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Florida Solar Workforce Grows Following Bipartisan Leadership

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Vote Solar urges continued Florida support
for solar as Washington withdraws support

The Solar Foundation today released its annual National Solar Jobs Census, showing Florida’s solar industry employs 8,589 workers, climbing four percent more than 2016. Solar advocates and industry called on state lawmakers to continue support for policies that create local jobs and grow Florida’s clean energy economy.

“Florida solar jobs continue to outpace the economy thanks to a number of factors, including improved solar policy through property tax relief, strong net metering for investor-owned utilities and leveraged buying power through the recent surge of solar cooperatives,” said Patrick Altier, President of Florida Solar Energy Industries Association. “Most importantly, the uptick in consumer awareness on the benefits of solar, both financially and environmentally, have driven the sunshine state’s clean energy economy.”

“The solar industry is a bright spot in Florida’s economy, creating thousands of local jobs across the state,” said Scott Thomasson, Southeast Director at Vote Solar. “Time and again, policymakers, on both sides of the aisle, deliver when Florida voters overwhelmingly support solar progress. State legislators showed that again this week, voting to move forward Senator René Garcia’s bill to invest in solar and battery storage solutions that keep communities up and running during national disasters.”

When Hurricane Irma shut the power grid down for days, many Florida families were able to keep their lights on and their refrigerators cold using solar panels paired with new battery technology. This year, Florida House Bill 1133 and Senate Bill 1888 would establish a pioneering new pilot program that will expand the use of solar and battery storage and build a more resilient energy grid.

Florida’s solar job growth is in contrast with national trends, which decreased year over year largely due to policy uncertainty at the federal level. The national Solar Energy Industries Association estimates that President Trump’s solar tariffs will cost the economy another 23,000 jobs in the coming years.

League of Women Voters Florida, coalition partners highlight worst of the worst proposed amendments before the CRC

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The League of Women Voters Florida (LWVFL) today joined with allied organizations in Tallahassee to alert Floridians to a host of bad ideas that could be on the ballot when they go to the polls this fall.
“There are a handful of good proposals still alive before the Constitution Revision Commission (CRC), but they are overshadowed by numerous proposals seeking to strip away constitutional protections,” said Pamela Goodman, President of the League of Women Voters of Florida. “As commissioners travel the state for a second round of public hearings, Floridians need to make their voices heard in opposition to these harmful proposals.”
The CRC is convened once every 20 years to conduct a thorough review and propose amendments to the Florida Constitution. The amendments that the commission approves will go directly on the ballot next November for voters to decide.
“The League of Women Voters has not submitted or endorsed any proposals. We’ve joined with a broad coalition of organizations working to promote transparency and hold the commission accountable to the citizens of Florida,” Goodman explained. “The commission’s failure to adopt rules in a timely manner and a continuing tendency to ignore their own rules of procedure are a serious concern. But even more concerning at this point is a very clear agenda unfolding for the CRC that mirrors the legislature.”
Flanked by representatives of coalition partner organizations including American Civil Liberties Union Florida, Anti-Defamation League, Common Cause Florida, Florida Policy Institute, Florida Education Association, SEIU Florida, Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, Progress Florida, Florida NOW, For Our Future, Florida PTA, Florida AFL-CIO, Sierra Club, Southern Poverty Law Center, Florida Public Defender Association, Equality Florida and Florida First Amendment Foundation during a press conference on the capitol steps, Goodman questioned whether the appointed commission was acting independently or under the control of their appointing authorities.
“With so many bills mirroring CRC proposals moving through the legislature, it begs the question of who is really in control,” Goodman said.
Coalition partners highlighted what they consider to be the “worst of the worst” proposals under consideration by the CRC. Most of the measures making the “Terrible Ten” list have the common goal of restricting or eliminating protections currently provided by the Florida Constitution.
“We are calling upon the members of the CRC to use the public tour that launched yesterday to really listen and act on what Floridians want in their constitution,” Goodman urged. “If they don’t, Florida voters will have no trouble saying NO in November.”

FWC approves guidelines for conserving 8 imperiled species

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Tricolored Heron. (FWC photo)

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) today approved Species Conservation Measures and Permitting Guidelines for eight state-threatened species that are among the 57 species in the agency’s Imperiled Species Management Plan.

