The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development today passed Senate Bill 364, The Recovery Fund for the Deepwater Horizon Incident. The legislation, sponsored by Senator George Gainer (R-Panama City), Senator Doug Broxson (R-Pensacola), and Senator Bill Montford (D-Tallahassee), will ensure funds received in the settlement of the state’s economic damage claims caused by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill remain in Northwest Florida’s eight disproportionately affected counties. The initial settlement payment was received by the state in July of 2016, and future payments are scheduled to be paid annually from 2019 through 2033.
“Settlement funds represent a historic opportunity for our communities,” said Senator Gainer. “We need to make certain that not only the currently-held settlement payments, but also all future settlement payments are transferred directly to Triumph Gulf Coast, Inc., where we know they will be used to ensure the ongoing economy recovery of Northwest Florida.”
Under current law, the eight disproportionately affected counties are to receive 75 percent of all economic damage settlement funds received by the state. Senate Bill 364 appropriates the initial settlement payment directly to Triumph Gulf Coast, Inc., and appropriates future settlement payments directly to Triumph Gulf Coast, Inc., no later than 30 days after they are received by the state.
“Triumph Gulf Coast, Inc. will develop a comprehensive economic improvement plan for Northwest Florida to ensure that our communities benefit from these funds now and in the future. The bill makes it clear that settlement funds should be transferred directly to Triumph Gulf Coast and provides the checks and balances needed to ensure the funds are properly accounted for,” said Senator Broxson.
“This legislation is very important to our constituents. They expect current and future settlement funds to benefit our disproportionately affected counties, and they want to see progress as soon as possible,” said Senator Montford. “For far too long, families and businesses in our communities have been feeling the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. This legislation affirms our longstanding commitment to keep these critical funds in Northwest Florida.”
The eight Florida counties disproportionately affected by the Deepwater Horizon Spill include: Bay County, Escambia County, Franklin County, Gulf County, Okaloosa County, Santa Rosa County, Walton County and Wakulla County.
In 2013, under the leadership of former Senate President Don Gaetz (R-Niceville), the Florida Senate developed legislation (Senate Bill 1024), sponsored by current Senate President Joe Negron (R-Stuart), which created Triumph Gulf Coast, Inc., to ensure that economic damage settlement funds coming to the state would both benefit the eight disproportionately affected counties and be properly accounted for. Under this legislation, the Triumph Gulf Coast Board, chaired by former Florida House Speaker Allen Bense, is responsible for utilizing the settlement proceeds to promote job creation through lasting economic development.
Currently, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President of the Senate, the Governor, the Attorney General, and the Chief Financial Officer, each appoint one board member. Senate Bill 364 expands the number of board members from five to seven. The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives will each appoint an additional private sector member from one of the four least populous disproportionately affected counties, so that two such counties are represented on the board.
Triumph Gulf Coast, Inc., is tasked to make awards to programs and projects that meet the priorities for economic recovery, diversification, and enhancement of the disproportionately affected counties. This includes economic development projects, grants to support programs of excellence that prepare students for future occupations, as well as infrastructure projects. The corporation is required to abide by the state’s public record laws and public meeting notice requirements.
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Florida Lottery players are winning big with new CASH4LIFE Draw game
The Lottery announced today that Florida has become the first state to have two life changing $1,000 A Week for Life winners within the first six weeks of launching its newest Draw game, CASH4LIFE®. Since the game launched on February 17, Florida has had 10 drawings with a total of $4.8 million in prizes and more than 600,000 winners statewide. Additionally, CASH4LIFE sales have generated $3.4 million for the state’s Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF).
“Our goal with introducing CASH4LIFE was to provide our players with new and exciting ways to win; increase commissions for our retailers; and raise millions of additional dollars for Florida’s students and schools,” said Lottery Secretary Tom Delacenserie. “We are happy that our players are enjoying the new game and that it’s creating winning moments for players statewide.”
