FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

FLORIDA FAMILY ACTION RELEASES 2018 LEGISLATIVE SCORECARD GRADING
LAWMAKERS ON LIFE, FAMILY AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY RELATED ISSUES

Orlando, FL — On Tuesday, July 31, 2018, Florida Family Action the legislative arm of the Florida Family Policy Council released its 2018 State Legislative Scorecard issuing letter grades and numeric scores to every member of the House and Senate.

Individual legislators were scored based upon votes favorable or unfavorable to FFA’s legislative agenda. The guide scored 10 issues on FFA’s legislative agenda from 2017 to 2018. State legislators received both a letter grade from A+ to F- and a corresponding numeric percentage score from 0-100%.

The scorecard also features a two page article on a piece of legislation that was given the “Worst Bill in the World Award.”

In the House of Representatives, the average House Democrat score is 34%. The average House Republican score was 96%. Fifty-nine (59) Republican Representatives and one (1) Democrat Representative received a perfect “A+” score.

• Eleven (11) Republican Representatives and one (1) Democrat Representative received a B.
• Four (4) Republican Representatives received a C.
• Two (2) Republican Representatives and one (1) Democratic Representative received a D.
• Thirty-Eight (38) Democratic Representatives received an F.

In the Florida Senate, the average Democrat score was 21% and the average Republican score was 77%.

• Five (5) Republican State Senators received a perfect A+ score.
• Five (5) Republican Senators and one (1) Democrat Senator received a B.
• Seven (7) Republican Senators received a C.
• Four (4) Republican Senators and one (1) Democratic Senator received a D.
• Two (2) Republican Senators and thirteen (13) Democratic Senators received an F.

A full copy of the Scorecard can be downloaded at floridafamilyaction.org/scorecard.

Other FFA voter guide products for Candidate Endorsements, Constitutional Amendments and Judicial Voter Guide will be released next week.

For more information or for media interviews

contact info@FloridaFamilyAction.org

Or call 407-418-0250

# # #

The post Florida Family Action Releases 2018 Legislative Scorecard Grading Lawmakers appeared first on Florida Family Action.

The CRC recently completed its committee work.  It narrowed down the number of proposed amendments from an initial 1,000 proposals by the public to 100 undertaken by members of the CRC with 37 currently approved by their committees.

The next phase of the CRC is a second round of public hearings.  Those hearings are currently scheduled in Melbourne on 2/19, Jacksonville on 2/20, Pensacola on 2/27, Cape Coral on 3/5, and St. Petersburg on 3/13.  Details on these locations can be found below.

The first public hearing in this second round of CRC hearings occurred this past week in Fort Lauderdale, one of the most liberal cities in the state.  The forum was packed with what appeared to be 500-600 people who were very hostile to life, parental rights and school choice.  During the hearing, opponents were very rude, disruptive and did not respect the Chairman’s repeated requests to be civil and to not cheer, clap, or otherwise disrupt the forum or another speaker’s time.  Citizens who support life, parental rights, life and school choice need to attend these upcoming hearings and present better, respectful, more persuasive (not to mention truthful) arguments to this historic commission.

UPDATE ON PROPOSAL 22 ON PRIVACY

The privacy amendment, Proposal 22 (see www.FLPrivacy.org), is designed to fix our state constitution’s privacy clause and require the Florida Supreme Court to interpret it in accordance with the original intent of the Legislature (which placed it on the ballot) and the people who adopted it.  Florida’s privacy clause was intended for informational privacy and not for abortion.  Sadly, Proposal 22 died recently in its second CRC committee, the Judicial Committee.  However, if 15 CRC members vote to revive the proposal the matter can still be heard and voted on by the entire commission.

You can watch CRC Commissioner John Stemberger’s argument for Proposal 22 before the CRC Judicial Committee here starting at 1:06:53.

You can read the latest article on the status of the Privacy Proposal by the Orlando Sentinel here.

