Florida State Wide

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution charged a man for stealing more than $28,000 worth of electrical wire in a fraudulent barcode scheme. According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office investigation, Edrey Santo Rojas stole rolls of wire through fraudulent sales and returns from multiple Lowe’s and Home Depot stores in 15 counties throughout Florida and the Southeast United States. In a seven-month period, Rojas fraudulently used authentic barcodes from lesser-priced electrical wire to purchase expensive rolls of wire. Rojas then conducted fraudulent returns by taking products in the store that matched the receipt from the prior purchase to customer service for a full refund. Rojas is charged with multiple felony counts of retail theft.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “This thief stole more than $28,000 worth of wire rolls from home-improvement stores throughout 15 counties in a fraudulent barcode scheme. He committed more than 70 different thefts crossing multiple judicial circuits. Thanks to law enforcement and our Statewide Prosecutors, his spree is wired shut and now he faces multiple felony charges.”  Continue reading

“Is anything happening with the FAIRtax? Why don’t I ever hear about the FAIRtax on tv? Will the FAIRtax ever pass?” These are a few of the questions that I hear on a fairly regular basis. Let’s take them one at a time:

“Is anything happening with the FAIRtax”:

Just a few weeks ago Steve Hayes (Chairman of Americans for Fair Taxation) was invited to testify before the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Taxation in Washington, D.C. This proved to have both negative and positive results. Those members who do not like the FAIRtax and enjoy the rewards of having an incomprehensible income tax code to further their own political gains asked scripted questions to people other than Steve. They in turned gave scripted answers that misconstrued or lied about the FAIRtax without giving Steve a chance for rebuttal. Fortunately, the chairman asked Steve direct questions that gave him the opportunity to set the record straight. After the meeting, Steve was approached by 3 different Congressmen wanting to talk more about the FAIRtax. Steve is in the process now of trying to set up one-on-one sessions with these members to teach them more about the FAIRtax and find common ground in hope of pushing the FAIRtax bill forward. Continue reading

Dear Friends,

We are over half way through the 2024 Legislative Session and have plenty of more ground to cover. Over the course of the 2024 Legislative Session, the Republican Caucus is committed to being focused on delivering real results for Florida’s families and ensuring that Florida continues to lead the nation with a world-class education system and thriving economy.

The Senate Committee on Fiscal Policy passed the Live Healthy Legislative Package with unanimous support. This robust policy proposal addresses key shortages in Florida’s health care workforce and stimulates innovation in health care. This Legislative Package combines targeted policy enhancements and critical investments to increase Florida’s health care workforce and efficiency across the health care sector. Continue reading

Have you ever thought there is so much good about the FAIRtax that, when someone asks you about it, you are tongue-tied because you don’t know where to begin? Imagine getting a question about the FAIRtax while riding in an elevator, and you have twenty seconds before the door opens.

Why Democrats Should Support the FAIRtax

AFFT president Steve Hayes’ testimony before the House Ways and Means subcommittee on taxation was largely political theater. Both sides used the occasion to advance their own talking points—Republicans touting the success of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and Democrats attacking the FAIRtax at every turn. Continue reading

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.  Governor Ron DeSantis announced that more than $35 million in funding from the Workforce Development Capitalization Incentive Grant Program will be allocated to Florida school districts and Florida College System institutions to create or expand semiconductor-related instructional programs for students. Because of the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida is already #5 in the US for semiconductor manufacturing jobs and #3 in the nation for semiconductor establishments. This investment will help cultivate a highly skilled workforce, which is integral to sustaining Florida’s growing semiconductor industry.

“By providing workforce education in our classrooms, students learn skills they can use to obtain high-paying jobs in growing industries like semiconductor manufacturing,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “This investment continues our commitment to making Florida number one for workforce education and positioning our state at the forefront of innovation.”  Continue reading

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Governor Ron DeSantis awarded $20 million through the Biscayne Bay Water Quality Improvement Grant Program to strengthen ongoing efforts to restore water quality in the bay. Since 2019, the state of Florida has invested more than $70 million for targeted water quality projects in Biscayne Bay. To ensure restoration efforts continue, Governor DeSantis has again included $20 million for Biscayne Bay in his Focus on Florida’s Future budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2024-25.

“The Biscayne Bay is a hub for sport and commercial fishing and tourism,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Our comprehensive approach to addressing water quality statewide and our investments in targeted estuaries, such as the Biscayne Bay, Indian River Lagoon and the Caloosahatchee, will ensure Florida’s economic vitality and Floridians’ way of life for decades to come.” Continue reading

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Governor Ron DeSantis highlighted the record-breaking success of his three-month Great Outdoors Initiative, providing 50% discounts on Gold Sportsman hunting and fishing licenses and Annual State Park Passes. First announced on October 14, 2023, the Great Outdoors Initiative encouraged Floridians to get outdoors and explore Florida’s natural resources by saving Florida families money. The discount lasted through January 13, 2024, and was the highest discount ever provided for these licenses and passes in Florida history. More than 75,000 Gold Sportsman licenses totaling $24 million and more than 55,000 state park passes totaling $2.86 million were sold during the initiative. More than 23,000 of the hunting and fishing licenses purchased were for first time license holders.

“Florida is the Fishing Capital of the World and is home to some of the best recreational lands in the country for Florida families to enjoy,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “The success of this initiative is impressive and I am happy to see so many families take advantage of these savings to enjoy our great outdoors.” Continue reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Exposure to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is linked to cancer and other diseases. Unfortunately, these substances may have contaminated the water of several Florida military bases, putting service members and their families at risk.

Rep. Cammack joined U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Secretary Lloyd Austin, asking about PFAS remediation efforts at Florida’s military installations and clarifying the extent of the health impacts of PFAS exposure on service members and their families.

“Our service members, and their families, deserve full information on the health risks of PFAS, as well as a commitment by the DoD to mitigate any harm that may be caused by PFAS exposure on military installations. As such, we request a full accounting of the progress for PFAS remediation efforts on each of Florida’s military installations.”

GAINESVILLE, FL — Congresswoman Kat Cammack announced the City of Ocala received a $104,000 grant from the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program. The SS4A program funds regional, local, and tribal initiatives through grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries.

The City of Ocala will use the grant to conduct supplemental planning to develop a city-wide Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP) and a Speed Management Plan targeting safer speeds in residential areas and around schools.

“I’m excited to see the City of Ocala making excellent use of this grant,” said Congresswoman Kat Cammack. “Safer roadways are important for motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists in Ocala, ensuring everyone makes it to their destination and back home safely. I look forward to seeing the City’s thoughtful planning in action.”   Continue reading

ALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody today sent a public records request to the Atlantic Coast Conference demanding the college athletics organization immediately turn over public records currently being withheld from Florida State University. Attorney General Moody is seeking the release of the conference’s “ESPN Agreement” and several other agreements, amendments and documents crucial to FSU’s legal battle to leave the ACC. The conference is refusing to turn over the documents—instead demanding that FSU officials travel to North Carolina to view the documents in secret and under ACC supervision.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “One of Florida’s top universities is facing the possibility of forfeiting more than half a billion dollars, and the ACC is refusing to hand over the agreements at the center of this astronomical financial penalty. They are unlawfully keeping these documents locked away in North Carolina. However, North Carolina and Florida state laws are clear that these agreements are public records and must be handed over immediately. Today, I am taking action to ensure FSU and the public are able to review these agreements.” Continue reading

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