Florida State Wide
More Floridians Enter the Workforce While National Labor Force Shrinks
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Florida’s economic data continues to show strength even with impacts from Hurricane Ian in Southwest Florida. In the October 2022 economic data report, Florida’s labor force grew by 36,000 and Florida’s private sector added 35,000 jobs. This is the 30th consecutive month that Florida created jobs, while private sector job growth has exceeded the nation’s for the past 19 consecutive months.
Over the month, Florida’s labor force grew by 36,000, while the national labor force shrank, and Florida’s private sector employment growth was double the national growth rate. Florida’s private sector employment grew by 5.6 percent over the year in October 2022 (+447,800 jobs), faster than the national growth rate of 4.0 percent. Continue reading
Governor Ron DeSantis Announces State Office Closures on December 23rd and December 30th in Celebration of the Holidays
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that state offices will be closed on November 23rd, December 23rd and December 30th.
“Our state employees have worked hard throughout the year, especially over the past few months responding to Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Closing state offices on November 23rd, December 23rd and December 30th will provide state employees with some much-deserved time with their families to enjoy the holiday season. The First Lady and I are thankful for the dedication our state employees have demonstrated to helping the people of Florida.”
Office closures on November 23rd, December 23rd and December 30th are in addition to regular office closures during the holidays.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced continued record visitation to Florida in the third quarter of 2022. VISIT FLORIDA estimates that Florida welcomed 35.1 million visitors between July and September 2022, marking a 6.9 percent increase from Q3 2021, and the fifth consecutive quarter of overall visitation surpassing pre-pandemic levels. According to VISIT FLORIDA, 32.6 million domestic visitors traveled to Florida in Q3 2022, representing 18 months of domestic visitation growth from 2019. So far this year, Florida has welcomed 104.5 million travelers, an increase of 4.1 percent from the same period in 2019, and over 15.3 percent more than in 2021. To ensure visitors continue to experience Florida and are not dissuaded by the impacts of Hurricane Ian, VISIT FLORIDA has launched a $2.7 million campaign to convey to travelers that the “Sun is Shining in Florida.”
“Our freedom first policies continue to bring visitors to Florida from across the country and around the world,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “This increase in tourism will support our entire economy, especially small businesses that have been built from the ground up by hardworking Floridians.” Continue reading
Congresswoman Kat Cammack’s Legislation To Rename Middleburg VA Clinic “A.K. Baker VA Clinic” Passes U.S. House Of Representatives
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, S.2159, the bill to rename the VA Clinic in Middleburg, Florida after Andrew Kenneth Baker, unanimously passed the U.S. House of Representatives.
The bill passed the Senate earlier this year, and the legislation now heads to President Biden’s desk for a signature before the clinic’s name will be formally changed.
“It is so special to see this bill across the finish line during the 117th Congress,” said Cammack. “I worked on this project during my time as Deputy Chief of Staff for the district, and to see it finally pass both chambers and head to the president’s desk is an honor. I’ve come to know Ms. Tina Baker, Andrew’s widow, over the last decade, and it’s surreal to soon see her husband’s name in huge letters on the front of the building in Middleburg. His distinguished legacy will live on in the community that was such a huge part of who he was. Thank you to Senators Rubio and Scott and all of my Florida colleagues for your support of this effort.” Continue reading
Attorney General Moody Secures $390 Million Through Historic Multistate Action Against Google Over Location Tracking Practices
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody today announced a historic multistate action against Google over the tech giant’s location tracking practices. The announcement follows a historic multistate investigation by Attorney General Moody and 39 other state attorneys general into the company’s location tracking practices and cybersecurity disclosures. As a result of the investigation, the business will pay the states $390 million—including $26 million to Florida. Google must also provide consumers more information and clearer options as it relates to tracking practices.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Big Tech is watching us, but Silicon Valley needs to know that we are watching them too, and if they violate our consumer protection laws, we will take strong action to protect our citizens. This is a historic case for the privacy of Americans and the protection of consumers nationwide, and I am proud our office helped lead this massive, nationwide investigation.” Continue reading
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is recognizing Utility Scam Awareness Day by issuing tips for Floridians to avoid utility scams. Fraudsters aiming to swindle consumers may pose as representatives of utility companies, and claim immediate payment is needed or the customer’s service will be cut off—or scammers may attempt to obtain personal information from an unsuspecting consumer. Attorney General Moody wants to ensure Floridians don’t fall victim to these schemes.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Utility scammers will prey on the fear of losing an important service such as power or gas in order to elicit an immediate payment. Don’t fall for these imposter scams. If you receive a suspicious message or phone call, do not provide any personal or financial information. Instead, call the utility company directly and check on the status of your account.” Continue reading
Attorney General Moody Leads Multistate Effort Urging DEA to Extend Telehealth Capabilities for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is leading a bipartisan coalition of 45 attorneys general urging the extension of emergency rules to aid those suffering with opioid use disorder. The attorneys general are calling on the Drug Enforcement Administration and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to permanently extend telehealth flexibilities for prescribing buprenorphine, an opioid use disorder treatment. Buprenorphine is one of three medications that is FDA-approved to treat patients suffering from addiction. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Food and Drug Administration allowed telehealth services to prescribe the medication, but this rule is set to expire when the COVID-19 public health emergency ends.
