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Fant Appoints Yarborough Special Liaison to Jacksonville City Council

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Duval Legislative Delegation Chair Jay Fant announced today the appointment of State Representative Clay Yarborough to be Special Liaison to the Jacksonville City Council. Yarborough was elected last year to represent District 12 in the Florida House of Representatives.
“Representative Yarborough will serve as an important link between our local officials and those of us serving our area in Tallahassee,” said Fant. “It is vital that we keep all channels of communication open, and I know we can count on Clay to make sure we are working together to deliver the high level of service and representation Duval residents deserve.”
Fant has represented District 15 in the Florida House of Representatives since 2014 and was chosen by his fellow area legislators to chair the Duval delegation for 2017. In addition to Fant and Yarborough, the Duval legislative delegation includes Senators Aaron Bean (District 4) and Audrey Gibson (District 6) and Representatives Cord Byrd (District 11), Kim Daniels (District 14), Tracie Davis (District 13), and Jason Fischer (District 16).

About Jay Fant for State Representative
Jay Fant’s strong ties to Jacksonville began when his grandfather’s family moved to the city in 1920. Jay’s father and grandfather have been local business and civic leaders, with both having served in elected office. In 1947, the family started First Guaranty Bank, one of the oldest banks in the city. In 1994, Jay was elected to serve on the board and led the company with his father through 2012. Jay has done much to continue the family tradition of investing in the community. He has been involved with many different organizations, including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Healthy U Now Foundation, Rotary, and the Florida Bankers Association. Jay and his wife, Lauren, have two sons and two daughters. They attend St. Johns Presbyterian Church. In his spare time, he coaches little league baseball and basketball.

ON THE WEB:  www.jayfant.com

Paid by Jay Fant, Republican, for State Representative

State Board of Education to meet in Gainesville

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The State Board of Education will meet next week in Gainesville.
The agenda may be viewed at State Board Meeting.
WHAT: State Board of Education Meeting
WHEN: 9:00 a.m.
Thursday, February 16, 2017
WHERE: Alachua County School Board Office
620 East University Avenue
Gainesville, FL 32601
For more information about the Florida Department of Education, visit www.fldoe.org.

State Senator Dennis Baxley Files Eyewitness Identification Reform Act

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Florida Senator Dennis Baxley (R-Ocala) has filed Senate Bill 312, which will require state, county, municipal, or other law enforcement agencies that conduct lineups to follow specified procedures. It will require the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission to create educational materials to inform law enforcement of these new procedures and provide training programs on how to conduct lineups, etc.
“This provision will minimize cases of misidentification and strengthen cases that have used best practices,” said Senator Baxley.

Florida Folklife Program Seeks Master Artists and Apprentices

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Florida Department of State
Secretary of State Ken Detzner announced today that the Florida Department of State is seeking applications for the 2017-2018 Florida Folklife Apprenticeship Program. Expert practitioners of traditional art forms and persons with a strong commitment to learning and preserving traditional arts are encouraged to apply.
“For more than 30 years, the Folklife Program has worked with folk artists and tradition bearers to preserve valuable aspects of culture through the Folklife Apprenticeship Program,” said Secretary Detzner. “Through in-depth, one-on-one apprenticeships, these master artists share traditional knowledge, skills and techniques, and ensure the preservation of our collective cultural heritage.”
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Master balsa wood surfboard maker George Robinson with
apprentice Cristian Robinson. Photo by Amanda Hardeman.

The Florida Folklife Apprenticeship Program fosters the opportunity for qualified apprentices to study traditional arts with recognized master artists. Traditional arts are expressions of shared community identity that reflect the values and aesthetics of the groups that practice them. Since 1984, the program has supported 185 apprenticeships in a variety of Florida living traditions including performing arts such as Irish fiddling and Spanish flamenco, craft arts such as Seminole patchwork and Hungarian embroidery, occupational arts such as surfboard making and cow-whip making, and ceremonial arts such as hymn lining and Afro-Cuban batá drumming.
The application deadline is May 15, 2017. Interested masters and apprentices must apply as a team by submitting the joint application to the Florida Folklife Program. The Florida Folklife Council will review applications and recommend apprenticeship teams to the Secretary of State for approval. Final decisions will be announced by August. The program provides a stipend and funds for supplies.
Interested applicants should contact State Folklorist Amanda Hardeman by calling 850.245.6427 or 800.847.PAST. Program guidelines and applications can be found at flheritage.com/preservation/folklife/apprenticeship. The Folklife Apprenticeship Program is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts’ Folk and Traditional Arts Program.
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. For more information, visit flheritage.com/preservation/folklife.

