Capital Soup

Florida News Straight From the Source

You are here: Home / Archives for Featured

Featured

FDLE arrests Gibsonton teen on child pornography possession

Posted on

Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement today arrested 18-year-old Kyrston Jackson, of 12512 Kings Crossing Dr., Gibsonton, on 10 counts of possession of child pornography.

The investigation was launched after FDLE agents received a cyber tip about more than 150 videos being uploaded to a file hosting service on the Internet. The cyber tip revealed that the videos depicted child pornography. The videos were of children under the age of 12. After several subpoenas and search warrants, agents determined Jackson was the user of the account. He was arrested at his home.

Jackson was transported to the Hillsborough County Jail on a $75,000 bond. The Office of Statewide Prosecution will prosecute the case.

Gov. Rick Scott Highlights $4 Billion for Florida’s Environment, Participates in Turtle Release

Posted on

Governor Rick Scott today highlighted investments of more than $4 billion in the Securing Florida’s Future budget. Following the highlight, the Governor Scott participated in a turtle release at Sombrero Beach.

Since Governor Scott took office in 2011, investments to preserve Florida’s environment and protect the state’s iconic beaches, pristine springs and the Florida Everglades have increased by nearly $1 billion. This includes nearly $140 million in investments to protect the Florida Keys and its unique environment:

  • $102 million for Florida Keys Wastewater Treatment upgrades.
  • $24.5 million for Water Quality improvement in the Keys including Clean Marina programs.
  • $6.5 million for Florida Keys State Parks and Trails.
  • $5 million for Land Acquisition to continue protecting the Florida Keys.

Commissioner Adam Putnam Visits Collier County Wildfires

Posted on

Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam today visited the Greenway Fire in Collier County. The Greenway Fire is 16,876 acres and is 50 percent contained.

Currently, there are 52 active wildfires in Florida burning 27,870 acres.

Significant Wildfires in Florida:

  • Greenway Fire (Collier County): 16,876 acres and 50 percent contained.
  • Flag Pond Fire (Collier County): 2,578, 100 percent contained.
  • West Boundary Fire (Hendry County): 2,629 acres and 80 percent contained
  • Firebreak (Gulf County): 2,000 acres and 45 percent contained.
  • Shamrock Dr. Fire (Lee County): 20 acres and 100 percent contained.

Resources Deployed to Southwest Florida:

  • State Firefighting Bulldozers: 11
  • Fire District & State Brush Trucks: 15
  • Fire District Water Tenders: 2
  • State Firefighting Super Huey Helicopter: 1
  • State Firefighter Fixed-Wing: 1

The Florida Forest Service is urging residents to be cautious with fire and heat sources and to remember the following:

  • Develop and implement a family wildfire action plan;
  • Call 911 or a local Florida Forest Service field unit office immediately in the event of a wildfire;
  • Obey Florida’s outdoor burning laws;
  • Never burn on windy days;
  • Always keep a water source and suppression tools on hand when burning yard debris;
  • Never leave an outdoor fire or hot grill unattended; and
  • Avoid parking vehicles on dry grass.

The Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, manages more than 1 million acres of state forests and provides forest management assistance on more than 17 million acres of private and community forests. The Florida Forest Service is also responsible for protecting homes, forestland and natural resources from the devastating effects of wildfire on more than 26 million acres.

 

Rep. Boyd Endorses Blacklidge

Posted on

Rep. Jim Boyd says Ray Blacklidge’s private sector
experience makes him the best candidate for District 69

The Ray Blacklidge Campaign today announced the endorsement of Representative Jim Boyd, who currently holds the District 71 seat in the Florida House and serves on Speaker Richard Corcoran’s leadership team. Blacklidge, a Republican, is running to represent nearby District 69.

“Ray Blacklidge will be a strong leader for our area in Tallahassee,” said Boyd, “His business background and conservative convictions combine perfectly to position him to successfully drive legislation that will keep our economy growing. I’m proud to support him.”