The nation is in the grips of an opioid crisis, with more than 100,000 Americans dying due to overdose last year alone. State attorneys general are on the front lines fighting the crisis to protect Americans from deadly synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Attorney General Moody recognizes that interdiction efforts alone will not end the crisis. Continue reading
Dear Friends,
The election season will officially conclude November 8 and we are very excited to bring this cycle to a close. We are grateful to live in America, where, even if we make a mistake about who we choose to lead us, we have the ability to choose differently in the next election. No one person can dominate the government for a lifetime. In Florida, we are grateful to have anti-incumbency laws in our constitution so that we are always ready to receive wisdom and fresh ideas from another who is willing to serve. We should not be afraid of those who do have experience serving in elected roles, they bring highly valuable insight and knowledge. We do recognize, however, that we cannot allow our state to operate as Washington D.C. does. There, men and women hold office for decades and become so entrenched that they lose all sense of what it means to be an average citizen. It is not true of all that serve in federal government, but it is a concern for many.
We are confident that we will have a smooth and fair election where voters can be assured that their ballot was counted accurately and that our elections are legitimate. The Florida Legislature has worked hard these last few years to ensure that it is incredibly difficult to cheat our elections. As the Chair of the Ethics and Elections Committee, your Senator had the opportunity to directly sponsor and/or oversee some of the largest elections changes this state has seen in decades. SB 90 (2021) and SB (524) fixed issues and loopholes surrounding drop boxes, ballot harvesting, and vote-by-mail ballots. In addition, we established an investigative unit on elections security within the Department of State that will weed out potential abusers of our elections. No system is perfect and our work is never finished. “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance”. In Florida, we will continue to make it easy to vote, but very, very hard to cheat.
Our prayers continue for our neighbors in the southern part of the state who, little by little, are piecing back together their lives after the destruction caused by Hurricane Ian. How Floridians have responded to such tragedy is truly amazing and it is a blessing to be serving some of the most hardworking and dedicated people in this entire country. Governor DeSantis did an amazing job coordinating the state’s response to this disaster and we are fortunate to have a leader like him for times such as this.
Thank you for your trust and confidence; it is an honor to serve you in the Florida Senate.
Onward & Upward,
Senator Dennis Baxley
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that emergency repairs to the Sanibel Causeway have been completed in 15 days, more than a week ahead of schedule. As of this morning, access to Sanibel Island has been restored for residents, reconnecting Sanibel Island to the mainland. T
“The work that has been done to restore vehicle access to Sanibel Island has been historic,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Cutting through bureaucratic red tape and delivering on our promise to get Sanibel Island up and running has been a top priority. By restoring access over the causeway, repair crews, first responders, emergency vehicles, business owners and residents will be better able to expedite recovery from this storm.”
“I am grateful for our dedicated team members who quite literally built a road in the Gulf in 15 days,” said FDOT Secretary Jared W. Perdue, P.E. “While the bridges were largely undamaged by the storm, portions of the causeway which connect bridge structures together were washed away by Hurricane Ian, leaving the bridges unconnected to the mainland or the island. A project like this, under normal circumstances, could take months. However, FDOT, along with our law enforcement partners at the Florida Highway Patrol, Lee County and Florida Department of Emergency Management made use of strategic and innovative techniques to rebuild the causeways quickly. Under Governor DeSantis’ leadership, and thanks to the hard work of hundreds of FDOT employees and contractors, we were able to relink Sanibel Island to the mainland.” Continue reading
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Reps. Kat Cammack (R-FL-03), Ed Case (D-HI-01), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-20), and Steven Palazzo (R-MS-04) announced the establishment of the Aquaculture Caucus, for which the four representatives will serve as inaugural co-chairs.
The caucus will serve as a resource and forum to educate and share the potential for growing sustainable, innovative domestic aquaculture. It will also provide policy updates and share initiatives in Congress that support U.S. aquaculture and work to make it more competitive at the global level.
“Aquaculture should be one of the United States’ priorities as we grow our focus on food security. In Florida, we’ve seen the benefits of aquaculture firsthand, breeding, raising, and harvesting shellfish, fish, and aquatic plants in our waters. We’ve demonstrated that it’s possible to provide healthy, fresh food that’s produced sustainably at home to support our growing population,” said Congresswoman Cammack. “The Aquaculture Caucus shares our enthusiasm for pushing these industries and their innovations forward while growing our infrastructure and market domestically.” Continue reading
