Public Affairs

Panama City was among the hardest hit places in Florida when Hurricane Michael came through as a Category 5 storm in October 2018. However, the city just reached an important milestone in the recovery effort.

For more than 27 years, Valentino Dixon was in prison for a crime he did not commit. In 1990, at just 21, he was arrested and convicted of murder. In prison, he fought to prove his innocence and used his passion for art to find sanctuary from his prison cell.

Here we are again – we’ve heard it before. Florida, Florida, Florida. In the span of two weeks, we see again that Florida may be the key to winning the White House in 2020.

With Hurricane Michael devastation hitting Northwest Florida with a vengeance, the federal government passed its $19.1 billion disaster aid legislation this month, allowing for much-needed funding to flow toward ravaged regions.

The most recent LeRoy Collins Institute assessment of the financial condition of municipal pension plans in Florida found the number of pension systems receiving an “A” grade increased significantly, from just 21 pension plans in 2011 to 73 plans in 2017.

The Tallahassee community and the state lost a legend last week when former Florida State University President Sandy D’Alemberte passed away at the age of 85.

Florida’s 2019 legislative session has concluded, with the only statutorily required bill, the budget, passing out of both chambers on Saturday, May 4. The $91.1 billion budget came together after 60 days of negotiations between House and Senate members.

It’s May 1, legislative session is coming to a close, and summer is around the corner. This should mean a politically slow, non-election-year summer break ahead. Not so fast.

Florida is known as one of the world’s top tourist destinations, but the Sunshine State is also emerging as one of the top markets for high-tech development. On Thursday, April 18, the Florida Technology Council and Harris Corporation present the second annual Tech Day at the Capitol.

Recently, we were in Pensacola speaking to veterans, elected officials and residents about the Explore Offshore coalition’s efforts toward energy development for natural gas and oil in national waters and bolstering energy security.

Last week, in honor of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, Florida’s historic capitol building was awash in purple light.

Following an executive order from Gov. DeSantis to replace Common Core academic standards with new world-class standards, the Florida Department of Education is reviewing the current standards for kindergarten through 12^th grade in order to make recommendations for revisions.

Don’t blink, it goes by fast. The legislative session is already half over, with one month until scheduled adjournment. High-profile issues like new rules for smokeable medical marijuana have already received a great deal of action.

This session we will debate and vote on issues of substance. Taxes, the size of government, criminal justice, gambling, medical marijuana and much more. The debates will be passionate, and no one will get everything they want.

Tourism funds a significant portion of our state’s budget and contributes to our local economies. It puts 1.4 million people to work and improves our quality of life.

The Florida Competitive Workforce Act holds the most co-sponsors for the 2019 legislative session. House Bill 485/Senate Bill 430 adds new sponsors daily. Twelve Fortune 500 companies have joined the coalition, with more than 30 major employers and 450 local businesses.

It’s week three of 2019’s legislative session. Bills are moving through the process, and committees are working on the budget. Additionally, there are several initiatives that we need to address this session:

As the new year kicks into high gear, CoreMessage is very pleased to welcome Kat Bustamante as the newest member of its public relations team. Serving as an account manager, she will work with various clients to build communications, issues advocacy and grassroots coalition strategies.

From April 2-4, advocates, legislators, state leaders, survivors and community members will join Sen. Lauren Book and the Lauren’s Kids Foundation for a continuous 42+ hour walk in honor of the more than 42 million survivors of child sexual abuse living in the United States.

The first legislative session of Gov. DeSantis is underway. His first State of the State speech is now behind him. The governor has gotten almost universal praise for his incredibly successful start.

This session, the tremendous amount of funding already invested in hurricane recovery places significant constraints on our budget and guides every facet of decision-making.

Florida has a new governor, a new house speaker and a new senate president. With all the new beginnings, it’s nice to see that one tradition hasn’t changed.

Gov. Ron DeSantis is off to a fast start. Within a month, DeSantis has appointed three new justices to the Florida Supreme Court. One in particular hit home.

Last November, Florida voters added Marsy’s Law into the state constitution to provide crime victims meaningful rights throughout the criminal justice process.

CoreMessage and The Tallahassee 100 team are prepping for a big loss this month as Brianna Wright heads to North Carolina. Brianna has been a part of our team since December 2016.

Manley Fuller, who has led the Florida Wildlife Federation since the 1980s, is leaving his post effective Feb. 1. Fuller, a North Carolina native, says he is returning to his home state to become vice president of conservation policy for the North Carolina Wildlife Federation.

With the new year now upon us, even regular visitors to the Capitol might need some help learning all the new names in key positions. From the governor to Cabinet members, legislative leaders, freshmen lawmakers to key staff members, 2019 has reshaped the face of state government in Florida.

The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) has identified the top 10 most pressing issues legislatures will deal with this year, the majority of which will be hot topics over the next few months in Tallahassee.

The Florida Transportation Builders Association (FTBA) bids a fond farewell to its president, Bob Burleson. During FTBA’s August convention, members from around the state shared their memories and best wishes through a series of video messages, highlighting Bob’s accomplishments, honoring him for his three decades of service, and wishing him a happy retirement.

With cooler temperatures and the holiday season upon us, the official end of hurricane season has finally arrived.