Peter Schorsch
We’ve been trawling the internet, watching our emails, crossing our fingers for some sign of good news to lead off this edition with.
A press release that came in Friday morning seemed to be the ticket.
It’s Miss Florida time.
Forty-eight preliminary pageant winners will compete in the 81st Miss Florida Scholarship Pageant that kicks off June 26, at the Lakeland Center’s Youkey Theatre.
They include Miss Orlando 2016 Courtney Sexton and Miss Orange County 2016 Taylor Tyson. The winner will be crowned July 2.
Getting named Miss Florida means a right to stand on the stage at the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City. Its preliminary competitions start on Sept. 6, with the final night Sept. 11.
The competition bills itself as “the world’s largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women and one of the nation’s largest achievement programs.”
The winner of Miss Florida gets an $18,500 scholarship, said Mary Sullivan, the pageant’s president and executive director.
Miss Florida “also serves as a state ambassador for Miss America’s national platform partner, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, and as an official spokesperson for protection and preservation of America’s Everglades,” according to the release.
Mindful of the tragedy that happened just an hour’s drive away, Sullivan said organizers plan a tribute to the Orlando shooting victims on the final night.
Contestants also will wear silver ribbons during the competitions in memory of those killed, she added.
Coming up, the usual assortment of tidbits, leftovers and not-ready-for-prime-time moments by Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster, Ryan Ray, Jim Rosica and Peter Schorsch.
But first, the “Takeaway 5” — the Top 5 stories from the week that was:
Horror in Orlando — The news rocked the Sunshine State and the nation. On Sunday, an armed gunman stormed Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, killing 49 people and wounding at least 50 people. After three hours, law enforcement officers raided the building, saving dozens of people and killing the shooter, Omar Mateen, a Fort Pierce resident. According to law enforcement officials, he pledged allegiance to ISIS in a phone call to 911 during the attack. The shooting is considered to be one of the deadliest mass shootings in modern U.S. history.
Outpouring of support — What started as a fundraising effort to raise $100,000 for the victims of the Orlando attack has quickly grown to more than $5 million. That’s how much Equality Florida has raised victims of the attack on a gay nightclub. Equality Florida is working with the National Center for Victims of Crime to distribute the contributions through the group’s National Compassion Fund. The One Orlando Fund has also raised millions for the victims of the attack.
Tragedy at Disney — A Nebraska family was faced with the unthinkable while on vacation at a Disney World Resort. A 2-year-old boy was dragged into the water by an alligator. The alligator snatched the boy late Tuesday as he was playing in about a foot of water at the Seven Seas Lagoon at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. The boy’s father tried to save him, but was unable to. The boy’s body was found nearly 17 hours later. The incident has prompted Walt Disney World officials to look at installing warning signs to make sure visitors are aware of the reptiles.
Bondi versus Cooper — Attorney General Pam Bondi squared off with Anderson Cooper this week. Bondi said Cooper, the CNN anchor who has been in Orlando all week, ambushed her when he asked about her decision to defend the state constitution’s same-sex marriage ban, approved by voters in 2008, before a U.S. Supreme Court decision struck it down last year. Cooper responded by saying he was just doing his job, then replayed the entire interview — including the piece Bondi found objectionable — on his show.
Puppy love — As Orlando residents began the process of healing, they had the support of a dozen comfort dogs. Twelve golden retrievers arrived in Orlando on Monday, just one day after the massacre. They are part of the K-9 Comfort Dogs team, a program run by Lutheran Church Charities in Northbrook, Ill. The team has visited the victims of the Boston Marathon and the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting. The dogs and their handlers visited hospitals and churches and attended vigils and memorial services.
—
The horrific mass shooting last weekend in Orlando was followed by an outpouring of sympathy and support, including hours-long lines at blood banks who were at capacity within hours of the news breaking.
But as always, tragedies also come with scam artists looking to capitalize on the chaos. Towards that end, Commissioner Adam Putnam released a warning Monday to Floridians asking them to make sure the charitable efforts they contribute to are administered by registered, credible organizations.
“As we all mourn the loss of these innocent lives, may we be here for each other as a family and provide support. If any Floridians are considering charitable gifts in the wake of this tragedy, I encourage them to research the charitable organization on our website,” said Putnam.
The Ag Commissioner’s office released a list of tips consumers should use to protect themselves, like asking questions about fundraising beneficiaries, checking groups against a statewide registry of authorized charities, and reporting any suspicious solicitations.
