Organizing Florida to Take Back America

Meetings led by:
John Stemberger, President of Florida Family Action

Calling All Conservatives!

Attend one of these major grassroots meeting in your area where we will announce the opening of several field offices around the state and introduce newly hired full time field directors around the state to register & mobilize Floridians to vote.

Each meeting will feature a working lunch or light dinner foods, along with a presentation of strategies and state of the art tools available to make a difference.

Click here to register– or call 407-251-5130. RSVP’s are required(NOTE: Specific meeting locations will be e-mailed after you register.)

Monday, March 26, 2012

Pensacola- 11:30am-1:00pm-Hosted by Tom Thompson, Northwest Florida Family Alliance

Tallahassee- 6:00pm to 7:30pm- Hosted by Sandra Vidak, North Florida Family Alliance

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Jacksonville- 6:00pm to 7:30pm, Hosted by Jerod Powers, Jacksonville Family Alliance

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Orlando- 11:30am to 1:00pm, Hosted by Laura Caruso, Central Florida Family Alliance

Tampa- 6:00pm to 7:30pm, Hosted by Terry Kemple, Community Issues Council

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Naples- 11:30am to 1:00pm, Hosted by Ken Price, Public Issues Committee, First Baptist of Naples

Palm Beach- 7:00pm to 8:30pm, Hosted by John & Virginia Brooks, Palm Beach Faith & Freedom Coalition

Friday, March 30, 2012

Fort Lauderdale- 5:30pm to 7:00pm, Hosted byScott Spages, Faith Forum

The Florida Presidential Primary will be held on Tuesday January 31, 2012 and early voting will have started in all counties this Saturday, January, 21, 2012.  The official Florida Family Policy Council voter guide below has been approved by legal counsel to be 501c3 safe and can be freely distributed by a church as an official educational activity of the church.  Click on the image below to download a PDF file: (3 other voter guides are also below)

Because Ron Paul and Mitt Romney refused to answer the voter guide questionnaire there are no responses for them on the official FFPC guide above.  Below are three other voter guides from other respected organizations which do reflect all the candidates positions from their past voting records and from past statements.  These guides below are not approved to be officially distributed by a church.  They can be copied and handed out by individuals anywhere by private citizens.  There will be no paper hard copy voter guides printed and mass distributed by the FFPC for the primary election.  However there will be paper voter guides printed in mass and distributed during the November 2012 general election.  To early order paper voter guides now to be delivered to your church in the fall general election send an email to pastorsupport@FLFamily.org for an early order form application.

The conference was opened by Bill Warren, Director of Policy and Communications of Florida Family Action. State Represenative Dennis Baxley and Rachel Burgin were both in attendance to show support and make statements.

John Stemberger, President of Floirida Family Action, the lobbying arm of the Florida Family Policy Council said that the organization would hold elected officials accountable for gambling votes through a number of means including: tracking votes on a hall of shame and hall of fame; asking legislators to sign a “No Casinos Pledge”; and following the money of which members are taking gambling PAC money. Stemberger said, “We will not sit idly back as the gambling industry attempts to buy out Florida and her elected officals with the corrupting influence of gaming money that is floating around Tallahassee like a bad flu bug.” Stemberger’s full statement can be found here.

The Florida Catholic Conference has a long standing record of opposing new gambling in Florida. D. Michael McCarron, Executive Director of the Florida Catholic Conference, argued that casinos prey on the neediest of our society. “For those who are struggling to make ends meet, casino gambling can provide an attractive means to relieve financial burdens, which ultimately only leads to crushing debt and personal crises. We oppose the current proposals in view of the potential
harm to the common good of the residents of our state.”

Bill Bunkley with the Florida Baptist Convention also appeared and had the most passionate presentation. Bunkley stated, “If left unchecked this tidal wave of gambling expansion, in our state will leave in its wake pain and destruction in the lives of countless people especially the poor and the elderly.”

