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Commissioner Putnam Applauds Governor Scott’s Support of Florida’s Law Enforcement Officers

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Following Governor Rick Scott’s legislative budget proposal for $30 million more for state law enforcement pay raises, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam issued the following statement:
“Our state law enforcement officers deserve all the support we can give them, as they’ve achieved a 46-year crime low and face unprecedented challenges, such as the current opioid crisis.
“Our 240 law enforcement officers with the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement and their peers at other state law enforcement agencies deserve a raise. In order to recruit and retain the best law enforcement officers to keep Floridians and visitors safe, this is a much-needed step in the right direction. I thank Governor Scott for this proposal.”
For more information about the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FreshFromFlorida.com.

Gov. Scott to Propose $30 Million in Pay Raises for State Law Enforcement Agencies

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Proposed Funding Would Double Current Year Investment

Governor Rick Scott today announced that he will propose $30 million in pay raises for state law enforcement agencies to use for officer recruitment and retention in his 2018-2019 recommended budget. Last month, Governor Scott signed SB 7022 to provide a five percent pay raise for Florida’s sworn state law enforcement officers. This $30 million would double that investment and be used to reward current sworn state law enforcement officers and continue to attract qualified officers. The Governor’s proposal will allow each state agency with sworn law enforcement to formulate their own pay raise plan to meet their specific needs. The Governor will announce his entire recommended budget before the beginning of next year’s legislative session.
Governor Scott said, “Today, I’m proud to announce that as part of my upcoming recommended budget, I will be proposing a $30 million investment in pay raises for our state law enforcement agencies to use for officer recruitment and retention. This $30 million in pay raises will help reward our hard-working state law enforcement officers and ensure we can continue to hire highly qualified and dedicated officers to keep Florida families safe for years to come. I know that each state agency has different needs, and this proposal allows them to provide pay raises to best suit their sworn law enforcement officers.
“As Governor, I have traveled the state and had the opportunity to meet firsthand with our brave law enforcement officers to hear incredible stories of their bravery and service. Our state law enforcement officers face danger every day, and they have protected our communities during some of our state’s most challenging times. I was proud to stand with the Florida Senate and Florida House this year to fight for the well-deserved five percent pay raise for sworn state law enforcement officers, but we cannot stop there. We must do everything we can to recognize our law enforcement and work to ensure that our state can recruit hard-working law enforcement officers to build on Florida’s 46-year crime low.”
Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Rick Swearingen said, “We are grateful for Governor Scott’s continued support of Florida’s law enforcement community and his commitment to the safety of our Florida citizens. His proposal will help us continue to hire the best, and to better retain the talented agents we have already working for FDLE.”
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Executive Director Terry L. Rhodes said, “I am immensely proud of the life-saving work that the Florida Highway Patrol members do every day to protect the citizens and visitors of our state. Governor Scott is dedicated to ensuring the state has the necessary resources to recruit and retain state law enforcement, and I thank him for his proposal.”
Florida Highway Patrol Director Colonel Gene Spaulding said, “Every day, Florida Highway Patrol troopers leave the safety and comfort of their homes and families to protect and serve our great state. This funding proposal is a testament to their great sacrifice, and I thank Governor Scott for his continued commitment to our troopers and all of the state law enforcement officers.”

First Lady Ann Scott Concludes Summer Literacy Adventure

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Tomorrow, July 27, First Lady Ann Scott will conclude the 2017 Summer Literacy Adventure in Hobe Sound. During her visit, the First Lady will read to students from the Tree Top Academy of Palm Beach.
WHAT: Summer Literacy Adventure
WHEN: Thursday, July 27, 2017
10:00 – 11:00 am
WHERE: Jonathan Dickinson State Park
16450 SE Federal Hwy
Hobe Sound, FL 33455
For more information about the Florida Department of Education, visit www.fldoe.org.

Mast to Trump: Nominate Assistant Secretary to Oversee Army Corps

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Mast Pushing Army Corps to Work on Southern Reservoir

U.S. Congressman Brian Mast (FL-18) today sent a letter, joined by 32 other Members of Congress, to President Donald J. Trump calling on him to nominate a permanent Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works to oversee the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  The Army Corps is currently overseen by an Acting Assistant Secretary who has not been confirmed by the Senate.
In the letter, Rep. Mast calls for the President to nominate “an outsider who recognizes the need for transformational change within the Corps, and who is willing to work with Congress to make those changes come to fruition.”  Rep. Mast has been pushing the Army Corps to collaborate with South Florida Water Management District on implementing State Senate Bill 10 to build a reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee.
The text of the letter is below.
July 26, 2017
The Honorable Donald J. Trump
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Trump,
As members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, we write in support of swift action to nominate an Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works (ASA-CW) to lead the critical missions of the Army Corps of Engineers – Civil Works (Corps).
The Corps has a significant role to play in rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure. The agency owns and operates more than 600 dams, operates and maintains 25,000 miles of commercial navigation channels, maintains more than 900 coastal and inland harbors, and is integrally involved in much of the regulatory processes that must be followed and completed before projects can move forward.
We believe that streamlining much of the Corps’ regulatory responsibilities can save taxpayers millions of dollars and help get projects off the ground and completed much more quickly. While Congress will have the opportunity to make such changes in statute, we embrace the opportunity to work with your administration and particularly a new ASA-CW to improve the implementation of existing regulations and permissions related to infrastructure projects.
We also have concerns that, under the previous administration, the Corps began to move away from its true missions, placing less priority on actually building projects and enabling private investment in infrastructure to move forward. It is therefore of great importance that the new ASA-CW is an outsider who recognizes the need for transformational change within the Corps, and who is willing to work with Congress to make those changes come to fruition.
We share your goal of making significant investments in our nation’s infrastructure, and look forward to working with you to that end. In order to ensure the most prudent and efficient use of taxpayer dollars on much of these critical investments, we respectfully ask that you move expeditiously to nominate an ASA-CW.
Thank you for your time and consideration of this important matter.
Sincerely,

