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President’s budget eliminates Amtrak in Florida

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The president’s budget proposal released today would eliminate all Amtrak service in Florida.
The proposal cuts funding for Amtrak’s long-distance routes, which includes all three routes in Florida. It would also stymie ongoing efforts to restore service in Florida’s Panhandle and along the Gulf Coast.
“This just doesn’t make sense,” said U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL). “Eliminating Amtrak service in Florida not only affects the nearly one million Floridians who ride the train each year, it would have a real impact on our tourism-driven economy by making it harder for folks to come visit our state.”
More than 950,000 Floridians rode Amtrak during the last fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, 2016.
The president’s budget would eliminate all three routes in Florida, including:

  • The Auto train, which runs daily from Lorton, VA to Sanford, FL;
  • The Silver Meteor, which runs daily from Miami to Orlando to New York; and
  • The Silver Star, which runs daily from Miami to Tampa to Orlando to New York.

The Department of Children and Families Celebrates National Foster Care Month

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The Florida Department of Children and Families, along with its community partners, have joined together to honor foster families during National Foster Care Month. This annual celebration recognizes all foster parents, foster family members, volunteers, mentors, policymakers, child welfare professionals, and others in the foster-care community, who play a significant role in enhancing the lives of children and youth in foster care.  
“So many children have a place they call home because of the selfless acts of current foster parents,” Secretary Mike Carroll said. “There are so many opportunities to participate in the foster care system, and I encourage you to take the first step and contact a local community partner to see how you can get involved.”
As of January 2017, Florida has 23,596 children placed with relatives, family friends, family foster homes and group homes. Many foster parents pursue additional training to become medical and therapeutic foster parents. In addition to those children in foster care, there are 899 children are available for adoption.  
Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) Director Barbara Palmer said, “Providing quality foster care to children in need, including those with disabilities, is vital to our state. In celebration of Foster Care Month, APD will be launching a campaign to encourage more families to become foster families for children with developmental disabilities. APD’s Family Care Council members will be available to these new foster families to offer advice and their experience in rearing children who have disabilities.”
Many of these foster children have been removed from their homes by no fault of their own, but because they have experienced abuse or neglect and cannot safely remain with their parents. Foster parents change lives by offering love, compassion, and hope to some of Florida’s most vulnerable.   
Community-Based Care (CBC) lead agencies throughout the state work to recruit, license and match foster parents with children in need of short and long-term homes. Each CBC works to address the unique needs of their communities in recruiting foster parents.
For more information on becoming a foster parent visit http://www.myflfamilies.com/service-programs/foster-care or contact the CBC in your area at http://myflfamilies.com/service-programs/community-based-care/cbc-map.

Florida’s state courts “leading the nation” in social media

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Long seen as the quietest branch of state government, Florida’s state courts have emerged in the last year as a national leader in social media use – particularly Twitter.
“The Florida state courts really have delved into social media in a more systematic way than courts anywhere else in the country,” said longtime Florida Supreme Court spokesman Craig Waters. “We are leading the nation with 20 out of 26 court divisions using Twitter to reach the public right now. That’s an astounding number.”
In a report sent yesterday to Florida’s Chief Justice Jorge Labarga, Waters and his staff detail the first year’s work in a state court communications plan adopted by the Florida Supreme Court in December 2015. Labarga sent the plan for implementation to a professional association of Florida court staff called the Florida Court Public Information Officers, or FCPIO. Waters is the group’s founder and its current executive director.
The goal is simple. It’s not enough that courts do justice. They also must make sure people see justice being done.
It was a mission FCPIO quickly accepted. Originally set up by a post-9/11 crisis management plan in 2002, FCPIO has evolved into a group of court communications professionals unique in the nation. No other state has anything approaching it – though many states now are studying FCPIO and the plan it is carrying out for Florida’s judiciary.
FCPIO incorporated itself as a federally recognized nonprofit in early 2007, right at the time events in Silicon Valley began shaking up the communications landscape. That was only a year after Twitter opened its doors and three years after the founding of Facebook.
But FCPIO also brings talent to the table. With representatives in every Florida state court, the group has been led by several media-skilled court officers that saw the need for statewide education and coordination with an emphasis on openness.
Waters is a lawyer and former Gannett newspaper reporter who has worked for the Florida Supreme Court for 30 years and started its public information office, its gavel-to-gavel oral argument broadcasts, and its website in the 1990s. FCPIO’s current president, Eunice Sigler of the Miami courts, is a former Miami Herald reporter and winner of a Pulitzer Prize for team coverage of the Elian Gonzalez immigration case.
The report on implementing the plan addresses other issues that include:

