Governor Rick Scott today announced the appointment of State Representative Eric J. Eisnaugle to the Fifth District Court of Appeal.
Eisnaugle, 40, of Windermere, currently serves as State Representative for District 44 in the Florida House of Representatives, and is Of Counsel at Rumberger Kirk and Caldwell. He previously served as State Representative for District 40 from 2008 to 2012; was Of Counsel with Thorne and Storey, P.A.; and was an associate at Foley and Lardner, LLP. He received a bachelor’s degree from Florida Southern College and a law degree from Vanderbilt University. Eisnaugle fills the vacancy created by the elevation of Judge C. Alan Lawson to the Florida Supreme Court.
Florida
Commissioner Adam Putnam Provides Wildfire Update for Florida
Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam and the Florida Forest Service announced today that more than 2,000 wildfires have burned over 150,000 acres in Florida this year, with nearly 125 active wildfires burning as of today, May 8, 2017. Current conditions by county, burn bans, and helpful tips regarding wildfires in Florida can be found here.
“Florida is in the middle of its worst wildfire season in years – with no end in sight,” Commissioner Putnam said. “With such an active wildfire season and much of Florida experiencing significant drought conditions, residents and visitors should take every precaution to help prevent wildfire.”
Conditions are forecast to get even drier and warmer into late spring and early summer. May is traditionally one of the driest months of the year in Florida, and that is the expectation for 2017. Commissioner Putnam asked Governor Scott to issue an executive order on April 11, 2017 in order to provide full resources to combat wildfires. The last time a similar executive order was issued was in June 2011.
Forecast wildfire danger for May 8, 2017:
Active wildfires in Florida:
County Burn Bans as of May 5, 2017:
Wildfires in Florida usually start and spread quickly, leaving little time to prepare for a possible evacuation. Homeowners can complete a few simple tasks that will help to defend their home against wildfire. One of the best ways to reduce a home’s wildfire risk is to create 30 feet of defensible space around the home. When creating defensible space, begin with the area immediately surrounding the home, about 3 feet out on all sides. Make sure this space is free of tall, fire-prone plants and materials. Keep this area clean and free of dead plant material and flammable mulches. Instead, opt for low growing, fire resistant plants and materials and use mulches, such as rocks or chunky bark. Deliberately space all plants so that none are placed directly under windows or vents around the house.
To increase home survivability, Floridians can do the following:
- Keep mulch and pine needles away from your home, fence, and deck;
- Keep roof and gutter free of pine needles;
- Keep flammables away from your home;
- Store fire wood at least 30 feet from your home;
- Remove dead vegetation and debris from under the deck and within 10 feet of your home; and
- Make wildfire preparedness a family project.
For more information about the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FreshFromFlorida.com
Florida earns prestigious national recognition by American Council of Trustees and Alumni
Leading independent nonprofit calls Florida a “Blueprint for
Reform” in new volume focused on higher education efficiency
The American Council of Trustees and Alumni today released its second guide on university best practices, praising the State University System’s success in boosting accountability and efficiency through performance funding and its rigorous program review process.
The guide, Bold Leadership, Real Reform 2.0: Improving Efficiency, Cutting Costs, and Expanding College Opportunity, is a follow-up to the 2015 report, Bold Leadership, Real Reform: Best Practices in University Governance, which also highlights Florida as a national leader for its commitment to performance funding, program efficiency, and distance learning. The new volume follows up on initiatives—some launched at the height of the financial crisis—described in the earlier guide. This series offer suggestions to university trustees on innovative approaches to advance efficiency, accountability, access and quality in higher education.
“The State University System of Florida and its Board of Governors have shown visionary management and leadership as they have navigated a challenging period of rapid changes in higher education,” said Michael B. Poliakoff, president of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni. “ACTA applauds their efforts to expand educational opportunities while holding the line on costs. These efforts will ensure more deserving students access to a high-quality college education at an affordable price.”
