Florida State Wide
Tallahassee, Fla.—This year’s hurricane season is quickly approaching, and the Florida Department of Health encourages you to make preparations that can help ensure your safety should severe weather occur. In 2016 our state saw the first large-scale hurricane event in a decade. Every hurricane season should be treated as a serious threat, and taking simple precautions can help you stay healthy and safe when weather-related hazards impact the state.
“Last year’s active hurricane season served as a reminder about the importance of planning ahead for emergencies,” said State Surgeon General and Secretary of Health Dr. Celeste Philip. “I strongly encourage everyone to have an updated emergency plan and an emergency supply kit that is specific to your needs and the needs of your loved ones.”
Here’s how you can prepare for the 2017 Hurricane Season: Continue reading
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Governor Rick Scott signed the following bills into law:
| CS/CS/SB 18 | Relief of ‘Survivor’ and the Estate of ‘Victim’ – This bill directs the Florida Department of Children and Families to provide a total of $3.75 million in compensation relief to Victor Barahona and the estate of Nubia Barahona.
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| CS/CS/SB 80 | Public Records – This bill specifies the conditions under which a court may award attorney fees in public record disputes.
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| CS/SB 818 | Timeshares – This bill revises definitions and requirements for termination of timeshare plans and creates a new section related to the extension of the terms of timeshares. |
MIAMI, Fla. – Today, Governor Rick Scott announced Secretary Tom Delacenserie’s resignation from the Florida Lottery, which will be effective on June 2, 2017. He has served in this role since 2015. Further announcements on agency leadership will be made at a later date.
Governor Scott said, “For 17 years, Tom Delacenserie has served our state at the Florida Lottery. Tom has done a great job and under his leadership, the Lottery has seen record sales and made historic contributions to Florida’s education system. Tom has been a valued member of my team since the start of my administration and I am proud of the great work he has done for Florida’s students. I wish Tom and his family the very best in their future endeavors.”
Prior to his appointment as Secretary, Tom Delacenserie served as the Interim Secretary for the Florida Lottery. Beginning his career at the Florida Lottery in 2000 as District Manager in Fort Myers, Delacenserie was promoted in 2005 to Lottery’s Director of Sales. In 2013, Delacenserie transitioned to Lottery’s Deputy Secretary of Sales and Marketing.
The 2017 Legislative Session has come to an end! We have worked hard to secure good policy for our constituents and the people of Florida. During our time in Tallahassee this year, some big issues were addressed: tax cuts, increased homestead exemption, more clarity on our self-defense and religious freedom rights, and increased funding for bright futures and higher education institutions.
This year, the legislature passed $180 million in broad based tax-cuts for Floridians. This includes a three day back to school sales tax holiday, a reduction to the business rent tax, a disaster preparedness sales tax holiday, and the elimination of sales tax on feminine products.
A bill was also passed that will provide significant tax savings for homeowners across Florida. The increased homestead exemption bill will proposes an amendment to the Florida Constitution to provide an additional homestead exemption of $25,000. Homestead property owners will receive an exemption from ad valorem taxes, except levies by school districts, for the assessed valuation greater than $100,000 and up to $125,000. If approved by Florida voters in November 2018, the amendment will take effect January 1, 2019. Continue reading
Pam Bondi, State Attorney General, Weekly Briefing
This week, standing with representatives of the Federal Trade Commission, I announced three new actions in Florida to shut down tech support scams targeting consumers nationwide. We are teaming up with our federal partners to combat tech support scams and warn consumers about the dangers associated with the scams.
The scam typically begins with a pop-up ad claiming a computer is infected with a virus. The ads urge users to call a tech support specialist and provide a phone number. Once the victim calls, the scammer instructs the user through a series of commands to give them virtual control over the victim’s computer. With remote access, scammers can install malware, steal passwords or access financial accounts.
Mostly, the scammers claim to fix the nonexistent problem, charge the user a few hundred dollars and set up monthly tech support payments. Often the victim thanks the scammer for fixing the problem—not realizing they were just swindled. Continue reading
We are closing in on the finish line of the 2017 Legislative Session. We have worked this session to better our state and its residents, and to protect faith, family, freedom, and opportunity.
This session, The Florida Senate passed Senate Bill 10, authorizing a significant increase in southern water storage to further the goal of reducing, and eventually eliminating, harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee. This bill dramatically expands southern storage by leveraging existing water infrastructure, and utilizing a combination of state, local, and private land, in a manner that respects the interests of the agricultural community and private landowners.
We also passed Senate Bill 374, the College Competitiveness Act of 2017. This legislation will further elevate Florida’s nationally ranked community colleges through a renewed focus on their core mission, which is promoting on-time completion of vital associate degrees and workforce credentials that prepare students for jobs in communities across our state. Continue reading
Florida’s “stand your ground” law, could soon provide even more protection to people who invoke it. Senate Bill 128 protects the right of self-defense for all Floridians by correcting a misinterpretation of the “Stand Your Ground” law in the 2015 Bretherick vs. State Florida Supreme Court decision.
Florida has been a leader in giving citizens immunity in cases of self-defense. While at least 22 states have similar laws that say, people can use force — even deadly force — to defend themselves from threats, Florida could soon be alone shifting the burden of proof to prosecutors.
This bill is not a novel concept. We have a tradition in our criminal justice system that the burden of proof is with the government from the beginning of the case to the end. Continue reading
The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution clearly states that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech. This freedom from the establishment of a state religion and the protection of free speech establishes the protection of religious speech and expression as well. There have been many challenges by the ACLU and others at public schools across America and in Florida to sterilize the schools of religious expressions using the establishment clause; however, this clause was intended to declare religious freedom in the US and to escape the establishment of state religion as was common in governments of the old world. Continue reading