Gov. Scott Attends Office Depot Foundation Back-to-School Celebration

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Governor Rick Scott today attended the Office Depot Foundation Back-to-School Celebration to hand out backpacks and school supplies to students and parents for the 17th annual “National Backpack Program” event. Governor Scott also highlighted this year’s Back-To-School Sales Tax Holiday starting Friday, August 4 and continuing through Sunday, August 6.
Governor Scott said, “I was proud to attend the Office Depot Foundation Back-to-School Celebration where they donated 6,000 backpacks to children in Miami. This year’s Fighting for Florida’s Future budget includes record per-student K-12 funding and a Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday which will save families more than $33 million on necessary school supplies so students can succeed in the classroom. We are working to ensure every child in Florida has the opportunity to get a great education and we look forward to their continued success in the upcoming school year.”
President of the Office Depot Foundation Mary Wong said, “It is our mission to make sure that every child has the right tools to achieve success in school. School is challenging enough on its own, and when you’re unable to come prepared with the basic essentials for learning, it’s nearly impossible. We want to give every kid a fair chance.”
The 2017 Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday was passed by the Florida Legislature and signed into law by Governor Rick Scott. This sales tax holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, August 4, 2017, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, August 6, 2017. During this sales tax holiday, qualifying items will be exempt from tax including: certain school supplies selling for $15 or less per item; clothing, footwear, and certain accessories selling for $60 or less per item; and personal computers and certain computer-related accessories for $750 or less per item.
For more information and a list of qualifying items, please visit the Department of Revenue’s 2017 Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday webpage.

CFO Patronis Invites Floridians to 2017 Unclaimed Property Auction in Fort Lauderdale

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Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis invites Floridians to participate in the 2017 Florida Unclaimed Property Auction. This public auction featuring the sale of nearly 50,000 individual items valued at more than $630,000 will be hosted Saturday, July 29, at the Sheraton Suites Cypress Creek in Fort Lauderdale. A public preview will be held Friday, July 28, at the Sheraton Suites hotel.
Featured items in this year’s auction include a 12-pound silver bar recovered from shipwreck Atocha, a vintage Wilt Chamberlain basketball card, 4.3-carat diamond earrings, and several high-end watches from brands such as Rolex, Chopard and Bulgari.
2017 Unclaimed Property Auction Preview
Date: Friday, July 28
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location: Sheraton Suites Cypress Creek
Address: 555 NW 62nd Street
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 32256
2017 Unclaimed Property Auction
Date: Saturday, July 29
Time: 10:00 a.m. (Registration opens at 8:00 a.m.)
Location: Sheraton Suites Cypress Creek
Address: 555 NW 62nd Street
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 32256
The unclaimed property auction features items from safe deposit boxes that have gone unclaimed for years despite exhaustive efforts to return them to their owners. Proceeds from the auction are deposited into the state’s education fund where they work to support Florida’s public school system. Should a property owner discover that he or she owned an item that was auctioned; however, the proceeds from the sale can be claimed any time at no cost.
For full details about this weekend’s auction, or to search for or claim unclaimed property, visit www.FLTreasureHunt.gov, or call 1-88-VALUABLE or 850-413-5555. A free catalog, which lists each item up for sale, is also available on the website.

Mast to Army Corps: No Discharges to Treasure Coast

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Letter Urges Army Corps to Exhaust All Possible Options Before Discharging Water

