Chairman's Message



Florida backs the blue



Florida is the most law enforcement-friendly state in the nation







Governor DeSantis and the Republican Legislature continue to make Florida the most law enforcement-friendly state in the nation. The Governor signed into law legislation that incentivizes Floridians to join law enforcement and out-of-state law enforcement professionals to bring their skills to the Sunshine State.



“While other parts of the country are mistreating, marginalizing, and defunding law enforcement, in Florida we continue to prioritize and appreciate our law enforcement officers,” Governor DeSantis said. “This legislation encourages Floridians to pursue careers in law enforcement and attracts high quality law enforcement officers from other states who are sick and tired of the mistreatment they experience to bring their skills to Florida.”



From $1,000 scholarships to $5,000 bonuses to $25,000 adoption incentives, Governor DeSantis said, “We are putting our money where our mouth is, and we are backing the blue.”



“Florida is the most pro-law enforcement state in the nation, and this new law is the perfect example of how our leaders back the blue,” Attorney General Ashley Moody said. “As the wife of a law enforcement officer, it is so important to me that we support the courageous men and women who swear an oath to protect and serve.”



HB 3 will improve the recruitment and retention efforts of Florida’s law enforcement agencies by:



- Providing signing bonuses of up to $5,000 to newly employed law enforcement officers in Florida through the creation of the Florida Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Payment Program.

- Covering tuition, fees and up to $1,000 of eligible education expenses for trainees enrolled in a law enforcement officer recruit training program through the creation of the Florida Law Enforcement Academy Scholarship Program.

- Offering a reimbursement program to pay for up to $1,000 of equivalency training costs for certified law enforcement officers who relocate to Florida, or to members of the special operations forces who become full-time law enforcement officers in Florida.







Read more:[link removed]



Earlier in the week, Governor DeSantis announced that for the second straight year, first responders will receive a $1,000 bonus. The budget includes $125 million for the bonuses, which will benefit local government police officers, sheriff’s deputies, paramedics, EMTs, and firefighters throughout the state.



Read more:[link removed]



___











Biden’s border crisis is about to get much worse



Although the media stopped reporting on it long ago, America’s southern border crisis has continued unabated. As many as two million people illegally entered the U.S. across the overwhelmed border in the past year, but a new policy change to end Title 42 by the Biden administration will make his human debacle even worse.



Governor DeSantis condemned the Biden administration’s reckless termination of Title 42 as even the feds expect another mass influx of illegal immigrants to come across. Title 42 has been in place since March 2020 and allows border agents to quickly expel migrants attempting to enter the United States.



“Joe Biden’s reckless border policies have allowed more than 2 million foreigners to enter our country illegally via the southern border,” Governor DeSantis said. “Revoking Title 42 authority will supercharge the already skyrocketing flow of illegal aliens, increasing drug, human, and sex trafficking. Biden is failing miserably to faithfully execute the law and is violating his oath of office.”



According to reports, Biden administration officials are anticipating a “mass migration event” once Title 42 officially ends on May 23.



“Based on what I am being told by officials in South and Central America, expect Biden’s decision to end Title 42 to lead to the biggest migration crisis in U.S. history,” Sen. Marco Rubio said. “It’s not just what Title 42 technically does, it’s what migrants think getting rid of it means.”



Immigration is a federal responsibility, but the Biden administration refuses to enforce our laws. Governor DeSantis and the Legislature have fought to protect Floridians from the dangerous impacts of the lack of immigration enforcement.



For the 2022 Legislative session, Governor DeSantis proposed sweeping legislation to fight illegal immigration and protect Floridians. The Legislature responded by passing Senate Bill 1808, which holds accountable private entities that knowingly or recklessly assist in resettling illegal immigrants into Florida and strengthens E-verify enforcement.



Read more:[link removed]











FLORIDA



No patient will be blocked from loved ones in Florida







Governor DeSantis signed the No Patient Left Alone Act to guarantee Florida families the fundamental right to visit their loved ones in hospitals, hospices and long-term care facilities.



The new law says that no health care facility in Florida may require a vaccine as a condition of visitation and every health care facility must allow their residents and patients to be hugged by loved ones.



“Throughout the pandemic, the federal government has waived protections for families to visit their loved ones in hospitals and long-term care facilities. That is unacceptable,” Governor DeSantis said. “Here in Florida, we recognize that family and human connection is one of the most important aspects of physical, mental, and emotional well-being and we are ensuring Floridians are never again denied the right to see their relatives and friends while in hospitals or nursing homes.”



Although the Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reinstated federal visitation protections for long term care facilities in late 2020, CMS continues to waive visitation policies for hospitals, enabling them to not allow visitors for patients. With this new law, Florida now guarantees this right.



