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Senate Budget Prioritizes Education and Hurricane Recovery, $3.4 Billion Total Reserves

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$1.1 Billion Increase in K-12 Funding, $1.8 Billion Total State Investment in Hurricane
Michael Recovery, $656 Million Investment in Water Quality and Protection

The Florida Senate Committee on Appropriations, chaired by Senator Rob Bradley (R-Fleming Island), today filed SPB 2500, a proposed budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year. [Read more…] about Senate Budget Prioritizes Education and Hurricane Recovery, $3.4 Billion Total Reserves

Senate Budget Elevates Hurricane Michael Recovery to $1.8 Billion Total State Investment

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Senate Budget includes comprehensive long-term recovery funding that brings
the total state investment in Hurricane Michael Recovery to $1.8 Billion

The Florida Senate Committee on Appropriations today released components of the proposed budget for the 2019-2020 fiscal year, which bring the total state investment in Hurricane Michael Recovery to $1.8 billion. [Read more…] about Senate Budget Elevates Hurricane Michael Recovery to $1.8 Billion Total State Investment

Comments by Senate President Bill Galvano Regarding the Opening Day of the 2019 Legislative Session

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Florida Senate President Bill Galvano (R-Bradenton) today offered the following comments as part of his address to the Senate marking the opening day of the 2019 Legislative Session. [Read more…] about Comments by Senate President Bill Galvano Regarding the Opening Day of the 2019 Legislative Session

Senate Education Leaders Announce 2019 Priorities

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Senators Discuss Legislation to Improve Safety, Empower
Families, Elevate Neighborhood Public Schools

Senator Manny Diaz, Jr. (R-Hialeah Gardens), Chair of the Senate Committee on Education, Senator Kelli Stargel (R-Lakeland), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Education, and Senate President Pro Tempore David Simmons (R-Altamonte Springs) today announced key components of legislation the Senate will consider during the 2019 Legislative Session. [Read more…] about Senate Education Leaders Announce 2019 Priorities

Senate Democratic Leader Oscar Braynon Calls On Governor Scott for Action

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As the Trump administration doubles down on enforcing its executive policy of separating children from parents detained at the border, state Senate Democratic Leader Oscar Braynon (D-Miami Gardens) on Tuesday called on Florida Governor Rick Scott for action.

“As a staunch campaign and financial supporter of Donald Trump who maintains a close bond with the president, Governor Scott maintains a measure of influence he could easily deploy to end this catastrophic and inhumane situation,” said Leader Braynon. “At the same time, Governor Scott holds a great deal of power over the state’s complicity in this tragedy. Unless he agrees with the president, he has a duty to act quickly.”

Leader Braynon said Governor Scott should ask President Trump to reverse his executive order and is strongly urging the governor to:

  • Call on the President to allow elected officials into federal detention facilities where children who were separated from their parents and immigration detainees in general are being housed so they can inspect the conditions under which they are being housed.
  • Join the growing number of Republican and Democratic governors refusing to allow their National Guard units to be used if the federal government calls on them to go the U.S.-Mexican border for further illegal immigration enforcement.
  • Join Colorado in forbidding state agencies from using state resources to separate children from their parents or legal guardians on the sole ground of immigration status.

“There is nothing in federal law compelling the separation of these children and parents,” said Leader Braynon. “It took the stroke of a pen to initiate this atrocity. It takes the stroke of a pen to undo it.”

Rene Garcia Endorses Diaz

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Today, the Manny Diaz Campaign announced the endorsement of Senator Rene Garcia, who currently holds the District 36 seat in the Florida Senate that Diaz is seeking. Diaz has represented District 103 in the Florida House of Representatives since 2012. Garcia joins a number of other key Miami-Dade leaders in backing Diaz’s candidacy. 
[Read more…] about Rene Garcia Endorses Diaz

Citing Longtime Work on Women’s Issues, Bob Doyel Touts Endorsement from the National Organization for Women (NOW)

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Today, Democratic candidate for Florida Senate District 22, Bob Doyel, announced an endorsement from the National Organization for Women (NOW) while citicing his long time work to end violence against women.

Bob Doyel has been a vocal activist for the testing of more than 13,400 untested rape kits in Florida. Today, the democratic challenger took to his campaign’s facebook account to share with supporters that he has received the endorsement from the Florida Chapter of the National Organization for Women.

“I am proud and honored to have the support of the National Organization for Women as I work to make women’s equality a priority in the Florida Senate,” Doyel wrote. “I’ve been fighting to shine a light on the issue of violence against women for many years, and have worked hard to give a voice to women in the judicial process. That work will continue in the Florida Senate.”

Doyel’s work was recently highlighted in his local newspaper, “The Ledger,” after 47 year old Stephen Berouty was convicted earlier this month for a rape that happened back in 2003.

“This is a public safety issue,” Doyel told The Ledger. “Testing these kits could identify a serial rapist that we need to get off the streets.”  

Bob Doyel is a retired circuit court judge, law professor, and vietnam veteran who has lived in Polk county for more than three decades. Doyel is running in one Florida Democrats’ most competitive State Senate Districts and is hoping to unseat incumbent Kelli Stargel of Lakeland.  

Incoming Senate Democratic Leader Audrey Gibson Sets the Record Straight

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In letter to federal government, AHCA’s false claims belie the facts

Incoming Senate Democratic Leader Audrey Gibson (D-Jacksonville) on Friday called on Governor Rick Scott’s Agency for Health Care Administration to immediately retract its misleading claims that no legislative objections or concerns were raised over its plan to gut a critical safeguard protecting Florida’s seniors and families facing catastrophic health care emergencies.

“AHCA omitted key facts in its letter to the federal government seeking to amend its Medicaid waiver, promoting the move as an efficiency tool. In reality, despite both opposition and concern raised by myself and other Democrats, the main intent was to free up $38 million for general revenue, surrendering $60 million in federal matching dollars while saddling seniors, the disabled, and their families with massive medical debt.”

At issue is a waiver to the state’s Medicaid program sought by Scott’s Administration to eliminate “Medicaid retroactive eligibility,” which allows Medicaid to cover unpaid medical bills for up to 90-days from the date of application. Florida Medicaid only covers certain low income individuals: pregnant women, children, a limited number of parents who meet stringent income limits, people with disabilities, and senior citizens. While the waiver now being sought would continue the retroactive coverage of Medicaid-eligible pregnant women and children, seniors and the disabled – including veterans – would lose this extended period, and bear the heaviest financial consequences.

In its April 27, 2018 letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, AHCA’s Deputy Secretary for Medicaid claimed: “We are not aware of any concern or opposition raised by any member of either party regarding this provision during extensive budget debate.”

The record refuting that statement follows. During the March 9th, 2018 Senate floor debate on HB 5001, the General Appropriations Act, Democratic Senators Audrey Gibson, Jose Javier Rodriguez, Kevin Rader, and Victor Torres all expressed concerns and raised questions about the need for the cut.

“Contrary to AHCA’s alternative facts, Senate Democrats did raise both opposition and concerns during the budget debate on the Medicaid retroactive eligibility cuts. Attempting to sell this as a bi-partisan blessing on bad policy is an untruth.”