  • Websites. Eighteen of Florida’s 20 circuit courts and all of the district courts of appeal currently are working toward redesigns of their websites because they are the judiciary’s most important communications tool.
  • Social media. The Florida state courts continue to debate the pros and cons of social media because of the strict ethical limits they must shoulder. While Twitter is now broadly used, Facebook has been more controversial – and only a minority of the state courts currently use it. However, FCPIO is studying ways to address concerns and identify best practices employed by courts now using Facebook.
  • Podcasts. Two courts in Orlando and Miami currently are using podcasts to communicate with the public, and the Florida Supreme Court soon will start its own podcasting program.
  • Media Relations. FCPIO will continue to educate courts personnel and judges in the methods needed to work in a cooperative and respectful way with news media. And Twitter has become an important tool for getting word out to the press and the public about breaking news.
  • Community outreach. Court outreach programs such as courthouse tours for schoolchildren, citizen forums, and public education programs remain important parts of the courts’ mission. They include outreach to elected officials, town hall meetings for residents, and innovative uses of Twitter to reach out to student groups and others.
  • Internal communications. Proper communications with internal court staff remain important so that everyone understands the overall mission, the need to speak with a unified voice, and the ways to address problems when they arise. One important example is crisis communications with staff during hurricanes or other emergencies.

The Florida state courts’ stress on good communications rests on a near-legendary history.
“What you see now,” said Waters, “is really part of a longstanding commitment to transparency that began with Florida letting cameras into the courts in the 1970s. It continues today thanks to several visionary judges leading the state system over the last half century. And despite doom-saying elsewhere in the nation, Florida’s courts really have had a very positive experience. Openness works.”

Gov. Scott: Florida Achieves Lowest Unemployment Rate in Almost a Decade

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15,000 private sector jobs created in April

Governor Rick Scott announced that Florida’s unemployment rate dropped to 4.5 percent in April, the lowest since September 2007. Florida businesses also created 15,000 private-sector jobs in April, bringing the total number of new jobs added since December 2010 to 1,355,700. For more than five consecutive years, Florida’s annual private-sector job growth rate, which is 2.9 percent, has exceeded the nation’s rate, which is 1.7 percent. Governor Scott will make the announcement at the Miami International Airport and recognize LATAM Airlines, which has created more than 1,000 jobs for Florida families.
Governor Rick Scott said, “I am proud to announce that Florida has achieved the lowest unemployment rate in almost a decade at 4.5 percent. Florida businesses also created 15,000 new jobs during the month of April, which is further proof of our state’s continued economic growth. While Florida’s economy is on a roll, now is not the time to slow down our unrelenting efforts to bring more jobs and opportunities to our state.
“Businesses and site selectors have taken notice of the Florida Legislature’s decision to turn their backs on the incredible return on investment economic development programs like Enterprise Florida and VISIT FLORIDA have brought to our state. This is not only disappointing, but could put our future job creation efforts at risk. Even though our private sector job growth rate is exceeding the nation’s, it is currently lower than it has been over the past year. This is something we cannot ignore. We cannot allow Florida to fall behind after our years of successful growth. We will continue to work each day to fight for jobs so our state can become the number one place for families and businesses to succeed.”
As of April, Florida’s unemployment rate has dropped 6.2 percentage points since December 2010, while the national rate has declined by only 4.9 percentage points in the same time period. In the last year, 371,000 people entered Florida’s labor force, a growth of 3.8 percent, while the national labor force growth is only 0.8 percent.
Cissy Proctor, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, said, “Florida businesses have excelled over the past six years thanks to the policies of Gov. Scott and his administration. Unemployment continues to drop, private sector jobs are on the rise and Florida families are flourishing. We must not give up on our efforts to make Florida the best place to start and grow a business.”
Other positive economic indicators include:

  • Private-sector industries gaining the most jobs over-the-year were:
    • Professional and business services with 39,500 new jobs;
    • Trade, transportation, and utilities with 36,600 new jobs; and
    • Construction with 34,400 new jobs.
  • Florida job postings showed 244,758 openings in April 2017.
  • In April, Florida’s 24 regional workforce boards reported 19,033 Floridians, including 1,069 veterans, were placed in jobs.

To view the April 2017 employment data, click here.