“Understanding firsthand the emotional toll of caring for my father during the pandemic, this bill is a necessity not only for patients, but also family members that desperately want to play an active and in-person role in their loved ones’ care,” Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez said.



Read more:[link removed]





_____







Real infrastructure boosts Florida communities







Governor DeSantis announced $4.2 million for the City of Monticello through the Governor’s Florida Job Growth Grant Fund to extend wastewater services to the I-10 and SR-59 exchange. The project will support future commercial development, enabling business expansion and access for customers.



“Making sure that Florida is in the best position for job growth is the best way to ensure that Floridians can support their families,” Governor DeSantis said.



The Florida Job Growth Grant Fund is an economic development program to help provide public infrastructure and workforce training across the state.



Governor DeSantis also announced $5.4 million for Hamilton County through the same Governor’s Florida Job Growth Grant Fund for the buildout of a 57-acre parcel at the intersection of I-75 and SR-6 in Hamilton County. The planned development will include a logistics park and travel center and will have the potential for future manufacturing opportunities.



“Bringing innovative opportunities to Florida’s rural communities does much more than create jobs,” Governor DeSantis said. “Projects like this pave the way for a bright future for rural communities by supporting new developments, economic growth, and workforce opportunities.”



Read more:[link removed]



Read more:[link removed]



_____



Democrats' woke politics, corporations, threaten US industrial revival



Senator Marco Rubio wrote a column recently on Fox Business that spelled out how American businesses have become assets of the Chinese Communist Party. Here’s his column :



As often happens in Congress, a bipartisan and targeted effort to address a genuine issue is being threatened by partisan politics and Wall Street <[link removed]>.



Republicans introduced the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) Act, which became law 15 months ago, to revitalize America’s lagging semiconductor industry <[link removed]> and protect against supply chain disruptions. It was exactly the type of pro-America industrial policy I called for in December 2019 at the National Defense University.



Due to COVID-19 <[link removed]> and the war in Ukraine, supply-chain disruptions are no longer hypothetical – they are hurting Americans every day. And that is to say nothing of the threat posed by our reliance on Communist China for everything from rare-earth minerals to pharmaceutical ingredients.



Despite the dangers we face, however, the CHIPS Act has yet to be funded. Instead, it has become a political football, with Democrats using the funding process to advance their woke priorities. These games threaten to dilute the program’s impact.



Funding for the CHIPS Act is part of a larger bill that is supposed to help America compete with Communist China. As part of their effort to pass that bill last year, Senate Democrats inserted requirements that semiconductor producers receiving CHIPS funding "provide … data on the racial diversity of their workforce" and that the government prioritize companies that make "efforts to hire individuals from disadvantaged populations" when allocating funding.



House Democrats went a step further, requiring the creation of an "Office of Opportunity and Inclusion" at the U.S. Department of Commerce, much like the "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" regimes that companies and institutions have established to curry favor with social justice activists. If Democrats get their way, CHIPS investment decisions will be guided by the woke agenda, not common sense.



Read more:[link removed]



Cheryl: FYI, I have italicized these columns over the years to set them off as another visual element and to avoid the quotes within quotes. But I can roll with whatever.



_____



New Senator Rubio campaign video



Senator Rubio this week released a campaign video on the border aimed at Val Demings and Title 42.



<[link removed]>



Watch it here:[link removed]



_____



AG Moody sues Biden administration for not deporting illegal immigrants who commit crimes







Attorney General Ashley Moody is bringing a multi-state lawsuit against President Joe Biden for failing to enforce federal immigration law by not deporting illegal immigrants convicted of crimes.



The attorneys general of Alabama and Georgia joined Attorney General Moody in a complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief, arguing that the president is failing to perform the duties required by Congress by continuing to operate under unlawful immigration enforcement priorities. The Biden administration is refusing to detain and deport criminals in the country illegally—directly contrary to federal law.



The immigration enforcement priorities are also contrary to precedent set by presidents of both political parties. As Obama administration Solicitor General Donald Verrilli recognized, “Congress has told the Department of Homeland Security that it has to prioritize the removal of criminal aliens.”



“The Biden administration’s refusal to deport criminals here illegally after they complete their sentences makes us all less safe,” Attorney General Moody said. “Biden’s lax immigration policies are exacerbating the opioid crisis, facilitating human trafficking and further jeopardizing overall public safety. As Attorney General, I will continue fighting these unlawful immigration policies until the president is forced to do his job and secure the southwest border.”



Read more:[link removed]



_____



Patronis invites Elon Musk to move Twitter to Florida!







