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Rutherford Leads Letter Fighting to Base F-35s in Jacksonville

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Congressman John Rutherford in partnership with Senator Rubio, Senator Nelson, and the entire Florida delegation today sent a letter to Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson to advocate for the basing of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighters at the 125th Fighter Wing in Jacksonville.
Congressman John Rutherford said, “Jacksonville is the ideal home for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter due to our strategic location with unmatched training infrastructure and airspace. In addition to this being the right use of force at the right location, the State of Florida has a long history of supporting our military, and Northeast Florida presents unparalleled quality of life opportunities for the personnel this decision would bring. We appreciate the Air Force’s recent visit to the 125th and look forward to the new Secretary’s decision later this summer.”
Earlier this year, the Air Force named Jacksonville’s Florida National Guard wing as one of the five finalists for the current basing rounds under consideration. The Secretary of the Air Force will make her basing decision late this summer two of the five finalists, which include facilities in Montgomery, AL; Boise, ID; Selfridge, MI, and Madison, WI. If Jacksonville is selected, the F-35 will replace aging fighter jets, many of which date back to the 1970s. The F-35 will be the world’s most advanced fighter jet.
The text of the letter can be found below:

May 25, 2017

The Honorable Heather Wilson
Secretary of the Air Force
1665 Air Force Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20330
Dear Secretary Wilson:
We are writing to thank the Air Force for its recent visit to the 125th Fighter Wing and to again express our support for basing the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter with Florida’s Air National Guard.
As you know, the Florida Air National Guard installation in Jacksonville is home to the 125th Fighter Wing, which currently maintains and flies F-15 C/D Eagles. Due to the wing’s critical southeastern United States air defense mission and strategic location, we must partner together, in the interest of our national security, to ensure that the 125th FW is equipped with the most capable combat aircraft within the U.S. inventory. As representatives from both SAF/IE and Air Combat Command have now seen, the 125th FW best meets the F-35 basing requirements at the lowest cost to the taxpayer and has unparalleled training infrastructure and airspace.
The City of Jacksonville and the State of Florida have a long history of supporting our military. Due to our nearby and surrounding installations, Northeast Florida has unmatched quality of life opportunities for personnel and their families. Additionally, Jacksonville has uniquely taken great care in creating buffer zones and reducing encroachment issues.
We are confident that your continued review will show that 125th Fighter Wing is highly capable of supporting this fifth-generation fighter platform and that basing the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in Jacksonville applies the right force at the right place. We look forward to your upcoming decision and standby to assist in any further way.

Sincerely,

Nelson introduces bill to speed up Everglades projects

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Florida lawmakers in both the U.S. House and Senate reintroduced legislation today to expedite future Everglades-restoration projects by streamlining the process from planning to construction of a project.
The legislation – introduced in the Senate by U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) – would automatically authorize the Army Corps of Engineers to move forward on any Everglades-restoration project that is ready to begin, without having to wait for additional approval from Congress.
“Restoring the Everglades is a top priority,” Nelson said. “There’s simply too much at stake here in Florida to wait around for Congress to pass a water bill every few years. This bill will allow the Corps to begin work on these projects as soon as they are ready.”
Under the current system, the Corps must inform Congress once they are ready to begin work on a project, and then wait for Congress to authorize that project in a broader water resources bill.
Between 2001 and 2016, Congress only passed three water resources bills, delaying several Everglades projects for years. The $1.9 billion Central Everglades Planning Project, for example, was deemed shovel-ready in Dec. 2014, but wasn’t authorized by Congress until Dec. 2016.
Three Everglades-restoration projects are currently in the planning stage: the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Project, the Western Everglades Project, and the Loxahatchee River Watershed Restoration Project.
If Nelson’s bill is approved, construction on these three projects could begin as soon as the Corps deems them ready – instead of waiting years for Congress to authorize them in a future water bill.
Text of Nelson’s bill is available here.

