of Florida.
Stephen L. Rosen, 68, of Tampa, has been a Judge of Compensations Claims since 2009, serving the Jacksonville, Lakeland, Ft. Myers, West Palm Beach, and St. Petersburg Districts during that time. Previously, he was an attorney in private practice at Stephen L. Rosen P.A., from 1993 to 2008. He received a bachelor’s degree from Hamline University and law degree from South Texas College of Law.
Judge Thomas Sculco, 55, of Winter Park, has been a Judge of Compensation Claims in the Orlando District since 2005. From 1997 to 2005, he practiced with the Law Offices of John J. Pine. He received a bachelor’s degree from Brown University and law degree from Boston College.
Governor Rick Scott Appoints Robert Colen to
Early Learning Coalition of Marion County, Inc.
Governor Rick Scott today announced the reappointment of Robert Colen to the Early Learning Coalition of Marion County, Inc.
Colen, 44, of Ocala, is a building contractor with On Top of the World Communities. He received his bachelor’s degree from American University and his master’s degree from the University of Florida. Colen is reappointed as the chair for a term beginning May 1, 2017, and ending April 30, 2021.
Governor Rick Scott Appoints Two to Early
Learning Coalition of Florida’s Heartland, Inc.
Governor Rick Scott today announced the reappointment of Charlotte Heston and the appointment of Ashley Coone to the Early Learning Coalition of Florida’s Heartland, Inc.
Heston, 59, of Sebring, is the vice president of corporate services for the Peace River Electric Cooperative. She is reappointed as the Chair, for a term beginning May 1, 2017, and ending April 30, 2021.
Coone, 34, of Arcadia, serves as president of ASC Consulting and Marketing. She received her bachelor’s degree from Florida Gulf Coast University and master’s degree from Webster University. Coone is appointed to fill a vacant seat for a term beginning May 1, 2017, and ending April 30, 2020.
FDLE arrests Dixie County City Manager for official misconduct
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested Gary Pinner, 58, of 431 SE 552ND Street, Old Town on one count of official misconduct. Pinner is charged with misusing city employees, city equipment, city inventory, and an inmate work crew to provide free water services to certain Dixie County residents, including his future son-in-law.
The FDLE investigation determined that on three separate occasions, Pinner, in his official role as Cross City City Manager, instructed Water Department employees to perform work on private properties utilizing city resources outside and beyond the scope of their job related duties.
Over the past several months, Pinner instructed two Cross City Water Department employees to install a water line (beyond the water meter) to his daughter and future son-in-law’s residence (hundreds of feet through a livestock/horse pasture) utilizing city owned equipment (trenching machine), city owned supplies (PVC pipe), and a state inmate work crew (helped remove roots and other obstructions from the trench and laid the PVC pipe in the ground). Within the last two years, Pinner also instructed city employees to install water lines to two other residences, using city labor. In addition, he allowed at least three city water customers to maintain excessive unpaid account balances for extended periods of time without having their water service terminated.
The investigation has not revealed any other criminal wrongdoing, other than the actions of Pinner.
Pinner was arrested today and transported to the Dixie County Jail. The case will be prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney, Third Judicial Circuit.
Senate Passes Legislation to Require Civil Citations for Certain Youth Offenders
Legislation decriminalizes many non-violent, first time offenses committed by adolescents
The Florida Senate today passed House Bill 301, sponsored by Senate President Pro Tempore Anitere Flores (R-Miami, Monroe). The legislation reforms requirements regarding the issuance of civil citations for certain non-violent youthful offenses.
“Almost daily, we see local, state, and even national news stories, where law enforcement officers are brought in to referee the day-to-day challenges that come with raising children,” said Senate President Joe Negron (R-Stuart), who has made juvenile justice reform a priority of his two-year term as Senate President. “We should not, and we will not tolerate serious wrongdoing by young people, but at the same time, we should not stigmatize non-violent, first-time youth offenders with a criminal record that could impact their ability to further their education, join our military, or earn credentials for many other important jobs.”
House Bill 301 requires law enforcement officers to issue a civil citation, or require the juvenile’s participation in a diversion program, when the juvenile admits to committing certain first-time misdemeanor offenses including: possession of alcoholic beverages, criminal mischief, trespass, and disorderly conduct, among others.
“There is a difference between the lack of judgement and maturity, and deliberate criminal behavior. When young people commit serious, violent crimes, there needs to be an appropriate legal penalty to ensure public safety. However, for many non-violent, first-time offenders, a civil citation is a better mechanism to help a young person learn from his or her mistakes without a criminal record that could haunt them throughout their adult life,” said President Pro Tempore Flores.
Under House Bill 301, for offenses where law enforcement officers have the discretion to issue a civil citation, but instead arrest the juvenile, they must provide written documentation articulating why an arrest was chosen over a civil citation. The legislation also specifies the option of the issuance of a civil citation or referral to a similar diversion program, does not apply to a juvenile who is alleged to have committed, has plead guilty to, or has been convicted of a felony, or a misdemeanor offense arising out of an episode in which the juvenile is also alleged to have committed a felony.
Gov. Scott to Highlight Job Growth at SunteckTTS in Jacksonville
Tomorrow, May 2, Governor Rick Scott will highlight job growth at transportation and logistics service provider SunteckTTS in Jacksonville.
WHAT: Press Conference
WHEN: 10:00 AM
WHERE: SunteckTTS
4500 Salisbury Road
Jacksonville, FL 32216
