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Florida Addiction Treatment Providers and Law Enforcement Leaders Call for Full Funding of Community-Based Opioid Treatment Programs

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Florida addiction treatment providers and law enforcement leaders today came together to urge the Florida House to restore funding for extended-release injectable Naltrexone programs. The House budget eliminates funding for 52 community providers under the State Courts system, 45 programs under the Department of Children and Families (DCF) program and 10 programs run by sheriffs and law enforcement across the state.

“Each patient’s journey to recovery is different and having access to proven medications is crucial to their success,” said Michael Harris, Park Place Behavioral Health Clinical Director of Residential and Substance Abuse Programs. “We are humbly asking lawmakers to not limit access to the tools we need to help these individuals regain control of their lives.”

According to an FDLE medical examiner’s report, there were 5,725 opioid related deaths in Florida in 2016—a 35 percent increase over the previous year. The Senate has expressed their commitment to fighting addiction in Florida by maintaining the base recurring funding of $7 million for extended release Naltrexone programs in the Office of State Courts Administrator (OSCA), the DCF and Department of Corrections (DOC) budgets. The House budget eliminates all funding for this medication commonly used to treat substance use disorders. Treatment providers and law enforcement experts share concerns that discontinuing funding will eliminate the progress that has been made to date.

“I am concerned about what these cuts will do to the 10-existing drug treatment jail programs and to the additional programs that are in development,” said Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford. “In Bay County, we have had to think outside the box and look for innovative ways to address the opioid epidemic in our community. The extended release injectable Naltrexone program is one of those innovative treatments that has shown positive outcomes.”

One of the key tools in fighting the opioid epidemic is medication assisted treatment. Extended release Naltrexone is one of three nationally recommended medications for this purpose. Extended release Naltrexone is a once-monthly injectable non-addictive, non-narcotic medication proven to help prevent those suffering from substance use disorders from relapsing.  The medication works by blocking receptors in the brain, which prevent opioids from creating a high and helps reduce cravings.  This gives individuals with substance use disorders a chance at recovery.

With less than two weeks left until the end of the 2018 Legislative Session, experts stress that now is the time for the House to address this very important issue and prioritize funding for a treatment program that has proven results. 

“Keeping effective drug treatment options and programs intact are necessary to tackle the state’s opioid epidemic. Now is not the time to eliminate funding for a program that has shown results year after year,” said Dr. Mark Stavros M.D., Medical Director of Gulf Coast Addiction Medicine and the Emergency Department at West Florida Hospital.

Data collected by the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association regarding extended release Naltrexone programs shows that programs administered by DCF saw a 77% success rate and programs administered by the Courts saw a 76.5% success rate.

“This is a serious problem that has touched almost every county in Florida, and scores of families throughout our state,” said Chief Cornita Riley, Orange County Corrections Department. “In my county, the statistics are both heartbreaking and alarming. In the first six weeks of 2018, overdoses have increased by 61%, and 22 more lives have been claimed by this epidemic.”

The providers and law enforcement leaders are hopeful the funding will be addressed during budget negotiations between the Florida House and Senate.

For data and more information about drug treatment programs visit fadaa.org.

Florida Police Chiefs Association Statement on Senate Bill 310

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Statement from FPCA Executive Director Amy Mercer

“We can’t ignore threats to our communities. In the wake of the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, we applaud the committee for passing Senate Bill 310 and thank sponsor Senator Steube and co-sponsor Senator Baxley for bringing this bill forward. SB 310 is critical to Florida’s police and all law enforcement officers as the legislature moves to address school and community safety.

“The law has not kept up with how we communicate in a digital age. This bill will update our laws around online threats.

“There is a misconception that a law like this is already on the books and that law enforcement can assess, and take action, on threats made online.

“SB 310 will allow law enforcement to act on a broader range of threats, including those made on social media. The bill makes it a third-degree felony to create and send certain written threats, including electronic communications, to kill or do great bodily harm.

“Under current law, law enforcement officers’ hands are tied when they try to act on non-specific threats made through digital platforms. The warning signs aren’t missed, law enforcement just doesn’t have the tools they need to act on them.

“Our law enforcement officers need the tools to do their jobs to protect our schools and our communities. This bill allows them to act on the warning signs.”