Boyd was elected to the Florida House in 2010. Currently, he is the Chair of the Commerce Committee and serves on the Appropriations and Rules and Policy Committees. During last year’s legislative session, he was Chair of the Ways and Means Committee, which was charged with giving as much back to taxpayers as possible in tax cuts. From 2014 to 2016, Boyd was the House Deputy Majority Leader and Majority Whip. He is an insurance agent in Bradenton.

“I’m honored to have the support of Representative Boyd,” said Blacklidge. “During his time in Tallahassee, he has distinguished himself as a capable legislator who leads with integrity. Even though he faces term limits this year, I look forward to continuing to work with him and other local leaders to move our region forward.”

Blacklidge has an extensive background as an entrepreneur with a record of protecting consumers and fighting fraud. He currently works as an insurance executive and attorney in the management of a Florida-based insurance company.

House District 69 covers the south Pinellas beach communities from Redington Shores to Fort DeSoto, as well as portions of St. Petersburg, Gulfport, Kenneth City, and Pinellas Park. With 36 percent of the district’s voter registration, Republicans maintain a slight lead over the Democrats’ 35 percent. Independents and minor parties make up 29 percent of the district.

Paid by Ray Blacklidge, Republican, for State Representative

Christian Camara Op-Ed: Cat Fund and Other Pre-Irma Insurance Decisions Saved Florida from Economic Disaster

Posted on

Earlier this month marked the sixth month anniversary of Hurricane Irma making its historic landfall in the state of Florida. Last week, Christian Camara of the R-Street Institute authored an opinion article for Sunshine State News. The article notes the important decisions made by the Florida Legislature to appropriately fund the state’s “rainy day” Hurricane Catastrophe Fund have allowed a vast majority of Floridians to return to a normal daily life. Strategic investments in reinsurance and an appropriate amount of cash on hand allowed for this scenario and it is important for the Legislature to stay the course in future sessions.

Read Christian’s Op-ed below.

September’s strike of Hurricane Irma was one of the strongest storms Florida has ever seen. Every region of the state was affected in some way by the storm, which thus far has caused nearly $8 billion in insured property losses.

While $8 billion is no small number, had the storm stayed on its original forecast track just 50 to 100 miles east of its eventual path — had it directly hit Miami-Dade County and traveled up the entire peninsula, losses easily could have been topped $100 billion.

For most of us in the Sunshine State, life has returned to a sense of normalcy. Debris has been removed, roofs have been shingled and businesses have resumed normal operations. For that, we can thank the prudent decisions of the Florida Legislature and Gov. Rick Scott, their handling of the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund and Citizens Property Insurance Corp., a favorable reinsurance market and quite a bit of luck from Mother Nature.

Since 2006, Florida saw an unprecedented run of 10 hurricane-free years. In that time, the Florida Legislature wisely chose to build up cash in the Cat Fund, which provides backup coverage called reinsurance both to Citizens and to the state’s many primary insurance companies. This literal “rainy day” fund has a statutory mandate to sell roughly $17 billion in coverage, even when it doesn’t have the resources to pay all of those claims. When a sufficiently bad hurricane strikes the state and the Cat Fund doesn’t have enough cash on hand, it finances those losses by issuing debt. That debt is repaid by policyholders through “hurricane taxes” on their policies for several years.

Were the Cat Fund to be struck by a second large loss in a given year, the claims could even exceed its ability to issue new debt. We don’t really have an answer as to what would happen should that occur, but it certainly would be messy.

To avoid these undesirable scenarios, the Cat Fund has in recent years started to purchase reinsurance of its own. Reinsurers use diversification to pool risks from around the globe, taking on earthquakes in Asia and hurricanes in Florida, with the odds that very large catastrophes in all of these different markets are unlikely to happen all at once.

Had the Legislature and Gov. Scott not acted to shrink the size of Citizens and shore up the resources of the Cat Fund, including through reinsurance, Irma could have left Florida taxpayers with billions in debt. It also likely would have destabilized the Florida insurance market and the state’s economy.

Instead, the losses have been quite manageable. In fact, just days after the storm had cleared the Panhandle, insurance companies, with reinsurance payments in hand, were able to begin paying claims. This allowed rebuilding efforts to begin and infused the state’s economy with outside capital.