The bottom line is that the CRC needs to hear from you.  Virtually every speaker on the Left either grossly misrepresented the issues or outright lied about the effect of certain CRC proposals at this last meeting.  The CRC needs to hear from you and your like-minded friends and family members on the below parental consent laws and educational reforms.

We recommend you respectfully encourage the Commission to vote yes on the following proposals:

1)    Proposal 22 – VOTE YES.  Support bringing Proposal 22 to the full body of the CRC to fix Florida’s privacy clause to allow the Legislature to enact laws that would require parental consent before a minor girl undergoes an abortion surgery.

2)    Proposal 4  – VOTE YES.  Repeal the anti-Catholic motivated Blaine Amendment (no-aid) provision in Florida’s Constitution.  Repealing this provision would prevent religious discrimination and allow educational vouchers to be issued so that parents can use their own tax dollars to direct the education of their children to the school of their choice—whether a public, private, charter or home school.

3)    Proposal 45 – VOTE YES.  Specifies that no provision of the state constitution may be construed to limit the Legislature from making provision for other educational services that are beneficial to Florida’s children and families.

4)    Proposal 71 – YOTE YES.  Allows the Legislature to establish charter schools without the courts striking down the laws for various reasons.

5)    Proposal 43  –  VOTE YES.  Establishes term limits for school board members so that they cannot serve for more than two four-year terms (totaling eight years of service).

For an in-depth review of all 37 proposals currently before the CRC, download this PDF.

Public participation guidelines for the CRC hearings have just been issued and can be downloaded here.

Locations and times of upcoming CRC public hearings

MELBOURNE

Monday, February 19, 2018 
1:00-7:00 PM EST
Eastern Florida State College
Maxwell C. King Center
3865 North Wickham Road
Melbourne, FL 32935

JACKSONVILLE

Tuesday, February 20, 2018 
1:00-7:00 PM EST
University of North Florida
Herbert University Center
12000 Alumni Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32224

PENSACOLA

Tuesday, February 27, 2018 
1:00-7:00 PM CST
University of West Florida
Conference Center & Ballroom
11000 University Parkway, Building 22
Pensacola, FL 32514

CAPE CORAL

Monday, March 05, 2018 
1:00-7:00 PM EST
The Westin
5951 Silver King Boulevard
Cape Coral, FL 33914

ST. PETERSBURG

Tuesday, March 13, 2018 
1:00-7:00 PM EST
University of South Florida – St. Petersburg
University Student Center
200 6th Ave S
St. Petersburg, FL 33701

The post Critical Update on Florida’s Constitution Revision Commission (CRC): Upcoming Hearings in Melbourne, Jacksonville, Pensacola Cape Coral & St. Petersburg appeared first on Florida Family Action.

URGENT ACTION ALERT

Contact Governor Scott and Tell Him Florida Does Not Want Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry to Become Florida’s Next Statewide CFO 

Candidates being considered that are highly qualified, principled and would be acceptable to most conservatives include:

Senator Aaron Bean, Jacksonville

Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, Miami

State Senator Tom Lee, Tampa

Former Florida Senator Pat Neal, Sarasota

JACKSONVILLE MAYOR LENNY CURRY IS NOT ONE OF THEM!

Call Gov Scott today at (850) 488-7146

Email: rick.scott@eog.myflorida.com

or http://www.flgov.com/contact-gov-scott/email-the-governor/

Background

• Florida’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jeff Atwater has announced his retirement after the 2017 Legislative Session.
• Governor Rick Scott will appoint a new CFO soon and Jacksonville’s Mayor Lenny Curry is one of the finalists for this position.
• The CFO is a member of the Florida Cabinet.  It is a powerful statewide position and cabinet positions are often used as stepping stones to higher political office, including governor or federal offices.  Many people believe that Mayor Curry aspires to hold one of these higher offices.
• Lenny Curry is a very attractive and likable person with a very nice family. However, there are very serious concerns regarding his possible appointment as CFO, primarily

What are the Issues with Lenny Curry?

