Dear Friends,

What a great country we live in! Only in America, could a hard-working young man who started out mowing the lawn and washing cars at a funeral home, eventually become the principle and grow that business in to a thriving company with over 100 employees. That young man is now your State Senator and what a blessing and privilege it is to be able to serve you in Tallahassee.

First, a quick update on the redistricting process. As of this writing, the Senate and Congressional maps are just about complete and we expect to hold a vote on the final maps very soon. It was the priority of the Senate to get these done early so that we can focus on other needs of the state. Florida’s citizens should be pleased with the final product as this open process followed a strict procedure and was done fairly and constitutionally.

Also, excited to inform you of some legislation that we have been working on for some time and has recently been filed for consideration. SB 1820, the “Health Care Ethics and Liberty Protection Act” is a bill that would protect doctors and health care providers from being forced to participate in or pay for any health care service that violates their conscience. There are those on the left that believe that health care providers should not be able to refuse to perform or pay for things like abortions and gender reassignment procedures, even if these things are inconsistent with sincerely held religious beliefs. Despite the fact that these procedures do more harm than good and can be very damaging to individuals, we should all at least be able to agree that no one should be forced to participate in something that violates their conscience. This bill would reinforce that right and make it very clear that this will not be tolerated in the State of Florida. Continue reading →

STATE OF FLORIDA

(Executive Order of Suspension)

WHEREAS, Article IV, Section 7(a) of the Florida Constitution provides that the Governor may suspend from office any county officer for commission of a felony; and

WHEREAS, Gary Robert Search is presently serving as a County Commissioner for Sumter County, Florida, District 1, having been elected in 2020 to serve a four-year term; and

WHEREAS, on December 14, 2021, Gary Robert Search was charged by Information with the felony charge of perjury in an official proceeding, in violation of section 837.02(1), Florida Statutes; and

WHEREAS, a violation of section 837.02(1), Florida Statutes, constitutes a felony in the third degree; and Continue reading →

STATE OF FLORIDA

(Executive Order of Suspension)

WHEREAS, Article IV, Section 7(a) of the Florida Constitution provides that the Governor may suspend from office any county officer for commission of a felony; and

WHEREAS, Oren Miller is presently serving as a County Commissioner for Sumter County, Florida, District 5, having been elected in 2020 to serve a four-year term; and

WHEREAS, on December 14, 2021, Oren Miller was charged by Information with the felony charge of perjury in an official proceeding, in violation of section 837.02(1), Florida Statutes; and

WHEREAS, a violation of section 837.02(1), Florida Statutes, constitutes a felony in the third degree; and Continue reading →

WILDWOOD, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the Stop the Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees (W.O.K.E.) Act, a legislative proposal that will give businesses, employees, children and families tools to fight back against woke indoctrination. The Stop W.O.K.E. Act will be the strongest legislation of its kind in the nation and will take on both corporate wokeness and Critical Race Theory. Today’s proposal builds on actions Governor DeSantis has already taken to ban Critical Race Theory and the New York Times’ 1619 project in Florida’s schools. For more information about the Stop W.O.K.E. Act, “In Florida we are taking a stand against the state-sanctioned racism that is critical race theory,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “We won’t allow Florida tax dollars to be spent teaching kids to hate our country or to hate each other. We also have a responsibility to ensure that parents have the means to vindicate their rights when it comes to enforcing state standards. Finally, we must protect Florida workers against the hostile work environment that is created when large corporations force their employees to endure CRT-inspired ‘training’ and indoctrination.”

“As the daughter of Cuban exiles who fled from Marxist ideology, I am proud to stand alongside Governor DeSantis and support this proposed legislation that will put an end to wokeness that is permeating our schools and workforce,” said Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez. “This important legislation gives students and employees the resources they need to fight back against discrimination, critical race theory and indoctrination. I’m proud to stand alongside the Governor not only of the free state of Florida but the woke-free state of Florida.” Continue reading →

LARGO, Fla. — Yesterday, First Lady Casey DeSantis announced the launch of a free substance abuse curriculum for schools in the form of a ‘School Assemblies Toolkit’ through Florida’s The Facts. Your Future. campaign. This program directly engages youth in Florida to improve their understanding of the life-altering effects of drug abuse and empowers teens to reach their full potential.