Despite the losses from Irma, the Cat Fund looks likely to remain fully funded. Florida’s private insurance companies were able to make good on their claims quickly and without any disruptions.
Just as politicians should learn from their mistakes, so too should they learn from and build upon their success on this issue by staying the course.

Christian Cámara (@ChristianCamara) is a senior fellow at the R Street Institute, a member of the Stronger Safer Florida coalition.

More than half a billion dollars is up for grabs this weekend with MEGA MILLIONS®

Posted on

Jackpot Surpasses $500 Million for the Fourth Time in Game’s History

The MEGA MILLIONS® jackpot has continued to roll since January 5, resulting in an estimated $502 million jackpot for the Friday, March 30, drawing. Florida players have a chance to become the state’s third MEGA MILLIONS jackpot winner by purchasing a $2 ticket at any of the more than 13,000 Lottery retailers statewide.

In addition to the jackpot prize, players can win lower-tier prizes ranging from $2 to $5 million by matching any of the non-jackpot-winning combinations. There have been more than one million Florida MEGA MILLIONS winners in this series of rollovers, winning more than $8.6 million in prizes.

Since joining the multi-state MEGA MILLIONS game in 2013, Florida has had more than 39.9 million winning tickets totaling more than $587.3 million in prizes. Additionally, the game has generated more than $363 million for Florida students and schools.

Jackpot prize winners have the option to receive their winnings in 30 annual installments or as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $301 million. Jackpot prizes must be claimed within 60 days of the winning jackpot draw to receive the cash option. Winners have 180 days from the applicable drawing to claim their prize.

Tickets must be purchased by 10:00 p.m. ET on Friday to be eligible for the 11:00 p.m. ET drawing. MEGA MILLIONS drawings are broadcast on 17 Lottery carrier stations throughout the state. Drawings are also available for viewing on the Florida Lottery website. Winning numbers can be found at retailers statewide, on the Lottery’s website and by phone at (850) 921-PLAY.

Ocala Man Enters Guilty Plea in Fraud Case

Posted on

Scammer allegedly solicited investments in fake Styrofoam recycling company

The Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) today announced that Donald Edward Smith pled guilty on March 23, 2018, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of tax fraud. Smith allegedly bilked more than $3.6 million from hundreds of investors through several scams, including one involving the sale of stock in a company he promoted through an online radio show. The company, Phoenix Synergies, was owned by Smith, and claimed to be in the business of recycling and repurposing Styrofoam.

OFR Commissioner Drew J. Breakspear said, “We’re committed to fighting fraud and ensuring that Floridians are protected from these scams. Unfortunately, scams can happen to anyone, anywhere. I encourage Floridians to learn how to spot these fraudsters, and file a complaint with our agency if something doesn’t seem right.”

Smith agreed to pay $3.5 million in restitution and surrender all previously seized assets.

During his regular appearances as an online guest of “Phoenix Rising Radio,” Smith advertised the capabilities of a patented Styrofoam recycling machine, which he claimed would alleviate landfills of voluminous amounts of Styrofoam. The investigation, however, found no evidence to prove the existence of such a machine, and that Smith did not use investors’ money for his business, as represented.

The OFR served as a co-investigative agency in this case, and the OFR appreciates the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service.

If you feel you have been a victim of financial fraud, please file a complaint with the Office of Financial Regulation at flofr.com, or by calling (850) 487-9687.

Diaz Raises $50,000 in First Senate Fundraiser

Posted on

The Manny Diaz Campaign today announced that he raised $50,000 last Thursday night in money for his campaign and his political committee at the first fundraiser in his race for the Florida Senate. After representing District 103 in the Florida House since 2012, Diaz is seeking the District 36 seat in the state senate.

“This number reflects the growing momentum in our campaign,” said Diaz. “I’m so grateful for the strong community support we have and for all the local leaders from across the district who took time to be at our event and invest in this campaign. Our team continues to grow, and I plan to keep working hard to connect with as many voters as possible.”