• Lenny has proven that he is not a principled conservative and is not willing to fight for what is right.
• As the former head of the Republican Party of Florida, Lenny has become the darling candidate of the GOP establishment, but he is not reform minded. This is a politician who is trying to please everyone. He appears to be more concerned with what the left thinks about him than the conservative base who helped get him elected.
• Unfortunately, Lenny is earning a reputation as a “Charlie Crist” Republican and one that doesn’t need to be promoted to a statewide office, where he could make unsound decisions which would affect all of Florida’s families and residents.
• Lenny cannot be trusted and betrayed local Jacksonville voters by promising several people he would veto any HRO but when the time came, he failed to deliver on this promise.
• By executive order, he created special rights for people claiming to be gay and transgender in city government trampling on the rights of thousands of other employers and vendors associated with the City of Jacksonville.
• Lenny’s refusal to veto the deceptive and unconstitutional “Human Rights Ordinance” (HRO) in Jacksonville puts women and children in danger by allowing men to use women’s showers, locker rooms, and bathrooms in domestic violence shelters and in other non-profit charities with residential facilities.
• If politicians are not willing to fight for laws which defend our first and most fundamental liberty, religious freedom, and they are not willing to fight to protect the dignity, security, and safety of women and children when showering and dressing in intimate spaces, then we are not interested in them serving as elected officials.

Contact Governor Scott and Tell Him that

 You Do Not Want Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry to Become Florida’s Next Statewide CFO

Call (850) 488-7146

Email: rick.scott@eog.myflorida.com

or http://www.flgov.com/contact-gov-scott/email-the-governor/

curry

The post Tell Gov Scott FL Doesn’t Want Jax Mayor Lenny Curry For Next CFO appeared first on Florida Family Action.

Walmart and Target have been pushing this legislation for the past four years in Florida.  This bill has been scheduled to be heard this year on the floor twice before, but both times it has been postponed because there were not enough votes to pass it.  After companies who expect to profit from the legislation hired additional lobbyists, it is once again back on the agenda and we fear that they may now have the votes to pass it.  That is why we need your help.

How can you help? Please call your state representative NOW and ask them to VOTE NO on HB 81.

Click this link if you don’t know who your state representative is or need their phone number.

We believe there is still time to make a difference on this bill. Please take a moment out of your day and call your state representative!

NOTE:  Not every good or bad bill in the legislature requires an action alert like this.  We only engage our supporters when the vote is close and your action could make a difference on a bill.  Please know that while there may be many more important bills and issues in the legislature that have either passed or failed, this issue is one of enough concern for us to now alert you of the need for action.  Thank you.

The post Call Your Legislator & Urge Them To Stop Hard Liquor Sales in Grocery Stores appeared first on Florida Family Action.

(English) Early Voting Locations and Times by County

(Español) Lugares y Horarios de Período de Votación Adelantada

Check out our voter guide resource page before heading to the polls!

The post Vote Early! Click Here For Early Voting Dates and Locations appeared first on Florida Family Action.

Did you see the email I sent you last week?  More importantly, did you see the article that came out yesterday in the New York Times?  They are reporting the presidential election ALL COMES DOWN TO FLORIDA!  Specifically, the I-4 Corridor from St. Pete / Tampa, east through Polk County, and then Orlando and Seminole County all the way to the east coast of Daytona.

I believe this is the tipping point of the election and we are exactly one week out from the election and thousands more voters can be reached by social media efforts and our get-out-the-vote campaign in our five offices around the state.

If you’ve been busy and haven’t had a chance to give to our voter education and get out the vote efforts efforts, or, if you would like to give another gift today, would you do that now?  PLEASE GIVE HERE TODAY

Over 35% of voters have voted already but absentee ballots are being mailed in daily…. Voters are casting their ballots at early voting locations all around the state… Our phones at the office are ringing off the hook with voter guide requests and questions… and it’s all building up to November 8th.