Springtime spurs activity for Florida black bears, cubs

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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reminds the public to be aware that bears are becoming more active this time of year. There are important things people can do over the next few months to reduce negative interactions with Florida’s largest land mammal.
“Now is the time to expect bears to show up looking for food,” said Dave Telesco, who directs the FWC’s Bear Management Program. “If they can’t find food in your neighborhood, they’ll move on.”
With temperatures increasing, bears are out of their winter dens and are moving around in search of food. June also marks the beginning of black bear mating season in Florida. This causes bears to be more active as they search for potential mates.
Female bears that gave birth to cubs that were only 12 ounces at the end of January are beginning to move around more with their young, which may now be 5 to 10 pounds. As the cubs continue to grow, the family unit will roam and can be more visible to people.
While black bears generally are not aggressive, they have injured people in Florida. Never intentionally approach any bear. When walking dogs in bear country, keep them close to you – preferably on a non-retractable leash – and be aware of your surroundings. Dogs can trigger defensive behaviors from bears, especially females with cubs. 
To keep bears away from your home and neighborhood, follow these simple tips:

  • Secure household garbage in a sturdy shed, garage or a wildlife-resistant container.
  • Put household garbage out on morning of pickup rather than the night before.
  • Secure commercial garbage in bear-resistant dumpsters.
  • Protect gardens, beehives, compost and livestock with electric fencing.
  • Encourage your homeowners association or local government to institute bylaws or ordinances to require trash be kept secure from bears.
  • Feed pets indoors or bring in dishes after feeding.
  • Clean grills and store them in a secure place.
  • Remove wildlife feeders or make them bear-resistant.
  • Pick ripe fruit from trees and remove fallen fruit from the ground.

It is illegal in Florida to intentionally feed bears or leave out food or garbage that will attract bears and cause human-bear conflicts.
As bears increase their movements this time of year, they also increase the number of roads they cross. For the safety of yourself and bears, remember to slow down when driving, particularly on rural highways at dawn or dusk. Watch for road signs identifying bear crossing areas. Each year in Florida, an average of 240 Florida bears are killed after being hit by vehicles.
Having conflicts with bears? Call one of the FWC’s five regional offices. Go to MyFWC.com/Contact, and click on “Contact Regional offices” to find the phone number for your region. If you feel threatened by a bear or want to report someone who is either harming bears or intentionally feeding them, call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).
More information is available at MyFWC.com/Bear, where you can access the “Guide to Living in Bear Country” brochure.
Help us help bears and other wildlife by purchasing the “Conserve Wildlife” tag at BuyaPlate.com.

Gov. Scott: First Quarter of 2017 Sets Florida Visitation Record

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Legislative cuts to tourism marketing jeopardizes growth

Governor Rick Scott today announced that Florida set another record by welcoming the highest number of quarterly visitors in the state’s history with 31.1 million visitors in the first quarter of 2017. This represents a 2.5 percent increase over the same period in 2016. Even though Florida’s tourism industry is booming, the Florida Legislature cut VISIT FLORIDA’s budget by 67 percent for the upcoming fiscal year, putting Florida’s incredible growth and the many families and businesses that rely on the tourism industry at risk.
Governor Scott said, “I am proud to announce today that Florida set another record by welcoming 31.1 million visitors during the first quarter of 2017, the highest number of quarterly visitors in the state’s history. This historic number would not have been possible without the significant funding we have invested in VISIT FLORIDA over the past few years. It is disappointing that the Florida Legislature made a shortsighted decision to jeopardize the growth of our tourism industry and the 1.4 million jobs that rely on it by cutting funding to VISIT FLORIDA by 67 percent. Now is not the time to take our foot off the gas. In business, you would never stop marketing when you start to see great results. Instead of decimating funding to VISIT FLORIDA, we should be investing in tourism marketing so we can continue to bring record visitors to our state.”
VISIT FLORIDA estimates that a record 27.1 million domestic visitors traveled to Florida in Q1 2017, reflecting a 3.2 percent increase over the same period last year. Estimates also show that 2.7 million overseas visitors and 1.3 million Canadians came to the Sunshine State in January-March 2017. Total enplanements at Florida’s 18 major airports in Q1 2017 increased 1.6 percent over the same period the previous year, with a record 22.7 million enplaned passengers. For Q1 2017, the number of rooms sold grew by 2.2 percent and the hotel occupancy rate rose 0.7 percent compared to Q1 2016.
Ken Lawson, President and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA, said, “VISIT FLORIDA will continue to focus on the task at hand, which is successfully marketing small, medium and large communities so the tourism industry can continue to create jobs. Because the Legislature decided to inadequately fund VISIT FLORIDA, our organization is going to have to make tough decisions in the coming weeks and will not be able to compete with destinations like California and Texas. We will strive every day so Florida does not become another case study like other states who lost billions of dollars in revenue due to cutting tourism marketing dollars.”
To view additional Florida visitor data, go the Research page on VISIT FLORIDA’s media website.
*Preliminary estimates are issued 45 days after the end of each calendar quarter. Final estimates are released when final data are received for all estimates in the report.

