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Governor Scott Proclaims Florida Foster Family Appreciation Week

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Governor Rick Scott proclaimed the second week of February as Florida Foster Family Appreciation Week, observed on February 12-18, 2018, to celebrate those who protect and offer hope to Florida’s most vulnerable children.

There are approximately 7,184 children in Florida who live with foster families. Foster parents take on the responsibility of providing a supportive, safe, and loving home to children who have been abused or neglected, as well as being a role model for biological parents working towards reunification. These families encourage the success of Florida’s next generation of leaders, parents, and future foster parents.

“While their time with the child may be temporary, the impacts that foster parents have on these children last a lifetime”, said DCF Secretary Mike Carroll. “Not only do foster parents open their homes to children in need, they also support them in a time when they need someone to trust and look up to. Being a foster parent is a selfless act that should be commended and celebrated”.

“Individuals and families who have opened their homes and hearts to Florida’s children and youth in crisis are a testament to the commitment our communities are making to ensuring every child in Florida is in a safe and loving home,” said Florida Coalition for Children CEO Kurt Kelly. “However, as we celebrate these thousands of generous families, we must also remember there are still hundreds of children in need.  We hope in sharing the joy fostering can bring into a home, many more families step forward.”

Approximately 5,272 foster families are currently licensed through the State of Florida. All foster parents in Florida must attend an orientation, complete foster parent training, have a child abuse and criminal background check, and participate in a home study and inspection. DCF contracts with lead Community-Based Care agencies that recruit and train families across Florida who serve as foster parents.

During the week of February 12-18, 2018, DCF will be recognizing Florida’s foster parents that exemplify what it means to be compassionate, dedicated, and caring towards Florida’s youth via the department’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Mast Secures Full Funding to Expedite Herbert Hoover Dike, Other Regional Priorities By Leveraging Vote

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Mast Votes ‘Yes’ to Open Government 5 Hours Into Shutdown 

Bill Addresses Water Infrastructure, Veterans Affairs, Opioids, Disaster Relief

U.S. Congressman Brian Mast (FL-18) today voted ‘yes’ on a budget agreement after negotiating to including South Florida water infrastructure projects, improvements at the Department of Veterans Affairs, funding to address the opioid crisis, and resources for disaster recovery.  The bill includes full funding to expedite completion of the Herbert Hoover Dike by 2022, as well as $4 billion for repairs at Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals, $6 billion to combat the opioid epidemic, and $90 billion in supplemental disaster relief.  Earlier this week, Rep. Mast had informed Congressional leadership that he would vote ‘no’ on the package unless these priorities were addressed.

“The rehabilitation of the Herbert Hoover Dike has been ongoing for more than decade, and significant funding setbacks have meant that it wasn’t expected to be finished for yet another decade from now,” Rep. Mast said. “For the first time ever, we can say that this project is now fully funded at a level where it can be completed in four years instead of another 10.  This is a major accomplishment for our community that clears the deck to now focus on other critical projects like the S.B. 10-authorized southern storage reservoir.  A bipartisan group of Florida representatives fought hard for this money, and I was proud to help lead the way.” 

The bill also reauthorized the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for an additional four years on top of the six years passed in January.

Senate passes $90 billion disaster aid package

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Includes billions of dollars to help Florida
and Puerto Rico recover from 2017 hurricanes

The U.S. Senate today approved a massive two-year government spending bill that includes, among other things, $89.3 billion in disaster assistance to help areas, such as Florida and Puerto Rico, recover from the devastating 2017 hurricanes.

The bill provides $2.36 billion to help farmers in states affected by last year’s storms, including Florida’s citrus growers who sustained more than $760 million in losses due to Hurricane Irma. It also provides $2.7 billion for schools impacted by the storms, including schools in Florida that have experienced a sudden influx of students who evacuated from Puerto Rico; and $10.4 billion for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to use for construction projects in states impacted by the hurricanes, such as the Herbert Hoover Dike that helps protect residents and businesses on Lake Okeechobee.

Also included in the bill is $2 billion to help Puerto Rico rebuild its power grid, where nearly a third of the island still remains without power; and $4.8 billion to fund Puerto Rico’s Medicaid program for at least two years.

“This is a big win for all those who are still struggling to recover from last summer’s devastating storms,” said U.S. Bill Nelson (D-FL), who has been calling on Congress for months to pass a disaster funding bill to help people in Florida and Puerto Rico recover. “For some, the funding in this bill is a light at the end of the tunnel and a major step forward in helping them return to the way life used to be before these storms.”

In addition to the nearly $90 billion in disaster assistance, the overall $300 billion budget agreement includes several other non-disaster related items Nelson pushed for, including:

$6 billion to help combat the opioid crisis.