Below is a copy of the email I sent about 10 days ago, stressing how important this election is to our religious liberty, as Christians in America.  If you haven’t read it, would you take a moment and read it, and prayerfully respond?

Thanks so much!  John Stemberger

——————————————————————————

From: Florida Family Action
Sent:  Thursday, October 20, 2016 
Subject:  We may all become “Ichthus Christians” if…      

Friend,

I will get right to the point.

If this election goes the wrong way, we may all have to return to being “Ichthus” Christians where we are sneaking around just to speak of our faith in secret because we are unable to publicly.

The ichthus, (pronounced “ikh-thoos”) the “fish symbol,” was used by Christians (as early as the 1st Century AD) to help identify with one another silently, in the hope of escaping persecution.  Christians would often draw an “ichthus” to let other Christians know that they were fellow believers of Christ and that it was safe to talk about their faith.

Fast forward to 2016…

We are on the brink of being in a similar place as the early church, where government sanctioned persecution of Christians is the norm!

And while we may not yet face physical death, we are on track to face the death of our robust religious liberty, our ability to worship, our ability to preach from the Bible, our ability to live our lives and run our businesses according to Scripture and speak of our faith publicly.  After our rights are stripped, the consequences and the persecution will come.

If we are going to stop this from happening, we need your help today. 

Would you invest with a sacrificial gift now to help our election efforts to preserve religious liberty? 

Time is short, with less than 3 weeks left until the election.

We must ACT NOW if we are going to thwart, stop or hopefully reverse this devastating course our culture is on.

Evidence that the persecution and attempted eradication of our faith has already begun:

• In Iowa and Massachusetts, Christian churches are being told they are now public accommodations and need to comply with non-discrimination laws as it relates to transgender use of showers, locker rooms and bathrooms.  These anti-liberty sexual orientation and gender identity, or SOGI, laws in state civil rights codes (exactly like the Florida Competitive Workforce Act which will be proposed again in 2017) are creating the problems and could grant government a “green light to directly regulate churches.”  This is outrageous but it’s exactly where the battle is headed—inside the walls of your local church.

• In Pennsylvania, the Senate Labor and Industry Committee recently held a hearing on a bill which would make it illegal for religious churches, schools and other religious organizations to only hire employees that agree with the religious organization’s teaching on sexuality, marriage and gender. Our opponents are pushing hard for this.

• In California, three faith-based crisis pregnancy centers are in the middle of a legal battle to continue to operate according to their faith by offering resources, counseling, advice and alternatives to abortion.  The State of California is requiring them to post agovernment-approved message – promoting free or low cost access to “family planning” (or ABORTION!) or be fined $500 for the first violation and $1,000 for each additional violation. This law was just upheld by the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Appeals.

• Christian business owners providing goods and services to weddings throughout our country are being attacked by SOGI laws which enable gay activists to slap businesses with costly lawsuits and fines for simply living out their faith, if they choose not to celebrate or participate in same-sex marriage ceremonies with their creative and artistic services.

• Business owners, corporations, and organizations which provide health insurance to their employees are being forced to pay for abortions or abortifacient drugs throughObamacare, regardless of their, or the employees,’ religious beliefs that all life is sacred. Any disagreement or failure to comply is met with government imposed fines and penalties.

If you disagree with this encroachment on our religious liberty, would you stand with us today and help us preserve this precious right with a secure online gift?

Did you notice the consistent government enforcer in the examples above?

… legal battle in a US District Court  (DISTRICT COURTS) which could grant government a green light to regulate churches

… Senate Labor and Industry Committee  (THE STATE LEGISLATURE)

… government approved message  (by THE STATE)

… federal government mandated “Affordable Care Act” or “Obamacare”.  (OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT carrying out the will of the President of the United States.)

Here is my point:  You and I have an impact on every single one of these branches and levels of government, directly or indirectly, which determine our future – WHEN WE VOTE!

Unfortunately, many voters are confused about voting in this election, and have said they may sit out this election and not vote.  That would be catastrophic.  We must not be governed by emotions and feelings.  Rather we must look at the facts which our Voter Guides present clearlyHERE.

