TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—In the midst of the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season, Attorney General Ashley Moody traveled to Osceola County to highlight the No Scam Price Gouging Reporting App that is available in both English and Spanish. At a news conference hosted by the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, Attorney General Moody highlighted the first-of-its-kind app that allows consumers to report allegations of price gouging during a declared state of emergency in real time directly to the Attorney General’s Office. The app allows users to attach pictures and copies of receipts directly from smartphones when reporting suspected price gouging.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “The No Scam app has helped thousands of consumers report outrageous price increases during declared states of emergency, in English and Spanish. As this year’s hurricane season is already underway, I am encouraging all Floridians to download this free app to be ready to help us fight price gouging.” Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Governor Ron DeSantis, Lt. Governor Jeanette Nuñez, Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis,  Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) Director Kevin Guthrie, Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett and Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava are at the Surfside Building Collapse site to receive a briefing of the situation, tour site damage and coordinate state resources.

Early this morning, the State Watch Office received a report regarding the collapse of the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside. Local fire rescue teams immediately responded and began search and rescue efforts.

Governor DeSantis hosted a press conference on the site to provide an update about the disaster and ongoing state response efforts. Remarks from Governor DeSantis and FDEM Director Kevin Guthrie are available.

State response efforts include:

FDEM has deployed State Emergency Response Team personnel to assist response teams. Continue reading →

~ Targeted School Improvement Funds will Elevate Students, Teachers and School Leaders in 149 Struggling Schools ~

PETERSBURG, Fla. – Governor Ron DeSantis announced that the Florida Department of Education awarded $44 million in federal Unified School Improvement Grant (UniSIG) funds to support 149 struggling schools in 29 districts.

“It can be hard for struggling schools to recruit and retain top talent, and today I’m proud to announce $44 million to address this problem,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “I have consistently said that the number one way to create great opportunities for our students is by ensuring they have great teachers. In Florida, we will continue to take a strategic, data-driven approach to make our schools the best in the country.”

“Frederick Douglass said it best when he said, ‘It is easier to build strong children than repair broken adults,’ and with these funds we ensure our students have world-class educators in front of them each and every day,” said Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran. “Our number one goal is to ensure each of Florida’s 2.9 million public school students receive a world-class education and are given the tools to succeed. These funds help accomplish that important work by incentivizing great educators with proven track records of success to come help our most vulnerable students in our most vulnerable schools succeed.” Continue reading →

PETERSBURG, Fla. –Governor Ron DeSantis joined the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to survey the impacts of the red tide bloom affecting southwest Florida and the Tampa Bay area. Governor DeSantis also provided an update on the state’s response efforts which include funding to cover cleanup costs, increased water quality monitoring and use of innovative technology to continuously image water samples.

“I directed all agencies to take an ‘all-hands-on-deck’ approach to respond to the red tide impacting the Tampa Bay area,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “I want to thank DEP and FWC for their constant presence in response to this bloom. My administration is committed to continue ensuring that local needs are met to address this red tide event.”

“DEP and FWC continue to prioritize frequent, direct coordination with the local governments that are on the front lines of this response effort,” said DEP Interim Secretary Shawn Hamilton. “Governor DeSantis has made it clear that the state is committed to ensuring impacted communities have the support they need today and moving forward. DEP will maintain its presence in the region to ensure continued collaboration and the most comprehensive event response.” Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Following a townhall event focused on the crisis in Cuba on Hannity last night, Cuban-American leaders in Florida are commending Governor Ron DeSantis’ call for the Biden Administration to take action and provide internet access for the people of Cuba who are standing up against communist oppression.

Over a week ago, Governor DeSantis sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging the federal government to provide internet access into Cuba remotely to support those demanding freedom from their repressive Communist government. There has not yet been a response to the letter.

“As the people of Cuba continue to rise against the tyrannical regime, they deserve our nation’s support,” said Lt. Governor Jeanette Nuñez. “The Governor urged the Biden Administration to take immediate action to provide a pathway for unfettered access to the internet, but we have yet to receive a response. My parents fled the oppression orchestrated by the communist Castro regime. As a Cuban-American, I stand with our brothers and sisters on the island who desperately yearn for freedom.”

Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday formally prohibited federal prosecutors from seizing the records of journalists in leak investigations, with limited exceptions, reversing years of department policy.