Each of the eight species – Barbour’s map turtle, Big Cypress fox squirrel, Black Creek crayfish, blackmouth shiner, Florida burrowing owl, Florida pine snake, saltmarsh topminnow and Santa Fe crayfish — now has its own Species Conservation Measures and Permitting Guidelines.

The species guidelines are designed to be a tool for landowners, consultants, agency partners and other interested parties on how to conserve these eight imperiled species.

“Landowners will have predictability, can avoid pitfalls and can avoid the taking of wildlife,” said Chairman Bo Rivard. “These guidelines will really help.”

The guidelines offer options for avoidance, minimization and mitigation of take of the species. They provide species-specific information on key issues relevant to real-world conservation, including:

  • Essential behavioral patterns,
  • Survey methods,
  • Recommended conservation practices,
  • Exemptions or authorizations for take,
  • Coordination with other regulatory programs, and
  • Permitting options for achieving conservation or scientific benefit.

During 2017, the FWC reached out to stakeholders on multiple occasions, through meetings, workshops and webinars, to discuss and get input on the development of the species guidelines.

“Our goal is to keep all of these species around for current and future generations,” said Brad Gruver, who leads the FWC’s Species Conservation Planning Section. “These guidelines will greatly benefit our efforts in doing so.”

For an overview of how Florida conserves imperiled species, go to MyFWC.com/Imperiled.

Gov. Scott Announces New Partnership to Connect Families Displaced by Hurricane Maria with Jobs in Florida

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Following a recently announced $1 million investment in Florida’s workforce system to help Puerto Rican families find jobs, today, Governor Rick Scott announced a new job placement partnership between education, business and workforce development organizations. CareerSource South Florida, the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce of South Florida and the Ana G. Méndez University System will work together to connect families relocating from Puerto Rico with available job positions and provide needed job training. Today’s announcement took place on the South Florida campus of the Ana G. Méndez University System, which has provided scholarships for more than 50 Puerto Rican students to continue their studies in Florida.

Governor Scott said, “This week, I visited Puerto Rico and assured everyone there that Florida will continue to help those displaced by Hurricane Maria in any way that we can. A large part of any family’s success is the ability to find a good job. That is why I recently announced a $1 million investment into Florida’s workforce system to help connect those displaced by Hurricane Maria with job opportunities in Florida. Our state currently has more than 260,000 job opportunities because of our focus on the economy, and this new partnership will make sure that every family has the ability to support themselves and get back on their feet.”

DEO Executive Director Cissy Proctor said, “As Floridians, we understand the importance of returning to work after a natural disaster. DEO is proud to work with local CareerSource Florida workforce boards across the state to connect dislocated job seekers with job opportunities. We will continue to use these grants and all other resources we have available to help families impacted by Hurricane Maria return to work.”

President of Ana G. Mendez University Jose F. Mendéz Mendéz said, “The Ana G. Mendéz University System feels honored to be part of this collaborative alliance. I appreciate Governor Scott’s efforts and those of all who make it possible to fulfill his public policy of helping our people on the Island; particularly, for all the initiatives created for the thousands of families who have decided to turn Florida into their new home. Our learning centers in Florida, through our Dual Language Immersion Program, are the ideal place for the Hispanic community to acquire the necessary skills for the challenges that professionals face in today’s business world.”

CareerSource Florida President and CEO Michelle Dennard said, “The CareerSource Florida network shares the commitment of our business and education partners to help families impacted by Hurricane Maria rebuild their lives. We are grateful to Governor Scott for his leadership in providing all available resources to assist our neighbors, and we are excited to be part of this new initiative.”

CareerSource South Florida Executive Director Rick Beasley said, “My team looks forward to working closely with the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce of South Florida to ensure the business community knows the wide range of skills job seekers who have relocated due to Hurricane Maria bring to our workforce. CareerSource South Florida also stands ready to assist Ana G. Mendez University students with finding job opportunities upon graduation.”

President of the South Florida Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce and Executive Director of the Dynamic Community Development Corporation Luis De Rosa said, “Governor Scott has been a champion for the people of Puerto Rico as they recover from Hurricane Maria, and the South Florida business community is working tirelessly to assist in these efforts. Joining forces with CareerSource South Florida and Ana G. Méndez University will extend our reach and our ability to help these families.”

