Dear Friends,
The 2023 Legislative Session will officially kick off this month, and we are excited to continue our work on behalf of Florida’s citizens. We say, “Continue,” because we have already concluded seven weeks of committee meetings and most recently, a second special session, which will be the topic of our column this month.
Special Session B took place earlier in February and addressed a few areas that required immediate attention from the Florida Legislature. In summation, four bills were filed to address Immigration, Reedy Creek Improvement District (Disney), Hurricane Relief, Collegiate Athletics, and Election Integrity. Continue reading
The US Anti-Terrorism Act, is a federal law that lets Americans recover damages related to “an act of international terrorism”.
An American family claims that YouTube routinely and unlawfully recommends videos by the group ‘ISIL (ISIS)’ which boasts about the Paris attacks that killed 130 people including their son.
Apparently, for whatever reason, the government protects internet companies like FACEBOOK, GOOGLE, YOUTUBE and all the others, from being sued.
In practice, this means that they are making millions by promoting pornographers, terrorists, law-breaking companies and hostile foreign countries. Continue reading
The Annual Awards Dinner & Board Installation was held at The Waterfront Inn in Lake Sumter Landing. Chamber members enjoyed an evening of networking, awards, a silent auction, and even a wine toss. The event would not have been possible without the support of our wonderful sponsors. Sponsors of the evening include Visiting Angels, Mia Bella Salon & Spa, United Southern Bank, Belleview Chiropractic Clinic, UF Health The Villages Hospital Auxiliary Foundation, Elevate Lake, Bill Bryan Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Beyers Funeral Home, Gold in Art Jewelers, VITAS Healthcare, Carried Away Gifts, East Coast Capital, The Waterfront Inn, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Glitterati Hair Studio.
Pictured is Leslie Dicesare presenting some of the people being awarded. The event was dress your best. The members went all out. Congratulations to you all.
Irish Eyes are Mile-ing 5k Run
Date:
03/11/2023 7:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Location:
Citizens’ Circle
151 SE Osceola Ave.
Ocala, Florida 34471
A 5k run/walk starting and finishing at Citizens’ Circle. For details, please contact Darrin Detorres, Ocala Distance Project, at 352.304.3217 or Jim Sheilds, Milestone Race Authority, at 904.318.8104.
The 2023 Parade of Senior Services will be held Friday, March 17, 2023. As a for-profit, your agency can participate in the event by becoming a sponsor.
The 2023 Parade will be held at College of Central Florida, Ewers Century Center from 10am – 3pm. This event has been in existence for 40th years and continues to be a favorite among the senior citizens of our community. The Parade is a show of non-profit agencies that provide a variety of services from social, health, education, and more to the senior citizens of Ocala, Marion County and surrounding areas. Many attend this yearly show to obtain information on services they are seeking or may be in the future. Continue reading
March 20-26, 2023 is National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week. Addiction can happen to any person regardless of age. It usually starts when a person is young. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, addiction is the result of changes in the brain that can come from substance abuse. Addictions affect how people think and what they do. There are no specific “type” of person who becomes addicted. People can face addiction regardless of where they are from, or their social status.
Though this may be a difficult topic to discuss with a family member or friend, it is important to have this discussion as it may save a person from problems in the future that can include arrest, loss of employment, or even death. Teens are especially vulnerable due to peer pressure from friends who may experiment with drugs and alcohol. One important sign of addiction is that a person continues to use drugs even though it’s harming their life: physical health, performance at school or work, or relationships. They feel like they can’t stop using drugs, no matter what happens. Continue reading
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Florida had record visitation in 2022. VISIT FLORIDA estimates that Florida welcomed 137.6 million visitors in 2022, an increase of five percent over 2019 and 12.9 percent over 2021. Florida welcomed 33.2 million travelers between October and December 2022, marking a six percent increase from Q4 2021, and the sixth consecutive quarter of overall visitation surpassing pre-pandemic levels. According to VISIT FLORIDA, 30.1 million domestic visitors traveled to Florida in Q4 2022, representing 21 months of domestic visitation growth from 2019.
“People continue to make Florida their vacation destination because they know that in the Free State of Florida, they can enjoy all that we have to offer without mandates or restrictions,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Despite the federal government’s attempts to keep our economy stagnant, Florida’s freedom first approach has created an environment that attracts new visitors, fosters new businesses and drives our economy forward.” Continue reading
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced his proposal to protect Floridians’ digital rights and privacy from Big Tech companies by creating a Digital Bill of Rights that focuses on protecting Floridians’ privacy, protecting minors from online harms, and eliminating unfair censorship. The proposal also bans the use of TikTok and other social media platforms with ties to China from all state government devices, and through internet services at colleges, universities, and public schools, and prohibits state and local government employees from coordinating with Big Tech companies to censor protected speech. This proposal is for the 2023 Florida Legislative Session that begins in March.
“Our Digital Bill of Rights will ensure Floridians are protected from the overreach and surveillance we have seen from Big Tech companies,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Today’s proposal builds on our efforts to stop Big Tech censorship and combat the malign influence of China through the removal of nefarious platforms like TikTok from any state supported activity.” Continue reading
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Governor Ron DeSantis was joined by student-athletes from Florida State University and the University of Florida to sign House Bill (HB) 7-B, revising Florida’s laws relating to Name, Image and Likeness (NIL). HB 7-B removes barriers for NIL while expanding financial literacy, life skills and entrepreneurship workshop requirements for athletes, requiring agents representing student-athletes to protect them from unauthorized use and exploitation of their NIL and specifying that postsecondary educational institutions are not liable for damages as a result of routine actions taken in the course of intercollegiate athletics.
“In 2020, we took a commonsense approach to ensure that student-athletes could control their name, image and likeness and be paid fairly for it,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Now that the NCAA has taken necessary steps to ensure fairness for student-athletes, we can focus on making sure that those athletes are supported and protected under the law.” Continue reading
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Cammack’s bill, H.R. 750—the “Chinese-owned Applications Using The Information of Our Nation Act of 2023” (CAUTION Act)—passed out of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce.
The bill requires any person that sells or distributes a mobile application that the federal government has prohibited for use on government-owned devices must disclose the fact to any individual who downloads, updates, or otherwise uses such an application.
“The CAUTION Act is a critical piece of legislation that warns against the dangers of applications with ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). For years, we’ve known about TikTok and its parent company ByteDance’s connections to the Chinese government and their intentional use of Americans’ data. Applications that have been banned on U.S. government devices, including TikTok, represent real threats and it is only right that such disclaimers be required for users to know the risks involved,” said Congresswoman Cammack. Continue reading
