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Nelson files legislation to protect U.S. service members from predatory lenders

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U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) filed legislation Thursday aimed at further protecting U.S. service members and their families from predatory lenders, including those who open up businesses outside the entrance to military bases and offer loans to members of the military at a much higher rate than those offered to members of the general public.

“Our military men and women have dedicated their lives to serving our country and we must help ensure they do not become the targets of unscrupulous lenders,” said Nelson, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “This legislation will help provide our men and women in uniform with financial stability for their futures.”

If approved, Nelson’s measure would, among other things, set the maximum interest rate that a lender can charge a U.S. service member for most loans at 24 percent. It would also prohibit debt collectors from making abusive telephone calls to a service member’s commanding officer, and extend protections beyond active duty service members to also include recently discharged veterans – many of whom continue to serve in a reserve capacity.

The legislation, which Nelson introduced as an amendment to this year’s National Defense Authorization Act, would amend a 2006 law that Nelson and others passed to protect members of the military from the predatory lending practices.

That bill, which capped the interest rate on most loans made to active duty service members and their families at 36 percent, has been hailed as a success in cracking down on the most egregious lending practices that military families face, but it didn’t go far enough to end the practice altogether.

To further protect service members and their families, the legislation Nelson introduced this week would:

  • Reduce the interest rate ceiling from 36 to 24 percent to reduce incentives for aggressive lending.
  • Extend the protections of the Military Lending Act to veterans who have been discharged from active duty military service for one year or less.
  • Apply the Military Lending Act to auto loans and other secured loans for personal property.
  • Prohibit debt collectors from making abusive telephone calls to a service member’s commanding officer or threatening that failure to cooperate with a debt collector will result in action from the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
  • Require the Department of Defense to review the data protection requirements for credit reporting agencies that use information on service members obtained from DOD databases.
  • Prohibit the use of GPS trackers and “kill switches” in cars as a condition of an auto loan to service members, which could imperil service member readiness and privacy.

The Military Lending Improvement Act of 2018 is supported by Veterans of Foreign Wars.

A copy of the bill is available here.

ADLF: Rick Scott Must Open Independent Investigation Into Background Check Scandal

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The American Democracy Legal Fund today called for Gov. Rick Scott to immediately open an independent investigation following a report in the Tampa Bay Times that the state of Florida approved tens of thousands of applications for concealed weapons permits without performing a rigorous background check, allowing people with dangerous intentions or mental health problems to carry a gun in public.

[Read more…] about ADLF: Rick Scott Must Open Independent Investigation Into Background Check Scandal

New posting from the Florida Supreme Court, 6/8/2018, 3:05 p.m. ET

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New material has been posted to the Supreme Court website in:

  1. JQC re: Judge Stephen Millan (order rejecting Miami-Dade Judge Millan’s stipulation and returning the case to the JQC for further proceedings)
  2. JQC re: Judge Maria Ortiz (order rejecting Miami-Dade Judge Ortiz’ stipulation and returning the case to the JQC for further proceedings)

Follow the links at: floridasupremecourt.org.

Senator Stewart calls for Adam Putnam to resign following background check failure

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Demands background checks be re-run by FDLE to protect Floridians’ safety

State Senator Linda Stewart (D-Orlando) on Friday called on Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam to immediately resign following the disclosure that his agency failed to conduct national background checks, allowing possibly dangerous individuals to obtain concealed carry permits.

She also called for the background checks to be handed off to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and for those under question to be re-run through the FBI’s crime database.

“I am extremely alarmed at the failure by Commissioner Putnam to disclose that his agency had failed to conduct these critical background checks – allowing possibly mentally disturbed individuals and others who should be disqualified, to be legally armed in Florida,” said Stewart. “I’m equally alarmed that officials from his agency tried to conceal the lax oversight by pushing legislation to cover up that failure, and downplayed the real reasons for the bill.

“He needs to resign.”

During the 2018 legislative session, Senator Stewart said that officials from Putnam’s agency came to her office to push for passage of legislation that would have required concealed permits to be approved if the applications had lingered.

Asked about why such a move was necessary, the Senator said that Putnam’s representatives downplayed the motives, insisting that it was more of a housekeeping move, and not a big deal.

That provision was only pulled from consideration following the Parkland massacre.

“These are the kinds of tricks that cannot be tolerated,” said Senator Stewart. “Lives were put in jeopardy by their attempts to conceal what had actually happened, and remain in danger now because of their ineptitude. This process needs to be immediately taken over by FDLE and these applications need to be re-examined.”

According to the Tampa Bay Times, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services failed to run applicants for concealed carry permits through the FBI crime database for more than a year because an employee of the agency could not log in.

