RPOF Newsletter – From the Desk of Chairman Joe Gruters
Chairman’s Message
The success of Republican Governors keeps growing
While Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are offering a rudderless, embarrassing administration to the world, and backing freedom- and business-crushing governors like Andrew Cuomo, Phil Murphy and Gretchen Whitmer, Republican governors such as Governor DeSantis are actually solving problems.
For instance, even as the feckless Biden administration continues to ignore the human crisis it created at the border, Republican governors along the southern border are taking the lead in protecting Americans by pursuing border security of their own.
When Texas and Arizona called for help at their overwhelmed southern borders, Florida was the first to step up as Governor DeSantis said Wednesday that Florida will provide additional law enforcement resources to the southern border region. Some of the agencies include the Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and sheriff’s offices, such as Brevard, Hillsborough and Pasco counties.
“America’s border security crisis impacts every state and every American,” Governor DeSantis said. “The Biden Administration ended policies implemented by President Trump that were curbing illegal immigration, securing our border, and keeping Americans safe. Governors Abbott and Ducey recently sent out a call for help to every state in the nation, needing additional law enforcement manpower and other resources to aid with border security. I’m proud to announce today that the state of Florida is answering the call. Florida has your back.”
Read more here: https://www.flgov.com/2021/06/16/governor-ron-desantis-directs-florida-law-enforcement-to-aid-in-border-crisis/
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At every turn, Republican leadership in the states is giving positive results. According to Labor Department data, the top 12 states for job recovery over the last year are led by Republican governors. And 17 of the top 20 are. At the same time, 12 of the top 15 states with the lowest unemployment rates are led by Republican governors — the top 6 are all Republican. And the average unemployment rate for the nation’s 27 red states is just 4.6 percent, nearly two percentage points lower than the average for the nation’s Democrat-led states.
Democrats issued unscientific decrees forcing the elderly into nursing homes and destroying businesses and family relationships with their incessant lockdown policies. Republicans kept their residents free and safe and now prosperous.
The results are incontrovertible. Conservative policies deployed by Republican governors are making their resident’s lives far better than those Americans suffering under Democrat governors — or a weak, directionless White House.
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Speaking of GOP leadership, the Republican National Committee announced Wednesday the launch of Real America, a podcast hosted by RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. The podcast will share stories from outside the beltway, highlighting Republican leadership, and showing how Republican policies are leading America’s comeback. Chairwoman McDaniel is offering the platform for Republican leaders to share their successes and for listeners to hear real stories from the leading voices in our Party.
“America is an amazing country filled with wonderful people who do incredible things, but too often the media and liberal politicians ignore big parts of our nation and the people who make it work,” said Chairwoman McDaniel. “So I’m thrilled to speak with these amazing leaders and policymakers in our party who solve real problems every day, and help spread their message far and wide.”
You can take in the Real America podcast here: https://gop.com/podcast
Legislation
Governor DeSantis was joined by leaders in the Jewish community and members of the Florida Legislature at the Shul of Bal Harbour to sign HB 529, requiring Florida schools to hold a daily moment of silence, and HB 805, which ensures that volunteer ambulance services, including Hatzalah, a free emergency transport service operating in South Florida, can continue to operate.
Governor DeSantis also highlighted other initiatives included in the Florida Leads Budget to support Florida’s Jewish community and the nation of Israel, including:
$4 million in security funding for Florida’s Jewish Day Schools, including for the first time ever funding for professional security
$1.35 million for the Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Pete
$400,000 for the Holocaust Memorial in Miami Beach
$100,000 for the Holocaust Task Force
$250,000 for the Florida-Israel Business Accelerator
$1 million in recurring funds for collaborative research, development, and commercialization of projects related to aerospace and other technology through a memorandum of understanding which Space Florida has entered into with Israel
“Every family in our state should be able to send their children to school and know that they will be protected from harm and be able to practice their faith,” Governor DeSantis said. “I’m proud to sign these bills today to help protect religious freedom in Florida and increase the safety and security of our Jewish communities.”
