In 1923, the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate could not physically see each from their respective chambers. In spite of this, they pledged to each other that they would adjourn the Legislative Session simultaneously.  The question then became “how to accomplish this?”  They devised a plan whereby the Sergeant-at-Arms from both chambers would watch their respective bosses as they gaveled the adjournment. At that time, the two Sergeants-at-Arms dropped white hankies – signifying the end of Session, or “sine die.”  

Even though both Chambers are now across from each other, and with the doors open, the Speaker of House and the President of the Senate theoretically can see each other, the tradition of dropping white hankies remains to this day. Governor DeSantis On
2023 Legislative Session  

The Governor and the Legislature supported families by passing $2.7 billion in historic tax cuts for Floridians, first through the Toll Relief Program which began on January 1, 2023, and now through family-focused tax relief to lower costs. This includes permanent tax exemptions for diapers, wipes, children’s clothing, cribs, and strollers.

Florida had the highest net in-migration in the country in 2022. The Governor joined Senate President Kathleen Passiodmo in championing and signing record-setting housing investments into law to help workers in Florida live in the communities where they work. The Governor also succeeded in securing $4 billion in funding to expedite major interstate and roadway projects over the next four years, easing the daily commute for Floridians.

The Governor has prioritized investments in the environment and renewed that commitment through his Executive Order, Achieving Even More Now for Florida’s Environment. This Legislative Session, the Governor secured more than $1 billion for Everglades restoration and water resource protection.

The Governor joined House speaker Paul Renner to sign legislation establishing universal school choice in Florida, with the Legislature building upon the Governor’s previous school choice initiatives to secure Florida’s position as the education state. The Governor also delivered on more than $1 billion for teacher salary increases and legislation to end shady union practices and protect teacher pay. Additionally, the Governor secured a record $8,648 per student funding, an increase of $405 over last year, while also protecting parents’ rights in education. The Legislature also supported the Governor’s higher education agenda to refocus higher education on preparing students to be contributing members of society and make merit rather than ideology the metrics that students and faculty are judged by.

Florida has protected children by passing legislation to ban mutilating procedures and puberty blockers for all children under the age of 18. Additionally, Florida has now joined many other states across the country in advancing the pro-life movement by passing the Heartbeat Protection Act. Furthermore, this Legislative Session the protections enacted by Governor DeSantis against pandemic-era government overreach seen in other parts of the country have been made permanent.

The Governor built on his law-and-order agenda with his third consecutive anti-crime, pro-public safety legislative package which takes aim at so-called “bail reform” by strengthening Florida’s pre-trial release, increasing penalties for drug dealers who target children, and subjecting child rapists to the death penalty. Florida has enjoyed a 50-year low crime rate, and the Governor’s law-and-order legislative agenda is a blueprint for high-crime areas in other parts of the country.

The Governor promised to sign legislation that would allow Floridians to protect themselves without a permission slip from the government and he delivered, making Florida the 26^th state to enact constitutional carry.

Biden’s Border Crisis was tackled head on this Session, with the Legislature making Florida the largest state in the country to require employers with more than 25 employees to verify the immigration status of their employees through E-Verify and increasing penalties for human smuggling. The Governor has also secured additional funds to transport more illegal aliens to so-called sanctuary jurisdictions.

The Legislature stepped up to the plate to take on the corporatist, globalist ESG movement and prohibited the financial sector from considering so-called “Social Credit Scores” in banking and lending practices that aim to prevent Floridians from obtaining loans, lines of credit, and bank accounts based on their political beliefs. The Governor and Legislature also pushed back against central bank digital currencies (CBDC), telling the federal administration that such government intrusion into Floridians’ financial freedom is unacceptable and will not be allowed.

The Legislature addressed the threat of foreign influence this Session, with the Legislature building upon the Governor’s previous legislative victories to counteract Chinese corporate espionage and ideological influence in higher education by passing the strongest legislation in the nation to date to prevent CCP-affiliated persons or entities from buying farmland or land near military bases and critical infrastructure facilities in Florida and prohibiting CCP-affiliated persons or entities from ideologically influencing primary and secondary education institutions.

These are just some of the historic accomplishments achieved during this Legislative Session, so stay tuned.  Click HERE to view the Governor’s closing on Friday.

ESG refers to the application of Environmental, Social, and Governance standards used to screen investment, or other financial decisions, in order to encourage ethical and responsible corporate conduct. Many mutual funds, brokerage firms now offer investment products that employ ESG principles.

The Governor however has been critical of ESG calling it “a worldwide effort to inject woke political ideology across the financial sector, placing politics above the fiduciary duty to make the best financial decisions for beneficiaries.”

“Through this legislation, Florida will continue to lead the nation against big banks and corporate activists who’ve colluded to inject woke ideology into the global marketplace, regardless of the financial interests of beneficiaries,” said Governor DeSantis. “In Florida and across the nation, we’ve heard from law-abiding small business owners and consumers who’ve been denied access to financial services because of where they work or what they believe in.”