Broad-Based Tax Relief Package Becomes Law

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Back-To-School and Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holidays, Sales
Tax Exemption for Feminine Hygiene Products, Lower Business Rent Tax

Florida Governor Rick Scott today signed House Bill (HB) 7109, Taxation. The legislation, sponsored in the Senate by Senator Kelli Stargel (R-Lakeland), Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance and Tax, will deliver broad-based tax relief to families and businesses across the state.
“I am pleased to see this comprehensive tax relief package become law,” said Senate President Joe Negron (R-Stuart). “Governor Scott and the Florida Legislature have worked together for the last several years to reduce the tax burden facing Florida families and businesses in a broad-based and meaningful way. This good bill furthers that commitment.”
“From tax savings for parents and students preparing for the new school year, to permanent savings for women’s health products, the Senate is advancing legislation that will keep more money in the pockets of the hardworking Florida families who earn it,” said Senator Kelli Stargel (R-Lakeland). “This tax relief package incorporates many of the ideas suggested by Senators and vetted by our Committee, and I am pleased to see it become law today. My colleagues and I want to remind all Floridians that they can begin taking advantage of this tax savings by stocking up on critical supplies during the Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday, which runs from June 2 through June 4, just in time for hurricane season.”
Establishes the 2017 Back-To-School Sales Tax Holiday
The legislation creates a three-day “back-to-school” sales tax holiday from August 4-6, 2017, for clothing and footwear costing $60 or less, school supplies costing less than $15, and for  a personal computer or personal computer-related accessories, including tablets, costing $750 or less.
Establishes the 2017 Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday
The legislation creates a three-day “disaster preparedness” sales tax holiday from June 2-4, 2017, for disaster preparedness supplies. Tax-free items include: flashlights and lanterns costing $20 or less; radios and tarps costing $50 or less; coolers and first-aid kits costing $30 or less; and, generators costing $750 or less, among others.
Creates a Sales Tax Exemption for Feminine Hygiene Products
The bill creates a permanent sales tax exemption for essential hygienic products for women. Currently, Florida law imposes a sales tax on luxury items such as cosmetics and toiletries, while providing tax exemptions for medical products used to prevent or treat illness. HB 7109 makes it clear that feminine hygiene products are not luxury items in the same category as toiletries, but rather a necessity for women’s overall health, hygiene, and well-being. Several states including: Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, New Jersey, Connecticut, New York, and the District of Columbia currently exempt these items.
Legislation to exempt the sales tax on feminine hygiene products was originally filed as Senate Bill 176 by Senator Kathleen Passidomo (R-Naples).
“This common sense legislation will result in a tax savings for women all over the state who purchase these necessary products,” said Senator Passidomo. “Through this bill, Florida stands to join other states that currently exempt these items.”
Reduces Business Rent Tax
House Bill 7109 permanently lowers the sales tax charged on commercial leases. The state currently levies a six percent tax on the total rent or license fee charged for renting any real property. Residences are exempt from this tax, and Florida is currently the only state in the country to impose this type of tax on businesses. The bill permanently lowers the rate from 6 percent to 5.8 percent.
During the 2017 Legislative Session, the Senate Committee on Finance and Tax passed Senate Bill 378 by Senate President Pro Tempore Anitere Flores (R-Miami, Monroe) to lower the business rent tax.
“Cutting this business tax will help the small, local businesses in our communities that lease property,” said President Pro Tempore Flores. “This legislation is a great step towards reducing and hopefully one day eliminating this burdensome tax on business.”
Increased Homestead Property Tax Exemption
During the 2017 Legislative Session, the House and Senate also passed House Joint Resolution (HJR) 7105, Increased Homestead Property Tax Exemption, sponsored by former Senate President Tom Lee (R-Thonotosassa). The joint resolution proposes an amendment to the Florida Constitution to provide an additional homestead exemption of $25,000. The amendment will take effect January 1, 2019, if approved by Florida voters. Homestead property owners will receive an exemption from ad valorem taxes, except levies by school districts, for the assessed valuation greater than $100,000 and up to $125,000.
Background: As Florida continues to recover from the Great Recession, the Legislature has prioritized broad-based tax relief for Florida’s families and businesses.
2016: House Bill 7099 provided broad-based tax relief for Florida families and businesses by permanently eliminating the sales tax exemption for machinery and manufacturing equipment, establishing a three-day Back-To-School Sales Tax Holiday, and reducing local property tax millage rates.
2015: House Bill 33-A permanently decreased the communication services tax (CST) on Floridians’ phones and television services, instituted a 10-day Back-To-School Sales Tax Holiday, and among other tax relief measures, eliminated the sales tax charged to returning service members and their families who have purchased a vehicle overseas.
2014: Senate Bill 156, by President Negron, provided a nearly $400 million reduction in vehicle registration fees.  The legislation reduced certain annual fees paid to register a motor vehicle to the amount paid prior to 2009. Annual vehicle registration fees were raised during the height of Florida’s economic decline in 2009, a year when state general revenue collections had declined more than 22 percent since their high in 2005-2006. In addition to other tax relief measures passed in 2014, this legislation provided fee relief to every Floridian who registers a car or truck.