In addition to the amount raised by Diaz, almost all of the local officials in SD 36 either attended or served as co-hosts of the event. The host committee included:

Paid by Manny Diaz Jr., Republican, for State Senator

“The Race for Governor” in Florida for 2018 Begins With Planned Statewide Televised Debates Before Primary

Posted on

Millions of Florida voters will get their best review of the key candidates for governor before the primary election this year in exciting back-to-back-nights, one-hour statewide-televised debates, announced today by the Children’s Movement of Florida and the Florida Press Association. The debates in the Republican and Democratic primary races will be held on the campus of the University of Miami on the evenings of August 1 and 2, less than four weeks before the August 28 primary narrows the crowded field down to two nominees who will then face off in the general election.

The Republican and Democratic primary debates – part of “The Race for Governor” project – will be held on successive nights in UM’s Maurice Gusman Concert Hall, beginning at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. A live audience of 600 will be joined by an expected massive television audience around the state in scrutinizing the leading candidates for their parties’ nominations to direct Florida government for the next four years. With Governor Rick Scott term-limited out of office and expected to run for the U.S. Senate, the field is wide open – and intense national attention already is focused on what are shaping up to be hotly contested, robust races in both parties.

The debate programs will be broadcast statewide through a consortium of TV stations in Florida’s 10 major media markets. The twin debates will be produced by South Florida CBS station WFOR/Channel 4, with key guidance from veteran producer and project consultant Philip Alongi, a former longtime executive producer for NBC News. Criteria for candidates to qualify for participation in the debates will be announced soon, and major candidates in both parties are expected to appear.

“The vision and direction offered by Florida’s next governor will dramatically affect the lives of Floridians in every part of our state – from children to the elderly,” said David Lawrence Jr., chair of The Children’s Movement. “These debates let voters hear what the candidates think on critical issues ranging from early childhood education, health care, environmental protection, and public safety to jobs and economic development.”

Dean Ridings, president and CEO of the Florida Press Association statewide network of newspapers, agreed that the primary debates will be essential in helping voters make up their minds about which candidate wins their support and vote.

“With a long, diverse list of candidates already announced or expected to get into the race, we’re anticipating vigorous primary campaigns with thoughtful discussion of the issues in these vital debates,” said Ridings. “This is a very effective way for Florida voters to compare and contrast the candidates, side-by-side, and to see and hear their ability to present a plan that can take us all into the best possible future.”

Fulfilling one of its missions, UM will become the center of engagement by hosting the debates, which dozens of journalists from Florida and around the nation are expected to attend and cover.

“The University of Miami is proud to host these debates and foster a productive dialogue among the candidates for governor,” said UM President Julio Frenk. “Our students, faculty, and staff will be deeply involved in helping prepare the campus for both debates and for spirited conversations about the issues that will be examined.”

WFOR Vice President/General Manager Adam Levy said he is confident that the statewide televised debates will enjoy a significant live viewership and an additional audience via rebroadcast of the programs on multiple platforms.

“These high-profile events will attract a significant and diverse viewership,” Levy said. “Our commitment is to produce an excellent exchange among the candidates in both the Republican and Democratic primaries.”

In addition to WFOR serving as the production television station for the debates, other broadcast partners in the statewide consortium include:

Miami-Ft. Lauderdale —WFOR (CBS)
West Palm Beach ——–WPBF (ABC)
Orlando———————-WESH (NBC)
Jacksonville —————-First Coast News
Gainesville——————WCJB (ABC)
Tampa/St. Pete————WFLA (NBC)
Tallahassee—————–WCTV (CBS)
Pensacola——————-WEAR (ABC)
Panama City—————-WMBB (ABC)
Fort Myers——————-Either WBBH (NBC) or WZVN (ABC)

The Florida Press Association is a nonprofit organization with a purpose to protect the freedoms and advance the professional standards of the press in Florida, with a membership of Florida’s daily and weekly newspapers and online local media. Visit flpress.com to learn more.  

The Children’s Movement of Florida is a nonpartisan grassroots movement of Floridians insisting on increased investment in the first five years for all our children. We advocate for high-quality early learning opportunities, access to health care, and parent skill-building programs – three pillars young children need to thrive. Visit childrensmovementflorida.org to learn more.