Mark Andrews, Chairman of Casino Watch, which regularly exposes the dark side of gambling, has witnessed the impacts of gambling in his former home state of Missouri and is committed to working to prevent those same results here. “A recent study by one of Florida’s sheriffs warns of an escalation in crime and the cost of addressing it. Surely this kind of study should be taken seriously before we jump from the frying pan into the fire.”

The evening’s dazzling MC was Barbara Beck, the host of the “Good Life” on Super Channel TV 45 in Central Florida.  The program also included FFPC President John Stemberger presenting the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Daniel Webster Award, which is presented for lengthy and principled service to public policy.  This year’s recipients of the Webster Award, presented for outstanding and principled leadership in promoting pro-life or pro-family public policy, was awarded to Russ and Jill Amerling for their decade long efforts to make Choose Life license plates available in every state in the U.S. The Amerlings serve as the national publicity coordinators of Choose Life, Inc.

FFPC Policy Director Bill Warren presented a special  Champion of Life Award to Senate President Mike Haridopolos, Senator Ronda Storms, Representative Dennis Baxley and Representative Kelli Stargel for their work in sponsoring and promoting pro-life legislation during the 2011 Legislative Session.

The highlight of the evening was the keynote address delivered by Congresswoman Michele Bachmann who inspired the audience with her very personal life story, her powerful Christian testimony and the challenge to pour out ourselves in our efforts to “Ignite a Cultural Transformation.”  At the close of her remarks, on behalf of the FFPC Board, John Stemberger awarded Bachmann the William Wilberforce Award given to elected officials for standing firm for

principle in the face of opposition. In his President’s Report, John Stemberger related accomplishments of the FFPC over the last year and also brought an update that the last of the two retaliatory legal attacks filed against him after representing the teenage Muslim to Christian convert Rifqa Bary were dropped.  Late last week on August 24th, the Associated Press reported the ten million dollar Ohio federal defamation lawsuit which was filed against Stemberger by the Muslim lawyer Omar Tarazi almost a year ago was dismissed.  Earlier this year in May, The Florida Bar was also forced to dismiss its grievance claim (also filed by Tarazi) as having no merit.

(ORLANDO, FL)

Members of the Florida press corps attended and reported on the debate including the Tallahassee Democrat, Orlando Sentinel, Palm Beach Post, St Pete Times and the Miami Herald in addition to several other local television, radio, political bloggers and independent news agencies.  The debate which will be available online in the next couple weeks focused on moral and social issues in the first half and on economic issues in the second half.

Two panels of citizen leaders asked the questions.  The first panel asked the social issue questions and included Bill Bunkley of the Florida Baptist Convention, Lynne Briedenbach, a political consultant and radio personality and Jesse Phillips, pastor and head of Citizen 2 Citizen.  The second panel was comprised of Tea Party leaders in Central Florida including Jason Hoyt of the Orlando Tea Party, Clyde Fabretti of the West Orange Tea Party and Bernadine Galate.

Other photographs of the debate and behind the scenes shots can be seen on our photo gallery here:

Tallahassee, Florida – 

Governor Scott was joined at the ceremony by the legislative bill sponsors and representatives from the Florida Family Policy Council, the Florida Baptist Convention and the Florida Catholic Conference.  Legislators present included (pictured left to right) State Representatives Dennis Baxley, Rachel Burgin, Larry Ahern, Keith Perry, Mat Gaetz, Kelli Stargel and Elizabeth Porter.“We are grateful to have a governor that understands that being pro-life is more than just campaign rhetoric,” said John Stemberger, President of the Florida Family Policy Council. “By his actions today, Governor Rick Scott has proven himself to be a defender of life. How we treat the weakest and most vulnerable members of society says a lot about how civilized we are a people. These laws provide further protection for ‘the least of  these’ in our state and Governor Scott is to be commended.”  John Stemberger’s wife Olivia and his two sons attended the event as well.

“This event today is the culmination of years of work by countless pro-life members and advocates,” said Bill Warren, Policy Director of the Florida Family Policy Council.  “We applaud their commitment to this cause and commend the hard work of this group of bill sponsors.”