The failure means that those individuals who should have been barred from receiving a permit due to disqualifying backgrounds, such as a mental illness, were never flagged.

Traffic Advisory: State Road (S.R.) 434 Reopens to Traffic

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North side of Oviedo

State Road (S.R.) 434 on the north side of Oviedo is reopened to traffic ahead of schedule. Crews finished making repairs Friday afternoon around 4:33 p.m. The original goal was to reopen the road by Saturday morning.

The roadway had been closed since Saturday afternoon, June 2, at Laurel Oaks Court, due to an issue with an old drainage structure that runs under the road. A portion of the drainage structure collapsed, which opened up a three-foot wide hole. For safety reasons, the entire roadway was closed at that location and detours were set up.

On Tuesday, June 5, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) issued an emergency contract to Southland Construction, which included a 72-hour window to fix what’s under the road, and reopen the road to traffic. The contract amount was $237,000. Construction work began Wednesday morning. Other construction work, not related to the travel sections of the road, will still occur.

FDOT extends thanks to those commuters and residents who drove safely and followed the detours while the emergency repairs took place.

Gov. Scott: VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering Creates 400 Jobs

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New Hangar Opens at Pensacola International Airport

Governor Rick Scott attended the ribbon-cutting of VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering’s new hangar at the Pensacola International Airport. This brand new maintenance and engineering facility will add 400 new job opportunities for local families. The Florida Department of Transportation provided $23.8 million in grants to support this project.

Governor Rick Scott said, “Florida’s airports create jobs and welcome millions of visitors each year as our state continues break tourism records. We are working hard to make sure that every Florida family can get a job. Since December 2010, hardworking businesses have created more than 1.5 million jobs in Florida. We are proud to open this new facility in Pensacola today.”

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Jeff Greene Calls for Adam Putnam to Drop out of Governor’s Race

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“Adam Putnam isn’t just a self-proclaimed “proud NRA-sellout,” he’s a downright danger to Floridians and should drop out of the race for Governor and resign from his position as Commissioner of Agriculture immediately. At best, Putnam’s actions display gross negligence and incompetence: he is totally unfit for our State’s highest office. But today’s revelations go deeper than lack of oversight and have made it clear that as far as Adam Putnam is concerned, our safety can easily be bought and sold to the highest bidder – or the special interest group with the deepest pockets.

Adam Putnam has allowed those mentally or criminally unfit to carry a concealed weapon to do so freely – a horrifying fact made worse with the understanding that this year-plus lapse came during the biggest spike in permit applications in the history of our state, and the Pulse nightclub tragedy.

Floridians deserve better.

Unlike Adam Putnam, I cannot be bought and sold. I believe in gun control and commonsense gun reform laws that firmly keep our Second Amendment rights intact without compromising the safety of our citizens, by ensuring guns are kept out of the hands of those who should not have them. And I cannot be swayed by special interests. I am a self-made man committed to using my unparalleled experience to benefit Floridians of every age, race, religion and socioeconomic level – starting with the most basic task of ensuring safety for our communities. I am committed to ensuring my own three young sons, and each and every child in our great state, to grow up without fear of gun violence. We may have different ideas on exactly how to get there, but we should ALL be able to agree that keeping guns out of the hands of criminals and those who are mentally ill is the right thing to do. It is clear that Adam Putnam’s judgement has been compromised quite literally at our expense.”

Legislation Introduced to Protect North Atlantic Right Whales

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Fewer than 450 North Atlantic right whales remaining in world

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) unveiled legislation today aimed at protecting the highly endangered North Atlantic right whale.

The move coincides with World Oceans Day, which is observed internationally on June 8.

The SAVE Right Whales Act of 2018 (S. 3038) establishes a new grant program to fund collaborative projects between states, nongovernmental organizations and members of the fishing and shipping industries to reduce the impacts of human activities on North Atlantic right whales.

There are fewer than 450 North Atlantic right whales remaining in the world, with a population that has struggled to recover from overexploitation by the whaling industry.

“Right whales rely on Florida waters for their crucial breeding grounds, but we’re not seeing any new calves,” said Nelson, who serves as the ranking Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee, which oversees oceans policy. “This is a troubling development that requires quick action to find ways to protect the remaining whales and bring the population back to healthy levels.”

Despite protection from whaling since the 1930s, North Atlantic right whales are still vulnerable to ship collisions and entanglements with fishing gear, the two leading causes of injury and death to the whales today. The U.S. fishing and shipping industries have taken major steps to address these conflicts, and there are opportunities to develop improved solutions across both industries to tackle the ongoing challenge of protecting the whales. The past year was one of the worst years on record for the species, with 18 confirmed deaths between 2017 and 2018 and no new calves observed this year – the first time no calves were observed since surveys began nearly 30 years ago.