Perez on Florida Victim Detained by Border Patrol

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Instead of Offering Medical Assistance,
Police Officer Demands Victim’s Papers

Univisión reported yesterday that a police officer in Florida demanded to know a victim’s immigration status before offering medical assistance. Caught on body camera, a Florida man who had been run over by a car was not offered emergency medical care until after a series of intrusive questions from the police officer. After receiving care at a local hospital, the victim was asked to return to the scene of the accident and was detained by border patrol. DNC Chair Tom Perez released the following statement on the disturbing incident:
“This horrific incident demonstrates the sick culture the Trump Administration is fostering that undermines the relationship between polices and communities.  Trump’s inflammatory words have made a select few feel as though they have license to abdicate their duties to the communities they serve and forgo human decency. The Trump Administration’s crusade against immigrants, and Latinos in particular, is making our communities less safe. It tears at the very fabric of our communities and erodes the American culture of opportunity. Simply put, this is not who we are as a nation.”
[VIDEO] Univisión: “Are you illegal?” A policeman’s question to a Honduran who had just been run over by a car

Everything was recorded on the body cameras of the police who responded to the accident.
Marcos Antonio Huete, a 31-year-old Honduran immigrant, was lying on a sidewalk next to his bicycle after being hit April 27 by a GMC Sierra pickup truck on his way to work in Key West in the Florida Keys.
“You illegal? Are you a legal citizen or no? Speak English? You got ID? Passport, visa, or what? a Monroe County sheriff asked Huete insistently, according to the video.
Still on the ground, Huete answers with monosyllables before using a cell phone to call his sister, who arrived at the scene soon after.
Hours after the accident Huete left hospital on crutches and was sent to the Krome Detention Center near Miami, where he has spent almost a month in detention pending possible deportation.
According to his sister, Olga Huete, after he was discharged from the hospital a police officer told them to return to the scene of the accident. “He did not tell us why, but we went back because my brother had not done anything. We had no reason to flee.”
 

Kallinger Statement on SB 106 Veto

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Jim Kallinger, President of the Florida Faith and Freedom Coalition, made the following statement regarding Governor Scott’s decision to veto Senate Bill 106:
“Governor Scott’s decision to veto SB 106 was the right one for Florida’s economy and Florida’s families. As the Governor said in his statement, removing the wall of separation between hard liquor and other items for sale would be bad for small businesses and job creation. But beyond that, it would have sent the wrong message to young people and opened the door a little wider to the tragic impact of alcohol abuse on families and public safety in Florida. We thank Governor Scott for his careful consideration and wise leadership on this important issue.” 

Flagler College honors Abare with tribute to ‘46 years of Making an Impact’

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Flagler College President Dr. William T. Abare Jr. at tribute ceremony Wednesday night

More than 450 people paid tribute to retiring Flagler College President Dr. William T. Abare Jr. on Wednesday night, with a sendoff that included the announcement that a new student residential complex will be named Abare Hall and the presentation of a presidential medal.
The event celebrated Abare’s career at Flagler, which has spanned 46 years, including 16 as president of the college. He will step down from the presidency at the end of June.
Flagler Board of Trustees Chairman Frank D. Upchurch III made it official that the $23 million student housing complex under construction on King and Malaga Streets along the banks of the San Sebastian River will be named for the president. It will open this fall, and will house 148 upperclassmen. He also presented Abare with the Flagler College Presidential Medal, which has only been given to one other person: former President and Chancellor William L. Proctor.
Speakers heaped praise on Abare for his years of service. “His legacy is evident when you look across this campus, and even the town,” said Flagler alumna Diane Evia-Lanevi, ’87. “However, I believe his greatest legacy lies in the relationships that he has forged with the students and the alumni throughout his 46 years here at Flagler College.”
Assistant Professor of Humanities Steve Voguit said he was always drawn to Abare’s sincerity and passion for what he was doing. “Bill Abare cares deeply about this place,” he said. “But most importantly, he cares so much about the students who choose to come here, and about those of us who are fortunate enough to teach here.”
Other speakers included former St. Augustine Mayor Greg Baker, former Flagler Board of Trustees member Delores Lastinger and Chancellor Proctor, who gave a tribute to Abare’s wife, Susan.
Abare has been president of Flagler College since 2001, and has worked at Flagler College since 1971 when he was hired as director and dean of Admissions. Prior to serving as president, Abare was executive vice president and dean of Academic Affairs at Flagler for 12 years.
He announced his retirement in spring of 2016 saying, “The more I thought about it, I realized there was never going to be a perfect time. There will always be another initiative to begin, another program to get underway, another project to start and finish, another fundraising effort to mount. There isn’t a perfect time. I just felt like this was the right time.”
Dr. Joseph G. Joyner, former superintendent of schools for the St. Johns County District in St. Augustine, was named president of Flagler in November and will officially begin July 1.