We must reach more Christian voters, educate them with the facts, and encourage them to vote.  This takes substantial funding.  Will you help us with a gift of any amount today?

IF WE DON’T REACH MORE CHRISTIANS, EDUCATE THEM WITH THE FACTS, AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO VOTE, WE ARE CERTAIN TO LOSE MANY OF OUR RELIGIOUS LIBERTIES IN AMERICA WITHIN THE NEXT 4 YEARS.

On November 9^th, I hope we can all wake up knowing we have done everything within our power to protect religious liberty for our children and our next generation.  I hope you will join me in this effort with both PRAYER and with a GIFT of any amount today HERE.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

John Stemberger

PS:  Our impact will be limited only by our funding.  Thank you in advance for giving your best gift possible at this time, and for praying for us, our efforts, and our country!

The post It all comes down to Florida, and specifically, the I-4 Corridor appeared first on Florida Family Action.

To help you wade through the confusing technical language, we’ve researched and created an overview of each proposed amendment for you. You can access this resource here or by clicking on one of the images below.

Below are short summaries of each amendment:

Amendment 1: Solar energy grants a right to own/lease solar energy equipment and prohibits forced subsidization of solar energy
(We encourage a NO vote)

Amendment 2: Medical marijuana decriminalizes possession and smoking of marijuana and creates a constitutional right to grow, sell and consume pot
(We encourage a NO vote)

Amendment 3: Tax exemption for disabled first responders allows the Florida Legislature to grant a property tax exemption to first responders who have been totally and permanently disabled in the line of duty
(We encourage a YES vote)

Amendment 5: Tax exemption for low-income seniors allows the Florida Legislature to grant a property tax exemption on homestead properties to senior citizens and disabled veterans making less than $20,000/year
(We encourage a YES vote)

We hope that you will join us in praying and seeking God’s wisdom on these and other important issues facing us this election and get out to vote. 

To access the 2016 Amendment Guide or our other voter guide resources (Federal, State, Local and Judicial) visit FloridaElectionCentral.com.

If our voter guide resources have been helpful to you and your family, please consider supporting this important effort with a gift here. 

The post Guide on How to Vote on Florida’s 2016 Ballot Amendments appeared first on Florida Family Action.

CRITICAL FACTS YOU NEED KNOW ABOUT AMENDMENT 2 “MEDICAL MARIJUANA”

We agree there is a real need to help people suffering with debilitating medical conditions and to alleviate pain. However, the goal of Amendment 2 is not to help the sick, but to create a constitutional right to grow, sell, and consume pot. 

Pot Candy: Medicine? (30 sec)	More Pot Shops than McDonalds, Starbucks, & 7-Elevens Combined (60 sec)

Amendment 2 claims to be about legalizing just medical marijuana, but its wording amounts to the de-facto legalization of pot in Florida. 

Prominent and well-respected groups such as the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Epilepsy Society, Florida Medical Association, Florida Police Chiefs Association, Florida Sheriffs Association, Florida Chamber of Commerce, Florida Farm Bureau, Florida Baptist Convention, Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, Christian Family Coalition and Florida Family Action, among others are publicly opposing Amendment 2. Elected officials (both Republican and Democrat) have also urged a no vote on 2. And at least five former Florida Supreme Court Justices oppose Amendment 2.

Amendment 2 is bad policy for Florida. Here are five critical reasons why we believe you should VOTE NO on Amendment 2:

1. FLORIDA ALREADY HAS MEDICAL MARIJUANA

The Florida Legislature already legalized medical marijuana. In fact, TWO different laws are actively in effect today. In 2014, Florida passed “Charlotte’s Web” allowing the use of low-THC (non-euphoric) marijuana by those suffering from cancer, seizures or severe muscle spasms and for whom no other treatment has proven effective.