The University of Miami‘s mission is to educate and nurture students, to create knowledge, and to provide service to our community and beyond. Committed to excellence and proud of the diversity of our University family, we strive to develop future leaders of our nation and the world. miami.edu

Judge Walker orders Florida Executive Clemency Board to establish new voting rights restoration process

Posted on

“Defendants’ proposed remedy to abandon the whole vote-
restoration scheme does not pass constitutional muster.” 

U.S. District Court Judge Mark Walker issued a permanent injunction today that requires Florida’s Executive Clemency Board to establish a new voting rights restoration process for former felons by April 26. While the Court did not order the automatic restoration of voting rights for any former felons, he instructed the Clemency Board to establish “specific and neutral criteria to direct vote-restoration decisions,” and “meaningful, specific, and expeditious time constraints” for the voting rights restoration process. The opinion suggested no one should have to wait more than an election cycle for a decision on their application. The Court stated this relief “is appropriate to ensure that Florida’s vote-restoration scheme is no longer based on unfettered discretion.”

Fair Elections Legal Network and the law firm Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC, counsel for the plaintiffs in Hand v. Scott, filed the lawsuit in March 2017. In February 2018, Judge Walker ruled Florida’s arbitrary voting rights restoration process for persons with felony convictions violates the 1st and 14th Amendments to the United States Constitution. Florida is still permitted to deny the right to vote to persons with felony convictions, and felons still cannot register or vote until that right is restored.

“[T]he Board cannot rely on whims, passing emotions, or perceptions. Establishing safeguards against viewpoint discrimination should be the Board’s paramount goal following this Order,” Judge Walker wrote in his order. “In the future, concrete criteria . . . must direct the Board. And its rules must spell these criteria out with precision.” Judge Walker also emphasized the changes to the restoration scheme must be “robust and meaningful.”

“Today the Court has ordered Defendants to make meaningful changes to Florida’s voting rights restoration scheme that will eliminate the risk of arbitrary and discriminatory decision-making and not merely serve as smoke screens,” said Jon Sherman, Senior Counsel at the Fair Elections Legal Network. “This is a victory for the principle that the right to vote cannot be subjected to officials’ gut instincts and whims. We are also heartened that the Court prevented Florida from following through on its threat to become the only state in the nation with an irrevocable lifetime ban on voting for all former felons—what the Court called ‘the ultimate arbitrary act.'”

“We are extremely pleased with Judge Walker’s ruling. This ruling continues to shed sunlight on what we as citizens hold so precious in our democracy, the right of all citizens to exercise their right to vote,” stated Ted Leopold, a Partner with Cohen Milstein and Chair of the firm’s Catastrophic Injury & Wrongful Death, Managed Care Abuse, and Unsafe & Defective Products practices and Co-Chair of the Consumer Protection practice.

Background
Judge Walker’s February 1st decision affirmed that the 1st Amendment protects the right to vote and concluded that the process by which Florida officials grant or deny former felons’ restoration of voting rights applications is unconstitutionally arbitrary. The decision did not immediately order a remedy for the unconstitutional system.

Florida is one of four states that denies the right to vote to all former felons until they petition for rights restoration, and this process is the target of the lawsuit. Almost 1.5 million Floridians are currently disenfranchised even after completing their sentences, including men and women of all different political parties, races, ethnicities, ages, from cities and rural areas, as well as veterans, small business owners and others.

The lawsuit cited the lack of any rules governing the Executive Clemency Board’s decisions to grant or deny applications and contended that the arbitrary rights restoration process violates the U.S. Constitution.

The text of today’s order can be found here.

The judgment can be found here.

The original complaint, the U.S. District Court’s decision from February 1, procedural documents and other information on Hand v. Scott can be found here.

The Fair Elections Legal Network (FELN) is a national, nonpartisan voting rights and legal support organization. Our mission is to eliminate barriers to voting and improve election administration across the United States. Working alongside other national and state groups, FELN works to make the processes of voter registration, voting, and election administration as accessible as possible for every American.