Gov. Scott Signs Business Rent Tax Cut

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Statement on Gov. Scott’s signing of the tax package HB 7109 today by Bill Herrle, National Federation of Independent Business/Florida’s Executive Director:
“Today’s signing of HB 7109 shows that small business comes first.
“The business rent tax reduction accounts for two-thirds of the overall cut in the package – that’s a significant show of support for small business and an indication that the Florida Legislature is serious about working toward fully repealing this burdensome tax.
“Gov. Scott has long been a proponent of reducing the unfair business rent tax, and we applaud him for his work to push this over the finish line and put money back into the hands of business owners and their employees.”

Florida Realtors Statement Regarding Signing of HB 7109

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Please see the following statement from Maria Wells, 2017 President, Florida Realtors, regarding Governor Rick Scott’s signing of HB 7109.
“I applaud Governor Scott and members of the legislature for making these tax cuts possible for Florida families. From a Realtor perspective, I am particularly excited about the first-ever cut to the business rent tax that is included in this bill. The business community has been working to advance this tax cut for several years. This is a tremendous success for Florida Realtors and the entire Business Rent Tax Coalition.
The most significant steps are often the first ones we take on an issue and this cut opens the door for future reductions of this burdensome tax. More importantly, it puts $61 million back in the hands of businesses to grow and hire more people, and when businesses grow, communities prosper.”

Gov. Scott Signs Legislation to Cut $180 Million in Taxes for Floridians

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Governor Rick Scott signed HB 7109, which cuts taxes by $180 million for Florida families and businesses. This brings the total amount of taxes cut since Governor Scott has been in office to more than $6.7 billion.
Governor Scott said, “I’m proud to sign this legislation today that cuts more than $180 million in taxes for Florida families and businesses. Since I’ve been in office, I’ve fought to cut taxes and reduce burdensome regulations to help boost Florida’s economy and ensure our children and grandchildren have the opportunity to succeed in our great state. Every time we cut taxes, we are encouraging businesses of all sizes to create opportunities for families across the state and more money is put back in taxpayers’ pockets.”
The $180 million tax cut package includes:
Decreasing the Tax on Business Rents by $61 Million – Florida is the only state that has a tax on commercial leases which unfairly targets small businesses. This legislation reduces the tax on commercial leases by 0.2 percent in 2018, savingFlorida businesses $61 million a year.

  • Sales Tax Holidays to Save Families $37.9 Million – The tax cut package includes two sales tax holidays, which will save Florida families an estimated $37.9 million in the upcoming fiscal year. These sales tax holiday savings include:
    • $33.4 million from a 3-day back-to-school sales tax holiday (August 4-6, 2017).
    • $4.5 million from a 3-day disaster preparedness sales tax holiday (June 2-4, 2017). For more information visit www.floridarevenue.com.
  • Cutting Taxes for Low-Income Floridians and Florida Seniors: $32.7 million.
    • $6.9 million by expanding the property tax exemption for Assisted Living Facilities beginning in 2017.
    • $25.8 million by providing a 50 percent discount in property taxes to certain multifamily, low-income housing projects.

To view a copy of the transmittal letter, click HERE.
To see the full bill, which includes the additional tax cuts, click HERE.

Rutherford announces Army Corps funding for JAXPORT

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The Army Corps of Engineers today awarded $17.5 million for the Jacksonville Port deepening project in its FY 2017 Work Plan. This funding will begin construction of the deep draft navigation improvements at JAXPORT. Congressman Rutherford has urged the Army Corps for funding to deepen the Jacksonville harbor, which would bring larger ships, economic growth, and jobs to Northeast Florida.
Congressman Rutherford said, “This funding is a great start to the needed dredging at JAXPORT which will allow economic growth and trade to prosper in Northeast Florida. As one of 17 U.S. commercial Ports critical to the nation’s security, the Jacksonville Harbor plays a significant role in the deployment of cargo overseas. It is important that the Port be brought to its fully authorized level, and I look forward to working with the administration so our port can remain the epicenter for national security and job creation.”
See the letter to OMB Director Mick Mulvaney and Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army Douglas Lamont requesting new start funding for JAXPORT.