Florida is setting an unapologetic pro-freedom, pro-parental rights, child-focused example in education for other states to follow.

“It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority.”

~Benjamin Franklin~

GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS

 AMERICA'S TOP GOV! (winred.com)

The Governor on Student Loan Forgiveness

Gov. Ron DeSantis criticized President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness program, calling it unfair to taxpayers and unconstitutional. DeSantis expressed concern that the timing of the program will worsen the ongoing inflation crisis. In addition, DeSantis questioned the lack of contemporaneous systematic reform to the student loan structure.

SunPass Savings Program 

Governor Ron DeSantis has announced the launch of “SunPass Savings,” a new toll discount program for customers who use Florida’s Turnpike System and toll facilities owned by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). This rewards program will begin September 1st and will run for 6 months and is estimated to provide $38 million in relief to SunPass commuters. Additionally, Governor DeSantis called on the Legislature to take necessary action during next year’s legislative session so more Florida families can benefit from toll relief.

“This program will help frequent SunPass customers keep more money in their pockets during a time of growing inflation,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Florida families who depend on these FDOT facilities for a timely commute to work will benefit from these savings. We will, of course, seek to enact greater savings for commuters in the next legislative session.”

“As a Miami resident, I know how difficult it can be to battle the traffic and the difference it can make in the daily commute to take a toll road,” said Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez. “This SunPass savings program is going to make the average cost of the daily commute more affordable without having to sacrifice time and efficiency. I want to thank Governor DeSantis and the Florida Department of Transportation for working together to make a real difference for Floridians in the face of rising Bidenflation.”

The toll relief program will give customers with at least 40 paid transactions a month a 20% credit to their SunPass account. Customers with 80 or more paid transactions will receive a 25% credit each month. On average, customers using FDOT Turnpike facilities for their daily commute spend $50 per month on tolls. This program could save the average commuter $60 over the next six months, and commuters with more transactions will increase their savings. A map of included toll facilities and more information on the program can be found here.

The program applies to two-axle vehicles and is available to customers who use SunPass or other Florida transponders with accounts in good standing. The SunPass Prepaid Toll Program offers the lowest toll rate in Florida compared to the TOLL-BY-PLATE rate. The SunPass PRO® is interoperable with E-ZPass and is accepted in 18 states, with more to come.

Governor Eliminates ESG from State Pension Investments

Governor Ron DeSantis along with fellow Trustees of the State Board of Administration (SBA) passed a resolution directing the state of Florida’s fund managers to invest state funds in a manner that prioritizes the highest return on investment for Florida’s taxpayers and retirees without considering the ideological agenda of the environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) movement. This update to the fiduciary duties of the SBA’s investment fund managers and investment advisors clearly defines the factors fiduciaries are to consider in investment decisions and states that ESG considerations will not be included in the state of Florida’s pension investment management practices.

The resolution passed today specifies that investment decisions “must be based only on pecuniary factors [which] do not include the consideration of the furtherance of social, political, or ideological interests” and stipulates that the SBA “may not sacrifice investment return or take on additional investment risk to promote any non-pecuniary factors” when making investments or proxy votes. The resolution also instructs the SBA to “conduct a comprehensive review and prepare a report of the governance policies over the voting practices of the Florida Retirement System Defined Benefit Pension Plan.” The text of the resolution can be found here.

“Corporate power has increasingly been utilized to impose an ideological agenda on the American people through the perversion of financial investment priorities under the euphemistic banners of environmental, social, and corporate governance and diversity, inclusion, and equity,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “With the resolution we passed today, the tax dollars and proxy votes of the people of Florida will no longer be commandeered by Wall Street financial firms and used to implement policies through the board room that Floridians reject at the ballot box. We are reasserting the authority of republican governance over corporate dominance, and we are prioritizing the financial security of the people of Florida over whimsical notions of a utopian tomorrow.”

This follows action taken in December by Governor DeSantis, CFO Jimmy Patronis, and Attorney General Ashley Moody to reclaim the SBA’s proxy voting authority from large financial firms such as Blackrock, State Street, and Vanguard and provides guidance to the SBA employees now responsible for proxy voting and investment decisions. This guidance will ensure that the decisions made by these civil servants on behalf of the people of Florida are in accordance with the voters’ values as expressed through the democratic process rather than blindly in lockstep with the ESG mania taking hold of Wall Street and Washington.

Last month, Governor DeSantis also unveiled proposed legislation for the 2023 Legislative Session that would amend Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices statute to prohibit discriminatory practices by large financial institutions based on ESG social credit score metrics. For more information, click here. To watch a video of the announcement, click here.

DeSantis Endorsed by Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, Florida Retail Federation

FRLA and FRF Cite the Governor’s Unwavering Leadership to Protect Jobs and Keep Florida Open

Governor Ron DeSantis has earned the endorsements of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) and the Florida Retail Federation (FRF).

“Our restaurants and hotels have done better than anyone expected just a couple years ago.  By keeping the state open, Florida has experienced record-setting tourism, our labor force growth outpaces the nation, and we have achieved record levels of unemployment and job creation. Florida continues to prove that the Freedom Agenda works,” Governor DeSantis said.

