I hope this finds you healthy and that you had a Merry Christmas and off to a prosperous New Year! I'm packing about about to hit the road for this upcoming legislative session. Get ready and brace for impact, the news is about to start pouring in!
Infuriatingly, COVID is back in the news... Cases are absolutely spiking, but this version is simply not causing as much illness requiring hospitalizations especially in vaccinated people. So, the takeaway, get vaccinated, boosted, and let's put this thing behind us once and for all!
That said, this wave is unprecedented and I have received a ton of texts and emails this week about the long lines at testing sites. It does seem like everyone is getting sick and seeking testing right now and unfortunately Florida is still not taking testing and vaccinating seriously. Despite this ongoing surge, which is now doubling previous peaks, there are still exactly zero state testing sites.
An update on the traffic nightmare:
This is going to be an incredibly hard re-election. My opponent was already in Tallahassee kowtowing to Republican Leadership and he'll be fundraising over these next two months while I'm prevented from doing so by law. So, if you're in position to do so, please consider supporting the campaign now before I have to turn off all fundraising this Sunday (1/9/21).
One of the biggest stories of this year is the rising prices. Tampa Bay renters, those with the least ability to pay, were hit with a 23% rent hike this year! It's unsustainable and we need action during this legislative session. Last year, the Republican majority ignored my bill to protect the Sadowski Trust Fund but I'm going to keep fighting; this is not sustainable!
Also, my bill empowering home chefs is getting some great traction across the state! Watch this Bay News 9 segment from one local Chef who thinks my bill would be life-changing!
And because I'm a huge nerd, I wanted to give a HUGE congratulations to the team at Nasa and Space Florida on the successful launch of the James Webb Space Telescope! This is a once in 30-year generational science experiment to unfold the universe and I'm excited to see what secrets it unveils.
Ok, I've got a lot of work to do and some packing before heading up to Tallahassee for two months so that's all for now. Be sure to read the emails over the next few weeks, there will be lots of news coming fast atcha!
