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Statement by Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam

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In response to requests, please see the statement attributable to Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam:

“I mourn, along with the rest of the country, for those who lost their lives at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High and their loved ones, and out of respect for their families and those suffering as a result of this tragedy, I’m working with bill sponsors to postpone consideration of the legislative proposal related to the licensing process.

“While the shooter would not have even been eligible for a concealed weapon license and clearly had a troubled past that indicated serious mental health issues, the focus now should be on mental health and how we protect our children.

“All of us have an obligation to notify authorities when we see the behavior that this killer exhibited online and in school.”

Statement from Majority Leader Wilton Simpson on School Shooting

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“On a day meant to celebrate love, 17 promising futures came to an end in Parkland yesterday. As I watched the events unfold and the stories told of terror and heroism today, I want to echo the sentiment of condolences followed by the need for immediate action.”

“As elected leaders, we have no greater responsibility than protecting our children. Our schools should be shrines to learning and possibility where our students feel safe and secure.  We are working today to immediately identify and direct funding to hardening our schools and provide for armed resource officers on every campus for safety and prevention. We must  stand together and support the allocation of $100 million for mental health screening, counseling and training.”

“In the days and weeks to come, the Florida Senate will work to ensure our students and teachers are safe. Increased security for both safety and prevention, hardening our schools, mental health resources, active shooter training and improving how we communicate with our students – everything must be a part of the discussion as we work to secure Florida’s schools.”

Public Information Meeting for Wekiva Parkway Section 7A

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The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is holding a pre-construction public information meeting about the Wekiva Parkway Section 7A project in Seminole County. The public meeting is being held to review the construction plans and schedule.

This project is funded for construction of 3.5 miles of limited access toll road along the existing State Road (S.R.) 46 corridor from a half mile east of Wekiva Park Drive to Orange Boulevard. The project also includes parallel, non-tolled, one-lane frontage roads for local travel. Roundabouts are planned as safety enhancements at the intersections under the parkway. Lighting is planned under the bridges and on frontage road approaches to the roundabouts. Work is scheduled to begin in February or March of 2018.

The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 22 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Lakeside Fellowship United Methodist Church’s new location: 121 N. Henderson Lane in Sanford. The meeting is an informal open house where plans are available for review and project staff is available to address questions.

Persons who require accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or persons who require translation services, free of charge, should contact Ms. Mary Brooks, Quest Corporation of America, by writing to her at 2431 Aloma Avenue, Suite 231, Winter Park, FL 32792, by calling 407-694-5505 or contacting her via email at [email protected]. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact us by using the Florida Relay Service, 800-955-8771 (TDD) or 800-955-8770 (Voice).

Public participation is sought without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability or family status.  Persons wishing to express their concerns relative to FDOT compliance with Title VI may do so by contacting Jennifer Smith, FDOT District Five Title VI Coordinator by email at [email protected].

For media inquiries, please contact Steve Olson, FDOT communications manager, at [email protected], or 386-943-5479. Maps and other project information can be found at www.wekivaparkway.com. Follow the project on Facebook and Twitter for real-time updates.

UNF Women’s History Month Luncheon Features Activist Dorothy Pitman Hughes

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The Women’s Center and Department of Diversity Initiatives at the University of North Florida present advocate and activist Dorothy Pitman Hughes as the keynote speaker for the Women’s History Month Luncheon at noon Wednesday, March 14, in the Student Union, Building 58W, Ballroom, Room 3703.

This year’s national theme for Women’s History Month is “Nevertheless She Persisted.” Pitman Hughes, who gave voice to the reality that issues of race and gender are inseparable in the fight for civil rights, will be discussing her personal journey.

In the early 70s, she teamed up with Gloria Steinem, and the duo inspired women throughout the U.S. to shed their fears of economic, social and political self‐empowerment and to exercise their right to self‐determination. Pitman Hughes and Steinem fought tirelessly to knock down barriers of sexism, racism and classism, working to unify and strengthen the women’s movement through community organizing and job creation.