“Florida’s commitment to accountability and efficiency has produced results on everything from graduation and retention to affordability,” said Tom Kuntz, Board of Governors Chair. “It’s wonderful that our state is receiving the national recognition that it deserves.”
The report calls Florida a “blueprint” for other states, praising the Board of Governors for maintaining its commitment to efficiency and reform even after the funding lost during the Great Recession was replenished. The model has resulted in improvements in university graduation and retention rates and more employment success for recent graduates. In fact, performance funding bolstered Florida to the second highest graduation rate out of the 10 largest states.
Additionally, the number of undergraduate degrees in STEM fields has increased by 31 percent and health degrees have grown 52 percent in the past five years. At the university level, several institutions have made demonstrable year-over-year progress. Specifically, the report recognizes Florida Atlantic University for jumping from one of Florida’s lowest-performing universities to a top performer in only one year.
Florida also had a rigorous process for prioritizing academic programs and redirecting funds to areas that better play to each institution’s strengths. Universities terminated 34 degree programs during the 2015-16 academic year, and 46 more have been suspended to assess their future viability.
“The State University System is committed to aligning higher education with the needs of our students and our state, and I’m glad to see that progress recognized,” said Marshall Criser III, State University System chancellor. “This is all about making the best possible choices on how to support our students and provide a return on investment for our taxpayers.”
The recognition comes at the heels of another recent highlight for the State University System. In March, Florida was named the best state for higher education by U.S. News & World Report.
Nelson calls for second passport agency in Florida
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) is calling on the State Department to open a second passport agency in Florida.
The move comes after extensive water damage forced the Miami Passport Agency to close suddenly last week. As a result, travelers looking to obtain or renew their passports at the Miami office are now being told to visit offices in Atlanta or New Orleans instead.
“The sudden closure of the Miami Passport Agency remains an inconvenience to Floridians and further underscores the need for a second passport agency in the state,” Nelson wrote in a letter today to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
Nelson went on to point out that while states like California and Texas each have three passport offices, Florida – the third most populous state in the nation – has only one.
“To better serve the people of Florida and the millions of travelers who come to our state each year, I strongly urge you to open a second passport agency in Florida as soon as possible,” Nelson concluded.
Following is the full text of Nelson’s letter, and a PDF is available here:
May 2, 2017
The Honorable Rex W. Tillerson
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Secretary Tillerson:
I appreciate your department’s efforts to assist travelers affected by the unexpected closure of the Miami Passport Agency. I understand that limited passport services are now available at three temporary locations in the Miami area while the State Department works to fully re-open the Miami agency.
The sudden closure of the Miami Passport Agency remains an inconvenience to Floridians and further underscores the need for a second passport agency in the state.
At the time of the accident, there were more than 7,000 applications in process and 177 passports printed and ready to be picked up at the Miami Passport Agency. And now, because Florida has only one passport agency in the state, Floridians are forced to travel – on short notice and at their own personal expense – to the next nearest agencies in Atlanta and New Orleans.
Even before the Miami agency closed, there was considerable demand for passport services in Florida. Travelers often have to wait two to three weeks for an appointments at their local post office or county clerks’ office just to apply for a passport.
While states like California and Texas have three passport offices and New York has two, Florida – the third most populous state in the nation – has only one. To better serve the people of Florida and the millions of travelers who come to our state each year, I strongly urge you to open a second passport agency in Florida as soon as possible.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Nelson: Keep oil drilling out of Florida Keys
Sen. Bill Nelson today sent a letter to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross strongly urging the new administration to keep oil and gas drilling away from the Florida Keys.
Nelson’s letter comes in response to an executive order the president signed Friday ordering the Department of the Interior to determine how many energy and mineral resources are available in designated national marine sanctuaries, such as the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Nelson, who filed legislation last week that would block the Interior Secretary from opening additional areas to offshore drilling until at least 2022, cited the significant environmental and economic impact that drilling in the Florida Keys sanctuary would have on Florida.