CareerSource South Florida and CareerSource Central Florida are continuing to provide employment services at Multi-Agency Resource Centers in the Orlando area and Miami International Airport to Puerto Rican families displaced by Hurricane Maria. Several local workforce development boards have held recruiting fairs and workshops to assist Floridians and others impacted by last year’s hurricanes. For additional information about employment opportunities, please visit employflorida.com, available in English and Spanish.

Sen. Bill Nelson on disaster aid in Senate budget deal

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The just-announced Senate budget deal includes roughly $90 billion in disaster assistance to help places like Florida and Puerto Rico recover from last year’s storms. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) has been calling on Senate leaders to pass a disaster assistance package for months now. Below is a list of the projects that Nelson had urged Senate leaders to include in the bill.

Here’s a comment from Nelson:

“The people of Florida and Puerto Rico are still struggling to recover from last year’s devastating storms and the disaster funding in this bill will help provide them some much-needed relief.” Nelson said. “The disaster funding in this bill will not only help provide Florida’s schools and citrus growers the help they need, it will also help Puerto Rico rebuild its power grid and avoid an even greater healthcare crisis. ”

And here’s a list of projects Nelson pushed to have included in the bill:

  • $2.36 billion to provide disaster assistance for Florida citrus growers and other farmers. Florida’s citrus industry sustained more than $760 million in losses due to the storm. USDA estimates Florida’s citrus industry will harvest only 46 million boxes of citrus this year, less than 25 percent of the nearly 204 million boxes harvested in Florida ten years ago.
  • $2.7 billion for schools impacted by recent disasters, including schools in Florida.More than 12,000 students, who evacuated from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the wake of the storms, have now enrolled in schools around Florida. The sudden influx of new students is putting a strain on some Florida schools as they struggle to accommodate the additional students with limited budgets and resources.
  • $15 billion for Army Corps mitigation and resiliency projects, including the Herbert Hoover Dike. Herbert Hoover Dike protects thousands of Floridians who live around Lake Okeechobee from the threat of catastrophic flooding. The Army Corps of Engineers says it needs approximately $200 million per year, for the next four years, to finish work on the dike by 2022.
  • Closing the Medicare Part D “donut hole” for seniors in 2019. Under the ACA, the Medicare “donut hole” is expected to close by 2020. Closing this gap in coverage by 2019, instead of 2020, and shifting more of the cost to drug makers, instead of Medicare, will lower the cost of prescription drugs for Florida seniors and save taxpayers approximately $9 billion over ten years and help offset some of the additional spending being proposed in a budget deal the Senate is expected to take up later this week.
  • $2 billion directed to help Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands rebuild and improve their electric grids. Four months after Hurricane Maria, nearly 1/3 of the island remains without power.
  • $4.9 billion in Medicaid funds for Puerto Rico and USVI. According to the government of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico’s Medicaid program costs approximately $1.6 billion per year to operate. $4.9 billion would fully fund Puerto Rico Medicaid’s program for at least two years.
  • Decreasing Puerto Rico’s Medicaid cost-share requirement for 2 years. The federal government matches only 55% of the cost for Puerto Rico to operate its Medicaid program. By temporarily decreasing this cost-share requirement, the federal government would be allowed to pay a greater share of the cost of Puerto Rico’s Medicaid program while it works to rebuild in the wake of Hurricane Maria.

FWC extends the permit spawning season closure inside Special Permit Zone

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At its February meeting in Tallahassee, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved a measure to extend the spawning season closure for permit inside the Special Permit Zone in south Florida.

The change, effective April 1, 2018, will add April to the existing May-through-July season closure for the harvest of permit inside the Special Permit Zone, which includes all state and federal waters south of Cape Sable on the Gulf coast, and south of Cape Florida on the Atlantic coast including all of the Florida Keys and Biscayne Bay.

Recent research confirms spawning-size permit are visiting known south Florida multi-species aggregation sites from April through July.

For more information or to view the presentations given at the Commission meeting, visit MyFWC.com/Commission and select “Commission Meetings” then click on the link below “Next Meeting.”

For information on permit, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “Saltwater Fishing,” “Recreational Regulations” and “Permit, Florida pompano, African pompano.”