Florida Faith Community Comes to Capitol

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Payday Lending Expansion is Unacceptable, Usury Must End

Clergy representing the Florida faith community converged on the Capitol Building in Tallahassee this morning, calling on lawmakers to reject a payday loan expansion bill and instead to cap payday lending interest rates in the state, which are currently in the triple digits. The faith leaders were compelled to show up in Tallahassee after watching a harmful bill backed by payday lenders move through one committee after another despite its harmful impact being presented to lawmakers.

“Why is it that the people who stand behind me and who have been working on this for years have not been able to have a voice, while the payday lending industry has not only been heard, it is moving rapidly through the process?” said Rev. James T. Golden, of the AME Church of Florida. “While I do not begrudge any business from making a profit, I do not think that it is fair that most of the profit from this business comes from the backs of people who can least afford it. If you want to provide a service, provide it. But if you want to create a situation where people are just not able to get beyond where they are, the payday lending industry is for you.”

SB 920/HB 857 would allow payday lenders to make larger, longer debt traps at over 200% annual interest, adding another tool for predatory lenders operating in Florida. Payday lenders already extract over $300 million per year from the pockets of low-income families, and over 80% of payday loans in Florida go to people stuck in more 7 or more loans in a year.

Representative Tracie Davis (D-Jacksonville) joined the faith leaders at a news conference, and said, “This is a product that’s not needed at this time and I stand in solidarity with the faith-based leaders and the other organizations represented here today in opposition to this bill. Money matters and fairness in lending matters.”

Ingrid Delgado, speaking on behalf of the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, said, “The lending product proposed by SB 920 and HB 857 would cost consumers even more dollars in fees. This is a step backwards. However, one step in the right direction would be consideration of bills filed by Senator Baxley and Representative Bobby O, which would cap these loans at more reasonable APR rates as has been done in other states.”

“The wide span of the church, Catholics, mainline Protestants and the Black churches, have strong and clear teaching on biblical standards of economic fairness, said Rev. Dr. Russell Meyer, Florida Council of Churches. “Together we oppose these bills to create payday lending products that permit usury. Such lending takes food out of the mouths of children for luxurious wealth of the rich. It cannot be justified and to take funding from the industry is like accepting 30 pieces of silver – the price for selling out Jesus.”

“The three Abrahamic faith traditions of Islam, Judaism and Christianity all speak strongly regarding usury, the charging of excessive interest rates, and this bill brings with it annual percentage rates of 208%,” said Rachel Gunter Shapard, of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida. “We have seen members of our congregations and those in the communities around them fall victim to the debt trap that this type of loan supported by this bill creates.”

Payday lenders claim they need a new product in Florida to avoid falling under a rule by the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which is meant to protect people from long-term debt traps. But the CFPB rule is under attack in Washington and may never take effect.

The bill is opposed by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida, Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, Florida Council of Churches, and 11th District Episcopal AME Church. Joining the faith community in opposition to this bill are Latino Leadership, Florida Prosperity Partnership, Florida Veterans for Common Sense, UnidosUS, Florida Hispanic Unity, Florida Legal Services, League of Southeastern Credit Unions, Catalyst Miami, Solita’s House, Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Beaches Habitat for Humanity and a growing list of other organizations in Florida.

Florida PSC Commission Conference on Thursday

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The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) will hold a Commission Conference on Thursday, March 1, 2018, at 9:30 a.m. Items scheduled for consideration can be found here. Public comment may be taken on any item noticed for public participation.

The Commission Conference is scheduled for the following time and location:

Thursday, March 1, 2018
9:30 a.m.
Betty Easley Conference Center
Joseph P. Cresse Hearing Room (Room 148)
4075 Esplanade Way
Tallahassee, Florida

The Commission Conference will be broadcast on the Florida Channel (check your local listing) and is available online at floridapsc.com (look for the “Watch Live Broadcast” icon on the left side of the webpage).

For additional information, visit floridapsc.com.

Media Conference Call Urging Restoration of Funding for Opioid Treatment Programs

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MEDIA ADVISORY

Substance Abuse Treatment Providers and Law Enforcement Officials to Hold Media
Conference Call Urging Restoration of Funding for Opioid Treatment Programs

On Wednesday, February 28, 2018 at 9:30 a.m. EST substance abuse treatment providers and law enforcement officials will hold a media conference call urging the Florida House to restore funding for opioid treatment programs. The Senate has maintained the base recurring funding of $7 million for extended release injectable naltrexone programs in the Office of the State Court Administrator, Department of Children and Families and Department of Corrections budgets, while the House budget eliminates all such programs.

