Dear Friends,

We are now at about the halfway point of the 60-day Legislative Session in Tallahassee. We are reminded of how blessed we are to be living in this great state and it is an honor to be able to serve you in the Florida Senate. Thanks to you, Florida continues to thrive economically and we are seeing hundreds of people moving here every day. While we are excited that they have chosen Florida to work and raise a family, it does present us with many challenges as we address the explosion of growth. Our leadership team in the Senate, along with Governor DeSantis and the Speaker of the House, is working tirelessly to address these needs and continue to make Florida’s future secure.

Senator Travis Hutson recently presented SB 240 in the Pre-K – 12 Education Committee. This bill revises current high school graduation requirements to place a specific emphasis on educational curriculum that is focused on technical education and career training. Additionally, this legislation establishes a program that allows local businesses to assess the job market for their specified region and collaborate with local schools to ensure that roles found to be of a greater need are greater emphasized in our educational system. As the entire nation attempts to address labor shortages in key fields such as nursing and logistics, Florida will lead through innovative educational policies that benefit individual students and the economy as a whole. Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — First Lady Casey DeSantis welcomed female faith leaders from across Florida into the Governor’s Mansion to discuss her Hope Florida – A Pathway to Prosperity initiative spearheaded by First Lady Casey DeSantis. Hope Florida, created by First Lady DeSantis and implemented by the Florida Department of Children and Families and the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, utilizes ‘Hope Navigators’ to guide Floridians on an individualized path to prosperity and economic self-sufficiency by focusing on community collaboration between the private sector, faith-based community, non-profits, and government entities to break down traditional community silos to maximize support and uncover opportunities. These ‘Hope Navigators’ are essential in helping individuals identify their unique and immediate barriers to prosperity, develop long-term goals, map out a strategic plan, and work to ensure all sectors of the community have a ‘seat at the table’ to be a key part of the solution. In addition, the Hope Navigators help identify and organize opportunities for Floridians who wish to help their neighbors by connecting community members, including Florida seniors, with volunteer and mentorship opportunities. Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis and the governors of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming formed an alliance to push back against President Biden’s environmental, social, corporate governance (ESG) agenda that is destabilizing the American economy and the global financial system. Earlier this month, Congress took action to pass legislation which would keep politics out of Americans’ retirement funds; however, President Biden has promised to veto this measure to further his progressive agenda. In a joint statement proposed by Florida, these states committed to lead state-level efforts to protect individuals from the ESG movement that threatens the vitality of the American economy and Americans’ economic freedom, such as removing all state pension funds and state-controlled investments from firms that follow the ESG model of ‘politics before fiduciary duty.’

“At my direction, Florida has led the way in combatting the pernicious effects of the ESG regime by directing our state pension fund managers to reject ESG and instead focus on obtaining the highest return on investment for Florida’s taxpayers and retirees,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “At the time I said we would spearhead an initiative to join with other like-minded states to send an even louder message to the financial industry that the American people have rejected ESG at the ballot box, and ideologues cannot and should not circumnavigate the will of the people. Today, we have delivered on that promise. Florida has emerged as America’s economic engine, with an unemployment rate consistently lower than the nation’s and the highest rate of business formations of any other state. We will not stand idly by as the stability of our country’s economy is threatened by woke executives who put their political agenda ahead of their clients’ finances.”  Continue reading →

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis marked the third year since “15 Days to Slow the Spread” was implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and put the United States under a state of emergency. President Biden has perpetuated issues that arose from widespread lockdowns by enforcing a federal vaccine mandate for health care workers as well as requiring proof of vaccination for international tourists three years after the initial lockdown orders. The President also continues to fight to maintain a federal mask mandate for air travel. These prolonged restrictions have had detrimental effects on Americans and the US economy. To watch the Governor’s full remarks, click here.