Nelson joined Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tom Carper (D-DE),  Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) as sponsors of the legislation.   A pdf of the legislation can be found here.

The following groups have endorsed the SAVE Right Whales Act:

  • Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance
  • Center for Biological Diversity
  • Conservation Law Foundation
  • Defenders of Wildlife
  • Humane Society of the United States
  • Humane Society Legislative Fund
  • International Fund for Animal Welfare
  • Natural Resources Defense Council
  • New England Aquarium
  • Oceana

125th Fighter Wing to change command Sunday, June 10, 2018

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MEDIA ADVISORY

WHAT: A change of command ceremony for the Florida Air National Guard’s 125th Fighter Wing

WHEN: 3 p.m., Sunday, June 10. Media are asked to arrive no later than 2:30 p.m. in order to be escorted onto the installation. Late arrivals may not be accommodated.

WHERE: 125th Fighter Wing, located at 14300 Fang Drive, Jacksonville, Florida

Leadership of the Florida Air National Guard’s 125th Fighter Wing will change hands in an official military ceremony, during which the colors (flag) of command representing the approximately 1,500 Airmen of the 125th Fighter Wing will be passed from Col. Brian Bell to Col. Jerry Reedy.

The 125th Fighter Wing has been a part of the Jacksonville community since 1947, proudly protecting the skies with strategic air defense over most of the Southeastern United States. Today, the wing maintains and flies the F-15C Eagle fighter jet while also performing a continuous 24-hour alert mission at Homestead Air Reserve Base near Miami. Comprised of 23 separate units operating in five geographic locations throughout the state, the wing also has missions ranging from communications to engineering to weather forecasting.

Media may RSVP or direct questions to one of the numbers listed above.

House Approves Bipartisan Mast-Murphy Measure to Help Hire More Disabled Veterans

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Amendment increases funding for the Wounded Warrior Program, which
provides two-year paid fellowships in U.S. House offices for disabled veterans

The U.S. House of Representatives today approved a bipartisan measure spearheaded by U.S. Representatives Brian Mast (FL-18) and Stephanie Murphy (FL-7) to help more disabled veterans transition to the civilian workforce.  The measure, passed as an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2019 Legislative Branch appropriations bill, increases funding for the U.S. House’s Wounded Warrior Program, which provides two-year paid fellowships for disabled veterans to work in the Washington or district offices of Members of Congress.  There are currently 47 disabled veterans working in House offices through the Wounded Warrior initiative, and this new funding will help the program reach its ultimate goal of supporting 110 paid fellowships.

“After I opened our Congressional office inside the West Palm Beach VA, we set out to hire a wounded warrior to help us because I know that veterans are among the most qualified applicants for any position thanks to the skills they learned in the military,” Rep. Mast said.  “This amendment is a win-win: giving disabled veterans a great opportunity to transition into a new career while improving constituent services in Congressional offices across the country.”

The Mast-Murphy amendment increases funding for the Wounded Warrior Program by $250,000, from $2.75 million to $3.0 million.  In addition to Reps. Mast and Murphy, U.S. Representatives Dan Kildee (MI-5) and Tulsi Gabbard (HI-2) co-led the amendment.

“Our veterans, especially those wounded in the line of duty, have fought hard to protect our nation, and Congress should fight just as hard for them,” Rep. Murphy said.  “The Wounded Warrior fellowship program helps veterans succeed after they leave the military by affording them potentially life-changing personal and professional opportunities to gain experience in congressional offices. Veterans can use the valuable skills they honed in the military to help constituents, including fellow veterans, in congressional districts across the country.  I’m proud to work with Congressman Mast to create more opportunities for disabled veterans to get the skills, training, and expertise that will help them succeed.”

Shortly after opening the first-ever Congressional office inside a VA facility, Rep. Mast announced that his office was seeking a wounded warrior or medically retired veteran for a fellowship working at the office.  The office is in the final phases of selecting a fellow to handle military and veterans-related casework from a qualified group of candidates.

Wounded warrior fellowships enable disabled veterans to gain professional experience and develop their skills while they determine their long-term career interests and goals.  Participating veterans perform a variety of duties, including legislative work and constituent advocacy.  As a result of their military service, fellows provide invaluable support to Member offices, especially on defense and veterans issues.  To qualify for the program, an applicant must be an honorably discharged veteran released from active duty within the last five years.  The applicant must have a 20 percent or greater service-connected disability or be a Purple Heart recipient.

For more information on the Wounded Warrior Program, click here.