Each CASH4LIFE ticket costs $2 to play; players choose six numbers, five white ball numbers from 1 through 60 and a Cash Ball number from 1 through 4. There are nine exciting ways to win in the game. Offering two life changing top prizes including a $1,000 a Day for Life top prize and a $1,000 a Week for Life second prize, plus seven other prize levels with prizes ranging from $2 to $2,500, there’s something for every level of player to enjoy! For more information, please visit www.flalottery.com.
CASH4LIFE launched in New Jersey and New York in June 2014 and is now sold in nine states. CASH4LIFE drawings are held Monday and Thursday nights at 9:00 p.m., ET in New Jersey Lottery Headquarters studio. Live drawings may be viewed on www.livestream.com/CASH4LIFE, and on flalottery.com. CASH4LIFE winning numbers will also be available at www.flalottery.com, at Florida Lottery retailers statewide, and by phone at (850) 921-PLAY. Also, you may register here to receive CASH4LIFE winning numbers and other Lottery information by email or text message.
Stetson University to Host The Architecture of the Holocaust
WHAT: Stetson University will host the 10th anniversary Bernard Weiner Holocaust Memorial Lecture, The Architecture of the Holocaust.
WHO: This year’s speaker will be Paul Jaskot, Ph.D., professor in the Department of History of Art and Architecture, at DePaul University in Chicago. His lecture is entitled, “The Architecture of the Holocaust” and draws on his research into how the Nazis built their concentration camps using forced inmate labor, as well as the testimonies of surviving laborers.
Jaskot earned a Ph.D. in art history from Northwestern University and has written several books, including “The Architecture of Oppression: The SS, Forced Labor and the Nazi Monumental Building Economy “(London: Routledge, 2000). His research has mostly examined the cultural history of National Socialist Germany and its impact on art and architecture.
WHEN: Thursday, April 6, 7 p.m., in Rinker Auditorium inside the Lynn Business Center, 345 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand, Florida, 32723. This event is free and open to the public.
The Bernard Weiner Lecture Series at Stetson University was established by Dr. Sy Weiner of DeLand to honor the life and work of his brother, the late Bernard Weiner. Bernard Weiner was a leader in the development of Holocaust curricula for New York state schools and was one of the founders of the Rockland Center for Holocaust Studies, now the Holocaust Museum and Study Center, in Spring Valley, N.Y. The Bernard Weiner Lectures are presented annually to explore a variety of issues related to the Holocaust.
Auschwitz-Birkenau was the largest Nazi death camp and refers to the network of Nazi concentration and labor camps near Oswiecim, Poland. Historians estimate 2.1 million to 4 million people, mostly Jews, were murdered there. The majority of prisoners were killed in gas chambers, although many died from starvation, forced labor, disease, shooting squads and heinous medical experiments, according to the Jewish Virtual Library.
Okeechobee man wins top prize playing $5,000,000 FLAMINGO MULTIPLIER Scratch-Off game
The Florida Lottery announces that Walter Nelson, 68, of Okeechobee, claimed a $5 million prize in the $5,000,000 FLAMINGO MULTIPLIER Scratch-Off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee.
Nelson chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $3,671,280.00. He purchased his winning ticket from New Express Food Mart, located at 3621 Southeast 34th Avenue in Okeechobee.
The $20 game, $5,000,000 FLAMINGO MULTIPLER, launched in September 2015, and features more than 7.6 million winning tickets and more than $346 million in total cash prizes! The game’s overall odds of winning are one-in-2.97.
Scratch-Offs are an important part of the Lottery’s portfolio of games, comprising approximately 65 percent of ticket sales and generating more than $734 million for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF) in fiscal year 2015-16.