“Florida bucked the COVID-19 orthodoxy and instead used commonsense policies to become a refuge of sanity,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Federal vaccine mandates and restrictions were never about protecting Americans from a virus, they were exercising control at the expense of the American economy and the American way of life. In Florida, we did not abdicate our leadership decisions to DC bureaucrats. Instead, we bucked the bureaucrats by ensuring kids could be in school, Floridians could go to work and businesses could thrive.” Continue reading →

GAINESVILLE, FL – On Friday, Congresswoman Kat Cammack honored the 2022 Veteran of the Year, Mr. Ansil Lewis, a 30-year United States Marine Corps veteran, at a small ceremony in Gainesville.

Surrounded by friends, family, and fellow veterans, Sergeant Major Lewis received a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol in his honor, a plaque bearing his name, one of Congresswoman Cammack’s challenge coins, and his special recognition in the Congressional Record.

Mr. Lewis served as a Sergeant Major in the United States Marine Corps from 1987 to 2017, where he received the Bronze Star; Legion of Merit; Meritorious Service Medal; Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal; Combat Action Ribbon; Joint Meritorious Unit Award; Navy Unit Commendation; and the Military Outstanding Volunteer Medal.  Continue reading →

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Kat Cammack (FL-03) announced the City of Starke’s award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development. The City of Starke will receive a $6.3M grant, in addition to a $10.6M Water and Waste Disposal Loan and a $9.6M Water and Waste Disposal Grant.

The Rural Development investment will be used to provide additional financing for the City of Starke’s wastewater treatment plant system improvement project. The proposed investments will bring the city into compliance with regulatory agencies and will assure public health and welfare for its existing and future residents in the City’s designated service area.

USDA Rural Development is committed to helping improve the quality of life in rural America and offers loans, grants, and loan guarantees to create jobs and support economic development and essential services such as housing; health care; first responder services and equipment; and water, electric, and communications infrastructure. Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—As part of National Consumer Protection Week, Attorney General Ashley Moody is releasing a new Scams at a Glance resource to help Floridians spot and avoid travel scams. During the spring break season, many Floridians and tourists will be traveling. Florida is a hot destination where more than 130 million tourists visited in 2022. Unfortunately, scammers know this and may try to exploit consumers, casting a wide net to try and trap unwary travelers. Attorney General Moody is releasing Scams at a Glance: Travel Traps to help consumers avoid falling for fraudsters’ tricks during this busy travel season and beyond.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “As spring break gets underway and we continue to recognize National Consumer Protection Week, I am releasing a new resource to help protect travelers. Scams at a Glance: Travel Traps highlights common schemes designed to rip off tourists, as well as helpful tips to avoid falling victim. Download it for free before you leave on spring break or plan a summer getaway.” Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is releasing the 2023 Government-in-the-Sunshine Manual in recognition of National Sunshine Week. The manual is available to download for free on the Florida Attorney General’s website at MyFloridaLegal.com.

The manual is compiled and written by the Florida Attorney General’s Office to assist the public, journalists and governmental agencies in understanding the requirements and exemptions of state open government laws.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “In recognition of National Sunshine Week, I am publishing the 2023 Government-in-the-Sunshine Manual on our website, MyFloridaLegal.com. The manual is free to download and accessible to anyone seeking more information about open government laws in Florida.”

The 2023 edition of the Government-In-The-Sunshine Manual incorporates laws, judicial decisions and Attorney General opinions in place as of Oct. 1, 2022. Additional information about Florida’s open government laws is available at MyFloridaLegal.com.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is continuing the 2023 Tax-Season Scams Series with a warning for Floridians about Tax Identity Theft. In 2021, the Federal Trade Commission received 1.4 million reports of identity theft, and the FTC reports that the tax-filing season is the most common time for identity theft.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Identity thieves love tax season and as we continue our series warning about common tax-related scams, I want filers to be extra cautious and take proactive steps to guard their personal information.”

Securing personal information, both online and offline, is one of the best ways to guard against tax identity theft. Physical documents containing sensitive information should be shredded before being thrown away into the trash. If a personal shredder is not available, communities often host local shredding days. Utilizing multi-factor authentication, as well as incorporating strong passwords, can spoil an online scammer’s plan of obtaining personal information. Continue reading →