Pitman Hughes co-founded New York City’s Agency for Child Development, the forerunner to one of the agencies that now provides care for over 250,000 children daily and employs thousands of workers. She organized the first shelter for battered women in New York City and was one of the original founders of the Women’s Action Alliance. Pitman Hughes was also part of the research team that created the Business Resource and Investment Service Center, which focused on the development of small, locally owned businesses in Harlem.

Locally, Pitman Hughes opened the Gateway Bookstore in Jacksonville’s Northside neighborhood to bring educational resources, community outreach initiatives as well as reading and homework coaching to marginalized young people seeking mentorship and advocacy. She has continued to work with Steinem and other Jacksonville activists to address poverty with the creation of community gardens.

She is the author of “Wake Up and Smell the Dollars” and “I’m Just Saying…It Looks Like Ethnic Cleansing (The Gentrification of Harlem).” She also wrote a chapter in “When We Were Free to Be,” a collection of essays documenting the rise of non‐sexist children’s culture during the 70s. She recently released a collaborative work written with J.R. Schuman, titled “Ain’t I a Woman Too?,” which offers readers a unique and personal insight into her life and work. A biography, “With Her Fist Raised,” is expected to be published early next year.

Pitman Hughes has received numerous awards, including the Esther Award, which was presented by Bishop S.N. Snipes on behalf of the Martin Luther King Educational Foundation and the Women of Valor Award for raising money to support organizations providing services for battered women.

Following the luncheon, there will be a book signing and a Q&A session. Tickets for the Women’s History Month Luncheon can be purchased here or at the UNF Ticket Box Office, Building 8, Room 1100. General admission tickets cost $25. Tables are also available for $250; each table seats eight guests and includes table signage, preferential seating and recognition during the program.

For more information about the event, contact Joanna Hillman, Women’s Center coordinator, at (904) 620-5515 or at [email protected].

Statement on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting

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As Floridians continue to grapple with the massacres at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando and the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, our state is mourning yet another mass shooting, this time at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Broward County. At least 17 people have died, while many others have been injured. Our thoughts are with the Parkland community and those families forever impacted by today’s unspeakable tragedy.
The shooter, now in custody, was reportedly a former student who apparently chose an AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifle to use as his weapon. These types of weapons have been used in mass shootings again and again, including Aurora, Colorado; Newtown, Connecticut; San Bernardino, California; Orlando, Florida; Sutherland Springs, Texas; and Las Vegas, Nevada. Right now, the Florida Legislature has before it legislation to ban military-style assault weapons and high capacity magazines but has failed to act.
This shooting is further proof that semiautomatic weapons do not belong in the hands of civilians. They are weapons of mass destruction. The Florida Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence and the League of Women Voters of Florida call upon our Legislature currently in Session to hear and pass the ban on assault weapons — HB 219 and SB 196.
Our hearts break for the young lives that were ripped away in a senseless and all-too-common act of brutality. The Florida Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence is committed to fighting for smart, responsible gun legislation. The federal government will not change these laws; the state of Florida can and should protect its citizens, and most importantly its children.

MEMORANDUM: Flags at Half-Staff to Honor Victims of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting

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MEMORANDUM

TO: Tom Berger
Director of Real Estate Management and Development

FROM: Governor Rick Scott

DATE: February 14, 2018

RE: Flags at Half-Staff to Honor Victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting

In honor and remembrance of the victims of the senseless violence committed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on February 14, 2018, I hereby direct the flags of the United States and the State of Florida to be flown at half-staff at all local and state buildings, installations, and grounds throughout the State of Florida.  The flags shall be lowered immediately and remain at half-staff until sunset on Monday, February 19, 2018.

DNC Chair on Mass School Shooting in Florida

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DNC Chair Tom Perez released the following statement in response to the deadly shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida:

“I’m heartbroken by the tragedy in Parkland. My heart goes out to the victims of this senseless shooting and their families, as well as all of the brave first responders who prevented further carnage.

“We have seen these atrocities too many times before. This is not normal. This is not acceptable. This is not inevitable. It’s long past time for our leaders to stop pretending we are helpless in the face of such tragedy.