RoadWatch Advisory for US 41 from Golden Gate Parkway to Airport Pulling Road in Collier County

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COLLIER COUNTY
US 41 from Golden Gate Parkway to Airport Pulling Road:  Maintenance contract project: Crews will be sweeping the roadway from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, February 14 through Thursday, February 16, weather permitting. Motorists should use caution as crews work in the roadway.

SJR-134: Senator Artiles & Representative Fischer File Legislation to Elect a Constitutional Officer of Sheriff

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This week, State Senator Frank Artiles and State Representative Jason Fischer filed SJR-134 and HJR-721, to elect the office of Sheriff of Miami-Dade County as a Constitutional officer.

The purpose of this legislation is to ensure the people have a voice.  The office of Sheriff is separate from the executive branch of government.  The Sheriff should be elected by the people and thus directly accountable to the people. An elected Sheriff will bring the highest standards of transparency, aiding in the fight against government corruption and consolidated power.

Senator Frank Artiles had the following to say about the proposal, “Having a locally elected sheriff incentivizes transparency and accountability. When it comes to public safety, every citizen should have a seat at the table. Miami-Dade County has not had a Sheriff in over 50 years, what it boils down to is giving power back to the people. Direct representation through the county officers was originally written in the 1885 Florida Constitution, our bill will allow the voters to reinstate that.”

“Public safety is an issue that every voter should have the opportunity to weigh in on. In Jacksonville, our elected Sheriff Mike Williams has gone above and beyond the call of duty to keep Duval County safe. The people of Florida deserve to have a say at every level of government, and this bill will make sure the Sheriff is independent and accountable to the people,” stated Representative Jason Fischer.

Senator Artiles and Representative Fischer are both committed to safeguarding the democratic process, letting the people decide on their community leaders.

Gov. Rick Scott: CFO Atwater has fought for Florida families

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Governor Rick Scott made the following statement regarding the news that Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater will be joining Florida Atlantic University following the 2017 Legislative Session.
Governor Rick Scott said, “I got to know CFO Jeff Atwater well in 2010 on the campaign trail, and like me, he has been laser-focused on keeping the cost of living low for all Floridians. I am proud that the state has paid down over $7.6 billion in debt since 2011 and CFO Atwater has aggressively helped us achieve that goal. He has fought to reduce burdensome regulations that hinder job growth, protect families from financial fraud and has traveled the state to return more than $1 billion in unclaimed property to its rightful owners.  CFO Atwater is a proud Floridian, father, husband and friend and I will truly miss working with him. The role of the CFO is incredibly important to our state and I will begin the process to appoint someone to serve Florida families.”