Elon Musk has become by far the largest shareholder of Twitter. With his well-known dislike of their cancel culture proclivities in mind, Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis sent the self-made billionaire a letter inviting him to move the social media company to Florida to change the woke culture at Twitter:



“Congratulations on becoming the largest individual shareholder of Twitter. As you are well aware, little-by-little Twitter has drifted away from its mission of providing a forum for the free flow of ideas, and I'm hopeful that with your influence this platform can unwind some of its garbage-adjacent censorship policies. With that in mind, I would like to invite you and your team to the Sunshine State to experience all of the reasons why you should consider moving Twitter headquarters out of California and to the Free State of Florida. I think Twitter's culture could benefit from being in a state that values liberty and has not been taken captive by the thought police (unlike California). There is no Ministry of Truth here. Just freedom, beaches and a lot of opportunity.”



Read the full letter:[link removed]



_____



Lt. Gov. Nuñez <[link removed]> awesomely corrects media on every point in NPR interview on Parental Rights in Education bill







Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez was interviewed on NPR this week with the normal line of media questions on the Parental Rights in Education bill, and simply hit a home run. Here are some highlights:



What the bill says



“First and foremost, the bill is about not just protecting parents' rights but empowering parents. This bill is about three fundamental things. It is about making sure that school districts will not have the ability to shield or hide information from parents about services offered to their children. Secondly, the bill prohibits classroom instruction about sexual orientation or gender identity in grades K through three. It does not reference discussions or questions that students may have. It is specific about classroom instruction. And then finally, it ensures that whenever a questionnaire or health screening is given to any student in the K through three grades, parents will receive it first, and they'll provide permission for the school to administer said questionnaires.”



…



Age appropriate



“The bill's very specific about prohibiting classroom instruction grades K through three. There's no denying it. Again, read the bill. However, as it relates to the higher grades, it says as age appropriate, developmentally appropriate. And so I think that when you look at age appropriateness, whether it's regarding Holocaust curriculum, human trafficking or other curriculum, I think we all agree that it should be age appropriate.”



…



Disney



“We will never back down from a fight, especially when it's a matter of principle. And when you look at Disney, when you look at where they have come on this position, on this issue, they have kowtowed to an agenda that we believe is a radical agenda. And for them to say they're going to work to repeal this bill, well, good luck with that.



Read or listen here:[link removed]











ICYMI







Apparently, the Miami Herald doesn’t know what satire means



Outkick perfectly nailed the Miami Herald’s latest lameness when it tried a gotcha story on Governor DeSantis that only revealed they don’t know what satire means, or how politicians fundraise. A colossally nonsensical story, except for pure entertainment value. Even the mighty Babylon Bee might not be able to satire this one!



Here’s Outkick’s take:



In its latest attempt to take out Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the lib lib media, led this time by the Miami Herald, thinks it has finally cornered the rising political star over a fundraising deal with satire site The Babylon Bee.



Tuesday, the newspaper pumped out a headline proclaiming, “DeSantis calls out ‘fake news,’ but his campaign used fake news site to raise cash” as if that was the biggest gotcha in newspaper history. What the Herald eventually told its readers was the fact that DeSantis’ campaign committee paid The Babylon Bee to raise some money via the satirical site that everyone with a brain understands is satirical.



“The governor’s campaign committee, as well as the associated Friends of Ron DeSantis political action committee, paid the conservative-leaning satire website The Babylon Bee a combined $15,000 last year for services related to online fundraising, according to state campaign finance records,” the Herald proclaimed.



And?



Whether you love Ron DeSantis or hate the guy’s guts, this has to be the worst gotcha in newspaper history, especially when, as the Herald reports, “it isn’t uncommon” for political campaigns to hire out “partisan news sites” to solicit readers for cash.



It gets even worse for the Herald.



When contacted by the newspaper for a quote, Sheila Krumholz, executive director of Open Secrets, which is in the business of tracking money in politics, explained to the reporter why DeSantis’ campaign committee would throw a few bones towards the satirical Babylon Bee.



“They want to reach people who might not know about your campaign, but might be persuaded to learn more,” Sheila said.



Exactly.



Read more:[link removed] <[link removed]>











Social Media Highlights



- [link removed]



- [link removed] <[link removed]>



- [link removed]



- [link removed]



- [link removed]



- [link removed]



- [link removed]



- [link removed] <[link removed]>



REMEMBER: @FloridaGOP and retweet and share. The Republican message must be spread around the state, and you are integral to making that happen.







-=-=-

Republican Party of Florida - United States

This email was sent to [email protected]. To stop receiving emails: [link removed]

-=-=-

Paid political advertisement paid for by the Republican Party of Florida.



Created with NationBuilder - [link removed]