Governor Scott Signs Legislation to Protect Florida’s Reemployment Program

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Governor Rick Scott has signed legislation into law that strengthens the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity’s efforts to fight fraud in the state’s Reemployment Assistance program. Both the Florida House and Senate unanimously voted for this bill, which provides DEO access to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ DAVID System, including the state photo identification database. Sen. Kelli Stargel and Rep. Mike LaRosa sponsored the legislation.
Cissy Proctor, Executive Director of the Department of Economic Opportunity, said, “Thank you to Governor Scott for signing this bill into law so quickly. We are proud of our daily efforts to stop criminals from fraudulently stealing Reemployment Assistance benefits from Florida job seekers who need help getting back to work. We appreciate the Governor and his support in passing this important bill. Now, DEO will have access to more tools that are critical in our fight against public benefits fraud.”
The legislation includes the tools and legal authorizations that are critical to prevent and fight public benefits fraud by providing DEO access to the driver’s license database to confirm claimant-provided IDs are not fraudulent.

Governor Scott Signs 11 Bills Into Law

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Governor Rick Scott today signed the following bills into law.
CS/SB 10: “Lake Okeechobee Bill” – This bill allocates funds for a reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee and provides a loan for the construction of the C-51 reservoir. Click HERE to see Governor Scott’s statement on this bill.
CS/CS/HB 111: Public Records/Identity of Witness to a Murder – This bill creates a public records exemption for criminal intelligence or criminal investigative information that reveals personal identifying information of a witness to a murder.
CS/CS/HB 151: “Therapy Dog for Children Bill” – This bill allows children, victims, and individuals with intellectual disabilities to use therapy animals and facility dogs in legal proceedings.
CS/HB 221: “Uber/ Lyft Bill” – This bill sets consistent operating standards throughout Florida for ridesharing companies such as Uber and Lyft, including requirements for insurance coverage and driver background checks.
CS/HB 239: Public Records/Protective Injunction Petitions – This bill creates a public records exemption for petitions for protection against domestic violence, stalking or cyberstalking if it is dismissed.
CS/HB 305: Law Enforcement Body Cameras – This bill allows a law enforcement officer using a body camera to review the recorded footage before writing a report or providing a statement.
CS/HB 399: Guardianship – This bill revises procedures relating to incapacity hearings and the circumstances under which the court may approve divorce for persons under the protection of a guardianship.
CS/HB 401: Notaries Public – This bill allows public notaries to accept a veteran health information card issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as a valid form of I.D.
HB 671: Reemployment Assistance Fraud – This bill authorizes the Department of Economic Opportunity to access digital records maintained by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to prevent reemployment assistance claims fraud.
CS/CS/HB 805: Relating to Insurance Policy Transfers – This bill allows an insurer to transfer a residential or commercial residential property insurance policy to an authorized insurer of the same group or owned by the same holding company.
CS/HB 6533: Relief/Jennifer Wohlgemuth/Pasco County Sheriff’s Office – This bill directs Pasco County and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office to compensate the family of Jennifer Wohlgemuth for injuries sustained in an incident involving the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.
To view a copy of the transmittal letter, click HERE.