Putnam’s office also touted the commissioner’s work on a 2014 to strengthen laws to protect consumers from charity-related scams by “banning organizations that have violated certain laws in other states from soliciting funds in Florida; prohibiting felons from soliciting funds for charity; requiring professional solicitors who operate like telemarketers to provide fingerprints for background checks; requiring a charity that receives more than $1 million, but spends less than 25 percent on its cause, to provide detailed information; and increasing fines for fraudulent or deceptive acts in violation of the law.”
—
St. Lucie County residents are doing whatever they can to help law enforcement officers in the wake of the Orlando shooting.
Rep. Larry Lee, a Port St. Lucie Democrat, said St. Lucie County local law enforcement and elected officials are working with state and federal authorities as they investigate the shooter, who lived and worked in St. Lucie County.
“We all often see things like this happen in the news and see how it affects communities elsewhere, but when it hits home it makes you realize it can happen anywhere,” said Lee. “We all want not just the people of St. Lucie County, but throughout the state and country to know that our local law enforcement is working with Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”
The shooter lived in Fort Pierce and worked as a guard at a St. Lucie County gated community.
“We also want the citizens of Orlando and the families of those victims to know that they are in our prayers and we stand ready to help during this very difficult time,” said Lee. “We are Americans and Americans come together in times like this.”
—
Help is available.
The Florida Hospice and Palliative Care Association is encouraging communities across the state to reach out to their local hospice provider for grief and bereavement services following the tragedy in Orlando.
This tragic incident affects so many people in Florida and across our country. We want everyone affected by this situation to know our hospice providers are available to provide grief and bereavement support during this difficult time,” said Paul Ledford, the president and CEO of the Florida Hospice and Palliative Care Association. “It is important to come together and let families know they are not alone, and our thoughts and prayers are with Orlando, the LGBTQ community, and all those touched by the events of Sunday morning.”
The organization said hospices offer bereavement counseling, workshops and support groups for people in need. The services, hospice officials said, are open to community members regardless of whether their loved one died in a hospice.
More information about bereavement services can be found on Let Hospice Help’s website.
—
The state needs to take more to treat those who suffer from mental illness.
That was the message Sen. Eleanor Sobel sent this week following the shooting in Orlando. Sobel, a Hollywood Democrat, pledged to do whatever she can to make sure “every resource available is devoted to assisting the victims of the tragedy.”
However, Sobel said having sympathy for victims is no longer enough. She said the tragedy is not unlike similar mass shootings, and said it was the result of a “toxic brew of intolerance, lack of access to quality mental health care, and easy access to military-grade firearms.”
Sobel said lawmakers need to “fully fund and implement programs designed to diagnose and treat those who suffer from mental illness.”
“The shooter in Orlando seemed to have found in Isis and other radical writings a conduit through which his mental illness could manifest itself,” said Sobel. “Early identification, early diagnosis, and early treatment of ill people like the Orlando shooter could go a long way to preventing tragedy.”
—
The Florida Virtual Business Emergency Operations Center is open.
Gov. Scott activated the virtual business emergency operations center earlier this week to help local businesses impacted by the shooting in Orlando. The program, managed by the Department of Economic Opportunity, will survey businesses affected by the tragedy, the results of which will be shared with local and state agencies so they can implement the appropriate relief programs.
“The Orlando community and local business owners have come together and responded to this heartbreaking tragedy in the best way possible,” said Scott in a statement. “We are incredibly thankful for the support demonstrated by businesses located on Orange Avenue and throughout the Orlando community this week. We must continue to work together and assist the Orlando community and all those affected in any way we can.”
Local businesses can complete the survey by visiting the Florida Virtual Business Emergency Operations Center website.
—
Want to help the people of Orlando? Consider a gift to the Florida Disaster Fund.
Gov. Scott activated the Florida Disaster Fund earlier this week. The fund — an official private fund established to help Floridians respond to and recover during emergencies or disasters — will provide financial support to organizations that serve survivors, families and others in need following the attack.
“We are committed to ensuring that every resource is available to help those in need following yesterday’s horrific terror attack in Orlando. Since the attack, we have seen Floridians unite together and our state has received an incredible outpouring of prayers and support,” said Scott. “We will continue to work together in the coming days to do all we can to help this community heal.”
Scott said the decision to activate the fund will allow people across the country to “assist survivors and the loved ones of the victims.”
The Florida Disaster Fund supports response and recovery activities, with 100 percent of funds going to those in need. The fund is administered by the Volunteer Florida Foundation.
Scott said this week the Magellan Cares Foundation, a nonprofit organization launched last year by Magellan Health, donated $10,000 to the fund. The Boston Red Sox, Scott said, donated $12,189 to the fund.
People are encouraged to donate to the Florida Disaster Fund by visiting www.FloridaDisasterFund.org.
