Against Upcoming Maduro Controlled Constituent Assembly

ORLANDO, Fla. – Today, Governor Rick Scott released details regarding his proposal to the Trustees of the Florida State Board of Administration (SBA) that will prohibit the State of Florida from doing business with any organization that supports the Maduro regime. The Governor reiterated that he stands against Nicolas Maduro’s upcoming plans to rewrite the Venezuelan constitution to further empower his dictatorship through a Constituent Assembly on July 30^th.

Governor Scott said, “The atrocities happening at the hands of the brutal and oppressive Maduro regime are unspeakable. I have heard firsthand from Floridians about the need for change in Venezuela. Prohibiting the Florida State Board of Administration from making investments that support Nicolas Maduro is a big step in the right direction, and we must continue to find ways to bring freedom and democracy to Venezuela. I am encouraged by the Trump administration’s sanctions against the Maduro regime this week. President Trump’s swift actions on this issue are welcomed and I look forward to working with our federal and state partners to support democracy in Venezuela. [Read more…]

Senator Baxley, Florida State Senate

Florida lawmakers filed more than 3,000 bills in 2017 and fewer than 250 passed both chambers of the Legislature before it adjourned its annual session. I filed 39 bills this session. Of those, 8 passed both chambers in their entirety, a few others were passed with language in other larger bills.

We passed SB 312 this year which will require state, county, municipal, or other law enforcement agencies that conduct lineups to follow specified procedures. This provision will minimize cases of misidentification and strengthen cases that have used best practices. The Governor signed this into law on June 14^th.

I was able to pass SB 436 this year, which will protect all students and school personnel in their choice of religious expression. This legislation makes it clear that the Legislature supports the constitutional rights of Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Religion for everyone associated with our public school system. This bill protects the expression of all religious beliefs, and protects a student’s decision not to express any religion. The Governor signed this bill into law on June 9^th. [Read more…]

Tallahassee, FL- With the conclusion of the 2017 Legislative Session, Representative McClain is proud of the unified approach House members took with their fellow House members to solve important issues that affect every day Floridians. He helped to pass meaningful tax cuts including an increase in the Homestead Tax Exemption, which is projected to save Floridians about $644.7 million, because Floridians are better stewards of their dollar than the government. Representative McClain also stood against corporate welfare and supported Florida’s future by voting to increase K-12 spending.

“At the end of Session it was good to see Tax Exemptions and a budget passed that we can work from without causing unnecessary debt, as a fiscal conservative, I can stand behind that.”

In addition, Representative McClain, filed the appropriations request for the City of Belleview’s Reduction of Nutrient Loading Input to Groundwater (HB 2251), which was approved in the final budget (SB 2500 – Appropriations 764844) for $300,000. [Read more…]

We are closing in on the finish line of the 2017 Legislative Session. We have worked this session to better our state and its residents, and to protect faith, family, freedom, and opportunity.

This session, The Florida Senate passed Senate Bill 10, authorizing a significant increase in southern water storage to further the goal of reducing, and eventually eliminating, harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee. This bill dramatically expands southern storage by leveraging existing water infrastructure, and utilizing a combination of state, local, and private land, in a manner that respects the interests of the agricultural community and private landowners.

We also passed Senate Bill 374, the College Competitiveness Act of 2017. This legislation will further elevate Florida’s nationally ranked community colleges through a renewed focus on their core mission, which is promoting on-time completion of vital associate degrees and workforce credentials that prepare students for jobs in communities across our state. [Read more…]