Environment Florida's Response to Climate Rollbacks
“Calling climate change a ‘hoax’ won’t stop temperatures or sea level from rising. We can tackle the climate crisis by investing in science and clean, renewable energy, but only if we move boldly and quickly. Defunding science, undercutting clean energy, and doubling down on fossil fuels is sheer reckless folly.” -Turner Lott, Campaign Organizer, Environment Florida
President Trump signed an executive order today rolling back climate progress. The executive order instructs the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to rewrite the Clean Power Plan, the single largest step the U.S. has taken to limit climate change. The order also lifts the moratorium on federal coal leasing and limits on methane from fracking operations. The administration also initiated a process to reconsider the Social Cost of Carbon and the National Environmental Policy Act guidance on climate pollution. Turner Lott, Campaign Organizer, Environment Florida issued the following statement:
“Calling climate change a ‘hoax’ won’t stop temperatures or sea level from rising. We can tackle the climate crisis by investing in science and clean, renewable energy, but only if we move boldly and quickly. Defunding science, undercutting clean energy, and doubling down on fossil fuels is sheer reckless folly.
2016 was the hottest year on record, beating 2015 which was the hottest year before that. The climate and clean air safeguards that President Trump is proposing to block would increase pollution and threaten our health and the planet. If fully implemented, the Clean Power Plan alone would have reduced our power plant emissions 32% by 2030 with huge health and environmental benefits for Floridians.
Instead of accelerating this progress, the administration is proposing to endanger our health and threaten our children’s future. Blocking the Clean Power plan will lead to 3,600 additional premature deaths, 90,000 more asthma attacks in children, and 300,000 more missed work and school days by 2030. Power plants make up 49 percent of carbon emissions in Florida, producing as much carbon dioxide yearly as almost 25 million cars. The Clean Power plan helps Florida reduce its emissions by providing incentives to shift from pollution-causing fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy. However, The Trump Administration’s proposed rollback doubles down on fossil fuels that damage our health and the environment.
Millions of Americans have called for strong climate action, submitting more than 8 million comments asking the EPA to take action to cut carbon pollution from power plants. More than 600,000 of these comments came from Environment America’s members and supporters.
More than 1100 health professionals sent a letter urging the President to support the Clean Power Plan, to limit carbon pollution, phase out drilling and mining on public lands, increase electric vehicles and set higher fuel economy standards for cars.
We need to stop President Trump’s rollbacks of our environmental protections that will make us more dependent on dirty fossil fuels. Today’s actions by the administration threaten our health, our environment, and our treasured places.
Despite the President’s dangerous and backwards energy agenda, the fact is the clean energy revolution can’t be stopped. Clean energy solutions like solar, wind and efficiency will reduce carbon pollution and clean up our air, protect our health including reducing asthma attacks, and promote energy independence.
And, as our most successful climate programs face attack on the federal level, it is incumbent on states to double down on their climate commitments. We are calling on Governor Scott to keep leading the charge and push the progress we need to tackle the climate crisis and get 100% renewable energy.”
SACE Statement on Today’s Executive Order Dialing Back Progress on Climate Action
President Trump today issued an Energy Independence Executive Order that was framed as a means for rolling back most of President Barack Obama’s climate-change legacy, specifically through the Clean Power Plan.
The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy’s executive director, Dr. Stephen A. Smith, issued this statement in response:
“Today’s announcement by Trump Administration rolling back important safeguards offered by the Clean Power Plan is the heigh of irresponsibility and is governmental malpractice.
We know there are tens of thousands of lives impacted by air pollution, so to stop progress in protecting human health is unacceptable.
For the Trump Administration to roll back these safeguards without a coherent plan to replace the Clean Power Plan creates uncertainty in the marketplace for energy planners and utilities alike.
The good news is, in the near term, most of our Southeastern utilities, including Tennessee Vallay Authority, Duke Energy, Southern Company, and Florida Power & Light, have set positive changes into motion that are well on the way to meeting the targets of the Clean Power Plan. These targets are based not only on environmental protection goals but also on sound economic decision making.
We will be vigilant to ensure there will be no backsliding in our region, and we are confident these good economic decisions will continue moving forward.
The lack of a coherent approach to climate change by the Trump Administration bodes poorly for current and future generations and fails to step up to the responsibilities of addressing the causes and impacts of climate change once and for all.”