Mast Calls on Army Corps to Work with SFWMD on Southern Reservoir

U.S. Congressman Brian Mast (FL-18) yesterday sent a letter to Assistant Secretary of the Army Jo-Ellen Darcy urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to “exhaust every possible flood-prevention option prior to considering discharging water.” The letter comes on the heels of the discovery of a massive algal bloom in Lake Okeechobee. Last summer, discharges from Lake Okeechobee resulted in harmful algal blooms on the Treasure Coast that caused a massive public health crisis and incalculable economic damage.
In the letter, Mast also urges the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to “work with South Florida Water Management District on a long-term solution that includes implementing Florida State Senate Bill 10, which authorizes construction of a reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee.”
The full text of the letter is included below:
July 24, 2017
The Honorable Jo-Ellen Darcy
Assistant Secretary of the Army
108 Army Pentagon
Washington, DC 20310
Dear Secretary Darcy:
The Treasure Coast of Florida is facing an environmental disaster. Last summer, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ decision to discharge polluted, nutrient-rich freshwater from Lake Okeechobee had dire consequences on the Treasure Coast. As a result of these discharges, our community faced a public health crisis and incalculable economic damage.
My office has been monitoring the situation for warning signs of a repeat disaster throughout this summer, and late last week, I became aware of a massive algae bloom growing in Lake Okeechobee. If the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were to transfer this algal bloom into the St. Lucie River through a discharge, it would again cause an unacceptable crisis on the Treasure Coast.
In a column published in the Tampa Bay Times on July 20, 2017, Colonel Jason Kirk noted that heavy rain has caused water levels in the conservation area to hit record highs, preventing water from being sent south out of Lake Okeechobee for several months. Based on information provided by the U.S. Army Corps, however, it is my understanding that the water levels in Lake Okeechobee are currently several feet below the level necessitating discharges, and I also understand that on June 27, 2017, the U.S Army Corps of Engineers took additional measures to mitigate the high water levels throughout the conservation areas.
Should these water levels rise, I am writing to urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to exhaust every possible flood-prevention option prior to considering discharging water. The transfer of algae-filled water from Lake Okeechobee onto the Treasure Coast is simply unacceptable, which is why I have introduced legislation in Congress to hold the federal government responsible for the cost of damages associated with the transfer of algal blooms from Lake Okeechobee into our community.
Understanding that this is a complex problem that will not be solved over night, I also urge you to work with South Florida Water Management District on a long-term solution that includes implementing Florida State Senate Bill 10, which authorizes construction of a reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee. I will do everything in my power to authorize federal support for this project as well.
Thank you in advance for your immediate attention to this potentially life-threatening situation.
Sincerely,
Brian J. Mast
Member of Congress
cc:
President Donald J. Trump
Acting Secretary of the Army Robert M. Speer
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers District Commander Colonel Jason A. Kirk
Governor Rick Scott
South Florida Water Management District Executive Director Peter Antonacci

Top Prize claimed in $10,000,000 FORTUNE Scratch-Off game

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The Florida Lottery announces Annefrances Holahan, of Fort Myers, claimed a top prize in the $10,000,000 FORTUNE Scratch-Off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee.
Holahan chose to receive her winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $7,348,000.00. She purchased her winning ticket from Buddy Boys Country Store, located at 8430 Country Road 13 North in Saint Augustine. The retailer will receive a $20,000 bonus commission for selling the winning Scratch-Off ticket.
The $25 Scratch-Off game, $10,000,000 FORTUNE, launched in February 2016, and 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.

Mast Introduces Amendments to Combat Harmful Algal Blooms

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Proposals Increase Funding by More Than $2 million

U.S. Congressman Brian Mast (FL-18) offered four amendments to the FY2018 Energy and Water Development and the Department of Defense Appropriations bills designed to increase research and funding into harmful algal blooms.  In total, the amendments would increase funding by more than $2 million.
“We must tackle the lack of clean, safe water in our area from as many different angles as possible,” Rep. Mast said. “In addition to supporting efforts to build a southern reservoir, increasing funding to research and combat harmful algal blooms will move us closer to preventing future public health crises like we lived through last summer.”
The funding increases would impact the following programs:
Department of the Navy Research Laboratory – $598,000
The Environmental Sustainability Development Project under the Naval Research Laboratory works on coastal contamination and contaminated sediments.  Funding for this program is cut in the proposed Department of Defense appropriations bill by $598,000 compared to FY2017 enacted levels.  The amendment offered by Rep. Mast restores the program to full funding and would fund the program at $2.04 million higher than the President’s requested level.
The Lakes Program – $750,000
The Lakes Program was authorized to “carry out a program for the removal of silt, aquatic growth, and other material,” but the proposed Energy and Water Development appropriations bill includes no funding for the program. Rep. Mast’s amendment allocates $750,000 to the Lakes Program to make grants available to states for projects to remove “toxic substances mobilized by high acidity,” such as algal blooms.
The Aquatic Nuisance Species Research Program – $500,000
Rep. Mast’s amendment increases funding by $500,000 for the Aquatic Nuisance Species Research Program, which provides the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers managers and operational personnel up-to-date information on aquatic nuisance species, including basic life history and ecological information, risk assessment tools, preventative strategies, and cost-effective and environmentally sound management options. The main objective of this program is to conduct interdisciplinary research on the prevention, control, and management of aquatic nuisance species that impact Corps of Engineers projects and public facilities.
The Aquatic Plant Control Research Program – $500,000
Rep. Mast’s amendment increases funding by $500,000 for the Aquatic Plant Control Research Program, which is the nation’s only federally authorized research program directed to develop technology for the management of non-indigenous aquatic plant species. The program provides effective, economical, and environmentally compatible methods for assessing and managing problem aquatic plants.
An appropriations bill containing both Energy and Water Development appropriations and Department of Defense Appropriations is scheduled to be considered later this week.