The four bills require mothers to view an ultrasound prior to an abortion, ensure that funds collected from the sale of Choose Life license plates are quickly and efficiently distributed throughout the state, prevent the public funding of abortion and ensure that parents are informed when their minor children are pursuing an abortion.

The bills signed in the ceremony were HB 501, CS/HJR 1179, HB 97 and HB 1247.

Final Week 8:  Florida Legislative Session

Bill Warren, Director of Policy & Communications

Florida Family Policy Council

“The House and Senate adjourn Sine Die!” With those words the 2011 Florida Legislative Session is gaveled to a close.  Although it took till the wee hours of the morning (3:35am for the Senate) our team was there till the bitter end tracking bills and following the process.  Surprising many, the Legislature was able to complete the duties required of them and finish the session within the 60 days prescribed in the Constitution and also deliver some historical victories on our core issues.

The Florida Family Policy Council came into this session with a legislative agenda that had a top priority list of seven bills. We are excited to report that at the close of session, six of those bills have passed both chambers. Our success this year is the culmination of years of work by citizens throughout Florida working to elect like-minded legislators to serve in Tallahassee and the hard work of the collective team with the FFPC and its coalition partners.  We have all sought to educate members on the issues of life and family that we all hold dear.  Some years we have planted, others years we have watered and God has shown us favor this year by giving the increase!  But major thanks for these victories goes to the leaders of each chamber, Speaker of the House Dean Cannon (left) and Senate President Mike Haridopolos (right).  Without the leadership they displayed, most of these bills may not have happened.

This session has been a landmark one for pro-life bills and life-related public policy.  In the previous 15 years of Republican control in Tallahassee, we have seen only four major pro life bills become law.  The Florida Legislature more than bettered that number in this one session alone.  Five bills that will improve the culture of life in this state are now waiting to be signed into law by Governor Scott.  We also saw success in defeating almost every attempt by the gaming industry to expand gambling in our state which if you ever under stand the intensity of this pressure in the legislature, is a major victory for all of Florida.

Listed below are the major victories from this year and links to look up the final vote counts them so you can see which of your local Representatives and Senators voted with us and which ones voted against us.

Victory # 1 - Ultrasound prior to an abortion

HB 1127 – Once again, the Florida Legislature passed a bill that would require a physician to use ultrasound technology to determine the gestational age of the unborn child before performing an abortion. Under this bill, the doctor would be required to give, show and explain the ultrasound to the mother of the child. This bill passed last year, but was vetoed by Governor Crist. The House sponsor wasRep. Liz Porter (R), (pictured left) a freshman member. The Senate sponsor was Sen. Ronda Storms (R) (pictured right). We appreciate their hard work on this important bill. House final vote:  81-37   Senate final vote: 24-15

Victory # 2 – Parental Notification

HB 1247 – Florida passed a Parental Notification of Abortion law in 2005. This bill tightens the notification requirements to ensure that parents are being notified prior to their minor daughters receiving an abortion.  It requires written notification to be sent via first class and certified mail.  If physicians choose to call parents to notify them of the abortion, this bill requires them to follow up with a written notification. Under the previous law, parents could waive the right to notification with a signed note. To avoid forgeries, this law requires those notes to be notarized and dated no more than 30 days prior to the abortion.

Under the previous law, the child could petition a court within her District Court of Appeals district.  In Florida, this means an adult could drive a child from Pensacola to Jacksonville (over 350 miles away) to find a judge to grant the waiver, a practice called judge shopping. This bill now requires the judicial waiver to be obtained from a judge within the circuit court district in which she lives.

Rep. Kelli Stargel (R) (left) and Sen. Alan Hays (R) (right) were the sponsors of the House and Senate bills.   House final vote: 82-35        Senate final vote: 26-12

Victory # 3 – Banning Obama Care Abortion Funding

HB 97 – Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed by Congress, states are required to establish insurance exchanges through which residents and small businesses will be able to purchase government mandated insurance under the act.  States were given the right to continue policies of not funding abortion procedures with state monies.  This bill will prevent the state of Florida from using state dollars to purchase insurance policies that provide abortions.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R), (left) a freshman Representative, and Sen. Steve Wise (R) (right) were the sponsors of the House and Senate bills.    House final vote: 80-35      Senate final vote: 28-11

Victory # 4 – Ban on Taxpayer Funding of Abortion: Constitutional Amendment (on Ballot in 2012)

CS/HJR 1179 – Florida currently prohibits the funding of abortions with public dollars by statute. This bill would give voters in Florida the opportunity to put that prohibition into the Constitution so no judge could ever overturn it.

