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Senator Linda Stewart

Senator Linda Stewart Urges Orlando and Orange County Mayors to Join South Miami In Sanctuary City Lawsuit

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Eyeing what she sees as overreach by the federal government to combat a phantom problem in Central Florida, state Senator Linda Stewart (D-Orlando) on Thursday urged local officials to join South Miami in its sanctuary cities lawsuit. [Read more…] about Senator Linda Stewart Urges Orlando and Orange County Mayors to Join South Miami In Sanctuary City Lawsuit

Senator Stewart Calls on Governor Scott to Rescind Executive Orders, Begin Steps to Halt Massive Environmental Destruction

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With a large area of Florida imperiled by spreading toxic algae blooms, and as the death toll of marine life continues to mount at a staggering pace, State Senator Linda Stewart (D-Orlando) on Friday called on Governor Rick Scott to immediately reverse his executive orders issued seven years ago which allowed unfettered deregulation of critical protections once safeguarding the state’s fragile environment. [Read more…] about Senator Stewart Calls on Governor Scott to Rescind Executive Orders, Begin Steps to Halt Massive Environmental Destruction

Senator Linda Stewart Requests Chief Inspector General Probe of Flawed Concealed Weapons Permit Investigation

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Alarmed by evidence of policy violations involving a probe into ineligible concealed weapons permits, and the recent admission of erroneous statements left unchanged for more than a year by Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam’s top watchdog, state Senator Linda Stewart on Monday requested an independent investigation by Florida’s Chief Inspector General.

[Read more…] about Senator Linda Stewart Requests Chief Inspector General Probe of Flawed Concealed Weapons Permit Investigation

Senator Linda Stewart Doubts New Trump Executive Order Will End Immigrant Familes’ Plight

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With President Donald Trump’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy still intact, and the fate of more than 2,000 children and their separated parents still hanging in the balance, state Senator Linda Stewart (D-Orlando) called on U.S. Senator Marco Rubio to co-sponsor federal legislation to end the nightmare plaguing the country’s southern border. [Read more…] about Senator Linda Stewart Doubts New Trump Executive Order Will End Immigrant Familes’ Plight

Senators Stewart and Rader call for independent Senate investigation into Commissioner Putnam’s agency background check failure

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Jolted by Commissioner Adam Putnam’s admission that his Department of Agriculture (DACS) issued hundreds of concealed carry permits to ineligible applicants, and the subsequent failure to immediately disclose the breach until news reports appeared Friday, state Senators Linda Stewart (D-Orlando) and Kevin Rader (D-Delray Beach) on Monday called for a special Senate investigation. [Read more…] about Senators Stewart and Rader call for independent Senate investigation into Commissioner Putnam’s agency background check failure

Senator Stewart calls for Adam Putnam to resign following background check failure

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Demands background checks be re-run by FDLE to protect Floridians’ safety

State Senator Linda Stewart (D-Orlando) on Friday called on Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam to immediately resign following the disclosure that his agency failed to conduct national background checks, allowing possibly dangerous individuals to obtain concealed carry permits.

She also called for the background checks to be handed off to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and for those under question to be re-run through the FBI’s crime database.

“I am extremely alarmed at the failure by Commissioner Putnam to disclose that his agency had failed to conduct these critical background checks – allowing possibly mentally disturbed individuals and others who should be disqualified, to be legally armed in Florida,” said Stewart. “I’m equally alarmed that officials from his agency tried to conceal the lax oversight by pushing legislation to cover up that failure, and downplayed the real reasons for the bill.

“He needs to resign.”

During the 2018 legislative session, Senator Stewart said that officials from Putnam’s agency came to her office to push for passage of legislation that would have required concealed permits to be approved if the applications had lingered.

Asked about why such a move was necessary, the Senator said that Putnam’s representatives downplayed the motives, insisting that it was more of a housekeeping move, and not a big deal.

That provision was only pulled from consideration following the Parkland massacre.

“These are the kinds of tricks that cannot be tolerated,” said Senator Stewart. “Lives were put in jeopardy by their attempts to conceal what had actually happened, and remain in danger now because of their ineptitude. This process needs to be immediately taken over by FDLE and these applications need to be re-examined.”

According to the Tampa Bay Times, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services failed to run applicants for concealed carry permits through the FBI crime database for more than a year because an employee of the agency could not log in.

The failure means that those individuals who should have been barred from receiving a permit due to disqualifying backgrounds, such as a mental illness, were never flagged.