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.

Visit our Facebook page for photos from this year’s event. More photos will continue to be added in the coming days. Tag yourself and share these photos with your friends and encourage them to join us next year for this exciting event! Follow us on Facebook to continue to receive our most current updates on what’s happening around the state relating to life, religious liberty, and family issues.

On Tuesday, FFPC hosted a Legislative Prayer Breakfast attended by over 250 people, including 15 elected officials. Guest speakers included Governor Rick Scott, Commissioner Adam Putnam, House Speaker Richard Corcoran, Representative Kim Daniels, Representative Jamie Grant, Senator Greg Steube, and keynotes Alliance Defending Freedom legal counsel Kellie Fiedorek, and her client Barronelle Stutzman a Washington florist and grandmother targeted by her state for living out her faith.

During the event, FFPC also honored additional Champion of the Family legislators who were unable to join us at our 2016 Annual Dinner.

At the Capitol, the week started off very busy for the Legislature with a number of groups visiting the Capitol with a variety of interests. One group that protested asking for “equal pay” for women is tied to an employment discrimination bill. The problem with this bill is that it includes gender identity as a protected class – meaning a man who identifies as a woman would be covered under the bill – essentially making the bill meaningless as some feminists are now seeing.

The cold weather that came to Tallahassee mid-week seemed to slow down the Legislature. The Senate went so far as to cancel some of its meetings at the end of the week.  Next week we expect to see a number of bills heard in committee.

Now let’s take a look at some of the bills that were heard in the Legislature this week…

GOOD BILLS

LIFE 

HB 969 / SB 1130 Pregnancy Support Services
Sponsors: Rep. Jackie Toledo (R), Sen. Aaron Bean (R)

This bill was heard in both the House and the Senate this week.  Planned Parenthood opposes the bill showing the radical pro-abortion nature of the abortion giant – they oppose a bill which does not harm them in any way and helps pregnant women and their children.

The 10-4 vote in the House was party-line with Democrats opposing the measure.  The 4-2 Senate vote had Sen. Montford (D) voting for the bill, ensuring that it did not die in committee.

GAMING 

HB 7037 Addressing Gambling Long-Term 
Sponsor: Rep. Mike La Rosa (R) and the Tourism & Gaming Control Subcommittee

The House did not take up the bill this week, but it is scheduled for next week in the Ways & Means Committee, the final stop before a vote by the full House.

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY 

HB 303 / SB 436 Religious Liberty in Public Schools or “Florida Student and School Personnel Religious Liberties Act” Sponsors: Rep. Kim Daniels (D), Rep. Patricia Williams (D), Sen. Dennis Baxley (R)

This bill was heard in its first committee in the House, passing unanimously in a 14-0 vote.  The Senate passed their version out of its final committee in a 5-4 vote along party lines. Florida Family Action calls on the Florida Legislature to affirm the religious liberty of all citizens, especially in counties with non-discrimination laws which include sexual orientation and gender identity.  Religious liberty should not be limited to specific individuals in specific situations but is a robust right of expression.

ISRAEL 

HB 281 / SB 574 Opposing United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2334
Sponsors: Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D), Sen. Kevin Rader (D)

The Senate heard this bill in the Judiciary committee (the first of two committee stops) on Tuesday and moved it forward in a 6-2 vote.

BAD BILLS

LGBT RIGHTS

HB 623 / SB 666 Creating Special Rights for LGBT Citizens or “Florida’s Competitive Workforce Act” 
Sponsors: Rep. Ben Diamond (D), Rep. Rene Plasencia (R), Sen. Jeff Clemens (D)

This remains the single worst and anti-liberty bill in the Florida Legislature because of its effect on public safety and freedom of conscience. It adds sexual orientation and gender identity or expression to Florida’s Civil Rights Act of 1992 as impermissible grounds for discrimination. This bill provides a new way for LGBT individuals to sue employers and small businesses for discrimination.  It would allow men access to use women’s showers, locker rooms, and bathrooms.

There was no movement on either the House or Senate versions of the bill this week. Florida Family Action urges legislators to vote no on this bill and related bills which will not help strengthen Florida’s economy, regardless of what opponents claim.

GAMBLING

SB 8 Gaming Expansion Bill 
Sponsor: Sen. Bill Galvano (R)

This bill passed out of its final committee before the official start of the legislative session.  While it was ready for a full vote by the Senate, it was not scheduled for one this week.

ALCOHOL

HB 81 / SB 106 Hard Liquor in Grocery Stores 
Sponsors: Rep. Bryan Avila (R), Sen. Anitere Flores (R)

The “Whiskey and Wheaties” bill just barely passed out of the House Government Operations & Technology Appropriations Subcommittee. With some members not present during the committee meeting, the bill was passed in a 7-6 vote. It is expected to be heard in its final House committee next week while the Senate is soon expected to take up its version for a vote by the full Senate.

The post Legislative Insider’s Report Week 2 of 9 appeared first on Florida Family Action.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

FFPC Launches Campaign to Defund Planned Parenthood in Florida

Demands Gov. Rick Scott Utilize Executive Action Immediately

TALLAHASSEE, FL – Earlier today, the Florida Family Policy Council (FFPC), led by President and General Counsel John Stemberger, held a press conference to herald the launch of a statewide campaign – on behalf of thousands of pro-life Floridians – calling on Gov. Rick Scott (R) to fully defund Planned Parenthood in the state, and redirect those funds to the more than 600 community health clinics in Florida.

The campaign – consisting of sustained grassroots and media efforts – will urge, and if necessary, demand that Governor Scott entirely strip Planned Parenthood of all state public funding sources within his influence, particularly the Medicaid contract, which makes up a substantial portion of Planned Parenthood’s taxpayers’ support.

FFPC is asking Governor Scott to take immediate executive action on the following two things:

1)    Terminate Florida’s Medicaid contract with Planned Parenthood.

2)    Terminate the subcontracts of Title X funds with Broward and Collier County.

“Governor Rick Scott has the clear legal authority to terminate Medicaid contracts with unqualified providers of services, and he now also has a moral, ethical and fiscal duty to do so given Planned Parenthood’s egregious conduct which includes fraud, waste and abuse,” said Stemberger. “In both his gubernatorial campaigns, Rick Scott campaigned that if elected he would be a pro-life Governor.  We would now like him to take action like a pro-life Governor.”

Mr. Stemberger sent a letter requesting action to the Governor and his office last week and has received no response or acknowledgment. A video of the 11 minute remarks by Stemberger can be watched here.

For more information or to arrange an interview with John Stemberger, please contact Mike Rudin with Shirley & Banister Public Affairs at mrudin@sbpublicaffairs.com or (703) 739-5920.

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The post FFPC Launches Campaign to Defund Planned Parenthood in Florida Demands Gov. Rick Scott Utilize Executive Action Immediately appeared first on Florida Family Action.