The resolution also limits the right to abortion in the state constitution to be no broader than the right to abortion in the U.S. Constitution. The Florida Supreme Court has ruled that the right to privacy in the state constitution confers broader rights to an abortion than that in the U.S. Constitution.

Rep. Dennis Baxley (R) (right) and Sen. Anitere Flores (R) (left) were the sponsors of the House and Senate bills.   House final vote: 79-34      Senate final vote: 27-12

Victory # 5 – Choose Life License Plate Revision

HB 501 – Florida was the first state to offer drivers the option to “Choose Life” and to support organizations around the state that assist mothers committed to placing their children for adoption. This popular license plate has been a resounding success, generating $751,580 in sales in 2009-2010.  Unfortunately, over $300,000 remain in a state trust fund due to difficulties in distributing the funds.  This bill will change the way the money is distributed to ensure that all of the money collected makes it way into the hands of those for whom it was intended.

Sen. Mike Fasano (R) (left) and Rep. Dennis Baxley (R)  (right) were the sponsors of the Senate and House bills.  House final vote: 82-35   Senate final vote: 28-10

Victory # 6 – Religious Freedom Amendment (on Ballot in 2012)

CS/HJR 1471 – Florida’s constitution contains a provision in Article 1, Section 3 that prohibits public money being used to directly or indirectly aid a religious institution. This language in commonly referred to as the Blaine Amendment and was adopted many years ago by those who many argue were motivated by Catholic bigotry.  This prohibition has led to lawsuits against faith based substance abuse facilities that receive state funds.  This joint resolution would allow Florida voters to decide if this discriminatory language should remain enshrined in our Constitution.  Any group providing services for the state should not be discriminated against merely because they are faith based. Voters will have a chance to vote on this amendment in 2012.

Sen. Thad Altman (R) (left) and Rep. Scott Plakon (R) (right) and were the sponsors of the Senate and House bills.  House final vote: 81-35       Senate final vote: 26-10

Victory # 7 – Parental Rights Memorial

HM 557 – This memorial encourages Congress to propose and submit to the states for ratification an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would enshrine the fundamental rights of parents in the U.S. Constitution.

Sen. Anitere Flores (R) (left) Rep. Marti Coley (R) (right) and  were the sponsors of the Senate and House bills.

House final vote: Adopted on voice vote
Senate final vote: Adopted on voice vote

Victory # 8 – Destination Casinos – DEFEATED

The gambling industry this year proposed legislation that would have allowed Las Vegas style resort casinos in Florida. With its tourism and limited exposure to gambling, Florida is a coveted prize for industry. There were 3 bills filed that would have authorized these facilities in Florida this year. HB 1415 by Rep. Eric Fresen (R) was discussed in committee in the House but was never voted on. SB 1708 by Sen. Dennis Jones (R) was debated in committee but had several amendments added that upset the sponsor so he withdrew the bill. Finally, SB 2050 by Sen. Oscar Braynon (D) became the vehicle of choice. The bill passed its first committee 4-2, but was defeated in the next committee on a 3-3 vote. This issue will be back again next year. The industry is determined to make continued inroads into Florida.

Victory # 9 – Internet Poker – DEFEATED

CS/SB 812 by Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla (R) would have allowed poker rooms in Florida to operate an internet poker network. This would have brought poker into the homes of Floridians. The bill was defeated in the Criminal Justice on a tie vote.

Because of the conservative nature of the current legislature, many of the bills that we opposed never made it onto the agenda of a committee, which prevented them from advancing through the process. These included a domestic partnership bill and a bill that would have included gender identity and sexual orientation in Florida’s discrimination laws.