“With the heartbreaking overdose death statistics we’re witnessing across the country, and as a mom of three, I want Florida’s youth to know they have the power to resist and overcome drug use and abuse,” said First Lady Casey DeSantis. “Our The Facts. Your Future. initiative is reinventing the way substance abuse prevention is taught in our schools. It’s not “Just Say No” — it’s “Just Say No and Here’s Why.” Together with community partners, schools can use this toolkit to give kids proper context and perspective on the dangers of drug use.” Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody today urged the Federal Communications Commission to put measures in place that will help stem the tide of foreign-based illegal robocalls attempting to scam Americans. Attorney General Moody, as part of a bipartisan group of 51 attorneys general, sent a letter to insist the FCC require gateway providers—companies that allow foreign calls into the United States—to take steps to reduce how easily robocalls are able to enter the U.S. telephone network. These necessary steps include implementing STIR/SHAKEN, a caller ID authentication technology that helps prevent spoofed calls. In 2020, Americans lost more than $520 million through robocall scams.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Scammers often use robocalls in an effort to quickly engage millions of targets across the country. Robocalls using spoofed numbers are difficult to track and even harder to stop—especially when they originate from overseas. That is why I am calling on the FCC to work with telecommunications companies to put up barriers to reduce the number of foreign robocalls bombarding Americans’ telephones.” Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is enlisting more soldiers and creating new tools in the fight to end human trafficking in Florida. Today, at a news conference in the Florida Capitol with Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, the Florida Alliance to End Human Trafficking and business leaders, Attorney General Moody announced a new training initiative. The 100 Percent Club is a campaign recognizing Florida businesses that pledge to train 100% of employees on how to spot and report suspected human trafficking safely and effectively.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Human traffickers are constantly looking for new angles and tactics to exploit victims and advance their illicit trade. We too must update and improve how we target and stop traffickers. I am proud to join our dedicated partners today to launch a new training initiative designed to dramatically increase the number of Floridians equipped to spot and report suspicious activity in Florida. We also are launching a new statewide tip line and providing quick-reference alert cards to Floridians to assist us in this essential fight.” Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody today issued a Consumer Alert warning Floridians about new and reemerging COVID-19 test scams as Omicron variant cases increase nationwide. With more and more people seeking tests, scammers may be exploiting this demand to steal personal, financial or medical information. There are recent reports in Florida and nationwide of potential fake COVID-19 testing sites, imposter health care workers at legitimate sites and at-home testing scams. Attorney General Moody is asking Floridians to remain cautious when requesting a COVID-19 test—both at a testing site and at home.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “As we have seen throughout the pandemic, scammers change tactics as news and situations change. With the recent rise in the number of people seeking COVID-19 tests comes an increased risk that scammers will try to take advantage of the demand. Please take precautions to protect your personal information when seeking a test—whether at a legitimate site or when purchasing an at-home test.”

Long lines at in-person testing sites have caused many Floridians to seek the convenience of at-home COVID-19 tests and testing services. Before purchasing one of these tests or providing personal information to companies offering at-home testing services, particularly online, follow these steps to verify the legitimacy of the product:

• Only purchase products from a well-established, legitimate store or website;
• Search online for the brand name of the test and any complaints;
• Beware of private companies that offer free or reduced cost at-home testing services, particularly if those companies require private information to make an appointment; and
• Watch out for private companies that require personal information to sign up for an at-home testing service but will not guarantee an appointment time.

In addition to at-home test scams, there have been recent reports of suspicious COVID-19 testing sites popping up in Illinois. The sites appear legitimate but are designed to steal personal information from unsuspecting test seekers.

Signs of illegitimate, pop-up testing sites include:

• Having no affiliation with local medical providers or government entities;
• Not delivering test results;
• Workers seeming uninformed about the testing process; and
• Volunteers that are unmasked or not following current Center for Disease Control and Prevention point-of-care guidelines and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s standards during interactions with patients.

Last week in Sarasota, law enforcement received reports of suspicious individuals impersonating health care workers at a legitimate testing site asking test seekers to provide personal, financial and medical information.

Below are questions to ask to help spot a testing-site imposter:

• Are they dressed the same as the other health care workers on site?
• Are they interacting with test seekers within the established test-site area?
• Can they accurately and correctly answer questions without seeming nervous or confused?
• Do they pressure test seekers for personal or financial information?
• Are health care guidelines and standards being followed?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reviews and authorizes the use of products to prevent or treat COVID-19, including vaccines, tests, drugs and non-vaccine biological products, medical products and devices and more. Unfortunately, some bad actors may sell unproven or illegal products to profit off the pandemic. Not only are these products ineffective, but they could endanger consumers. FDA’s website provides an updated list of fraudulent products and warning letters of firms who have been reported for selling these fake products.

Anyone who suspects a COVID-19 test-related scam should report it to local law enforcement, or to the Florida Attorney General’s Office by calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM or visiting MyFloridaLegal.com.

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year! We hope that your Christmas season was joyous and blessed. It was good to be able to get some time back home with friends and family before the 2022 Legislative Session begins. We will return to Tallahassee to begin that work on January 11 and we plan to continue updating you on all that we will accomplish there.

These past few months, your Senator has had the privilege of traveling all over the state to be with our Governor as he continues to help keep Florida free and witness firsthand at what an amazing leader we have in him. We have Florida voters to thank for this! Without your hard work, involvement and commitment to the cause of liberty, we could very well be living in a lockdown state like California with a drug addict Governor in Andrew Gillum. Instead, we live in a state that continues to win on every front. From election law to COVID policies and taxes, Florida is leading the way and stands as a beacon of liberty in a country where there are places still half paralyzed with fear. Our working families need the freedom to prosper and overcome challenges together, not big government bureaucrats telling them what to do. Thanks to leaders like Governor DeSantis and a republican controlled legislature, Florida will continue to move forward without lockdowns and mandates. Continue reading →