Equality Florida, the state’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights’ group, has also set up a fund for the victims.
—
State agencies are setting aside millions of dollars to help the Orlando area in the wake of the mass shooting.
Gov. Scott said the Department of Law Enforcement “set aside more than $520,000 in residual Justice Assistance Grant funds for the City of Orlando and Orange County to be used for overtime pay for law enforcement and equipment associated with the terror attack.”
The department also asked for “$2 million in emergency funds from the Department of Justice to help with similar costs.”
The Department of Children and Families, the governor’s office said, is also “directing $500,000 in funding to local providers for crisis counseling services which include grief counseling, trauma support, and emotional support for victims and their families and loved ones.”
“We will continue to do all we can to help Orlando heal and our state agencies are doing everything possible to provide assistance to those impacted by this horrific tragedy,” he said in a statement.
—
Gov. Scott honored some of the heroes of the Orlando shooting.
Scott presented the Medals of Heroism to members of the Orlando Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office this week. The medals went to key law enforcement officers involved in the raid and rescue at the Pulse nightclub, where 49 people were killed and 53 were injured.
Among those presented with a medal, Orlando Police Chief John Mina and Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings.
“I was honored to recognize Orlando’s incredible law enforcement members today with Medals of Heroism for bravely risking their lives on Sunday to engage the gunman,” Scott said in a statement. “I join all Americans in expressing our heartfelt gratitude for their sacrifice to save lives and their hard work throughout the ongoing investigation. These American heroes will forever be remembered for their courage during this horrific tragedy in Orlando.”
Scott also met with Christopher Hansen, who was at the nightclub that night. Hansen said was able to crawl out of the building, and then began helping gunshot victims.
In a message on Twitter this week, Scott said he was “honored to meet hero Christopher Hansen and give him a medal for bravely risking his life to help others on Sunday.”
—
Give blood, save lives.
Thousands of Floridians gave blood in the days following the attack in Orlando, and this week Gov. Scott encouraged Floridians living outside of the Orlando area to donate blood regularly to help replenish the blood supply.
“In the wake of this attack, we have seen an overwhelming response in the amount of people who volunteered to donate blood in order to help those in need. Donating blood is an act that saves lives- a fact that can be seen in the health of the patients successfully recovering,” said Scott in a statement earlier this week. “As we recognize today as World Blood Donor Day, I encourage those interested in making a donation to make an appointment today in support of our blood centers and communities throughout Florida.”
One donation can save up to three lives. Individuals can donate every 56 days, and up to six donations a year.
—
Shannan Dunaway Schuessler has been promoted to the top in-house lobbyist job at the Florida Department of Transportation.
Secretary Jim Boxold tweeted Monday that he appointed Schuessler as Legislative Affairs Director. She has been FDOT’s deputy L.A. director.
Before joining the department, she was a legislative coordinator for Lewis, Longman & Walker, according to her LinkedIn page.
She’s married to Pierce Schuessler, the Tallahassee-based aide to state Sen. Tom Lee, the Tampa Republican who most recently served as the Senate’s budget chief.
Schuessler will serve as “primary liaison to the Legislature, Cabinet members, and the Florida Transportation Commission (FTC) concerning policy matters; and overall coordination of department involvement in Legislative, Cabinet and Commission matters,” FDOT spokesman Dick Kane said.
In a statement, Boxold said, “Shannan is a talented and dedicated member of the team, responsible for many of our success with the Legislature. In fact, her tenacity and commitment to getting the job done was directly responsible for securing approval of the department’s legislative package this year.”
—
The U.S. Supreme Court has effectively decided that the Seminole Tribe of Florida has to pay its utility tax—just like everybody else.
The court on June 13, without comment, decided not to consider an appeal of a case in which the tribe contested having to pay tax on its electric and other utility bills.
The Seminoles said having to pay such tax violated their tribal sovereignty.
But the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ website explains that “American Indians and Alaska Natives … pay the same taxes as other citizens” with a few exceptions, including as state sales and local property taxes.
The state’s Department of Revenue had previously argued that the tribe wasn’t actually being taxed, the utility companies are, and they just pass along that cost to all customers.
—
A coalition of consumer groups is pushing for assignments of of benefits reform.
The Consumer Protection Coalition testified during the Florida Insurance Consumer Advocate’s forum that assignment of benefits abuse is hurting Florida homeowners and business owners. The coalition said the practice must be stopped before it leads to higher insurance costs statewide.
“Assignment of Benefits abuse is a scam that causes consumers to lose control of the insurance policies they bought and paid for, fueling costly lawsuits and taking money out of the pockets of hardworking homeowners,” said Mark Wilson, president and CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce. “State legislators and insurance regulators have received clear evidence for four years now that this scam is growing and spreading statewide. We can’t ignore it and think it will go away on its own. We have to take action now.’’