Read more here: https://www.flgov.com/2021/06/14/governor-ron-desantis-signs-legislation-to-protect-religious-freedom-and-support-floridas-jewish-community/
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Governor DeSantis signed into law new consumer-protecting insurance reforms. The new law protects Florida families by restructuring litigation rules for disputed insurance claims; expressly disallows contractors, public adjusters, and companies from using advertisements that encourage Floridians to make an insurance claim for roof damage; and imposes a fine of up to $10,000 when companies violate the law.
“I’m proud to sign SB 76 today to continue our mission of insurance reform in Florida,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Since my first days in office, I have been committed to doing whatever it takes to reduce the burden of property insurance on Florida families. That includes signing into law historic reforms to the assignment of benefits process and appointing principled justices to our state courts.”
Read more here: https://www.flgov.com/2021/06/11/governor-desantis-signs-legislation-to-continue-insurance-reform-in-florida/
Florida Update
Under the leadership of Governor DeSantis, the state clemency board voted to prove full pardons to remaining Floridians from local government overreach with COVID-19 restrictions. Too many Floridians were needlessly punished for breaking unscientific, unnecessary directives. Former gym owners Mike and Jillian Carnevale are examples of Floridians who have faced criminal penalties, including possible jail time, for not complying with local mask mandates at their former business in Broward County.
“Floridians like Mike and Jillian Carnevale should have never faced criminal charges for not requiring masks in their businesses,” Governor DeSantis said. “Today, we took action in Florida to reject the overreach of local authorities through unnecessary and unscientific mask mandates.”
Read more here: https://www.flgov.com/2021/06/16/governor-ron-desantis-protects-floridians-from-unscientific-and-unnecessary-covid-19-mandates-by-local-governments/
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The Palm Beach County Republican Executive Committee rejected the Palm Beach County School District’s racially-infused “Equity Statement.”
In a Resolution drafted by former state Senate candidate Brian Norton and amended by Chairman Michael Barnett, the REC unanimously and soundly condemned the “Equity Statement” as the School Board’s “attempt to sneak the flawed zealous ideology of Critical Race Theory into our public education system” and “blatant indoctrination of our children into adopting a divisive, dangerous, and self-destructive view of the world…”
Barnett, a black man who has served as chairman since 2014, praised the Republican Executive Committee members for their courage.
“Republicans have historically been the strongest voice against the left’s pitting of peoples against each other. We are one America, and we vehemently oppose schools teaching our children that an entire race of people is to blame for past evil,” Barnett said. “Critical Race Theory is a sinister plot that seeks the prevention of racial unity spoken of by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who dreamed that one day his children would live in a nation where they would be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
Val Demings said this week she will introduce a bill that would destroy the election integrity measures that were recently passed by the Florida Legislature and signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis.
RPOF’s Executive Director Helen Aguirre-Ferre issued the following statement
“Val Demings’ so-called ‘Every Vote Counts Act’ would put Washington D.C. in charge of Florida’s elections.
“Demings never tires of pushing Nancy Pelosi’s radical agenda and this time she is going too far by trying to hijack Florida’s elections process. Governor Ron DeSantis has made election integrity a top priority since getting elected. He has worked diligently with the Florida Legislature to ensure that our elections remain safe and secure.
“She will stop at nothing. First, Demings led efforts in the House to enact Nancy Pelosi’s disastrous H.R. 1 elections bill that would eliminate voter ID laws, force tax dollars to be spent on campaign advertising, and eliminate Florida’s election system safeguards. Now, she’s introducing another bill that would preempt state laws in an effort to undo critical election safeguards that were put in place in Florida.
“Perhaps Demings doesn’t realize that under Florida’s election integrity law Floridians will be proud that our state will remain a leader in election administration. Elections should be free and fair, and under Florida’s new law Governor DeSantis has strengthened voter identification, prohibited mass mailings of ballots, banned ballot harvesting, and prohibited private money from administering elections in our state.
“Demings’ priorities could not be more clear — she will always place Pelosi’s demands and her liberal agenda ahead of what is best for Florida.”
Visit FloridaDems.com to learn more.
Social Media Highlights
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