Speakers will include Mike Harris, Clinical Director of Residential and Substance Abuse Programs at Park Place Behavioral Health Care, Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford, Dr. Mark Stavros, M.D., Medical Director of Gulf Coast Addiction Medicine, Medical Director of the Emergency Department at West Florida Hospital and Chief Cornita Riley, of the Orange County Corrections Department.  Also joining the media conference call will be Mark Fontaine, Executive Director, Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association.

WHO: Michael Harris, Park Place Behavioral Health Care
Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford
Chief Cornita Riley, Orange County Corrections
Dr. Mark Stavros, M.D., Medical Director of Gulf Coast Addiction Medicine, Medical Director of the Emergency Department at West Florida Hospital

WHAT: Media Conference Call on funding for substance abuse treatment programs

WHEN: Wednesday, February 28, 2018
9:30 am

WHERE: MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL-IN NUMBER
(888) 392-4560 PIN: 6869091

Miami Beach man claims share of $1.4 million LUCKY MONEY™ jackpot

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The Florida Lottery announces that Ernesto Montesino, of Miami Beach, claimed his $700,000 share of the $1.4 million LUCKY MONEY™ jackpot from the February 20, 2018, drawing at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. The other jackpot-winning ticket, sold in Lake Wales, was claimed on February 23.

Montesino chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $495,762.75. He purchased his winning LUCKY MONEY Quick Pick ticket from Publix, located at 1920 West Avenue in Miami Beach. The retailer received a bonus commission of $1,000 for selling the jackpot-winning ticket.

The next LUCKY MONEY drawing will be held tonight, at 11:15 p.m. ET, with a $550,000 jackpot. The LUCKY MONEY drawings are broadcast on 17 carrier stations throughout the state. Winning numbers are available on the Lottery website, at retailers statewide and by phone at (850) 921-PLAY.

Gov. Scott statement on the loss of Floridian and U.S. Navy Lt. James Mazzuchelli

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Governor Rick Scott today issued the below statement regarding the death of Navy Lt. James Mazzuchelli following a helicopter-related incident at the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base last week. Governor Scott will honor the memory and sacrifice of Lt. Mazzuchelli, who was originally from Orange Park, by ordering the lowering of flags. The details on the lowering of flags will be announced in the coming days.

Governor Scott said, “Ann and I are saddened to hear of the death of Floridian and U.S. Navy Lt. James Mazzuchelli. As a flight surgeon, Lt. Mazzuchelli courageously served our country alongside his fellow Navy sailors and our U.S. Marine Corps, and his legacy will long be honored and remembered by his loved ones and by the State of Florida. Our service men and women, both at home and across the globe, face danger every day in order to protect our freedom. As a Navy veteran myself, I urge all Floridians to take this opportunity to thank the military members in their communities as we continue to pray for Lt. Mazzuchelli’s family during this difficult time.”

Haines City man is $1 million richer after playing $10,000,000 FORTUNE Scratch-Off game

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The Florida Lottery announces that Juan Manuel Gonzalez Romero, 34, of Haines City, claimed a $1 million prize in the $10,000,000 FORTUNE Scratch-Off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. He chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $792,000.00.

Gonzalez Romero purchased his winning ticket from BP Express, located at 501 Highway 17-92 North in Haines City. The retailer will receive a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the winning Scratch-Off ticket.

The $25 Scratch-Off game, $10,000,000 FORTUNE, features more than $623 million in total cash prizes, including 46 prizes of $1 million and four prizes of $10 million. The game’s overall odds of winning are one-in-2.88.

Scratch-Off games are an important part of the Lottery’s portfolio of games, comprising approximately 68 percent of ticket sales and generating more than $784 million for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF) in fiscal year 2016-17.