“Against clear congressional intent, the president’s Executive Order directs your departments to tally the oil and minerals contained in national marine sanctuaries like the Florida Keys,” Nelson wrote. “Seismic testing and other preleasing drilling activities directly conflict with the laws that created the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and I strongly urge you to refrain from allowing any oil and gas activities in the Florida Keys.”
Below is the full text of Nelson’s letter, and here is a signed PDF copy.
May 1, 2017
The Honorable Wilbur Ross
Secretary
U.S. Department of Commerce
1401 Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20230
The Honorable Ryan Zinke
Secretary
U.S. Department of the Interior
1849 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20240
Dear Secretary Zinke and Secretary Ross,
I am gravely concerned that the Presidential Executive Order issued Friday, April 28th, represents a significant economic and environmental threat to Florida—and it violates both the spirit and the text of the law regarding National Marine Sanctuaries.
The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (NMS) is a gem among many in Florida’s tourism-based economy, generating $4.4 billion in annual revenue for the local community and supporting over 70,000 jobs. It is home to over 6000 species of marine life, the third largest living coral barrier reef system in the world, and an estimated 1,000 shipwrecks. Fourteen historic sites in Florida Keys NMS are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
This area is of such national importance that in response to environmental threats, including oil drilling, Congress designated the Florida Keys as a National Marine Sanctuary in 1990 “to protect and preserve living and other resources of the Florida Keys marine environment.”
Against clear congressional intent, the president’s Executive Order directs your departments to tally the oil and minerals contained in national marine sanctuaries like the Florida Keys—presumably by using seismic air gun blasts in some of the most sensitive and important habitats in our ocean.
Seismic testing and other preleasing drilling activities directly conflict with the laws that created the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and I strongly urge you to refrain from allowing any oil and gas activities in the Florida Keys.
Sincerely,
Florida on Verge of Building Code Policy Improvements
Florida Home Builders Association Remarks on Committee Passage of Policy Changes
The Florida Senate Appropriations Committee today passed Senate Bills 1372 and 1312 by Senator Keith Perry, R-Gainesville, both of which which would improve Florida’s ability to strengthen its building code. The Florida Home Builders Association (FHBA) made the following statement:
“Florida is on the verge of a common-sense solution that keeps our state the gold standard for building code safety,” said Jeremy Stewart, president of FHBA. “This policy allows Florida to amend its own already strong, existing state code, rather than starting from scratch with out-of-state code driven by special interests. It means improvements to safety, understanding, compliance, and enforcement of our state’s relevant codes.
“We want to thank Senators Perry and Lee for their leadership on this issue. On behalf of the builders and contractors working with families every day and making commitments to safe structures, we’re grateful for the progress made today, and we look forward to this policy reaching the Governor’s desk.”
Background:
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Florida upholds the strongest building codes in the nation to help prevent the tragic loss of life the state saw in Andrew’s aftermath.
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Currently, Florida is required to take up a new edition of its building code “rule book” every three years via the ICC (International Code Council). It takes a year to fully digest all the code changes, requiring marketing planning and building strategy changes. Once those are confirmed, the state moves to an entirely new code. It is difficult for contractors and inspectors to keep up. The vast majority of these changes have little to do with building integrity.
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The policy passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee today would flip the presumption that Florida must start from scratch every three years, and would allow Florida to simply amend / add onto its own already strong, existing state code.
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Inefficient code practice is also costly to homeowners. Keeping up with rapidly changing codes, often unnecessary and added by special interests, trickles down to home buyers. For every $1,000 increase in the price of a new affordable home in Florida, the number of households priced out of the market ranges from 21,037 to 22,974 households.
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With this policy change, some ICC codes would not be in the Florida code, but nothing that would sacrifice safety. What would be axed are things that are unnecessary and only in there for special interest reasons.