Statement from Lyft after approval of SB 340 by Florida Senate Judiciary Committee
Chelsea Harrison, Senior Policy Communications Manager for Lyft, issued the following statement after approval of ridesharing legislation, SB 340, by the Florida Senate Judiciary Committee:
“Lyft applauds Chairman Greg Steube and sponsor Senator Jeff Brandes for guiding SB 340 to approval by the Senate Judiciary Committee. This is important legislation that brings Florida one step closer to a consistent statewide framework for innovative services like Lyft. Floridians want access to ridesharing, and we look forward to providing the state’s residents and visitors with a safe, reliable transportation option for many years to come.”
February Monthly Actions from AHCA
February Monthly Actions: Agency Took Licensure Action against Nine Providers,
25 Additional Providers Suspended or Terminated from the Medicaid Program
The Agency for Health Care Administration (Agency) issued final orders to six providers for failure to meet licensure requirements in February.
There were two final orders to revoke an existing license and four final orders to deny a license renewal. Some of these providers were enrolled in the Medicaid program and the Agency has terminated or is in the process of terminating their participation in the program.
The Agency also issued an Immediate Moratorium on Admissions and Emergency Restriction Order to E2 Emerson and Emerson, LLC d/b/a Brightstar, a home health agency in Lake County; an Immediate Moratorium on Admissions and Emergency Suspension Order to Fairway Park Retirement Facility, Corp., an assisted living facility in Miami-Dade County; and an Immediate Moratorium on Admissions to Senior Living Properties II LLC dba Savannah Court of Orange City, an assisted living facility in Volusia County.
In addition, eight providers were issued final orders terminating them from participation in the Medicaid program and have been reported to the federal government for placement on the federal exclusion list, which prohibits them from participating in Medicaid and Medicare nationwide. The Agency also suspended 17 providers from participation in the Medicaid program, prohibiting the providers from being paid for claims to the Medicaid program for furnishing, supervising a person who is furnishing, or causing a person to furnish goods or services.
Agency Medicaid terminations and suspensions typically result from failure to return funds due to the Agency within required timeframes; a charge, indictment, or guilty plea to a health care related crime; suspension, termination, or exclusion from Medicare or Medicaid in another state; or a license denial, revocation, suspension or termination by the licensing agency.
Further information about the actions and final orders can be found on the public records search page here. Emergency orders, including moratoriums on admissions and suspensions, can also be found on the public records search page by searching the name of the facility.
The Agency encourages anyone who may have a concern or observes a problem in any health care facility or with any provider regulated by the Agency, to file a complaint by calling our consumer complaint line at 1-888-419-3456 or by reporting online at http://ahca.myflorida.com/Contact/call_center.shtml.
Tips about suspected fraud can be reported by calling the Attorney General’s Fraud Hotline at 1-866-966-7226 or the Agency’s Consumer Call Center at 1-888-419-3456. Anyone can report fraud online by visiting the Agency’s website here.
Commissioner Adam H. Putnam’s Statement on “Fresh From Florida” Funding
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam today released the following statement regarding the “Fresh From Florida” program following the meeting of the House’s Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee:
“This is a political assault on a good program that will have real consequences on real people. Gutting the Fresh From Florida program will hurt Florida’s small farms the most – their ability to raise awareness for the high quality of their locally grown products and compete against lesser quality products from foreign countries.”
ICYMI: Miami Herald: Gov. Scott: Judge Gorsuch supremely qualified for high court
Following members of the Senate Judiciary Committee forcing the delay of a vote on Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch yesterday, please see the Governor’s op-ed below supporting Judge Gorsuch’s immediate confirmation.
Judge Gorsuch supremely qualified for high court
Miami Herald
Governor Rick Scott
February 6, 2017
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We should demand better. The men and women who were elected to represent their districts and states have a duty to actually represent them. Working to obstruct progress at any price is why people hate politics and a large part of why voters elected President Trump to make major changes.
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When Judge Gorsuch was appointed to the Tenth Circuit, the Senate approved him unanimously. No one objected. In business, this sort of appointment is what we would call a no-brainer. He has a solid track record of judicial philosophy and is a federalist who respects state rights.
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To read the full op-ed, click HERE.