The Florida Chamber has spearheaded the coalition, and has played an active role in pursuing assignment of benefit reform during the 2016 legislative session. The group plans to continue its efforts until consumer protections are enacted.
—
Call him a county champion.
The Florida Association of Counties has presented Rep. Dennis Baxley, an Ocala Republican, with one of its 2016 County Champion Awards. The award is given to legislators who have demonstrated support and understanding of county issues during the legislative session.
“Serving as Mayor-Commissioner in local government has given me a special awareness of the invaluable role local officials play in the forming of public policy,” said Baxley in a statement. “As Chair of Local and Federal Affairs in the Florida House, it is an honor to receive this recognition. It is important to work together for our constituents.”
—
Jeb Bush dropped a truth bomb.
Or at least that’s what the Foundation for Excellence in Education called the former Florida’s editorial in the National Journal.
In the guest editorial, Bush, the chairman of the Foundation for Excellence in Education, said the country must “massively disrupt our education system if we want to ensure our long-term national and economic security.”
Bush encouraged readers to look into the future to the “education system that must evolve from continued transformational reform to keep our nation exceptional.”
That evolution would lead to a time where there are no longer assigned schools, instead parents would be able to choose from “a robust marketplace of options, including traditional n neighborhood schools, magnet schools, charter schools, private schools, and virtual schools.” Information about the school’s performance, Bush said, would also be readily available, and schools would be “held accountable to parents and communities.”
“We have a system that rewards success, replicates it, and weeds out failing schools. It is a system based on the simple premise that all students can learn, and that it is up to us to figure out how,” he wrote. “In this new school system, the current model of funding bureaucracies has been replaced by a new regime in which the money follows the child, guided by the decisions of parents.”
In a new system, standards wouldn’t be dumbed down, students would be tested based on standards aligned with college expectations, and teachers would be treated “like professionals, and rewarded for hard work and great results.”
In May, Bush announced he planned to resume the reins as president and chairman of the foundation’s board. Bush founded the organization in 2007.
—
House Speaker Designate Richard Corcoran is a “Guardian of Small Business.”
The title was bestowed on Corcoran by the National Federation of Independent Businesses this week. The Land O’Lakes Republican was recognized for his opposition to Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare, in Florida.
“Speaker-Designate Corcoran’s opposition to a billion-dollar expansion of Obamacare in Florida has earned him the praise of small business owners across Florida” said Bill Herrle, the executive director of NFIB/Florida. “Speaker-Designate Corcoran’s leadership saved small business owners from future tax hikes that could have put their employees’ livelihoods in jeopardy.”
Corcoran also earned a 100 percent voting record from the organization from 2015 until 2016.
“Almost 70% of all new jobs are created by small businesses in America. To guard those entrepreneurs from the stifling hand of government does more than reward their risk and hard work, it protects the moms and dads who rely on these businesses to feed their families. It also ensures a stable future for working Floridians and vibrancy to our communities,” said Corcoran in a statement. “I am honored to be recognized by the NFIB but I am more honored to do my part to keep America working.”
—
The juice will continue to flow.
The Florida Citrus Commission this week OK’d a $20.7 million 2016-17 spending plan. The bad news: The budget includes $1.4 million in salary reductions and the department will eliminate 20 positions — six vacant positions and 14 filled position.
The good news? The budget includes money for the free orange and grapefruit juice travelers can get at the state’s official welcome centers on Interstates 10, 75 and 95 and U.S. 231. The free juice program has been described as a good way to promote the state’s citrus industry.
The department’s operations are normally paid for by a tax paid by growers on each box of citrus. But because the citrus crop is shrinking, so are the department’s finances.
Commissioners will set the tax rates in October, after the initial USDA citrus forecast.
—
Give these lawmakers a hand.
The Florida Coalition of School Board Members announced eight lawmakers have been presented with the group’s inaugural “Fighting for Kids Awards.” The lawmakers have been identified as education champions who embrace and explempified the group’s core values.
“We are grateful to have such strong champions for Florida students in the Legislature who worked on transformative pieces of legislation this year,” said Erika Donalds, president of FCSBM. “Their voices and their votes are making an impact for kids, and each deserves this recognition.”
The coalition recognized Sen. Don Gaetz, Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, Sen. Bill Montford, Sen. Kelli Stargel, Rep. Manny Diaz, Jr., Rep. Eric Eisnaugle, Rep. Erik Fresen, and Rep. Chris Sprowls.
—
Here’s this week’s edition of Capitol Directions:
