John Giotis, Chairman of the Florida Council for Safe Communities, today released the following statement following Governor Scott’s veto of SB 106 yesterday:
“We thank Governor Rick Scott for his veto of SB 106, the so-called “Whiskey and Wheaties” bill. This decision will not only preserve jobs and small businesses, but will also keep our state a safer place for everyone, including young people and tourists. Since the Legislature passed this contentious bill with only the slimmest of margins, Governor Scott’s veto not only reflects his commitment to good policy, but also sound process, and we applaud his leadership.”
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Gov. Scott Appoints John Tupps as Communications Director
Governor Rick Scott today announced the appointment of John Tupps as Communications Director in the Governor’s Office beginning June 5th.
Governor Scott said, “John has demonstrated an incredible commitment to supporting our mission of making Florida the top destination for businesses, families and visitors. He has been a part of my administration since my first year in office and over the past six years, he has worked tirelessly to serve our state. I know John will use this experience and dedication each day to lead my communications efforts as we continue to fight for Florida jobs.”
Tupps is currently the Vice President of Government Relations for VISIT FLORIDA and previously served as deputy chief of staff at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission where he focused on conveying those organizations’ priorities to both the public and news media. Tupps previously worked in various roles in the Governor’s Press Office from 2011 to 2016, including deputy press secretary, press secretary and then deputy director of communications. Tupps also previously worked as a radio producer for South Central Radio Group in Knoxville, Tennessee. He received his bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Tennessee.
Atlantic snook to close in state and federal waters
The recreational harvest of snook in Atlantic state and federal waters will close on June 1.
Snook is also currently closed for harvest in Gulf of Mexico state and federal waters, and will reopen for harvest in Atlantic and Gulf state and federal waters Sept. 1.
Unique to the region, snook are one of the many reasons Florida is the Fishing Capital of the World. Seasonal harvest closures help conserve Florida’s valuable snook populations and improve the fishery for the future.
Snook can be caught and released during the closed season, but anglers should use proper handling methods to ensure the species’ abundance for anglers today and generations to come. To learn more and see a video about catch-and-release fishing and the best way to handle a fish, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “Saltwater Fishing,” then “Recreational Regulations” and “Fish Handling.”
Anglers can report their catch on the Snook & Gamefish Foundation’s website at SnookFoundation.org by clicking on the “Angler Action Program” link in the bar at the top of the page.
Learn more about recreational fishing at MyFWC.com/Fishing by clicking on “Saltwater Fishing” and “Recreational Regulations.”
FDLE recognizes National Missing Children's Day
Winner of this year’s National “Bring Our Missing Children Home”
poster contest. The contest among fifth-grade students included
entries from 34 states and the Aviano U.S. Air Force Base in Italy.
FDLE recognizes National Missing Children’s Day on Thursday, May 25, 2017.
“As we head into the summer months, I urge parents and caregivers to remind children about staying safe,” said FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearingen. “I encourage you to take advantage of the online safety tools and resources available. When a child does go missing, the timely awareness of concerned citizens is often vital to law enforcement in recovering that child quickly and safely. Please sign up to be notified when there is an AMBER or Missing Child Alert in Florida.”
During 2016, Florida law enforcement agencies received 33,366 reports of missing children and FDLE’s Missing Persons and Offender Registration unit provided direct assistance in the recovery of 57 missing children last year.
Citizens can sign up to receive free AMBER and Missing Child Alerts by following FDLE on Facebook or Twitter or signing up to receive email or text message at www.missingchildrenalert.com. The KidSmartz and NetSmartz sites are interactive, educational programs that provide age-appropriate resources to help teach children how to be safer on and offline. The programs are designed for children ages K-5 and 5-17, parents and guardians, educators, and law enforcement.
President Ronald Reagan proclaimed May 25 as National Missing Children’s Day in 1983 and the nation observes this day each year to mark the anniversary of the disappearance of Etan Patz from a New York City street on his way to school in 1979.
To view safety tips on how to keep your children safe, click here. To learn more about Florida’s AMBER Plan, visit www.missingchildrenalert.com.
Secretary Ken Detzner Announces Launch of Florida Music Tours
Listen, learn and visit now at FloridaMusicTours.com
Secretary of State Ken Detzner and the Florida Department of State today announced the launch of Florida Music Tours, a new educational, travel and media website that spotlights Florida’s important role in American musical history and promotes the state as a top destination for music enthusiasts. Each Florida Music Tour will act as an interactive guide to a musical genre or style that takes a visitor through Florida’s musical history and across the state to where that music originated and where it can be heard today.
“Florida Music Tours is a great way for music fans, history lovers, educators and visitors to experience Florida’s history through music,” said Secretary Detzner. “The website makes it easy to listen to Florida’s traditional music, learn about influential performers and visit music festivals, venues and historical sites throughout Florida. We look forward to working with musicians, venues, researchers and museums across the state as we share Florida’s deep roots in American musical history.”
Florida Music Tours is kicking off this weekend, May 26-28, at the Florida Folk Festival in White Springs, Florida where a number of the musicians featured on the site are performing.
The debut Florida Music Tour, Florida’s Got the Blues, spotlights the history of blues music in Florida as well as related genres of gospel, jazz and rhythm and blues. In the coming months, additional Florida Music Tours will be added that feature rock and roll, old time string and folk, Latin American and Caribbean, country and more. Music fans can experience the Florida’s Got the Blues Music Tour during the tour’s launch party on June 3 in Tallahassee at the Bradfordville Blues Club concert featuring Joey Gilmore.