For more information, visit http://fhba.com/.
Media Advisory: Press call on Florida's vulnerable energy infrastructure
MEDIA ADVISORY
Press Call and Report Release
Ahead Of Climate March, New Report Show Florida’s Most Vulnerable
Communities Bear Risks Of State’s Energy Infrastructure
In anticipation of the People’s Climate Marches this weekend, Organize Florida Education Fund and the Center for Popular Democracy will be releasing a new study this Wednesday showing how the most vulnerable communities in Florida bear the risks of new energy infrastructure in the state – including pipelines, refining sites, and extraction stations.
The report demonstrates that the risks of Florida’s energy infrastructure are not distributed evenly throughout the state. Rather, they overwhelmingly affect a handful of counties with significant populations of uninsured people of color, many of whom work in low-wage jobs. As a result, those with the most limited resources are exposed to the greatest risk of injury and illness.
The threat is especially acute for women in communities of color in the Central Florida metropolitan areas of Tampa and Orlando. Legislators and residents from these areas will be available to discuss the results of this report along with recommendations for addressing the convergence of factors that affect these communities.
WHAT: Press call – new report on disparate impacts of energy infrastructure in Florida
WHO: Elected Officials, Community Leaders and the study’s author
WHEN: 10am, Thursday, April 27
DIAL IN: 724-707-3168
CONTACT: Laura Dowler, 321-800-2095, [email protected]
BACKGROUND:
Organize Florida Education Fund joins with The Center for Popular Democracy to release a report on the intersection of energy infrastructure, climate change, access to health care and poverty, as well as its disproportionate impact on Florida’s low-wage women.
Gov. Scott, U.S. HHS, AHCA announce $1.5 billion commitment to LIP funding for Fla
Governor Rick Scott, U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tom Price, M.D. as well as Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma, and Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) Secretary Justin Senior announced the federal government’s commitment to continuing funding for the Low Income Pool (LIP) in Florida in the amount of over $1.5 billion annually. This funding is nearly a billion dollars more than what the Obama Administration provided to Florida. The LIP program is a federal matching program that provides federal funds to Florida hospitals to cover costs for the state’s most vulnerable patients. State officials and the Trump Administration have had ongoing discussions regarding the LIP funding since early this year.
Governor Scott said, “Working with the Trump Administration to secure a commitment of $1.5 billion in LIP funding for our state will truly improve the quality and access to health care for our most vulnerable populations. I appreciate their quick turnaround and commitment to working with Florida to provide additional flexibility for how these funds can be used more efficiently, including allowing money to follow each patient. This will provide better healthcare for the individuals intended to be served with this funding.
“It is great to have a partner in Washington who is willing to work with us to help our state. Florida was on the frontline of fighting against federal overreach under President Obama and it is refreshing to now have a federal government that treats us fairly and does not attempt to coerce us into expanding Medicaid.”
Secretary Price, M.D., said “From day one, we have been committed to working with our state partners to ensure they have the flexibility they need to make decisions that best reflect the unique needs of their populations. Today’s announcement reflects that commitment on the part of the Trump Administration. We look forward to continuing to work with Governor Scott as well as governors across the country to make sure Americans have access to quality healthcare.”
Administrator Verma said, “Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is working toward a new era of state flexibility and leadership. For too long states have been sharing in the cost but have not been allowed to have a meaningful role in decision making. We want to provide states the flexibility to make health care decisions that best meet their citizens’ unique needs, and support states covering access to healthcare services.”
Secretary Senior said, “The $1.5 billion in LIP funding that the Trump Administration has committed to Florida will help to support Florida’s low income families. Our Agency has had open and direct conversations with Secretary Price and his staff and we look forward to continuing this partnership. We truly feel like our federal partners are listening to our state and our needs and we know that Florida will have the flexibility we need to run our Medicaid program as efficiently as possible while providing the highest level of care in our state’s history.”