“No child should be afraid to go to school. No American should be afraid to go to work or their place of worship. No one in this country should be afraid to go to a shopping mall or baseball field, night club or movie theater, concert or college campus. We must come together as Americans and do everything we can to ensure that horrific attacks like this become a thing of the past.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Statement on the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting

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Attorney General Pam Bondi today issued the following statement regarding the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School:

“Praying for everyone involved in today’s shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. I am on the way with my victim advocates and we will be available in full force to help all victims and their families with any services they need.”

Reproductive rights advocates to boycott House committee hearing

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Fed up with being shamed and disrespected by legislators, advocates
will speak out at press event instead of attending committee

After being repeatedly disrespected, shamed and downright harassed by elected officials, advocates are boycotting the third committee stop for House Bill 1429 and instead speaking out about the dangers of this legislation at a press conference scheduled to take place during tomorrow’s House Health and Human Services Committee where the bill will be heard.

Press conference about the dangers of HB 1429

February 15, 11:00AM
Outside of House Office Building
Capitol Complex
Tallahassee, FL

Speakers:
Missy Wesolowski, Florida Planned Parenthood
Barbara DeVane, Florida NOW
Rep. Amy Mercado (D-Orlando)

“The decision to terminate a pregnancy is a difficult and personal one for every woman,” said Missy Wesolowski, Legislative Director for Planned Parenthood. “Whether it is a woman telling her personal story or a doctor sharing their professional opinion, every citizen who testifies before a legislative committee deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.”

At House Bill 1429’s first committee stop, one committee member ended up having to apologize repeatedly after the way he treated a woman who was courageous enough to testify about her own second trimester abortion due to a severe fetal anomaly.

At the bill’s next stop in the House Judiciary Committee last week, another member referred to abortion as an “execution”. While still another said he wouldn’t even refer to OB-GYNs who performed abortions as doctors but only as “abortionists.” Later in the proceeding, another committee member decided even that was too good and that “monster” or “baby killer” would be more appropriate.

“After all of that, at the end of the hearing, this same committee member had the audacity to chastise opponents of the bill who waved in opposition for not testifying,” said Barbara DeVane, lobbyist for Florida NOW. “This shaming of women is a perfect example of why these politicians should leave decisions about the best and most appropriate medical care to women and their doctors.”

Sadly, these recent examples are far from exceptions but rather are par for the course for hearings on bills related to regulating abortion.

Similar bans were passed in 2015 in Kansas and Oklahoma, in 2016 in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and West Virginia, and in Texas and Arkansas in 2017. All have been challenged in court, except for the bans in Mississippi and West Virginia, where the bans are not expected to have an impact on abortion services.

“Method Ban legislation like HB 1429 has no medical basis, puts women’s health at serious risk and represents yet another ideological attack on a woman’s right to a safe and legal abortion,” said Wesolowski.

Small Business Applauds Business Rent Tax Cut

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Please find below a statement from Tim Nungesser, NFIB/Florida Legislative Director, on the passage of the Florida House’s tax package in the House Ways and Means Committee:

“NFIB applauds the Florida House for including a cut in the business rent tax as part of their tax package today.

“This burdensome unique-to-Florida tax comes directly out of Florida business owners’ bottom lines. Lowering this tax shows that the House recognizes the important contributions small business owners make to our economy. When small business owners get to keep more of their hard-earned money, they reinvest that money into their businesses and their communities.

“Alleviating the tax burden from the business rent tax will go a long way toward helping small business owners continue to create jobs and grow our economy, and we thank Chairman Renner for his leadership on behalf of small business owners.”

NFIB is the nation’s leading small business association, with offices in Washington, D.C., and all 50 states. Founded in 1943 as a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, NFIB gives small and independent business owners a voice in shaping the public policy issues that affect their business. NFIB’s powerful network of grassroots activists sends their views directly to state and federal lawmakers through our unique member-only ballot, thus playing a critical role in supporting America’s free enterprise system. NFIB’s mission is to promote and protect the right of our members to own, operate and grow their businesses. More information about NFIB is available online at NFIB.com/FL.