Dear Neighbor,

This last month brought our first serious storm of the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Our first responders and National Guard troops were prepared and on the ground working to ensure our safety after the storm while linemen from across the southeast got to work quickly to restore power. These folks’ service has been tremendously appreciated this week.

I and several members of our team fed dinner to our local linemen earlier this week to thank them, and yesterday, Senator Rubio and I were in Live Oak to thank the National Guardsmen and women who came to Florida’s aid.  You can take a look at my message to all of those who have been helpful below.

With hurricane recovery top-of-mind, if you are still in need of recovery assistance, please call my team in our Gainesville office at (352) 505-0838. We are here to advocate for you and provide you with the resources you need to take care of your family, your business, and your property. Continue reading →

Ahead of National Senior Citizens Day, Attorney General Moody is asking older Floridians to watch out for fraud. Florida is home to more than 5.5 million seniors. Attorney General Moody is highlighting efforts to protect these Floridians from fraudulent schemes. After taking office in 2019, Attorney General Moody launched Florida’s Senior Protection Team, an intra-agency group of experts working together to fight fraud. Last year, the team secured more than $1 million in financial relief for Florida seniors.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Florida may be known as the Sunshine State, but we are also a silver state—and we prioritize protecting those who choose to live out their golden years here. Ahead of National Senior Citizens Day, we’re asking older Floridians to watch out for fraud and highlighting efforts to help seniors avoid falling victim.”

Attorney General Moody’s Senior Protection Team consists of members from the Office of Statewide Prosecution, Consumer Protection Division and Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Together, the team fights elder abuse and fraud as well as develops strategies to help seniors avoid falling victim to scammers or criminals. Since Attorney General Moody took office in 2019, the Senior Protection Team secured more than $8 million in financial relief for Florida seniors. Continue reading →

As colleges and universities begin a new academic year, Attorney General Ashley Moody today sent a reminder to higher education officials in Florida about their duty to protect Florida’s Jewish students from harassment, intimidation and other incidents of antisemitism. The reminder comes in the wake of radical antisemitic protests continuing around the nation and following the destructive protests witnessed at colleges and universities in the previous academic year.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Last year, my office circulated a memo advising higher education officials of the zero-tolerance policy for antisemitism in our state. Florida offered an example to the rest of the country with swift action while other states witnessed their colleges and universities overtaken by chaos and, in some instances, crime. Let this serve as a reminder, there is no room in our state for lawlessness or antisemitism. As a new school year begins, we are renewing our commitment to making Florida a safe state for Jewish students.”

The letter states, “In the days and months following the horrific October 7 attacks on Israel, America saw university administrators across the country utterly fail to protect Jewish students and maintain law and order. Many schools allowed encampments and demonstrations to disrupt student life and school operations…Some of these schools even tolerated overt acts of antisemitic harassment and violence. And because school administrators allowed this unconscionable conduct to continue throughout the entire school year, some universities were forced to cancel graduation ceremonies.” Continue reading →

Attorney General Ashley Moody today in Orlando encouraged vigilance in spotting and reporting voter fraud at the Florida Tax Collectors Association Annual Conference. Tax collector offices around the state are where Floridians go to interact face to face with government. In Florida, tax collectors are independent constitutional officers duly elected by registered voters.

These county government leaders do more than collect taxes. In tax collector offices, Floridians can receive vehicle tags, hunting licenses, driver’s licenses and even submit voter registration forms. With the 2024 presidential election around the corner, Attorney General Moody is encouraging tax collectors to display information about reporting voter registration crimes to Florida’s Voter Fraud Hotline: 1(877) 868-3737.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “For many Floridians, tax collectors are the face of the government. Tax collectors help them obtain their first driver’s license and can even help them register to vote. Florida has taken great steps to ensure the integrity of our elections. Today, I encouraged tax collectors to help us keep Florida elections secure by posting information about Florida’s Voter Fraud Hotline—so Floridians know how and where to report suspicious activity.”    Continue reading →

Information from the Internet & fact checked.

Something about JD Vance’s path to becoming a United States Marine, and what being a veteran means to me.

He grew up in the small town of Middletown, Ohio.

Middletown was once an industrial powerhouse, but thanks to the unfair trade deals signed by our “leaders” in DC, the people of Middletown were left behind.

Like most of the enlisted Marines he served with, he joined the military to serve my country. It was also a way for a kid from a poor family to achieve the American Dream.

When he got off the bus and stepped on the yellow footprints at Marine Corps Recruit Training, I honestly didn’t know what I was getting into.

