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Joint Statement

Florida Attorney General Bondi and Utah Attorney General Reyes Joint Statement on Passage of H.R. 1865

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Attorney General Pam Bondi and Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, both leaders in the fight against human trafficking, today issued the following joint statement commending the U.S. Senate passage of H.R. 1865:

“Today, we applaud the U.S. Senate for making the right decision and overwhelmingly passing H.R. 1865, the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act, in a 97 to 2 vote. This legislation will significantly support all state attorneys general and state prosecutors in their effort to hold online sites accountable for supporting the sale of sex trafficking victims.

“We thank President Trump and his Administration for working closely and proactively with Members of Congress, including our dedicated Florida and Utah federal delegations, industry experts and human trafficking survivors in the fight to eradicate sex trafficking across the country and around the world.”

Broward County Legislators Release Joint Statement in Response to House Republicans’ Demand for Suspensions

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STATEMENT BY BROWARD COUNTY LEGISLATORS

With recent calls for removals and/or suspensions from office, today Broward County lawmakers ask for patience and a thorough examination of the facts and circumstances before anyone, at any level of government, is publicly scorned or accused of dereliction of duty.

We have heard cries for the removal of the head of the FBI, the head of DCF, the Governor and even the Sheriff of Broward County before most of the facts and circumstances surrounding the horrific shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School are even known. Given the understandably heightened emotions surrounding this tragedy, we understand that many in the political process are looking for solutions or someone to blame. But it is important to recognize that all of us, regardless of political party, share an obligation to get this right and learn what happened first so we can take whatever steps are necessary to ensure something like this never happens again.

What concerns us is that there are some who call for removals or suspensions simply to divert the focus of the efforts to protect our students away from the root common denominator of all mass shooting incidents – the use of military-style assault weapons and high capacity magazines to murder large numbers of people. Finally addressing mental health funding and examining school security are obvious solutions, but lost in the discussion is meaningful gun safety reform. Raising the age to purchase an assault weapon from 18 to 21 is a no-brainer fix of an obvious flaw in current law; but we need to do more.

In Newtown, Las Vegas, Orlando, and Parkland, with assailants 20, 64, 29 and 19 years-old, in those with and without signs of mental illness, in instances of advance warning or none at all – the one single factor each and every one of these killers shared, in these cases and too many others, is the legal possession of an assault weapon. It was this weapon of war that murdered 20 children and 6 adults at Sandy Hook, 58 concert goers in Las Vegas, 49 individuals at the Pulse Nightclub, and 17 students and teachers at Stoneman Douglas High School. These weapons go far beyond any legitimate sporting purpose and the need for self-defense. We must include in the debate limits or the elimination of these weapons going forward.

Signed:

Broward County Delegation Chair, State Senator Gary Farmer

Broward County Delegation Vice-Chair, State Representative Richard Stark

Senate Democratic Leader, State Senator Oscar Braynon

State Senator Kevin Rader

State Senator Perry Thurston

State Representative Bobby DuBose

State Representative Patricia H. Williams

State Representative Barrington Russell

State Representative Joseph Geller

State Representative Shevrin Jones

Joint Statement on Hurricane Irma from State Senator Torres and State Representative Mercado

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As Hurricane Irma prepares to make landfill on the island of Puerto Rico and tracks towards the State of Florida, State Senator Victor M. Torres, Jr. and State Representative Amy Mercado encourage all residents to prepare for the storm.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with our families, friends and all residents currently in the path of Hurricane Irma” said Senator Torres. “We encourage everyone to make necessary preparations to keep themselves and their families safe during this impending storm event.”
Representative Mercado added: “I urge Congress to act swiftly in approving funding for disaster recovery efforts, not only for the victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Louisiana, but for those who will be impacted by Hurricane Irma in Florida, Puerto Rico and elsewhere.”
Mercado and Torres pledged to work with all Federal, State and Local agencies in preparation for the storm but more importantly during the aftermath and recovery efforts that will begin once Hurricane Irma makes its impact on the United States.