Florida Turnpike Extension

The Florida State Turnpike Authority was authorized by the Florida Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Dan McCarty as the Turnpike Authority Act on June 11, 1953. The Authority was reorganized and incorporated into the newly formed Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) in July 1969.

In 1953, Costar led a lobbying group that resulted in the state legislature creating the “Florida Turnpike Act”, which Governor Dan McCarty signed into law on July 11, 1953.

A History of Providing Safe and Convenient Transportation. Construction on Florida’s Turnpike began in the mid-1950s, and the first 110-mile stretch was completed in 1957.

As I understand the turnpike extends 264.666 miles. When the Turnpike lobbying was going Florida Residents were promised all kinds of things it would only be a toll road to pay for the construction of and so ands so forth. Some of the problems did not come up till a little later. Continue reading →

On September 14, 2022, in News Releases, by Staff

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that U.S. News and World Report released their 2022-2023 Best Colleges rankings, with Florida Public Universities earning top spots across multiple categories. The Best Colleges rankings placed the University of Florida (UF) and Florida State University (FSU) among the top 20 public universities in the country. UF earned the number 5 ranking on the list and FSU earned the number 19 spot. The University of South Florida was ranked among the top 50 public universities in the country at number 42, rising four spots from last year and breaking into the list of the top 100 public and private universities for the first time ever at number 97. The University of Central Florida (UCF) and Florida International University were also in the top 100 public universities nationally, coming in at 64 and 72 respectively. As of 2021, Florida has been ranked the number one state for higher education for five consecutive years by U.S. News and World Report. Continue reading →

On September 13, 2022, in News Releases, by Staff

Continue the Mission recruits veterans, military spouses and former law enforcement officers to serve as CPIs, APIs, DCF case managers and mentors

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, First Lady Casey DeSantis highlighted the success of her Continue the Mission initiative, which launched in June 2022 to recruit veterans, military spouses and former law enforcement officers to be child and adult protective investigators and case managers, as well as mentors to children in need, new case managers and child and adult protective investigators. Since the start of the initiative, nearly 250 individuals have applied to work to protect Florida’s most vulnerable children. This follows several recruiting events hosted by the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and successful marketing with local partners. To learn more about this program, Visit:

https://www.myflfamilies.com/continuethemission/.  Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Bret Jones, Timothy Morris, and Marlene O’Toole and the reappointment of David Hidalgo and Ivy Parks to the Lake-Sumter State College District Board of Trustees.

Bret Jones

Jones, of Clermont, is a Lawyer for the Law Offices of Bret Jones, P.A. He is a member of Cornerstone Hospice Foundation and Imagine Schools at South Lake. Jones earned his bachelor’s degree in management from Webber International University and juris doctor from the University of Florida.

Timothy Morris

Morris, of Leesburg, is the Vice President of Ernie Morris Enterprises, Inc. He is a member of the National Office Products Association, and Rotary International and is the Treasurer of the Florida College System Foundation. Morris earned his associate degree from Lake-Sumter State College. Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Russell Branson, Fredrick Roberts Jr., Charlie Stone, and Dr. Michael Torres to the College of Central Florida District Board of Trustees.

Russell Branson

Branson, of Ocala, is the President of SouthState Bank. He is a board member for AdventHealth Ocala Hospital, Marion County Hospital District, and Marion County Public Policy Institute and the Treasurer of the United Way Marion County. Branson earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from Florida State University and his master’s degree in banking from Louisiana State University.

Fredrick Roberts Jr.

Roberts Jr., of Ocala, is a Partner and Attorney for Klein & Klein, LLC. He is a board member for Oak Hammock at the University of Florida and a member of the Marion County Bar Association. Roberts earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from University of Florida and his juris doctor from Stetson University.  Continue reading →

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL-03) joined Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rep. Al Lawson (D-FL-05) in petitioning U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to initiate a Section 301 investigation of fruit and vegetable imports from Mexico, and to secure trade relief for Florida growers.

For more than 20 years, Mexico has leveraged heavy subsidies and low wages in a scheme to conduct a “conquest of external markets” and displace Florida’s seasonal and perishable agricultural industry from the domestic U.S. market.

“I’m proud to join my colleagues on this effort to address Mexico’s unfair trade practices,” said Rep. Cammack. “As the only Florida Republican on the House Agriculture Committee, I’ve seen the way our farmers are suffering from the labor shortages, supply chain issues, and inflationary costs we’ve been experiencing over the past several months, notwithstanding competition from foreign exporters. Our growers in Florida need immediate relief, which is why my colleagues and I are demanding an investigation into Mexico’s export targeting scheme that is directly harming our domestic supply chain.” Continue reading →

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL-03) joined Rep. Young Kim (R-CA-39) in sending a bipartisan letter to President Biden urging his administration to deny Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his delegation entry into the United States for the United Nations 77th General Assembly in New York later this month.

President Raisi was a member of the Tehran “death committee” responsible for the 1988 organized mass execution of 30,000 Iranian political prisoners, most of which were members or supporters of the People’s Mojahedin of Iran (MEK/PMOI). His regime continues supporting terrorism abroad and attempts to kill American citizens and Iranian political dissidents on U.S. soil.

“As a member of the Homeland Security Committee, this is without a doubt a dire national security issue,” said Rep. Cammack. “To allow an admitted terrorist to not only enter into our country is not something we can allow as a country that values free, democratic principles and human rights. Especially considering that the 77th General Assembly is scheduled to start just two days after the anniversary of 9/11, it would be completely insensitive and thoughtless for the Biden administration to ignore this pressing matter.” Continue reading →

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Kat Cammack (R-FL-03), a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, introduced the Justified Action for Securing Our Nation (JASON) Act. The bill is named after a Customs and Border Protection agent who inspired the legislation and has dealt with the influx of migrants at the southern border for the last 21 months.

The bill would explicitly provide the Secretary of Homeland Security with the authority to prevent the entry of aliens in the event of a surge in apprehensions at U.S. land borders; a public health emergency in the U.S. due to any outbreak that could qualify as a pandemic; the dissolution or failure of a national government in the western hemisphere; or an imminent foreign terror threat to the security of the U.S. Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is recognizing National Preparedness Month by encouraging Floridians to be ready to face potential hurricane strikes. National Preparedness Month raises awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could happen at any time. As the second—and usually more active—half of hurricane season begins, Attorney General Moody is highlighting the 2022 Hurricane Preparedness Guide to aid Floridians in developing storm-safety plans.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “We’ve been lucky that it’s been a relatively calm hurricane season—so far—but it wouldn’t be prudent to let your guard down. In recognition of National Preparedness Month, I am urging all Floridians to reevaluate their storm preparations and make needed adjustments to keep their families, pets and homes safe.” Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla—Attorney General Ashley Moody, Truckers Against Trafficking, the Florida Department of Transportation and Busing on the Lookout are teaming up to train more than a hundred Florida workers within the gaming and passenger transportation industries to spot and report human trafficking. Today, Attorney General Moody and TAT hosted the Florida Bus & Casino Coalition Build Out—a virtual training event enlisting more soldiers in the fight against human trafficking. The event invites key bus, transit and casino industry stakeholders to join local leaders, law enforcement and government agencies to receive training on how to spot human trafficking and discuss efforts to stop this atrocious crime.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Excited to co-host this important training to enlist even more soldiers in our fight to end human trafficking. Transportation and casino workers can play a key role in helping rescue trafficking victims, so it’s vital that we provide expert training to make sure they know how to spot and where to report suspicious activity.” Continue reading →