Sachs Media Group Named No. 1 Public Affairs and Environmental PR Firm in Florida
Among Top 100 in U.S.
Sachs Media Group deepened its status as Florida’s dominant public affairs communications firm by earning from O’Dwyer’s the prestigious No. 1 ranking in Florida and the Southeast for Public Affairs and Environmental PR. The rankings by the nationally respected organization also place Sachs Media Group among the top 10 firms in the nation for that same category, reflecting record-breaking earnings in the firm’s 21st year.
Other highlights of 2017 O’Dwyer’s rankings for Sachs Media Group include:
- No. 3 in Florida in Travel and Economic Development, the firm’s highest ranking yet for this category
- No. 3 in Florida for Professional Services
- No. 4 in Florida and among the top 100 in the nation overall
Headquartered blocks away from Florida’s state Capitol, Sachs Media Group has enjoyed unprecedented success on behalf of public affairs clients across the political spectrum, producing exceptional outcomes on statewide, regional, and national issues. The firm’s public affairs work has been widely recognized, most recently with a coveted Gold Pollie Award from the American Association of Political Consultants, the industry’s highest public affairs honor at the national and international levels.
“The communications industry is in a constant state of rapid change – and to be most effective today, tactics need to pivot to develop, deliver, and define the best path for optimal results,” said Ron Sachs, founder and CEO of Sachs Media Group. “With a broad spectrum of talent and skills under one roof, we have made a passionate commitment to meeting and exceeding the expectations of our clients, and are proud that our efforts have been recognized in this way.”
These honors for Sachs Media Group follow a 25.6 percent growth in the agency’s revenues from 2015 to 2016. This was a year of record-breaking revenue, with public affairs work accounting for one-third of all billings by the firm.
Sachs Media Group is the go-to strategic communications partner for mid- to large- sized corporate, nonprofit, and government organizations with high-stakes challenges. Based in Florida with national reach, we’ve perfected the art and science of promoting issues, brands, and services. We believe in insight-informed strategy – doing the right things to reach the right audiences and achieve the right outcomes, measuring success the way our clients do. Headquartered in Tallahassee, with offices in Orlando, Boca Raton, and Washington, D.C., our award-winning team has the experience, specialized skills, and bandwidth to treat your issue as a top priority. For more information, visit www.sachsmedia.com.
Gov. Scott: Florida Leads Large States in Private-Sector Job Growth
Florida Also Leading the Nation in Job Creation Across Multiple Industries
Governor Rick Scott announced today that Florida businesses had the fastest annual private-sector job growth rate of the 10 largest states in the nation. In the last year, Florida added 239,800 new private-sector jobs, the second-most in the nation. Governor Scott also announced that Florida added 11,900 new jobs in the manufacturing industry over the last year, the most of any state. Florida’s manufacturing, construction and professional and business services industries all led the nation in job gains in February.
Governor Scott said, “I am proud to announce that Florida is once again leading our competitor states in private-sector job growth and that multiple Florida industries, such as manufacturing, are leading the nation in job creation. Economic development programs like Enterprise Florida aren’t just crucial to helping our state compete for major jobs wins, but also help diversify our economy. Today’s announcement shows that we are successfully diversifying our economy and we cannot stop now. We must continue to fight for jobs by investing in important economic development programs like Enterprise Florida and VISIT FLORIDA.”
Florida’s private-sector job growth rate of 3.3 percent is outpacing the nation’s at 1.8 percent. Florida has led the nation in over-the-year manufacturing job gains for the last eight months, and Florida’s trade, transportation and utilities industry had the second-highest job gains among all states.
Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Executive Director Cissy Proctor said, “Florida’s strong, diverse job creation is catapulting our state to the top of the nation for economic growth. Our economic development and diversification programs are working as a result of our investment in critical programs like Enterprise Florida and VISIT FLORIDA.”
