Our military members risk their lives in service to our country. Sadly, while they are deployed overseas, and even after they retire from service, scammers may target them to try to make a dishonest dollar. July is Military Consumer Protection Month, and in recognition of the month, I launched our Patriot Protection Week Campaign. This initiative aims to help Florida’s service members and veterans guard against military-related scams by directly providing them consumer protection tips and resources.

As part of our Campaign, I released our 2019 Military Consumer Protection Resource Guide. The Guide is full of information, advice and resources to help the more than 90,000 active and reserve members of the Armed Forces and 1.5 million veterans who call Florida home.

Tips to avoid common military-related scams include:

Beware of scammers using misleading photos or language to imply association with a branch of the U.S. Military; Continue reading →

Non-Citizens can’t vote in Florida. So why is a group trying to ban it again?

Fueled by millions of dollars from unknown sources, an obscure petition drive declared victory this week and announced that a new constitutional amendment to require only citizens to vote in Florida — something that’s already required by law — has more than twice the number of signatures needed to get on the 2020 election ballot. It’s strange.

Dear Friends,

It’s a great day to be an American! Throughout the country, and Florida in particularly, we are reaping the rewards of having a President who loves American and puts her first. That leadership has trickled down to our state and we have a rock-solid conservative in the Governor’s mansion, as well as many other talented, capable legislators that help shape Florida policy. The Democrats (or, socialists), can’t stand it. They hate that conservative leaders have this country moving in the right direction again, and that Florida did not see the liberal medias much anticipated “blue wave”.

The 2020 Legislative Session in Florida is quickly approaching, with committees beginning in September and Session following in January, we are already seeing how much the 2020 election will shape the tone of the conversations that we have over those few months. The D.C. globalists are pushing even further left, and their rhetoric has completely changed the democratic party. The socialists in their party are emboldened and empowered by disastrous party leadership. It’s not just in D.C, the local and state races are not immune. In many cases, they have actually become the training ground for some of their most extreme candidates. Continue reading →

Office of Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody

Planning for our 2019 Human Trafficking Summit is underway, and we are accepting nominations now for this year’s Summit awards. Florida is fortunate to have so many people dedicated to the fight to end human trafficking and help trafficking survivors heal. I look forward to recognizing some of these outstanding Floridians when we host the Summit this fall.

If you know someone who is committed to the fight to stop human trafficking or strives to help survivors of this atrocious crime get back on their feet, please nominate them so we can recognize their efforts.

The following four awards will be presented during the summit:

• Community Advocate of the Year;
• Law Enforcement Officer of the Year;
• Prosecutor of the Year; and
• Survivor Advocate of the Year.

Continue reading →

Press Release: Florida Attorney General Moody

Robocalls are a growing problem nationwide. Not only are they annoying, the calls are often part of a scam designed to trick consumers into parting with their hard-earned cash. My office is working diligently with our federal partners to stop these illegal calls, and this week, we joined the Federal Trade Commission in an effort to block one billion robocalls nationwide as part of Operation Call it Quits.

The robocall crackdown involved more than 90 actions across the country. As part of the crackdown, our office took action against three illegal operations targeting Floridians. Many of the victims of these illegal robocalls were seniors who had registered their phone numbers on the Do Not Call registry.

The calls purported to offer free products, but when consumers signed up they were billed monthly charges. Some offered credit card interest-rate-reduction services guaranteeing that consumers would save thousands if they would pay an upfront fee. Continue reading →

Tallahassee, Fla. – Governor Ron DeSantis signed the following bills:

CS/HB 7 – Direct Health Care Agreements

CS/HB 207 – Impact Fees

CS/HB 213 – Immunization Registry

CS/CS/CS/HB 301 – Insurance

CS/CS/HB 453 – Micromobility Devices Continue reading →

Photo Credit: Governor’s Press Office

Sarasota, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB 1552: Florida Red Tide Mitigation and Technology Development Initiative. The bill establishes the Florida Red Tide Mitigation and Technology Development Initiative as a partnership between the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and Mote Marine Laboratory to develop technologies and approaches to control and mitigate red tide and its impacts.  

This legislation supports the objectives of Executive Order 19-12, signed by Governor DeSantis just two days into his term on January 10, 2019. The executive order called for expedited action to protect and restore waterbodies of the state. Additionally, the Governor’s recommended budget prioritized increased research and a focus on science, and the exploration of innovative technologies to address and mitigate harmful effects of red tide and blue-green algal blooms. 

“Innovative technologies will play a vital role in our continued efforts to address water quality issues facing our state and I’m confident this partnership between FWC and Mote Marine will advance our knowledge in this area,” said Governor DeSantis. “I thank the Florida Legislature for their support in addressing these environmental challenges that increasingly threaten our fragile ecosystems and the way of life for so many Floridians.” 
Continue reading →

Photo Credit: Governor’s Press Office 

Tampa, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis signed CS/CS/HB 501: Alternative Treatment Options for Veterans and CS/CS/HB 427: Honor and Remember Flag, at the University of South Florida’s Office of Veteran Success.

“Here in Florida, we take great pride in being the most veteran-friendly state in the nation and I am proud to sign these two bills today to support our veterans,” said Governor DeSantis. “With more than 1.5 million veterans living in Florida, this community makes up an important part of our state’s identity. While we may never be able to fully repay these men and women for their sacrifices, we will continue to do everything we can to support them and their families.”

“I’m proud of Governor DeSantis, our Cabinet and legislature for supporting FDVA and the 1.5 million veterans of our state,” said Danny Burgess, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs. “Together, we will work to ensure Florida continues to lead the charge as the most veteran-friendly state in the nation.”  Continue reading →