Florida’s Top Economic Developers Honored at 2017 Annual Conference

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Florida Economic Development Council recognizes
individual and team achievements from around the state

The Florida Economic Development Council (FEDC), the statewide organization that educates, advocates for, and connects Florida’s economic development stakeholders, honored the individuals and teams that are helping to drive Florida’s economy forward at its 2017 Annual Conference. The conference took place May 7-9 at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66 in Ft. Lauderdale.
Florida Governor Rick Scott was presented with the 2017 Business Ambassador Award for his strong defense of economic development and tourism programs and success in bringing hundreds of thousands of new jobs and billions of dollars in capital investment to the state.
Veteran economic developers Crystal Sircy and Kathleen Woodring were honored with the Eunice Sullivan Economic Development Professional of the Year and Toni Jennings Workforce Professional of the Year Awards, respectively.
The Eunice Sullivan Economic Development Professional of the Year award is given annually in recognition of the achievements of an outstanding economic developer within the state of Florida. The award was first given in 1985 and was renamed in 1991 to honor Eunice Sullivan for her dedication and commitment to the economic development profession and the Florida Economic Development Council.
Ms. Sircy, executive vice president of the Orlando Economic Partnership, has served the state of Florida in economic development leadership roles for more than 25 years. In her earlier role at Enterprise Florida, the statewide economic development organization, Ms. Sircy served as executive vice president and chief operating officer, where she managed five divisions, a $25 million annual budget, and led more than 90 employees across three offices.
“Crystal is the most accomplished state business development lead in Florida’s history,” said Cathy Chambers, 2016-2017 chair of the Florida Economic Development Council and senior vice president of strategy and business development at JAXUSA Partnership. “She is a tireless advocate for economic development issues, and has testified many times in front of Florida House and Senate committees. Economic developers from around the state have relied on her to mentor them. Her contributions to our state are too numerous to count.”
Given annually in recognition of the achievements of an outstanding workforce developer within the state of Florida, the Toni Jennings Workforce Professional of the Year award was first presented in 2007 to honor and recognize the former Lieutenant Governor’s exceptional leadership in revamping Florida’s workforce system to respond to critical workforce needs and to advance local, regional and state economic development.
This year’s recipient, Kathleen Woodring, is the executive vice president of CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion. Ms. Woodring has spent more than 25 years in workforce development roles in Pennsylvania and Florida. She has served citizens of Citrus, Levy, and Marion counties since 1997, directing workforce program implementation and programming for the three county area. She also leads the statewide planning effort for the annual Workforce Professional Development Summit for system-wide training of over 800 professionals each year.
“Ms. Woodring has set a new standard for excellence in managing relationships with community organizations and partners,” said Ed Peachey, president and chief executive officer of CareerSource Tampa Bay. “Thanks to her leadership, extraordinary attention to detail, and devotion to educating our professionals to be the most innovative and effective in the nation, she has helped create a path to prosperity for thousands of at-risk Citrus, Levy and Marion County residents. Her impact on these communities will be felt for decades to come.”
The FEDC also honored Derek Shavor, project manager with Hillsborough County Economic Development, as its 2016-2017 Dan Webster Young Innovator Scholarship Award recipient. Given annually by The Corridor in recognition of the achievements of an outstanding young innovator in economic development in Florida, the Dan Webster Young Innovator Scholarship Award winner receives up to $5,000 to be applied towards coursework and fees associated with achieving the Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) designation.
Awards were also given to recognize exemplary achievements in innovation and marketing for economic development and innovative/best practices for our communities and abroad. The 2017 Economic Development Deal of the Year awards were presented as well.
The 2017 winners are:

  • Deal of the Year (Rural Community): Gadsden County Development Council for Four Star Freight Liner (28 jobs, $2.5 million capital investment)
  • Deal of the Year (Urban Community): Greater Ft. Lauderdale Alliance/Broward County for Magic Leap, Inc. (725 jobs, $150 million in capital investment)
  • Innovation in Marketing – External Publication: Greater Ft. Lauderdale Alliance/Broward County
  • Innovation in Marketing – Video Series: Enterprise Florida
  • Innovation in Marketing – Internal Publication: Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation
  • Innovation in Marketing – Special Event: Energy 101
  • Innovation in Marketing – Ad Campaign: Enterprise Florida
  • Innovation in Marketing  – Single Ad: Florida Power & Light
  • Innovation in Marketing  – Website: JAXUSA Partnership

The FEDC’s 2017 Annual Conference was sponsored by Enterprise Florida, CareerSource Florida, Florida Power & Light, Florida First Capital Finance Corp., GrowFL, Pinellas County Economic Development, Greater Ft. Lauderdale Alliance/Broward County, Duke Energy, Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, The Corridor, Santa Rosa Economic Development, First Green Bank, and JAXUSA Partnership.
For over 50 years, the FEDC has been developing the brightest economic development professionals and equipping them with sound policy and effective programs. The annual conference helps professionals to sharpen their skills and access the tools and resources they need to become outstanding economic leaders.
Visit fedconline.org for learn more.