House Bill 3 :

• Codifies actions taken by the State Board of Administration at Governor DeSantis’ direction to ensure that all investment decisions are driven solely by pecuniary factors and may not sacrifice investment returns to promote factors like ESG and extending these requirements to all state and local funds

• Prohibits the use of ESG factors by state and local governments when issuing bonds, including a contract prohibition on rating agencies whose ESG ratings negatively impact the issuer’s bond ratings

• Prohibits all state and local entities from considering or giving preference to ESG as part of the procurement and contracting process

• Prohibits banks that engage in ESG corporate activism from holding public deposits as a Qualified Public Depository (QPD)

• Prohibits financial institutions from discriminating against customers for their religious, political, or social beliefs — including their support for securing the border, owning a firearm, and increasing our energy independence

• Prohibits the financial sector from considering so-called “Social Credit Scores” in banking and lending practices that aim to prevent Floridians from obtaining loans, lines of credit, and bank accounts

• Directs the Attorney General, Chief Financial Officer, and Commissioner of Financial Regulation to enforce these provisions to the fullest extent of the law.

The new law codifies previous steps taken by the Governor and the State Board of Administration (SBA) to remove any ESG considerations from state investment decisions and ensuring that all investment decisions focus solely on maximizing the highest rate of return.

The full text of the resolution stipulating that state investment managers may not sacrifice investment return or take on additional investment risk to promote any non-pecuniary factors can be found here.

The post Representative Bob Rommel Legislative Wrap Up appeared first on Republican Men's Club of Collier County.

I will provide you with an update of the Special Session when it is completed.

In the meantime, this newsletter includes a summary of the 2021-2022 Budget as well as summaries of the 275 bills that passed the House and the Senate.

As always, thank you for giving me the privilege of representing you in Tallahassee.

Representative Bob Rommel
District 106
Florida’s 2021-2022 Budget
OVERVIEW
PREPARING TODAY FOR A BETTER TOMORROW

The overall budget for Fiscal Year 2021-22 totals $101.5 billion, an increase of 10.1% over the current year. Most of this increase is related to $6.9 billion of additional federal funds the state has received for the federal share of spending for the highest Medicaid caseload in Florida’s history and to help public schools continue to stay open to serve Florida’s children and provide educational services and resources that address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our state’s children and youth.
The increase in state funds is $2.3 billion, an increase of 4% over the current year, including an increase of $1.6 billion (4.6%) in General Revenue.

The budget leaves an historic $6 billion in reserves to ensure that Florida is prepared today for a better tomorrow.

STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS FOR LONG-TERM SUCCESS

The budget provides $6.7 billion in the back of the bill, contingent on receipt of the state’s portion of the federal Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds. These funds will be invested in large-scale environmental and infrastructure programs and will help rebuild state reserves to the highest level in history as Florida continues its economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The contingent appropriations include:
 $3.1 billion for state infrastructure, including the State Highway System; seaports; deferred maintenance for state facilities; education construction projects; a new state Emergency Operations Center; IT systems for reemployment and workforce development; and new armories.
 $1.8 billion for environmental programs, including Resilient Florida Grants, septic-to-sewer grants, Piney Point, beaches, coastal mapping, water quality initiatives, and Everglades restoration.
 $1 billion to fund a new Emergency Preparedness & Response Fund, in addition to the reserve.
 $438 million for education and economic support programs, including the New Worlds Reading Initiative, bonuses for pandemic first responders, job growth grants, African-American Cultural and Historic Grants, and funding for Visit Florida tourism marketing.
 $350 million to increase the Budget Stabilization Fund.
 Remaining funds are directed to the General Revenue Fund as unallocated reserves.
POLICY AREA HIGHLIGHTS
Agriculture & Natural Resources
 $2.1 billion for Everglades restoration and protection of Florida’s water resources including projects for Everglades restoration, springs, storm water and wastewater grants, and the Resilient Florida Grant Program. $1.1 billion is contingent upon receipt of federal Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds.
 $402 million for Florida Forever for acquisition of conservation lands. $300 million is contingent upon receipt of federal Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds.
 $150 million for Beach Restoration Projects. $50 million is contingent upon receipt of federal Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds. This is the highest level of funding for these projects in history.
 $100 million for Piney Point cleanup, contingent upon receipt of federal Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds.
 $50.7 million for State Park Improvements. This is the highest level of funding for these projects in history.

