Dear Thomas,

Thanks to all your voices, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has announced that they are pausing the directive to remove Florida panther (FP) 260 from the wild!

FWF believes all agency actions need to be made based on sound science and research. FP 260 has never been a threat to humans and has only exhibited normal panther behavior.

Thank you to all our supporters who sent in letters opposing the decision to remove FP 260. Your advocacy played a critical role in giving FP260 a reprieve! It’s important to note that USFWS has only agreed to pause its plans to remove this individual panther. Now, they must reverse the decision completely in accordance with science and established protocols. Then we can address the larger issue of ensuring proper and effective compensation programs to ranchers who suffer monetary losses.

The rare Florida panther is the symbol of wild Florida. We must act now to keep it on the landscape for ourselves and future Floridians.

On March 24, 2022, in News Releases, by Staff

MEMORANDUM

TO:                  Tom Berger, Director of Real Estate Management and Development

FROM:            Governor Ron DeSantis

DATE:             March 24, 2022

RE:                  Flags at Half-Staff in Honor of Former United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright 

On Wednesday, March 23, 2022, Former United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright passed away at the age of 84 after battling cancer. In 1996, Albright became the first woman to serve as United States Secretary of State. While serving in this role, she was the highest-ranking woman in the history of American government. Previously, she served as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations. Prior to her notable career as an American diplomat, Albright made her way to the United States as a child of Czech refugees who fled from Nazi and Soviet oppression in Eastern Europe.

Pursuant to the President’s orders and as a mark of respect, I hereby direct the flags of the United States and the State of Florida to be flown at half-staff at all local and state buildings, installations, and grounds throughout the State of Florida immediately until sunset on Sunday, March 27, 2022.

On March 16, 2022, in News Releases, by Staff

HIALEAH, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced $289 million across Florida for programs that will ensure Florida is continuing to meet the needs of its students, teachers and families while remaining a national leader in closing education achievement gaps and advancing student growth. Governor DeSantis made the announcement at Hialeah Educational Academy, a school that has dedicated STEM programs and offers certificate programs in a variety of fields including law enforcement, nursing and fire rescue. The $289 million includes funding for STEM programs, civics education and after-school and summer learning programs.

“I am proud to announce an additional $289 million for programs that will improve student achievement and close learning gaps,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “This announcement builds on our accomplishments over the past three years to make Florida a national leader on education, with our focus on civics, early literacy and STEM programs. I look forward to more announcements in the coming weeks as we continue investing in education for Florida students.” Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Diane Spencer and Roberta Ulrich to the Sumter County Board of County Commissioners.

Diane Spencer 

Spencer, of The Villages, is a retired attorney with 36 years of experience previously working as a claim attorney for State Farm Fire and Casualty Company. She is currently elected to and serves on The Villages Community Development District #5 and previously served on the North Sumter Utility Development District. Spencer earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and juris doctor from Nova Southeastern University.

Roberta Ulrich 

Ulrich, of The Villages, is a retired mathematician. She previously worked at the Goddard Space Flight Center analyzing Mars data and has experience working in the federal government and in private industry. Ulrich earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Duquesne University.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is issuing a Consumer Alert warning Floridians about potential cyberattacks due to growing tensions in Europe. This comes on the heels of a warning from Washington, D.C. that Russia is exploring options for a potential attack. Critical infrastructure is thought to be the most likely target of such an attack; however, attacks can be more broad, meaning anyone with information online could be affected—leading to losses in money, private information and use of digital devices.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Cyberattacks are not always narrowly targeted. In fact, many hackers cast wide nets in an effort to steal as much information as possible. With the growing tensions in Europe and new warnings out of Washington, I want to encourage all Floridians to remain diligent in their efforts to protect identities and financial information online.”

Cybersecurity experts know that hackers cast wide nets, often ensnaring small businesses, nonprofits and private citizens when launching these online assaults. Attorney General Moody is warning consumers about the possibility of widespread cyberattacks. Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is warning Floridians about scams ahead of the 2022 tax-filing deadline. The deadline to file 2021 taxes is April 18. According to the Internal Revenue Service, millions of Americans wait until the last two weeks before the deadline to prepare tax returns. Last-minute filers are at a heightened risk of scammers fraudulently filing for a return in their name. Other less-common tax schemes also seek to exploit federal filing requirements. To avoid unnecessary hardships, Attorney General Moody is providing tips to help taxpayers spot and avoid tax scams.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “The federal tax-filing deadline is just a month away and millions of Americans have not prepared their taxes. While there is still time, filing early reduces the likelihood that a scammer will steal your tax return. For more information about how to avoid common tax-filing scams, check out the tips in our latest Consumer Alert.” Continue reading →

  White House slams Florida republicans. The controversy started when the GOP rejected legislation and the name it  “Don’t Say Gay!” The goal is to protect the children who need protection from legislation that would show them in a negative light. They would be subject to Bullying.

The new “F” word is FREEDOM to many of our leaders are infringing on FREEDOM. The word is not being considered as they make a move toward Martial Law.

Our own Republican Dennis Baxely sponsored the proposal. Baxely told law makers it would not forbid  spontaneous discussion but would bar districts from incorporating LGBTQ topics into the curriculum.

Baxely said some discussions are best left to parents! Baxely said when you enter sexual discussions with children your entering the “Danger Zone”!

DeSantis stated you’ve seen incidence in which kids are encouraged to be doing stuff with like gender ideology and I think the parents really do need to be involved in that discussion. LGBTQ

Dear Friends,

Thank you to all of you that have taken the time to call, write and e-mail our office over the past few weeks as we continue fighting to protect faith, family, freedom, opportunity and life itself at our state capitol.

We have reached the halfway mark of the 2022 Legislative Session and we are very excited about the good work being done on behalf of the people of the state of Florida. Will we get everything we want; just the way we want it? No. This process is a conversation that happens between 22 million people in our state who come from many different backgrounds and many different life experiences. Sometimes it can be messy, but a better system of government has yet to be found. Many have tried and many have failed. We should be very grateful that we live in constitutional republic where the rights of individuals are honored and protected. Continue reading →

GAINESVILLE, FL —Congresswoman Kat Cammack (FL-03) and Congressman Darren Soto (FL-09) led a bipartisan letter with members of the Florida delegation to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack in support of the state of Florida’s request for a USDA Disaster Declaration for the counties impacted by freezing temperatures January 29-31, 2022.

The letter describes how areas of Central and South Florida saw temperatures plunge to their lowest in more than a decade at the end of January, resulting in prolonged damage to crops across the state. Governor DeSantis issued a state of emergency in 30 counties across Florida, and a USDA Disaster Declaration would provide additional support under the Farm Service Agency to impacted farmers. Continue reading →