“On behalf of Florida’s hospitality and tourism industry, the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) is proud to endorse Governor Ron DeSantis for re-election. As Governor, Ron DeSantis has been a strong supporter of our industry, keeping hotels and restaurants safely open and operating when other states shut down. Governor DeSantis’ leadership saved countless jobs and businesses across our state and has enabled our industry to thrive once again. He understands the critical role that hospitality and tourism play in our state’s economic vitality, and we are confident he will continue to do so in his second term as Governor,” Carol Dover, FRLA President & CEO, said.

“Florida retailers are grateful for the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis. The Governor has remained committed to keeping Florida open for business and has enabled the retail industry to overcome these challenging times and prosper. We are proud to provide our endorsement of his campaign,” Florida Retail Federation President Scott Shalley said.

Governor DeSantis Endorsed by Florida Realtors ®

On Friday Governor Ron DeSantis received an endorsement from Florida Realtors and spoke at their Annual Convention and

Trade Expo in Orlando, Florida.

“I am grateful to receive the endorsement of the Florida Realtors. Thanks to our bold agenda, Florida’s economy continues to outpace the nation, and our realtors play an important in our continued success,” said Governor DeSantis.

“Governor DeSantis is a true champion of the real estate industry and the professionals who work within it,” said Margy Grant, CEO of Florida Realtors®. “Whether it was designating us essential at the start of the pandemic, being a vocal advocate for affordable housing solutions, or working hard to protect Florida’s natural resources, the governor clearly recognizes the importance of Realtors and the critical services they provide Floridians.”



Governor Calls on Supporters to “Put on the Full Armor of God” to Fight for Freedom in November

Election Night Governor Ron DeSantis addressed an energetic crowd of supporters in Hialeah to celebrate successful Republican candidates who are eager to fight for Florida’s Freedom Agenda and continue delivering sweeping policy victories for Floridians. Governor Ron DeSantis appeared alongside First Lady Casey DeSantis, Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, and state and local candidates.

For the first time in state history, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made significant endorsements and investments in school board candidates – ranging from two major wins in Miami-Dade – including the defeat of a 24-year incumbent, a new conservative majority in Sarasota, across the board wins in Duval and ousting anti-parent incumbents in counties across the state. The DeSantis Education Agenda represents the most significant effort by a governor to endorse, train and invest in school board candidates across the nation.

Governor DeSantis made the following statement:

“Freedom is on the line this November — and our bold agenda for parental rights in education, safe communities, a vibrant economy, and a protected environment is vital to keeping the state of Florida free.

Our state is worth fighting for, and I am calling on all Floridians to put on the full armor of God as we will fight tooth and nail to protect Florida from the destructive agenda of Joe Biden and his number one ally in Florida, Charlie Crist.”

 ATTORNEY GENERAL ASHLEY MOODY

Florida Seeks Reinstatement of Seminole Tribe Gambling Deal

Pointing to “enormous economic benefits,” Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office Wednesday urged a federal appeals court to overturn a ruling that blocked a gambling deal between the state and the Seminole Tribe. Lawyers in Moody’s office filed a 32-page brief at the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, arguing that a district judge erred last year when she ruled that the deal ran afoul of the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which regulates gambling on tribal lands.

U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich focused on part of the agreement, known as a compact, that would have allowed the Seminole Tribe to operate sports betting in Florida. The plan was designed to allow gamblers throughout the state to place bets online, with the bets run through computer servers on tribal property. The compact said bets made anywhere in Florida “using a mobile app or other electronic device, shall be deemed to be exclusively conducted by the tribe.”

But Friedrich said the deal violated the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act because it would allow gambling off tribal property. She ruled Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, whose agency oversees Indian gambling issues, erred when she allowed the deal to go into effect last summer.

The Department of the Interior this month urged the appeals court to reinstate the compact. The state’s friend-of-the-court brief Wednesday also called for reinstatement, saying that betting off tribal property is addressed by state law. It said the judge’s conclusion included an incorrect premise that the “compact itself authorizes online sports betting throughout Florida. To the contrary, Florida state law independently authorizes such betting included in the compact, and whether that state law comports with Florida’s Constitution does not control whether the secretary’s deemed approval was lawful.”

The compact, negotiated by Gov. Ron DeSantis and ratified by the Legislature, was expected to bring in $2.5 billion for the state during the first five years. It also included allowing the tribe to offer craps and roulette at its casinos and to add three casinos on its property in Broward County.

“The 2021 compact provides enormous economic benefits to both the state of Florida and the tribe,” Wednesday’s brief said. “And that compact is lawful.”

Just One Pill Can Kill

As college students headed back to class this week, the AG issued a warning about the dangers of using drugs. New, deadly substances are flooding the nation’s illicit drug supply.

Fentanyl is now the number one killer of adults between the ages of 18 and 45. While this synthetic opioid is often covertly mixed with other substances, it is now being discovered in bright, rainbow colors—raising concerns that it may become more enticing to kids and college students.

Eutylone, a psychoactive bath salt, is also claiming an alarming number of lives in Florida. The National Institute of Justice reports that Florida accounts for more than 60% of the positive cases of eutylone in the United States. It is cheap to produce and mimics the effects of cocaine, methamphetamine and ecstasy. Like fentanyl, eutylone is often being mixed with other illicit drugs and sold to unsuspecting users—with deadly consequences.

She warned students to never take an illicit substance and to remember that just one pill can kill.

For more information about the dangers of substance abuse and to find recovery resources, visit DoseOfRealityFL.com.