Shikar-Safari honors 2018 Wildlife Officer of the Year

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The Shikar-Safari Club International today named Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Officer Michael Bibeau its 2018 Wildlife Officer of the Year during the Commission meeting near Tallahassee.

Shikar-Safari Club International is a conservation-based organization that presents awards annually to wildlife law enforcement officers in all states, provinces and territories in the United States and Canada.

The annual award honors a state officer whose efforts show outstanding performance and achievement among sworn conservation law enforcement personnel.

“Officer Bibeau is a fine example of our dedicated law enforcement officers who are out there every day protecting the public and conserving Florida’s natural resources,” said Commission Chairman Bo Rivard. “We are pleased to recognize his accomplishments and are honored to have him representing the FWC.”

Originally from Pinellas County, where he now patrols, Bibeau makes a positive impact both on- and off-duty, and his actions set an example that reaches statewide. He serves as a field training officer and has experience serving on the FWC’s elite Special Operations Group.

Bibeau was recently selected to be a member of the inaugural Advanced Conservation Academy where he traveled and trained in every region of the state. This year-long professional development program is offered to select sworn members, giving them the opportunity to travel to each region in the state to develop and hone their skills.

This past year, Officer Bibeau rescued four occupants of an overturned personal water craft who had fallen off and were being swept out to sea by strong currents, logged 27 search-and-rescue hours, removed two impaired vessel operators from the water, addressed numerous resource misdemeanors, issued three major resource violations and promoted conservation stewardship and education by issuing multiple warnings. He logged more than 1,300 water patrol hours and more than 133 shellfish patrol days, and maintains a strong working relationship with other local agencies.

In addition to other outreach events, Officer Bibeau participates in the Great American Teach-In program, taking time to provide elementary and middle school students real life insights into the world of a conservation law enforcement officer, while reinforcing the importance of education for success in any occupation. He is a steadfast ambassador for conservation and a positive influence on visitors and residents of Florida.

He was also awarded the North American Wildlife Enforcement Officers Association 2017 Lifesaving Award for saving the life of a drowning man who jumped off the Tierra Verde Bridge.

“This is a great honor and I’m blessed to be asked to represent the FWC throughout the year. I want to offer my thanks to my lieutenant and my squad, who motivate me to work hard every day,” said Bibeau.

To learn more about becoming an FWC officer, visit JoinFWC.com.

Commissioner Adam H. Putnam to Kick-off Florida State Fair on Thursday

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MEDIA ADVISORY

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam will kick-off the annual Florida State Fair on Thursday, Feb. 8. The Fair runs from Feb. 8 through Feb. 19.

Media is welcome to attend the following opening day events; however, please note that these events are not open to the general public:

6:15 a.m.
“Flip the Switch” Media Event
Midway Sky Eye, Across from the Florida Welcome Center
Commissioner Putnam, along with Governor Scott, Attorney General Bondi and CFO Patronis, will open the 2018 Florida State Fair with first responders by “flipping the switch” to turn on the lights of the midway. *Please arrive by 6:15 a.m., the actual flipping of the switch will be at 6:35 a.m.

7 a.m.
“Fresh From Florida” Breakfast
Agriculture Hall of Fame Building
Commissioner Putnam, along with Governor Scott, Attorney General Bondi, and CFO Patronis will join local farmers, ranchers and representatives from Florida’s agriculture community for a casual breakfast, featuring “Fresh From Florida” products.

12 p.m.
Governor’s Day Luncheon  
Charles M. Davis Special Events Center
The Governor will provide the keynote address at this annual Florida State Fair luncheon.

Please enter the Florida State Fairgrounds at the Orient Road Security Gate, located at the intersection of Interstate 4 at Orient Road. Parking is behind the Special Events Center. Media must RSVP by Wednesday, Feb. 7, at 5 p.m. to [email protected] to attend the events. Directions are available at floridastatefair.com/directions.aspx.

To view a map of the Florida State Fairgrounds, click here.

For more information about the Florida State Fair, visit FloridaStateFair.com.

700 Floridians Attend CRC Public Hearing in Fort Lauderdale

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Approximately 700 Floridians attended a public hearing held by the Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) on Tuesday, February 6 at Nova Southeastern University’s Rick Case Arena as part of its, “Road to the Ballot” public hearing tour. At the public hearing, more than 330 individual Floridians requested to speak before the CRC and approximately 700 attended the hearing. The public hearing lasted nearly eight hours and extended past the noticed end time of 7:00 PM. All Floridians who attended the public hearing and wanted to speak were given an opportunity to be heard by the CRC.

