Dear Friends,

2023 is off to a quick start in the Florida Senate as we focus on preparing for the Legislative Session which begins March 7^th. So far, we have completed four weeks of committee meetings and a special session and we have another three to go. There have been, roughly, 300 bills filed in the House and Senate. In previous years, we have seen as many as 4000 filed bills before the end of Session. So, it is a bit surprising how low this number is, but these last three weeks is when the majority of these bills will reach the “filed” status. When that happens, there will be a lot of information to sift through, but a good thing to remember is that less than ten percent of bills actually pass the legislature and lots of bad (and some good) ideas will die off.

Currently, in addition to serving as President Pro Tempore, your Senator sits on the following eight committees. The policy Committees on Agriculture, Community Affairs, Judiciary, Rules and Children, Families and Elder Affairs. The Appropriations Committees on Health and Human Services, Criminal and Civil Justice, and the full Committee on Appropriations. The full Appropriations Committee and the Rules Committee are the largest of the Senate Committees and most, if not all, of bills filed will have to come through one of these two committees. We are very excited to be a part of both of those committees and for the opportunity we have to review, give input, and vote on every piece of legislation that comes through the Florida Senate. Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced nearly $20 million to support water quality improvement projects along the Indian River Lagoon (IRL). These projects will help collect stormwater runoff and treat it to reduce the amount of pollutants and nutrients that enter the IRL. These projects are in addition to the $255 million Florida is already investing to protect the IRL, including targeting wastewater, septic to sewer, and other needed restoration projects.

“Investing in the protection of our waterways is a great way for us to ensure the long-term health of our natural resources,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “This funding will help build the infrastructure needed to improve water quality as we continue to make investments to protect and restore the Indian River Lagoon.”

“Decades of human impacts have resulted in impaired water quality in the Indian River Lagoon, specifically from nutrients,” said Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Shawn Hamilton. “As a result of the leadership of Governor DeSantis and unprecedented investments in water quality, the Department, in conjunction with project partners, is focusing on tackling the root cause of nutrient pollution.” Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. —(Read to the end) Governor Ron DeSantis signed and Excutive Order 23-06  (Achieving Even More Now for Florida’s Environment) to further advance the protection of Florida’s environment and water quality.

Read what environmental leaders and stakeholders are saying about the future of conservation in Florida:

“The Everglades Foundation applauds Governor DeSantis’ four-year record commitment of $3.5 billion for the Everglades.

“A week after his inauguration, on the anniversary of the momentous executive order he signed four years ago, Governor DeSantis has signed a new executive order laying out a blueprint that builds off the promises he fulfilled during his first term. The executive order increases his funding commitment to $3.5 billion over the next four years for Everglades restoration, water quality initiatives, and protecting water supply for Floridians, “Clean and usable waterways are the backbone of Florida’s economy. Governor DeSantis recognized this issue from the beginning of his term and has continued to deliver on his commitments. Continue reading →

Over 140 GOP Conference members sign on as original cosponsors

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Kat Cammack announced the introduction of the Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act of 2023.

This bill would reassert Congress’ legislative authority and prevent excessive overreach by the executive branch in the federal rulemaking process. It would require every new “major rule” proposed by federal agencies to be approved by both the House and Senate before going into effect. The bill would also preserve Congress’ authority to disapprove of a “nonmajor rule” through a joint resolution.

The REINS Act would define a “major rule” as any federal rule or regulation that may result in: an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more; a major increase in costs or prices for consumers, individual industries, government industries, government agencies, or geographic regions; or significant adverse effects on competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or the ability of U.S.-based enterprises to compete with foreign-based enterprises. Continue reading →

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Rep. Kat Cammack joined more than 100 Republican Members of Congress on House Republican Conference Vice Chairman Mike Johnson’s (LA-04) congressional resolution condemning the nationwide wave of violence, property damage, threats, trespassing, and intimidation against pro-life organizations in 2022 by pro-abortion activists in the wake of the Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe v. Wade.

“The Supreme Court opinion re-establishing the authority of individual states to prohibit the killing of unborn children sent the Democrat Party and other radical pro-abortion activists off the deep end in 2022,” said Rep. Johnson. “Since there has been so little accountability for the leaked draft opinion and ensuing violence and intimidation against pro-lifers, we are introducing this resolution to make the position of Congress crystal clear: violence, property damage, threats, and intimidation tactics must be condemned, and these clear violations of federal and state laws must be prosecuted.”