But when his Drill Instructor handed him his Eagle, Globe, and Anchor and I earned the title of United States Marine, it was one of the proudest moments of his life.

Dear Neighbor,
This week, I am back home in the Sunshine State’s Third Congressional District! It’s always a breath of fresh air to be back and on the ground meeting with my neighbors. After a busy legislative year, I always look forward to August as the chance to connect with you and take back more great ideas to Washington in September.

As we head into the weekend, we’re closely monitoring Invest 97L, a tropical development heading into the Gulf of Mexico. The latest models as of Friday morning indicate it will weaken as it moves north, but we know how quickly these storms can change. With this in mind, please stay tuned to local news and weather alerts for the latest information regarding heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and flooding that this storm may bring. We will provide updates as more information becomes available.

This week, we said goodbye to our four summer interns as they finished their final week in our office. We’re so thankful to have had these wonderful students work for our district. I wish them luck as they return back to the Swamp and law school this fall.
Back home, Team Kat had the privilege to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for our community’s newest green space, Ocala Park Estates. This new park will only add to our already beautiful home and serve as a place for all to enjoy. Continue reading →

This week, as millions of Florida students prepare for another academic year, we honored the school resource officers who protect them with a Thin Line Tribute. Our Thin Line Tribute initiative recognizes the daily, often thankless efforts, of Florida’s front-line law enforcement officers—and you don’t get more front line than serving in a school!

During the tribute, at a high school in Volusia County, we also announced that the school district will be joining our Hallway Heroes program. We created Hallway Heroes last year to encourage students to build bonds of trust with school resource officers—so they are more comfortable reporting suspicious or dangerous activity in schools.

Through this unique program, attention-grabbing, age-appropriate posters are strategically placed in school hallways instructing students on how to engage with school resource officers. For older students, these displays include our statewide anonymous crime-reporting tipline, **TIPS.  Continue reading →

The current federal income tax system is clearly broken – unfair, overly complex and almost impossible to completely understand. There is however a reasonable and nonpartisan alternative that is both fair, efficient and easy to understand and that is the FAIRtax (HR 25).

The FAIRtax is a national sales tax that treats every person equally and allows American businesses to thrive while generating the same tax revenue as the four-million-word-plus tax code we now live under. The FAIRtax is NOT an add-on but a REPLACEMENT of the current income tax.

Under the FAIRtax, for the first time in recent history, American workers will bring home what they earn with the elimination of federal withholding from their paychecks giving them an instant raise in take-home. Social Security and Medicare benefits will not change. In fact, the FAIRtax actually puts these programs on a more solid foundation. Instead of being funded by worker’s wages, which is a relatively small pool, they will be funded by taxes on overall consumption by all residents. Continue reading →

Good morning friends-With the elections just around the corner, I wanted to share some more information with you.

In Lake County, Vote-By-Mail Ballot mailouts begin on July 12^th.  Sample Ballots are available on July 29^th.

Early Voting dates and times for the 2024 Primary Election are August 8^th-17^th, from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.  The Primary is on August 20^th.

Early Voting dates and times for the General Election are October 21^st – November 2^nd, from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.  The General Election is on November 5^th.

It’s not too early to make sure your voting registration is in order, and you know where your voting precinct is located.  For more information, contact your Supervisor of Elections office.

Onward & Upward

Nearly 130,000 printed resources have been distributed to law enforcement across the state as a way to help Floridians find help.

ORLANDO, Fla.—Today, First Lady Casey DeSantis spoke at the Florida Sheriffs Association (FSA) Summer Conference to highlight Hope Florida as a referral resource for Florida Sheriffs and law enforcement.

“Often, law enforcement personnel encounter individuals who need help outside of the criminal justice system,” said First Lady Casey DeSantis. “They just need help and aren’t sure where to start. Now they can call one number to rally a community to help meet their needs, address their challenges, and ultimately provide a plan and a path to prosperity. We are proud to offer Hope Florida as a simple way for law enforcement to ensure those who need help can be connected quickly to Hope Navigators who are ready to provide assistance.”

“Florida Highway Patrol is proud to be directly involved in distributing information and supporting Hope Florida’s mission to the many Sheriff’s Offices and Police Departments throughout the state,” said Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) Executive Director Dave Kerner. “Hope Florida is an incredible asset that allows the men and women who protect and serve Floridians to direct them to available resources that cater to each individual’s specific needs, making a significant impact on their lives.” Continue reading →