2023 season now totals 87 days, the longest combined season since the state assumed management of Gulf red snapper

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced Florida is extending the already record 2023 recreational Gulf red snapper season by 17 days, adding every Friday through Sunday in September, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving Day to the previously announced season. The 2023 season now totals 87 days, the longest combined season since the state assumed management of red snapper.

Those fishing from private recreational vessels in state and federal waters in the Gulf, and charter vessels without a federal reef fish permit that are limited to fishing in state waters, will be able to participate in the 2023 Gulf red snapper season. Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced $6.9 million in awards through the Florida Disaster Fund to support continued Hurricane Ian recovery efforts in Southwest Florida. These funds have been awarded to support efforts on the ground and ensure that the impacted communities have ample resources to support the long-term recovery efforts. With today’s awards, the Florida Disaster Fund has awarded all $63.2 million in committed and received funds raised to help Floridians impacted by Hurricane Ian.

“When Hurricane Ian struck Florida, the First Lady and I made a promise that we would be with the people of Florida every step of the way,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Just under a year after the storm, I am happy to be awarding these funds to continue helping Southwest Florida in the recovery process. The Florida Disaster Fund has helped to cut through red tape and get money quickly into the hands of those who need it most. We’ve worked hard to raise more money than ever before and to disburse those funds faster than with any other storm.” Continue reading →

GAINESVILLE, FL — Congresswoman Kat Cammack (R-FL-03) and Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ-06) announced the introduction of a bipartisan bill to support aquaculture and seafood industries. The Supporting Equity for Aquaculture and Seafood (SEAS) Act reforms federal agricultural policy to ensure these industries receive equal treatment within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The bill requires the USDA Secretary to give the same consideration to aquaculture producers as animal agriculture producers and ensure adequate and fair funding levels are made available to aquaculture producers through grants under USDA programs. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE-At Large) are original co-sponsors of the bill. Continue reading →

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Unfair trade practices by Mexico continue to harm American fruit and vegetable producers, especially growers in the Southeastern United States, and undermine our nation’s food security. There is strong, bipartisan support for federal action and relief from Mexico’s unfair trade practices.

Rep. Cammack joined U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), and colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to request an update on the status of the private sector trade advisory panel for Southeastern producers. Ambassador Tai committedto establish the panel in response to the bipartisan Florida Congressional Delegation’s August 2022 Section 301 petition regarding Mexico’s unfair trade practices. Continue reading →

GAINESVILLE, FL — Today, Congresswoman Kat Cammack (FL-03) announced the Lake City Fire Department’s ‘Assistance To Firefighters’ Grant (AFG) award from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The department will receive $208,261.90 to improve its operations and safety, including using the grant for new protective equipment such as air packs.

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant is one of three grant programs administered by DHS and FEMA to enhance the safety of the public and firefighters with respect to fire and related hazards.

“I’m so excited for our brave men and women in Lake City to have the equipment necessary to help them do their jobs more safely and effectively. Our first responders are heroes and it’s imperative that we ensure they stay safe while serving our communities,” said Congresswoman Cammack. “I couldn’t be prouder of our firefighters in Lake City. As the wife of a firefighter and paramedic myself, I know how deserving our departments are of this grant and I know they’ll continue to demonstrate the very best of our first responder community in North Central Florida.” Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—As a new school year begins, Attorney General Ashley Moody is encouraging participation in a new initiative to help students build positive relationships with school resource officers. The Hallway Heroes initiative will provide schools with crime-prevention resources to foster relationships with school resource officers and urge students to report suspicious activity.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “As the mother of a school-aged child who is about to head back to class, I am excited about our new initiative to keep students safe and help law enforcement stop crime. Our Hallway Heroes initiative will encourage students to build positive relationships with their school resource officers to increase school safety. We have already seen how building these bonds of trust between students and officers can help law enforcement stop crime and better protect students, and we hope this new initiative will serve to further strengthen these important relationships.” Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution is filing criminal charges against the owner of a Tampa-based pool company for stealing more than $1.5 million from Floridians and failing to complete customers’ pools. James Ivan Staten, Jr., owner and operator of Olympus Pools, faces charges of aggravated white-collar crime, organized scheme to defraud, grand theft and contractor fraud. Staten accepted large down payments and then left many consumers in Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco and Polk counties with no pools and destroyed yards. Attorney General Moody, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office announced the charges today in Tampa.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “For many people, finally saving enough money to buy a pool takes years of dreaming and hard work, but for the victimized customers of Olympus Pools, their dream turned into a nightmare. This defendant conned numerous Florida property owners by demanding large down payments on pools, then abandoning job sites—destroying backyards and leaving customers short of funds to try and fix the mess.” Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is pushing Congress to pass legislation to protect veterans. In a bipartisan coalition of 44 attorneys general, Attorney General Moody is calling on congressional leaders to support the passage of legislative proposals included in Governing Unaccredited Representatives Defrauding Veterans Affairs Benefits Act.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Our veterans sacrifice so much for our freedom, and they should be able to access the benefits they earned without being preyed upon by bad actors. We need Congress to help protect these brave Americans by passing the GUARD VA Benefits Act and reinstating criminal penalties for unlicensed individuals who may try to prey on our nation’s veterans.”

In a letter sent to congressional leaders, the coalition of attorneys general explained that the passing of the bipartisan legislation would hold unlicensed and unregulated actors accountable for targeting and preying upon veterans who apply for benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Continue reading →

Dear Neighbor,
This week marks the first day of school for thousands of families across Florida’s Third Congressional District! We wish all of our students, teachers, and parents a productive and successful school year ahead, and we remind all of our area drivers and pedestrians to watch for school buses, put down electronic devices in the car, and pay attention to our young learners making their way to their classrooms. Continue reading →

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 →