The resolution is scheduled for a vote in the House this week.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, H.R. 26, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, introduced by Congresswoman Cammack, Congresswoman Ann Wagner, and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, passed the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill ensures that infants born alive after an abortion attempt receive the same protection of law and degree of care as any newborn.

“For the last several years under Democrat control, the House failed to vote on the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. This changed during the first week of the Republican majority,” said Rep. Cammack. “It’s an honor to not only see this bill pass the House, but to receive overwhelming support from my colleagues. Upholding the value and sanctity of life has been a personal mission for me, and this bill plays a key role in affirming what the American people have always known: life is sacred. I’d like to extend a special thanks to my colleagues Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Congresswoman Ann Wagner for their leadership on this issue, and to all my Republican colleagues who voted for life today.”

Congresswoman Kat Cammack is one of four co-chairs of the House Pro-Life Caucus.

GAINESVILLE, FL — Today, the House Committee on Agriculture announced its committee roster for the 118th Congress. Representative Cammack will serve a second term on the committee as the only Florida Republican of the 26 total GOP Conference members appointed.

“It’s an honor to serve a second term on the Agriculture Committee,” said Rep. Cammack. “2023 is a big year for the committee with the 2023 Farm Bill heading our way. The Farm Bill will prioritize the needs of our farmers, ranchers, and foresters who work hard each day to feed, clothe, and fuel our nation. After the last two years of labor shortages, supply chain challenges, and soaring prices, I’m looking forward to joining my colleagues to put the needs of our producers and rural communities first.”

“I welcome this diverse group of legislators to the House Committee on Agriculture for the 118th Congress,” said Rep. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson, Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture. “It’s imperative we hit the ground running through a rigorous hearing schedule, listening sessions, and aggressive oversight. I look forward to working closely with my colleagues as we put forward commonsense solutions that provide certainty for rural America.” Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is warning Floridians about an alarming increase in sextortion targeting minors. Sextortion is a form of exploitation where victims, including children, are coerced into sharing explicit photos or videos of themselves. The predator will then use the images to blackmail the target with threats to publicly expose the material. Recently, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a startling warning about the increase in sextortion cases, including more than 3,000 minor victims in 2022.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Sextortion cases are on the rise nationwide and thousands of minors are being targeted and victimized. Parents and guardians, please talk to your children about this disturbing crime and make sure they know not to take or send explicit images to anyone. Keep an open dialog with your children and urge them to tell you if they are ever asked to exchange inappropriate content.”

The 2022 Human Trafficking Summit hosted a session on sextortion, with additional information on this crime and how parents and guardians can help children avoid being victimized. The session is called “Understanding the Dangers of Sextortion”. Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is warning parents about the dangers of fentanyl, a highly lethal synthetic opioid. A new study, conducted by Families Against Fentanyl, found that children under the age of 14 are dying of fentanyl poisoning at a faster rate than any other age group. Fentanyl continues to be the number one killer of adults 18-45. With these alarming statistics, Attorney General Moody is urging Floridians to never use illicit drugs and is sharing the Fast Facts on Fentanyl Toolkit to help parents talk to their children about fentanyl.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “This is disturbing news, and as the mother of a school-aged child, I want to make sure every family is engaging in an open dialog about the dangers posed by massive amounts of illicit drugs flooding into our country. We have known for a while about the skyrocketing fentanyl deaths among young adults—and we suspected it was having a growing impact on small children, but this report confirms the urgent public-safety risks all parents are now facing when trying to protect their children from this deadly synthetic poison flooding into our country from Mexico.” Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution today secured 30-year prison sentences for members of a massive identity theft scheme. The lengthy sentences are a result of three individuals, Carnessa Rouse, Gregory Engram and Samishia Askew stealing the identities of more than 120 individuals—most victims being above the age of 65. Using the victims’ identities, the defendants opened fraudulent credit card accounts to fund luxurious lifestyles.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “We secured lengthy prison sentences for three defendants for their roles in a massive identity theft scheme spanning at least seven counties in Florida. These fraudsters victimized more than 120 Floridians—most of them seniors—by stealing and misusing ill-gotten personal information to open fraudulent credit card accounts. They then used the credit accounts to fund their extravagant lifestyles. Now their lifestyles will be much more modest in prison thanks to the great work of my Statewide Prosecutors and our hardworking law enforcement partners.” Continue reading →