Florida Music Tours incorporates a variety of resources from the Florida Department of State, including Florida Memory Radio which provides streaming audio of bluegrass and old-time, blues, folk, gospel, Latin and world music from the Florida Folklife Collection. The website also features media from the State Library and Archives of Florida and spotlights musicians that are Florida Folk Heritage Award winners and Florida Artists Hall of Fame inductees.
Start your Florida Music Tour today by visiting FloridaMusicTours.com and following Florida Music Tours on Facebook and Twitter.
About the Division of Cultural Affairs
The Florida Department of State Division of Cultural Affairs is Florida’s legislatively designated state arts agency. The Division promotes the arts and culture as essential to quality of life for all Floridians. To achieve its mission, the Division funds and supports cultural programs that provide artistic excellence, diversity, education, access and economic vitality for Florida’s communities. For more information, visit dos.myflorida.com/cultural.
About the Florida Folklife Program
The Florida Folklife Program, a component of the Florida Department of State Division of Historical Resources, documents and presents Florida’s folklife, folklore and folk arts. The program coordinates a wide range of activities and projects designed to increase the awareness of Floridians and visitors alike about Florida’s traditional culture. Established in 1979 by the legislature to document and present Florida folklife, this program is one of the oldest state folk arts programs in the nation. For more information, visit flheritage.com/preservation/folklife.
About Florida Memory
Florida Memory provides free online access to significant photographs, films, sound recordings, and original documents from the collections of the State Library and Archives of Florida. Florida Memory is funded under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, administered by the Florida Department of State’s Division of Library and Information Services. Visit floridamemory.com for more information.
Governor’s SB 106 Veto a Win for Small Business
Statement on Gov. Scott’s veto of SB106 by Tim Nungesser, National Federation of Independent Business/Florida’s Legislative Director:
“This bill would have decimated small locally owned liquor stores. Though proponents claimed this was a free market bill, it was nothing more than an attempt to use the statute to corner the market on liquor.
“Governor Scott stood up for small business tonight by vetoing the Whiskey and Wheaties bill.”
Statement by Floridians for Fair Business Practices regarding Veto of SB 106
“Floridians for Fair Business Practices would like to thank our coalition members and supporters, sponsors Senate President Pro Tempore Anitere Flores and Representative Bryan Avila, as well as lawmakers in the House and Senate who have advocated for a repeal of Florida’s outdated alcohol separation law.
We have made tremendous progress in the last four years and there is a clear momentum in Florida for this common-sense approach to liquor sales. While Governor Scott ultimately chose to veto Senate Bill 106, we look forward to working with state leaders in the future to finally put an end to this outdated, Prohibition-era law.”
Floridians for Fair Business Practices is a coalition of retailers and business groups whose purpose is to identify rules and regulations which prohibit the growth and expansion of Florida businesses. For additional information, please visit www.FairBizinFlorida.com.
Governor Scott Vetoes “Liquor Wall” Bill
Governor Rick Scott today vetoed SB 106, known as the “Liquor Wall” or “Whiskey and Wheaties” bill, relating to the sale of alcoholic beverages. To view the veto letter Governor Scott sent to Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner, click HERE.
DEO Encourages Local Communities to Apply For Grant Programs to Improve Economic Development Efforts
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) invites communities across Florida to submit proposals for three grant funding opportunities for the upcoming fiscal year.
- The Competitive Florida Partnership Grant is a two-year program that provides technical assistance and support to rural areas seeking to improve their communities through an asset-based economic development strategy.
- The Competitive Florida Economic Development Project Grant provides funding that allows communities to pursue a specific economic development project or supplement an existing project.
- Community Planning Technical Assistance Grants assist counties, municipalities and regional planning councils with Community Planning Act-related projects that benefit local governments.
DEO Executive Director Cissy Proctor said, “DEO is committed to using our resources and tools to help all Florida communities and their residents flourish. The Competitive Florida programs and Community Planning Technical Assistance grants are critical tools that help support communities in need across the state. These programs help communities strengthen infrastructure, enhance business development and improve their residents’ quality of life.”
Communities qualifying for the Competitive Florida Partnership Grant include all rural Florida counties and their municipalities, or rural municipalities in an urban county. The Competitive Florida Partnership provides grant funding and staff support in the first year of the program. In year two, communities continue to receive technical assistance from DEO and may be eligible for additional grants. The Competitive Florida Partnership began in 2013 to help rural communities meet their goals with expert support and additional resources that may be otherwise unavailable.
Competitive Florida Economic Development Project Grants are available to all counties and municipalities to help the community learn more about local assets and economic conditions, and develop a specific local project. Grant awards range from $5,000 and $15,000.
Community Planning Technical Assistance Grants are available to all counties and municipalities for one fiscal year. Regional Planning Councils may also be eligible for projects at a regional scale that include more than one county. Projects seeking grant funding must be completed by June 1, 2018. Typical grant awards will be between $25,000 and $40,000 per project.
Proposals must be received by the department by June 23, 2017 at 11:59 p.m.
For more details on the Competitive Florida program, click here.
For more information on DEO’s technical assistance efforts, click here.
Sen. Bill Nelson statement on CBO score
Following is a statement from U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) on the Congressional Budget Office report on the Republican health care plan:
“This Republican health care bill is a disaster. It takes health care coverage away from 23 million people, allows older Americans to be charged more and ends the guarantee of coverage for people with pre-existing conditions. We should be focused on improving our nation’s health care system, not making it worse.”