CFO Atwater announces future plans

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Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater announced today that following the 2017 Legislative Session he will be accepting the position of Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Chief Financial Officer of Florida Atlantic University. In this capacity Atwater will lead strategic initiatives and economic development opportunities for FAU as well as manage the University’s finances and budget.
“President Kelly has assembled a truly visionary executive leadership team and faculty, who are ideally positioned to move Florida Atlantic University into a higher echelon of academic achievement and recognition. I am honored to join FAU in such a significant capacity. While I would have preferred to embrace this opportunity at a later date, the timing of crucial University initiatives warranted an accelerated transition. In the near term I will remain focused on the Department of Financial Services’ legislative agenda through the conclusion of the session and provide Governor Scott sufficient time to thoughtfully consider the selection of Florida’s next CFO,” Atwater said.
Under CFO Atwater’s guidance, the Department of Financial Services has received national recognition for its management of the State’s financial systems and processes, including awards for superior financial transparency, aggressively pursuing insurance fraud, leading the country in returning unclaimed property to its rightful owners and providing a broad array of financial literacy programs to Florida residents. The Department lead a nationwide effort to identify insurance benefits that had wrongly been withheld by insurance carriers and successfully obtained hundreds of millions of dollars in benefits that were returned to Florida’s citizens. As State Fire Marshal the department overhauled firefighter training, career advancement and is now pursuing a statewide initiative to eliminate the tragic frequency of cancers prevalent among firefighters.
CFO Atwater has enjoyed a lengthy relationship with FAU. “The South Florida community has long known of my enthusiastic support of Florida Atlantic University. First, as a banker, collaborating with the mission and economic engine of the University, then as a legislator representing their varied campuses and priorities and lastly as a parent of FAU students. President Kelly guides an inspired faculty and celebrates the growing achievements of the most diverse university student body in Florida. I am truly excited to accept responsibility for strategically developing public private partnerships and other initiatives to enhance the mission of the University while maintaining its historically sound financial management,” added Atwater.
“As I prepare to exchange my service to the people of Florida from the position of their CFO to the position of CFO of one of the State’s most vibrant universities, I am grateful for the commitment of all those I have served with these past six years and all those I will serve with in the future,” he concluded.
Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jeff Atwater, a statewide elected official, oversees the Department of Financial Services, serves as Florida’s State Fire Marshal, and is a member of the Florida Cabinet. CFO Atwater’s priorities include fighting financial fraud, abuse and waste in government; reducing government spending and regulatory burdens that chase away businesses; and providing transparency and accountability in spending.

Home care for seniors and disabled must be enough to prevent nursing home entry

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In her 90’s and unhappy with nursing home care, Josephine Hollister, wanted only to go back to her home of forty years to live out her life. Like more than 45 thousand Floridians who are elderly or disabled, Hollister was enrolled in the state’s Medicaid managed care program that is supposed to provide home health services for people who would otherwise need nursing home care. When Hollister went home, however, she was denied the services her doctors thought she needed. Determined to live on her own home, she exhausted her own small income and had to rely on voluntary help from her guardian to get the services she needed.
Hollister and four other citizens sued Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), contending that the system places them at risk of having to enter nursing homes because adequate standards for home care were not in place. As the result of a recent settlement of the lawsuit, enrollees in the Long Term Care program will have significantly more protections in place to ensure that their care needs are adequately met at home.  Hollister was able to get the services she needed to stay in her own home, where she passed away on January 10th with her beloved dog by her side.
Under the settlement, AHCA agreed to adopt rules requiring Florida’s Medicaid Managed Care companies “to provide an array of home and community-based services that enable enrollees to live in the community and to avoid institutionalization.”
The plaintiffs contended that the managed care organizations ignored critical issues such as need for supervision, caregiver availability, and access to community services.
Nancy E. Wright, Esq., who filed the lawsuit along with Disability Rights Florida and Southern Legal Counsel, says, “The long-term care program is supposed to substitute for nursing home care, allowing people to remain in their own homes or in less restrictive community settings. When care needs are not met, caregivers are pushed to the extreme, and enrollees are not safe or just end up going into nursing homes, like it or not.”
“The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination based on disability, which includes being forced into unnecessarily restrictive settings to receive care,” says Amanda E. Heystek, Esq., Disability Rights Florida. “Ms. Hollister wanted to live at home and just needed the right amount of care in order to safely do so.”
Disability Rights Florida was founded in 1977 as the statewide designated protection and advocacy system for individuals with disabilities in the State of Florida. It has been advocating for access to services, education, employment, independence, and the elimination of abuse and neglect for over 35 years.
Southern Legal Counsel, Inc. (SLC) is a Florida statewide not-for-profit public interest law firm that is committed to the ideal of equal justice for all and the attainment of basic human and civil rights. SLC primarily assists individuals and groups with public interest issues who otherwise would not have access to the justice system and whose cases may bring about systemic reform. SLC uses a range of strategies to achieve its goals, including litigation, policy advocacy, and training and technical assistance to lawyers, lay persons and organizations.
The Settlement Agreement referenced above resulted from Parrales et al v. Dudek (4:15-cv-00424), filed in the Northern District of Florida on August 27, 2015.