$81 million to repair facilities damaged at NASA’s Kennedy and Johnson Space Centers during Hurricane Irma and Harvey. Nelson, who serves as the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee which oversees NASA, requested the funding to repair numerous federal facilities affected by the storms, including NASA’s Kennedy and Johnson Space Centers.

$835 million for U.S. Coast Guard costs associated with Hurricanes Irma, Harvey, Maria and Matthew. Nelson, who serves as the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee which oversees the U.S Coast Guard, requested the funding to repair damaged Coast Guard facilities.

Closing Medicare’s prescription drug “donut hole” by 2019. Nelson got Senate leaders to include in the budget deal a provision to close the so-called Medicare prescription drug “donut hole” by 2019, instead of 2020, and shift more of the cost to drug makers, instead of Medicare. The move not only helps to lower the cost of prescription drugs for Florida’s seniors, it also saves taxpayers billions of dollars over ten years.

Reauthorizes the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for 10 years. Nelson cosponsored legislation similar to a provision included in the budget deal to extend the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which more than 370,000 children in Florida rely on.

Seniors’ Tax Simplification Act of 2017. Included in the budget bill is a provision identical to legislation Nelson filed with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) in January 2017 (S. 157) to make it easier for seniors to file their taxes. The measure allows seniors to file a new tax form, similar to the 1040EZ, instead of the more complicated Form 1040 or Form 1040A they are currently required to use because of the income they earn through Social Security, capital gains and other retirement benefits, and the special tax credits they receive.

$7 billion to help fund Community Health Centers. Nelson cosponsored similar legislation included in the budget deal to provide an additional $7 billion for Community Health Centers. These health centers provide much-needed medical services to some of the nation’s most vulnerable individuals, including more than one million Floridians each year.

Repeals the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). Nelson cosponsored legislation that was included in the budget deal to repeal IPAB in its entirety.

Senate Passes Balanced Budget Focused on Education, $3.4 Billion in Total Reserves

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$154 million for Florida Forever Programs, State Law Enforcement and Firefighter
Pay Raise, Historic Investments in Need and Merit-Based Student Financial Aid

The Florida Senate today passed Senate Bill 2500, the 2018-19 General Appropriations Act. This legislation forms a balanced budget for the 2018-19 fiscal year, prioritizing funding for Florida’s K–12 and higher education systems, while setting aside $3.4 billion in total reserves. The budget also makes critical investments in Florida’s environment, continues historic investments in need-based and merit-based student financial aid, and provides a pay raise for Florida’s state law enforcement officers and state firefighters, among others.

“I am pleased to see the Senate budget pass with strong bipartisan support today. The balanced budget that passed today is the product of thousands of informed decisions that reflect public testimony from our fellow citizens and input from the constituents we represent over the last several months,” said Senate President Joe Negron (R-Stuart). “From unprecedented per-student funding for K-12 education, to historic investments in need-based student financial aid for our college and university students, combined with the permanent expansion of Bright Futures, the Senate is committed to ensuring that all Florida students have an opportunity to achieve their educational goals.”

“This balanced budget ensures that we live within our means and responsibly plan for Florida’s future by setting aside ample reserves,” said Senator Rob Bradley (R-Fleming Island), Chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations. “One important focus of the budget is our state employees. We want to continue to recruit and retain top talent for our state workforce, so the Senate budget includes targeted pay raises in areas where we see high amounts of turnover, including state law enforcement and state firefighters. Additionally, we continue our commitment to faithfully implement the voter-approved Water and Land Conservation Amendment with significant investments in Florida Forever and Everglades Restoration, as well as restoration of our beaches and springs.”

Morean Arts Center Increases Financial Aid Assistance to 2018 Summer Campers

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Ten percent of qualifying Summer Art & Clay Camp
attendees are expected to receive scholarships this year

The Morean Arts Center, the oldest gallery south of Atlanta, is gearing up for a creative and educational Summer Art & Clay Camp! This year, in celebration of the Morean moving into its next century of the arts in St. Petersburg, more summer camp scholarships will be offered than ever before!

Scholarships are an important part of camp at the Morean as they allow children to cultivate creativity and interest in the arts for those who otherwise wouldn’t be able to experience it. Creative thinking, problem solving, communication and empathy—these attributes and skills, learned through the making of art, contribute to the mental and emotional growth of a child.

These camps are art-focused and offer children ages 4-16 the opportunity to experience guided art projects as well as access to the rotating exhibitions in the main gallery or at the Morean Center for Clay. On-site field trips to the neighboring Chihuly Collection and Hot Shop where live glass blowing demonstrations provide education on local art and the science behind it are also incorporated in select camp weeks.

There are even specialized camp options for teens to discover the world of art. Teens can explore camp options in glass, animation, jewelry, photography, clay and more.