Senate Celebrates Military Appreciation and National Guard Day at the Capitol

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Senate Considers Key Legislation to Support
Active Duty Military, Veterans, and Their Families

The Florida Senate today celebrated Military Appreciation and Florida National Guard Day at the Capitol by considering several pieces of legislation designed to help solidify Florida’s reputation as the friendliest state in the nation for active duty military, veterans and their families. Led by Senator Audrey Gibson (D-Jacksonville), chair of the Senate Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, Space and Domestic Security, the Senate also honored the Florida National Guard, as well as Senators and Senate Professional Staff who have served in the Unites States Armed Forces.

“We are so pleased to welcome and honor our Adjutant General, Major General Michael Calhoun and several members of the Florida National Guard,” said Senator Gibson who sponsored a Senate resolution honoring the Florida National Guard for their service during the 2017 Hurricane Season. “When Floridians are facing some of the most challenging times, the Florida National Guard is at its best springing into action at a moment’s notice to help Floridians in need. We are so grateful for their courageous service to our state during the recent hurricane season.”

“My Senate colleagues and I are committed to enacting policies that keep Florida the number one state for active duty members of our armed forces, veterans, and their families,” said Senate President Joe Negron (R-Stuart). “The legislation we discussed today sends a clear message that Florida is truly the Welcome Home State. From veterans of the War on Terror returning from Iraq or Afghanistan and looking to further their education, to Lieutenant Sconiers whose remains made it home to Florida nearly seventy five years after he gave his life for the freedom of others, we are honored that so many of our nation’s finest choose to call Florida home.”

The Senate considered the following legislation today. The legislation will be available for final passage later this week.

Identification Card and Driver License Fees for Veterans

Senate Bill 100, Identification Card and Driver License Fees for Veterans, by Senator Greg Steube (R-Sarasota), eliminates the $1 or $2 fee a veteran must pay to have the word “Veteran” displayed on an identification card or driver license issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV).

Additionally, Senate Bill 100 prohibits tax collector offices from charging the $6.25 service fee for driver license services rendered, upon providing the specified documentation proving veteran status. The bill also provides for additional forms of identification a veteran may present to the DHSMV as proof of veteran status.

Postsecondary Fee Waivers

Senate Bill 460, Postsecondary Fee Waivers, by Senator George Gainer (R-Panama City), authorizes a Florida College System institution to waive certain fees for a person who is an active duty member of the U.S. Armed Forces and using military tuition assistance provided by the U.S. Department of Defense.

Florida Veterans Care Program

Senate Bill 440, Florida Veterans Care Program, by Senator Rene Garcia (R-Hialeah), addresses specific access and quality of care concerns Florida’s veterans continue to face by authorizing the state to operate the Florida Veterans Care Program (program), which would offer veterans and their families an alternative gateway to quality medical coverage.

Through use of the existing infrastructure and operations of the Statewide Medicaid Managed Care program, or a similar program, veterans and their families would be able to voluntarily enroll and elect coverage quickly through participating managed care plans as an alternative to the federal veterans’ health care system. The program is designed to be administratively simple, and would seek to leverage existing managed medical assistance and long-term care operations to reduce costs and expand choices. The bill authorizes the Agency for Health Care Administration, the Department of Children and Families, and the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs to negotiate with the federal government for federal funding for the program, but the program may not be implemented without prior legislative approval.

Lieutenant Ewart T. Sconiers Highway

Senate Bill 330, Transportation Facility Designations/Lieutenant Ewart T. Sconiers Highway, by Senator Gainer designates the portion of U.S. 90/S.R. 10 between S.R. 285 and N. 9th Street/S.R. 83 in Walton County as “Lieutenant Ewart T. Sconiers Highway.”

Lieutenant Sconiers was born in 1915 and raised in DeFuniak Springs, Florida. He attended the University of Florida before enlisting in the Army on September 16, 1941. He was shot down and captured on October 21, 1942. He was imprisoned in German-occupied Poland and later passed away there on January 24, 1944. In April of 2017, his remains were found and positively identified. After nearly seventy-five years, Lieutenant Sconiers was laid to rest in DeFuniak Springs with full military honors on January 27, 2018.

Fort Lauderdale man strikes it right playing $5,000,000 GOLD RUSH DOUBLER Scratch-Off game

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The Florida Lottery announces that Pedro Hernandez, 49, of Fort Lauderdale, 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.

Hernandez purchased his winning ticket from Riverland Food Store, located at 3940 Riverland Road in Fort Lauderdale. 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 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.