In 2015, Florida’s “Right to Try Act” was amended to include medical marijuana, allowing patients with terminal conditions to access the drug without FDA approval. We recognize the real need to help people suffering with debilitating medical conditions and to alleviate pain. We believe these two EXISTING laws properly provide for these situations and that Amendment 2 is completely unnecessary.

2. FLORIDA DOES NOT NEED 2,000 POT SHOPS
If this amendment passes, within the first year approximately 2,000 “pot shops” will spring up around the state (according to estimates from Florida’s Department of Health.) This is twice the number of McDonald’s restaurants in the state of Florida.

3. ALLOWING THE SALE OF UNSAFE “EDIBLES” PUTS CHILDREN AT RISK
Amendment 2 legalizes marijuana foods (edible products laced with marijuana) which will include cookies, candies, and “pot-tarts.” These are obviously enticing to children, and in “medical” marijuana states like California, children are being rushed to the ER after unknowingly consuming marijuana in the form of candy.

States where medical marijuana is legal have been shown to have higher rates of calls to poison-control centers and ER visits by children under 9 years of age for unintentional marijuana exposure. Edible products have also caused deaths in Colorado.

4. AMENDMENT 2 WOULD PROHIBIT REGULATION OF THE POT INDUSTRY
Amendment 2 ties the hands of our elected representatives to respond to its inevitable unintended consequences. Because it grants a fundamental “constitutional right” to sell, purchase and consume marijuana, the Florida Legislature and other state regulatory bodies would be unable to pass common-sense legislation to correct problems with the amendment’s outcomes. Instead, another constitutional amendment will be necessary, a very lengthy and costly process.

This is not an issue appropriate for a Constitution, a document intended for fundamental rights and the structure of government. Florida has an unfortunate history of placing policy issues in our state Constitution – like fish net bans, pregnant pig regulations and others. The bottom line is this: drugs should not be permanently enshrined in Florida’s Constitution.

 5. INCREASED POTENCY LEVELS MEAN INCREASED HEALTH RISKS
Marijuana would not be dispensed at pharmacies with a doctor’s prescription. Instead, it would be sold by what the marijuana industry refers to as “budtenders,” with NO medical training or clinical experience required.

Further, Amendment 2 does not regulate the strength or potency of the marijuana being used. In Colorado, THC levels have increased from around 15% to more than 20%, and levels in extracted hashish or concentrates can reportedly reach 90%. There have been increased public safety incidences and the CDC warns of the “potential danger.” There is no standard amount, quality or limit to the pot that may be contained in an edible. As in other states, the wide range of marijuana products available and their increased potency would have serious public health implications for Florida.

A printable version of our “Five Critical Reasons to VOTE NO on Amendment 2” and other free voter guide resources (Candidates, Amendments, Judges, Local Races) are available at FloridaElectionCentral.com. 

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!  If our voter guide resources have been helpful to you, your family and your church please consider supporting this important effort with a gift here.

The post Facts you need to know about the medical marijuana Amendment 2. Must see video. Early voting starts today. appeared first on Florida Family Action.

“We have an opportunity this November to do something that’s extraordinary, which most of the world can only dream of doing. We get to actually vote, we get to actually participate in the process of picking our leaders.

It’s an extraordinary responsibility and it’s a stewardship issue…I know a lot of people are frustrated, but we just need to look at the facts, make the best choices possible, and trust in God for the result.”
– John Stemberger, FFA President

Share this video with your friends to encourage them to get out to vote!

Check out floridaelectioncentral.com for helpful voter guide information and resources on federal, state, judicial and local races!

The post (NEW VIDEO) I’m Planning to Vote. Are You? appeared first on Florida Family Action.

Palm Beach Field Office
Sue Trombino, Field Director
The FFA office is inside Women Impacting the Nation at
500 NE Spanish River Blvd, Suite 29-30
Boca Raton, FL 33431
Phone: (561) 239-8847
Email: suet@floridafamilyaction.org

The post Volunteer at Florida Family Action’s 2016 Field Offices appeared first on Florida Family Action.