Health Care
 $4.3 billion ($1.2 billion General Revenue) to fund the Medicaid Price Level and Workload. The funds will serve an anticipated 4.8 million beneficiaries with no reductions to eligibility groups or services. This is the highest caseload in Florida’s history — over 20% of Florida’s population is enrolled in Medicaid.
 $239.8 million ($89.2 million General Revenue) to extend postpartum Medicaid-eligibility of pregnant women from 60 days following birth to 12 months following birth. This will help 97,600 mothers maintain their coverage and ensure a healthy start for their babies.
 $9 million for Minority Health Equity Planning to reduce minority morbidity and mortality in the priority areas of HIV/AIDS, chronic diseases, and infant mortality to combat health disparities.
PreK-12 Education
 $22.8 billion total funds for the Florida Education Finance Program ($12.9 billion state funds and $9.9 billion local funds). This provides an increase in total FEFP funds of $315.2 million (1.4% increase) over current year, including $464.3 million appropriated in a new Student Reserve Allocation.
 $53.42 increase in the base student allocation for total funds of $4,372.91 per student.
 $50 million increase in the Teacher Salary Increase Allocation to support all school districts as they seek to attain a minimum base salary of $47,500 for all full-time classroom teachers.
 $1.8 billion of federal stimulus funds for public schools to continue to stay open, enroll students, and remediate learning loss for students.
 $166.2 million of federal stimulus funds to provide bonuses to early learning instructors.
Higher Education
 $200 million for the New Worlds Reading Initiative administrator to provide books to struggling readers. $125 million is contingent upon receipt of federal Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds.
 $25 million for Incentives for Programs of Strategic Emphasis and $35 million for Open Door grants.
 $25 million for College Performance Increases.
 Tuition and fees, as well as funding for need-based financial aid, are held constant at current levels to ensure higher education is affordable for Floridians.
Justice
 Proviso authorizes DOC to develop a comprehensive plan for the consolidation of a state-operated correctional institution and a plan for the redirection of any identified cost savings to provide correctional officer salary increases to address vacancy, attrition and turnover concerns.
 $18.2 million for DOC for phase two of a four-year transition for correctional officers to move from 12 hour shifts to 8.5 hour shifts in state-operated institutions, and to provide enhanced delivery of basic recruit training for newly hired correctional officer trainees to also aid in recruitment and retention.
Infrastructure & Tourism
 $9.2 billion for the Transportation Work Program plus an additional $2.0 billion, which is contingent on receipt of federal stimulus funds to backfill lost revenue to keep state infrastructure going.
 $149.2 million to modernize the reemployment system and hire additional staff to address claimant volume. $56.4 million is contingent upon receipt of federal Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds.
 $102 to implement a consumer-first workforce IT system. $100 million is contingent upon receipt of federal Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds.
State Administration & Technology
 $185.7 million to continue the Statewide Law Enforcement Radio System.
 $63.8 million for repair and maintenance of state buildings including the Capitol Complex.
 $30 million for cybersecurity initiatives to secure the state’s IT infrastructure, systems, and network.
275 Bills Passed by the House and Senate
For those of you who would like additional details on all of the bills passed in the 2021 Legislative Session, please click HERE for a list of all 275 bills passed.

Then, go to www.myfloridahouse.gov and enter the number of the bill you wish to review. All bill details and history will be available.
Governor Ron DeSantis signing various bills into law for the 2021 Legislative Session.

Florida has no income tax and a balanced budget.
Let’s keep it that way!
Copyright © 2021 State Representative Bob Rommel, All rights reserved.
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The post 2021 Post Legislative Update – Representative Bob Rommel appeared first on Republican Men's Club of Collier County.

This legislative session has flown by! A lot of work was accomplished, but there is always more to do. Below is information about the 2021-2022 Budget, Appropriations allocated specifically to Collier Collier, the Top 6 Bills this session and my Top 3 Bills that passed this Session.

It takes a team to have a successful Legislative Session, especially under the COVID-19 restrictions imposed upon all of us. I want to thank my Legislative Aide, Kim Timm, for her hard work to get bills and amendments filed timely and for keeping me on schedule while I’m in Tallahassee. Thanks also to Priscilla Grannis, District 106 Sr. Secretary, for keeping the home fires burning during this Legislative Session.

Finally, I want to thank all of my constituents for entrusting me with the privilege of serving you. I look forward working for and with you again for the next Legislative Session.

Representative Bob Rommel
District 106

The post Bob Rommel – End of 2021 Legislative Session – April 30, 2021 appeared first on Republican Men's Club of Collier County.

The post Personal Message from Representative Bob Rommel appeared first on Republican Men's Club of Collier County.

Joe Biden has been in office for two months, and he’s already pushing for gun control.

In Florida, we’ve issued over two and a half million concealed weapons permits, far more than any other state.

Crime is out of control in big cities like Chicago where gun control is in full force.

But in other places, Americans use a firearm to defend themselves from criminals between five hundred thousand and three million times per year.

No one should take away that right to life.

That’s why tomorrow, I’ll support legislation allowing law-abiding citizens to carry their concealed weapon in a place of worship.

Other than home or school, there’s no place where we should feel safer than where we worship.

Florida. No income tax. Strong on the second amendment.

Let’s keep it that way.

Sincerely,

Bob

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