As creative summer camps fill up fast, its recommended parents fill out the Scholarship Application on the website and reserve a spot as early as possible. The Morean Arts Center also offers 1-Day Art Camps for Pinellas County no school days, Spring Break Camps, Thanksgiving Break Camp, and Holiday Camp.

In addition to camps, the Morean Arts Center and Morean Center for Clay offers FREE family fun with Saturdays @ the Morean, located at the downtown location and Sundays @ the Morean, located at the Morean Center for Clay, as well as Spring Fling Family Day on March 17.

Camps are offered at the Morean’s main location located at 719 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg, Fla. 33701, and the Morean Center for Clay, a beautifully-renovated train station located at 420 22nd Street South, St. Petersburg, Fla. 33712.

To apply for financial assistance for Summer Camp 2018, please visit MoreanArtsCenter.org and click on the education tab to locate Camps & Events.

If you’re interested in donating to provide additional Summer Art & Clay Camp scholarships, please contact the Director of Development, Anna Kuhlman, at 727.822.7872 ext. 2120 or email [email protected].

Faith Leaders Speak Out, Send Open Letter to Florida Lawmakers on High-Cost Payday Lending

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Lawmakers Should Listen and Put the Brakes on
Bill Expanding 200% Payday Lending in Florida

As Florida lawmakers move a bill legalizing a new 200% interest payday loan through legislative committees, faith leaders are urging them to kill the bill and get serious about reforming predatory lending in the state.
An open letter signed by 56 faith leaders from across the state, along with the AME Church of Florida (consisting of more than 400 churches), National Baptist Convention USA, Inc., Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and Ecumenical Poverty Initiative, asks lawmakers to stand up for Floridians and against predatory lenders by voting against SB 920/HB 857. That proposal would let Florida payday lenders make larger, more expensive loans in addition to those that already flood low-income communities in the state.
As described in the letter:
Predatory payday lenders cause serious damage to our communities. They target and exploit those in the most vulnerable situations by giving them high interest loans. These loans, which often carry triple-digit interest, trap borrowers in an unaffordable cycle of debt. Often these borrowers come to our churches and community services after payday lenders have already drained all their financial resources and crushed their spirits. This is detrimental to both the borrowers’ financial security, emotional and financial strength of families, and our ability to provide aid to our community. 
In a conference call this morning, several of those leaders spoke out against the bill, citing cases where members of their congregations had been caught in the debt trap of payday lending. On the call were Rev. Rachel Gunter Shapard, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida, Bishop Adam J. Richardson, 11th District of the AME Church, Florida, Pastor Lee Harris, Mt. Olive Primitive Baptist in Jacksonville, Elder Wayne Wright, who has been personally impacted by payday loans, Rev. Dr. Russell Meyer, Florida Council of Churches and Bishop Teresa Jefferson-Snorton, 5th District of the CME Church, Florida.
The proposal would allow loans twice as large as the current limit, up to $1,000, with 60- to 90-day terms and annual interest rates over 200%. According to an analysis from the Florida Office of Financial Regulation, a borrower in debt for 60 days currently pays $110 in fees for $1,000, but would pay $214.68 under SB 920. And payday loans financially devastate borrowers because they are structured to keep them paying the triple-digit fees over months or years, whether they are short or longer-term loans.
A representative of Amscot, a large payday lender, testified at a committee hearing that his company needs the new law because the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a new rule impacting his business. That rule would require payday lenders to assess the ability of borrowers to repay their loans, something most lenders already do. The rule is not scheduled to take effect until August of 2019, and it is under attack by members of Congress and the new director of the Consumer Bureau, so it may not ever be put into place.
The FL NAACP, the AARP, the Florida Catholic Conference, National Association of Latino Community Asset Builders, Florida Prosperity Partnership, Florida Veterans for Common Sense, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida, UnidosUS, Florida Hispanic Unity, Florida Legal Services, League of Southeastern Credit Unions and many others are among the many groups who oppose legalizing a product that would snare borrowers in a debt trap even deeper and more damaging than traditional payday loans.

Gov. Scott Directs DEP to Expedite Additional Marine Debris Clean-Up in Monroe County Waterways

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Governor Rick Scott today announced that, at his direction, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), with assistance from the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), has signed an agreement with Monroe County to assist in the clean-up and removal of marine debris caused by Hurricane Irma. Following the significant and widespread damage caused by Hurricane Irma, Monroe County expended its available funding resources for clean-up activities.

The state has now agreed to cover the costs of debris removal to ensure that this important marine debris clean-up work can begin immediately since the local government has used all available funding. The state will be reimbursed by the county once Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reimbursements are received.

Under the agreement, DEP will provide $6 million and immediately begin overseeing the cleanup of marine debris in impacted canals and nearshore waters in Monroe County. The county will provide local coordination for the clean-up effort and FDEM will assist the county in applying for reimbursements from FEMA.