The new policy largely codifies the commitment Garland made in June, when he said the Justice Department would abandon the practice of seizing reporters’ records as part of efforts to uncover confidential sources. It aims to resolve a politically thorny issue that has long vexed Justice Department prosecutors trying to weigh the media’s First Amendment rights against the government’s desire to protect classified information.

“The United States has, of course, an important national interest in protecting national security information against unauthorized disclosure,” Garland wrote in his memo. “But a balancing test may fail to properly weight the important national interest in protecting journalists from compelled disclosure of information revealing their sources, sources they need to apprise the American people of the workings of their government.” Continue reading →

Dear friends,

I hope you are enjoying our sunny Florida weather this summer. We are so fortunate to be living in a free, open state, which just happens to have great weather too! We have seen reports that there are one-thousand people a day moving in to Florida. They have seen how prosperous we are and how many opportunities that we have here that may not exist anywhere else in the country. We have one of the best, most affordable education systems in America. We continue to expand school choice and allow families the freedom to determine how and where their students will learn. We continue to invest in our beautiful, natural resources and this fiscal year alone, funding from the legislature totals nearly $300 million, which go in to the Resilient Florida Trust Fund and the Water Protection and Sustainability Trust Fund. Our cost of living is nearly half of that of California’s or New York’s. We do not suffocate our businesses with burdensome taxes and regulation and our citizens can earn a paycheck, free of state income taxes. We are not following the failed, authoritarian policies of mask ordinances or vaccine passports. We do not tolerate rioting, looting, or the destruction of private property by lawless groups of Marxists. Our houses of worship are open and we maintain that the State has no authority to order their closure under the first amendment of the constitution. Continue reading →

MIAMI –Governor Ron DeSantis was joined by Cuban-American leaders and elected officials in Miami for a roundtable supporting the Cuban people who are protesting the regime’s tyrannical grip on the island.

Governor DeSantis called on the Biden Administration to take a strong stance against the oppressive, communist regime that has been using violence against its own people to crush dissent for more than six decades.

Governor DeSantis said, “We stand with the people of Cuba. For far too long, a tyrannical communist regime has oppressed its people and used its power to silence any dissidents. Now, the Cuban people are making their voices heard to demand freedom and an end to this dictatorship. Continue reading →

Dear friends,

In continuation of last month’s column, we will be bringing you some more highlights of the 2021 Legislative Session. Last month was our budget update, and this month will be a highlight of legislation that was sponsored and passed by your Senator of the 12^th District. Overall, we passed thirteen bills, either as stand-alone bills or added to a larger policy package.

Our priority legislation was SB 90, relating to Election Administration was passed through both chambers and signed by Governor DeSantis shortly after Session ended. This bill addresses a number of issues related to election administration and vote-by-mail. One provision in SB 90 addresses ballot harvesting so that no person may possess a ballot other than his or her own, those of immediate family members and two other designated individuals. We have tightened up the security around drop boxes. Our bill requires that they only be used during early voting hours, and that they must be monitored, in person, at all times by staff or volunteers of our Supervisor of Elections. Also, the bill expands the timeframe for canvassing vote-by-mail ballots, providing that one vote-by-mail ballot request is good for all elections through the next regularly scheduled general election. Current law states that one request is good for all elections through the next two general elections. This change is necessary to provide voters with more flexibility to decide which method of voting they want to utilize, instead of being locked in for two cycles. Continue reading →

388. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis joined members of the Florida Legislature and Florida’s law enforcement community to support law enforcement canines injured in the line of duty by signing Senate Bill 388.

“Law enforcement K-9s are often the first to put their lives on the line as they work to apprehend dangerous or armed suspects in high-intensity situations,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “From responding to fires to finding missing persons to detecting narcotics or explosives, law enforcement dogs use their unique abilities to rescue victims and detect danger. I’m proud to sign this legislation today to ensure they quickly receive the care needed to recover when injured in the line of duty.”

“I applaud Governor DeSantis and the Legislature on this bill that will help protect our K-9 partners,” said Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Rick Swearingen. “These dogs are a great asset to Florida law enforcement and the communities we serve and enhancing the ability for them to get critical care in the line of duty is important.” Continue reading →