To watch the public hearing held in Fort Lauderdale, visit the Florida Channel’s website which has a page dedicated to all CRC public hearings and meetings. A complete transcript of the public hearing and appearance forms will be available online at flcrc.gov as soon as possible. The next public hearings held by the CRC will be on Monday, February 19 in Melbourne and Tuesday, February 20 in Jacksonville. Both public hearings are noticed from 1:00-7:00 PM local time. Visit flcrc.gov/Meetings/PublicHearings for additional details on the upcoming public hearing schedule.

The goal of upcoming public hearings is to give Floridians an opportunity to provide feedback on the 37 proposals under active consideration by the CRC. Public hearings are free events open to all Floridians who would like to attend. No tickets or RSVPs are required. Free public parking will be provided.

New UNF Poll Shows Sen. Bill Nelson Leading Gov. Rick Scott in 2018 Senate Election

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The Public Opinion Research Lab at the University of North Florida has a new poll that reveals Sen. Bill Nelson in the lead for the upcoming Senate election, with Gov. Rick Scott trailing close behind. The survey also shows that President Trump’s job approval rating has risen some since last fall.

The poll, comprised of Florida registered voters, shows that of likely voters in 2018, 48 percent plan to vote for Nelson, the Democratic candidate in the upcoming election for U.S. Senate, while 42 percent plan to vote for Scott, the Republican. Of those likely voters, 7 percent don’t know who their choice will be.

Regarding the U.S. House of Representatives, when asked who they would vote for if the election were held today, 42 percent of likely voters indicated they would vote for the Democratic candidate, 40 percent would plan to vote for the Republican candidate and 14 percent didn’t know.

“Even though it appears Nelson has a reasonable lead in the poll, the election results will ultimately get determined by who shows up in November,” said Michael Binder, faculty director of the Public Opinion Research Lab at UNF. “Historically, Republicans have enjoyed a turnout advantage in midterms, but with the current mood of the country, and a large number of Republican retirements, Democrats are optimistic about an impending blue wave.”

Of registered voters who were asked whether they approve or disapprove of the way Nelson is handling his job as senator, 52 percent of registered voters claim to somewhat or strongly approve, with only 20 percent somewhat or strongly disapproving. Notably, 26 percent of voters expressed they don’t know how Nelson is handling his job. When asked about the way Scott is handling his job as Florida governor, 63 percent reported to strongly or somewhat approve, with 31 percent disapproving either somewhat or strongly.

“Both senate candidates have net positive job approval ratings of 32 percentage points,” said Binder. “This high level of job approval is very unusual and is going to lead to a hotly contested election.”

When asked about how Sen. Marco Rubio is handling his job, 55 percent strongly or somewhat approve, compared to the 35 percent who reported to somewhat or strongly disapprove.

When asked about President Donald Trump’s job approval rating, 43 percent of the overall sample strongly or somewhat approve of how he’s handling his job, with 53 percent disapproving somewhat or strongly. A large amount of registered Democrats—87 percent—disapprove of Trump, while only 16 percent of registered Republicans disapprove. On the contrary, Trump held 81 percent job approval among registered Republicans, compared to 40 percent approval among nonpartisans and a dismal 10 percent job approval among registered Democrats.

“Most presidents would consider 43 percent approval and net negative 10 percentage points a troubling number, but Trump’s approval is up 6 percentage points from his approval level in October, and his net negatives have improved by 12 percentage points,” noted Binder.

In light of the recent investigation into Russian involvement in the 2016 election, when asked about the way Robert Mueller is handling his job as Special Counsel for the United States Department of Justice, 40 percent of registered voters somewhat or strongly approve, 28 percent of voters somewhat or strongly disapprove and 29 percent of voters don’t know how he’s handling his job.

“Even though Mueller is acting in a legal capacity, and has a 12-percentage point net positive job approval, there are partisan divisions as Democrats are much more supportive than Republicans in their views on Mueller,” said Binder.

For details about the methodology of the survey and additional crosstabs by partisanship, sex, education, race and age, click here.