Governor Scott said, “Since Hurricane Irma impacted our state, communities across Florida have been working tirelessly to clean-up and recover from this destructive storm. The Florida Keys undoubtedly experienced significant damage when the storm made landfall at Cudjoe Key. We’re doing everything we can to help Monroe County and the Florida Keys as they continue to recover from Irma and I am proud to direct DEP to enter this agreement and immediately get to work removing debris. In Florida, we know that our pristine environment is a big part of what drives our booming tourism industry and this is especially true for the Florida Keys.”

DEP Secretary Noah Valenstein said, “The Florida Department of Environment Protection’s top priority is protecting our state’s world-renowned natural and water resources. We are honored to partner with Monroe County to help with this unprecedented and complex clean up.”

FDEM Director Wes Maul said, “I am proud that we were able to help Monroe County enter into this agreement with the Department of Environmental Protection. Thanks to Governor Scott’s leadership and support, working directly with DEP will be the best and fastest way to clear the debris remaining in these waterways following Hurricane Irma’s devastating impact. FDEM staff will continue working hand-in-hand with our state and local partners to ensure not only that impacted communities recover successfully, but that every available federal reimbursement dollar is delivered as quickly as possible.”

UCF Hydrogen Fuel Expert Selected for International Award

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A UCF Florida Solar Energy Center scientist with 40 years of experience in research and innovation in the field of hydrogen energy has been selected to receive an international award named after the visionary futuristic writer Jules Verne.  [Read more…] about UCF Hydrogen Fuel Expert Selected for International Award

Florida Companies Record $122 Million in Sales at MEDICA Trade Fair

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The 23 small and mid-sized businesses that exhibited in last year’s MEDICA Trade Fair reported more than $122 million in total projected export sales. Enterprise Florida, Inc. (EFI) hosted the Florida Pavilion, the largest of any state in attendance. MEDICA was held November 13-16 in Düsseldorf, Germany and is the world’s largest trade event for the medical/health industry.

“MEDICA was once again a highly successful show for Florida and the companies that exhibited in Florida’s pavilion,” said Manny Mencia, EFI’s senior vice president of international trade & development. “I congratulate those companies and thank them for helping us tell the Florida business story. Because of the success Florida companies consistently have at MEDICA, the state is recognized around the world as a leader in the medical/health care industry.”

2017 marked MEDICA’s 34th year. Over the four days of the trade fair, approximately 130,000 trade visitors from 70 countries attended, and more than 5,000 exhibitors displayed a broad spectrum of innovations and products.

In addition to the 23 companies that exhibited in the two-story Florida Pavilion, 25 other Florida businesses attended the show. Florida Pavilion exhibitors were:

David Kerr, Orthomerica chairman and CEO, said, “We were first introduced to MEDICA years ago by EFI. We continue to attend and certainly have added scores of jobs as a result. Attending MEDICA enables me to meet with many existing distributors, saving me a considerable number of visits to their cities. We make good use of the Florida Pavilion and the Enterprise Florida staff serves us well logistically. I say every year that Enterprise Florida is a great use of my tax dollars!”

“MEDICA 2017 exceeded our expectations with the help of Enterprise Florida’s team both on and off-site,” said Oz Ozkaya, president of Infinium Medical in Largo. “This exhibition has been a huge success.  We displayed our products in more a professionally designed, larger booth space and therefore allowed more customers to visit our company. Due to expected sales increases and other strategic connections that were made during the exhibition, we anticipate growth and the addition of more Florida jobs in 2018. Thank you Enterprise Florida! We will be back next year!”

Enterprise Florida conducted nearly 60 meetings with global leaders in the medical device manufacturing industry during the show. EFI co-sponsored the U.S. Pavilion reception, giving Florida companies an informal opportunity to meet with U.S. and international companies attending the trade event.

EFI maintains an extensive schedule of overseas trade missions and exhibitions worldwide. In fiscal year 2016-17, more than 500 small and mid-sized Florida businesses reported $738 million in total export sales following international events.

Gov. Scott and Florida Cabinet “Flip the Switch” to Open Florida State Fair

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The Governor and Florida Cabinet (l-r) Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam, CFO Jimmy Patronis, Gov. Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi stand with Florida State Fair Board Chairman Doyle Carlton III and military and first responders to “flip the switch” for the 114th Florida State Fair.

Governor Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet – Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam, Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and Attorney General Pam Bondi – today kicked off the Florida State Fair with the annual “flip the switch” ceremony, turning on the lights to the nation’s largest traveling Ferris wheel.

The Florida State Fair is a 12-day salute to the state’s best in agriculture, entertainment and food. Opening day of the Florida State Fair is “Salute to Heroes” day, and it continues the longstanding tradition of welcoming active duty military, veterans and first responders free of charge in recognition of their service to Florida and the nation.

For more information about the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FreshFromFlorida.com.