We appreciate the leadership that has been on display by both Speaker Cannon and President Haridopolos. Because of the conservative atmosphere that they have encouraged, our issues have been able to flourish. Please send a note of thanks to them for their work on behalf of our core issues.

To e-mail Speaker Dean Cannon, click here.

To e-mail President Mike Haridopolos, click here.

This has truly been a banner year for advocates for life and family values in Tallahassee. Thank you for your prayer and continued support through this exciting time.  We take seriously our role of being Your Voice for Your Values on life, marriage, family and liberty issues in the halls of the state capitol.

Bill Warren

Director of Policy and Communications
Florida Family Policy Council

PS- If you would be able to make a gift to support our work at this time we would be so grateful.  There is an enormous expense that goes into maintaining our full time presence in Tallahassee and we can only continue this in the Capitol City because of your support.  Please consider making an online gift right now HERE:

(Tallahassee, FL)  Freshman State House of Representatives member, Daphne Campbell from Miami was in her first legislative session last week when her own party viciously turned on her after she debated for and voted in favor of the pro-life bill requiring Ultrasounds before abortions.

Wednesday April 27, 2011, the Ultrasound Bill came up for debate and a vote on the floor of the House chamber when the ugly incident happened.  Rep. Campbell is a wife and mother of five children who works as a nurse.  As she rose in passionate support for the pro-life bill, Rep. Scott Randolph (D) from Orlando, whose assigned seat is right next to Campbell, started tossing papers on her desk and threw her pen in the trash apparently incensed that a fellow Democrat would support the bill.  Randolph, who has been endorsed by Planned Parenthood and Equality Florida, told Campbell “You are a traitor…I swear, you will not be re-elected. I will get an opponent.” Campbell’s quick retort was “You have no right. God put me here.”

Rep. Campbell said in an interview with Sunshine State News, “I was the victim of an altercation by my fellow state representative, Scott Randolph.  Several items were thrown in my face, foul language was used against me, and I was insulted and ridiculed in front of all my colleagues. I was called a ‘traitor’ and was told that I was going to be kicked out of office next year.”

Rep. Campbell’s passionate debate, quoted from the book of Ezekiel and admonished members with the commandment “Thou shalt not kill.”  Republican members in the Florida House stood to their feet in a standing ovation as other Democrat members protested with arms folded standing in the back of the chamber.  The full text of the one page speech can be found HERE:  According to Bill Warren, FFPC’s Director of Policy, who personally witnessed the whole incident, “Democrats are now harassing her with needless questions on all of her bills and attempting to defeat even simple, non-controversial bills.”However, Republican members have come to her defense by passing her bills out of the House with a commanding majority and even all stood behind her in solidarity on one occasion.

Florida Family Policy Council President John Stemberger released the following statement regarding the incident:

“I spoke to Rep. Daphne Campbell by phone and personally thanked her and told her she is to be applauded for standing alone within her party in support of the weakest and most vulnerable members of society– the unborn.  She is a hero within our community and we will do everything we can to rally around her and support her.  As for Rep. Scott Randolph, his temper-tantrum-like behavior is intolerant and juvenile.  His disrespectful and shameless comments are a disgrace to the dignity of the Florida House of Representatives and he has behaved in a manner which is uncivil, undemocratic and un-American.”

Campbell is holding a press conference today at 3:00pm at the Capitol asking Randolph to apologize for the incident.  The Associated Press, The Miami Herald, The Jacksonville Times Union and The St. Pete Time all did feature stories on the incident.  The Orlando Sentinel newspaper where Randolph is located, barely even mentioned the incident deep into a story on other abortion related bills.

Those wishing to thank Rep. Campbell with a word of encouragement for her principled stand can e-mail her HERE.  Those wishing to let Rep. Randolph respectfully know of your disappointment with his unprofessional behavior, you can e-mail him HERE.

For More Information Contact:
Korie Kapal at 407-251-5130 or at FrontDesk@FLFamily.org