Florida State Wide

The current federal income tax system is clearly broken-unfair,overly complex and almost impossible for most Americans to understand. But there is a reasonable, nonpartisan alternative before Congress that is both fair and easy to understand. A system that allows you only pay taxes on what you spend. The FAIRtax is a nation sales tax that treats every person equally and allows American businesses to thrive while generating the same tax revenue as the current tax code.

The FAIRtax is a REPLACEMENT not an add-on to the income tax. Under the FAIRtax, every person in the U.S. will pay a sales tax on purchases of NEW goods and services, excluding necessities due to the prebate. The FAIRtax rate after necessities is 23% compared to combing the 15% income tax bracket with the 7.65% of employee payroll taxes under the current system- both of which will be eliminated. Your paycheck will be what you earned without federal deductions giving you an instant raise in pay. The FAIRtax puts Social Security and Medicare on a more solid funding foundation. Instead of being funded by taxes on worker’s wages, which is a small pool, they will be funded by taxes on overall consumption by all residents. Continue reading

Dear friends,

The previous two columns we have been reporting to you on the 2023 Legislative Session and today we are bringing you the third installment in this series. This month we will continue by highlighting some other passed legislation that will be of interest to you.

Last month’s release of the blockbuster film “Sound of Freedom” has captivated American audiences and, rightfully so, brought much attention and awareness to the devastation of human trafficking. Florida continues to lead on this front to the best of our ability (our federal government must step up and secure our borders!) and a number of bills were passed to help us combat this issue. One such bill was SB 7064 by Senator Ileana Garcia. This bill requires that law enforcement officers successfully complete 4 hours of training in identifying and investigating human trafficking as part of their basic recruit training or additional training. The Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission will develop the training in consultation with the Department of Legal Affairs and the Statewide Council on Human Trafficking. Further, SB 7064 also establishes the state’s unified Statewide Data Repository for Anonymous Human Trafficking Data at the University of South Florida Trafficking in Persons – Risk to Resilience Lab. The human trafficking data, which must be submitted by law enforcement agencies and other entities, will be used to aid in combatting human trafficking, prosecuting those engaged in human trafficking, and assisting victims of human trafficking. Continue reading

Connecting more than 59,000 Unserved and Underserved Businesses, Homes, Farms and Anchor Institutions Like Hospitals and Libraries to High-Speed Internet 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis awarded more than $247 million through the Broadband Infrastructure Program, connecting more than 59,000 unserved and underserved businesses, homes, farms and anchor institutions like hospitals and libraries to high-speed Internet. Infrastructure deployment through 63 strategic projects in 43 Florida counties ensures that Florida residents have reliable and efficient access to workforce, education and health monitoring opportunities for generations to come.

These awards are in addition to more than $226 million in Broadband Opportunity Grant Funding already awarded to 53 counties awards to expand broadband Internet access to unserved areas across the state, connecting more than 250,000 homes and businesses. Additional funding will become available this year through new and existing programs. Continue reading

Each educator earning a Civics Seal of Excellence Endorsement receives a stipend worth $3,000 each

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced Florida has awarded 11,000 teachers more than $33 million for completing civics training offered by the Florida Department of Education. The educators have completed either the Summer Civics Professional Learning Series or the first-of-its-kind Civics Seal of Excellence Endorsement, which equip teachers with the knowledge and skills to provide high-quality civics instruction.

Governor DeSantis and the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) launched the Civics Seal of Excellence in January, and more than 10,000 teachers registered for the course within the first week. Course enrollment is at capacity with 20,000 teachers enrolled and an additional 11,000 educators on the waiting list. FDOE enlisted the assistance of nationally recognized civics experts to create the 50-hour online program that contains over 28 hours of high-quality video lessons focused on America’s history, civics, and government. Continue reading

WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Representative Kat Cammack (FL-03), Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Women’s Caucus, and Emilia Strong Sykes (OH-13), Co-Vice Chair of the Bipartisan Women’s Caucus, Co-Chair Susie Lee (NV-03), and Co-Vice Chair Representative Monica De La Cruz (TX-15), led a bipartisan letter to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, calling for the prioritization of women’s cardiovascular health.

“Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one killer of all. While many heart attacks, strokes, and deaths caused by CVD are preventable, the widespread lack of CVD awareness and subsequent lack of screening, diagnosis and treatment only broaden the impact this disease has on women,” wrote the signers. “All women deserve quality cardiovascular care with a focus on prevention, which includes access to innovative treatments when needed. Special attention should be focused on the disparities that exist among racial and ethnic groups. According to a report published by the American Heart Association, non-Hispanic Black women are more likely to suffer from CVD than their non-Hispanic White female peers. Between 2015 and 2018, the alarming prevalence of CVD was 42.1 percent in non-Hispanic white women, 42.7 percent in Hispanic women, and 58.8 percent in non-Hispanic Black women aged 20 years or older.” Continue reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Kat Cammack voted to support FY 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

“With continued threats from the Chinese Communist Party, it’s more important now than ever to make sure our military is prepared to strengthen our national security. Our Armed Forces must have the necessary resources to keep our nation safe, and I’m glad this NDAA takes the proper steps to put our readiness first. We increased servicemembers’ pay to support our servicemembers and their families, removed radical, woke ideology, training, and requirements for our military, rejected Green New Deal initiatives, provided a path back to service for those who did not take the COVID vaccine, and reduced the burden on our military families for housing expenses.

“I’m also excited to see my own amendment included in the NDAA, including legislation to explore the uses of blockchain technology to create additional accountability within the DoD,” said Cammack. Continue reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Kat Cammack (R-FL-03) announced the Gainesville Regional Airport’s award of $6,354,437 to improve infrastructure and acquire a new aircraft firefighting vehicle.

“Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV) continues to be an important part of our community in North Central Florida, providing commercial and chartered flights each day to destinations across the south and along the eastern seaboard,” said Congresswoman Cammack. “To continue the service patrons have come to expect at Gainesville Regional, it’s imperative to improve the infrastructure and continue to attract more travelers who deserve the best visitor experience possible. I know GNV will put the funds to good use, and I look forward to seeing the improvements.” Continue reading

After seven consecutive weeks in Washington, D.C., it feels great to be home! This week, I visited with constituents in Alachua, Marion, Hamilton, Levy, and Baker Counties, criss-crossing Florida’s Third Congressional District and meeting some of the finest folks in the Sunshine State.

Volunteers with Americans for Prosperity Florida and the local chapters of the American Cancer Society visited to share their health priorities with me. I believe that our health care system is broken, but it will take a preventive approach from providers and patients to improve our quality of care. I’m excited to share some new projects on this front in the coming months.

In Baker County, I visited with Sheriff Scotty Rhoden, Baker Clerk of Court Stacie Harvey, the local fire department, World Honey Market, and several small organizations in Macclenny. I also stopped by Cedar Key in Levy County to check out the latest water projects on the Withlacoochee River in Yankeetown before heading to Marion County for a stint as a cashier at the RaceTrac location in Ocala. You can see these visits below and stay tuned for more from our travels next week.  Continue reading

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement shut down a complex criminal enterprise using the dark web and cryptocurrency to commit identity theft and launder money. An Orlando teen led the complex cybercrime operation. The lead defendant, Justin Vassell, used cryptocurrency to buy bundles of stolen personal information to open credit card accounts and purchase hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise.

The Florida Attorney General’s Office and FDLE today announced the arrest of Justin Vassell, Jacqueline Vassell, Shannon Vassell, Marc Williams, Deonte Benejan and Lawrence Dority for the criminal enterprise that illicitly purchased more than $350,000 worth of merchandise, including ammunition and firearm parts. The group then sold the items to pawn shops around the Orlando area to obtain cash.   Continue reading

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is warning the U.S. Department of Justice against a politically-motivated investigation of Florida’s immigrant relocation program. In a letter to the DOJ, Attorney General Moody states that there is no legal basis for California’s request for the DOJ to investigate the program. Attorney General Moody’s letter responds to a request by the California Governor and Attorney General to the DOJ to investigate Florida and defends the state’s actions to transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary cities on a volunteer basis. The letter also points out that California’s request is a political stunt and not a legal request, as California’s letter does not identify any violation of federal statute, judicial decision or law.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “California’s letter requesting that the U.S. Department of Justice investigate Florida is a ridiculous political stunt. Our voluntary immigration relocation program is lawful, and California’s request fails to identify any violation of federal law. As an Attorney General who leads hundreds of highly-qualified lawyers and has led dozens of legal challenges against this administration, it is jarring that California is not competent enough to articulate even a minimal legal basis for its request. I thought California loved to tout its commitment to illegal immigrants, but now its governor does not want more immigrants in California, claiming that more of them could break his state—how ironic.” Continue reading

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