Have you tried calling us this week to register for Pro-Family Days with special guest Pam Tebow and been unable to get through? 

We want to be as responsive as possible to everyone that is contacting FFPC and not having phone lines is a major problem. A lot of time and expense is needed to fully restore phone service and we could really use your help covering these unexpected costs. Would you please pray about donating to Florida Family Policy Council? If you are able to donate, we are accepting online donations. Thank you for your generosity and prayers.

FFPC’s Pro-Family Days at the Capitol is quickly approaching and we wanted to let you know that space is limited.  We are fully expecting to sell out this event! If you have not yet registered, we suggest that you do it now as we cannot guarantee that we will be able to accommodate last-minute registrations this year. The Pro-Family Days event is an eye-opening and empowering event that always gets rave reviews so register today to reserve your spot!

Our theme this year is “A Celebration of Life” and our Keynote Speaker for the Legislative Prayer Breakfast is Pam Tebow.  Pam is the mother of Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback, Tim Tebow, who made headlines with his outspoken Christian faith.  During his stint in the NFL, Pam and Tim recorded a Super Bowl commercial which, according to a Barna survey, resulted in 5.5 million people “having cause to rethink their stand on abortion.” Check out the commercial in the video below!

We really want to see you at Pro-Family Days, so please make sure that you register today!

If you have any questions or are interested in helping to sponsor the event, please the office at (407) 251-5130. (As noted at the beginning of the email, you will need to leave a message and someone will return your call until we are able to permanently restore service.)

The post Space is limited and we’re quickly filling up… appeared first on FFV.

Pam and her husband, Bob, have been called “homeschool pioneers.” They began homeschooling in 1982 when “homeschool” was not yet a word. All five of their children were homeschooled from kindergarten through high school, and every one of them received college scholarships.

Their youngest son, Tim, won the Heisman Trophy following his sophomore football season with the Florida Gators. Because ESPN aired the portion of the interview with Pam that focused on her refusal to abort “Timmy” when she was advised to do so, she has been given a national platform to encourage the pro-life message. In 2010, Pam and Tim were in a Super Bowl commercial that celebrated family and life, which, according to a Barna survey, resulted in 5.5 million people “having cause to rethink their stand on abortion.” Pam is passionate about encouraging women to trust the Lord with all their hearts for all their lives and to use the incredible influence God has given them to eternally impact their world. We believe this is the perfect addition to our “Celebration of Life” theme for this year’s event! 

Plus, we’ve extended early bird pricing through Tuesday so now is the time to register if you haven’t already! This special two-day event is one of the most powerful and impactful events in the state capital and you don’t want to miss it! You will be trained and equipped on what happens in Tallahassee, including the year’s top legislative issues, have the opportunity to meet with your legislator and directly impact the legislative process, and connect with like-minded individuals from across the state.  Plus, we always have a great time lifting up the name of Jesus in praise and worship, prayer, and fellowship.

Please take a moment and register now to attend this incredible event.  We promise that you will be so glad that you did.

Participating organizations have included the Asociacion de Ministros Hispanos del Gran Miami, Celebration Baptist’s Salt and Light Council, Florida Baptist Children’s Homes, Florida Right to Life, Generation Joshua,  the Hispanic-Israel Leadership Coalition, New Hearts Outreach, Personhood Florida, Pregnancy and Family Resources Alliance (PAFRA), the River School of Government, and the South Florida Pastors Network.  (If you have a church/organization and would like to add your name to this list as a partner organization bringing a group to the event, please call the office to let us know of your interest.)

Unable to attend Pro-Family Days at the Capitol? Please consider giving a donation so that a student or pastor can attend at no cost.

If you have any questions or are interested in helping to sponsor the event, please call our office at (407) 251-5130.

We look forward to seeing you on January 22nd and 23rd!

The post Pam Tebow to Keynote 2018 Legislative Prayer Breakfast appeared first on FFV.

If you have not had a chance to give to your Florida Family Policy Council TODAY for #GIVINGTUESDAY, won’t you please take a minute to do that now?   

Your gift to Florida Family Policy Council will be used to Protect and Defend Life, Marriage, Family, and Religious Liberty!

For more than 12 years your Florida Family Policy Council has been privileged to be your voice for your values:

Protecting the unborn, children and families by promoting pro-life initiatives and legislation which protect children and promote strong marriages and families, while preventing harmful legislation from passing.

Speaking truth to power in the legislature by educating legislators on the effects which proposed bills will have on Florida’s children, families and our religious liberty.   

Standing for God-honoring values in the media.  Your FFPC is often the only voice in radio, TV, newspaper and other media interviews promoting truth and God-honoring perspectives on current issues. 

Training and equipping pastors by hosting conferences for pastors and church leaders to educate them about challenges to religious liberty and how it could affect their church and related ministries. 

Investing in the next generation by hosting worldview training programs like the Patriot Academy and Summit for young people, also offering scholarships and a summer legal internship program.

This is a critical time of year for us as we need to be ready for attacks from the left that will come with the 2018 Legislative Session in January, which is just weeks from now.

Thank you for your faithful support!

The post appeared first on FFV.

“I am saddened to learn today that the Boy Scouts of America has decided to fully integrate girls into its program and allow them to receive the highest award given to boys, the Eagle Scout award. Instead of allowing boys to be boys, the BSA is sowing increased gender confusion in its troops and gradually destroying the masculine, fraternal and iconic status that the program once had. This move is only the latest in a series of foolish decisions the BSA has made all of which flow from the moral compromise of their 2013 “vote” to allow openly gay boys into the program.

This change makes me even more grateful for Trail Life USA and American Heritage Girls – two Christian Scouting movements that parents can trust.”

John Stemberger is an Eagle Scout, a former Scoutmaster, and a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow. He was the founder of On My Honor movement and became the Chairman of the Board for Trail Life USA in 2013.  He has two sons formerly in the BSA now boy members of Trail Life USA and two daughters in American Heritage Girls.  TLUSA is a Christian scouting organization for boys which started in 2014 and now has around 30,000 members in 750 troops chartered across  48 states.

The Boy Scouts of America announced its decision to allow girls to join the BSA program and obtain the rank of Eagle Scout, the organization’s highest award earlier today. The BSA Board of Directors voted unanimously for the controversial change to their programming.

The post John Stemberger Responds to Boy Scouts’ Decision to Fully Allow Girls into Program and to Earn Coveted Eagle Scout Award appeared first on FFV.

Case on appeal addresses same legal issues as proposed “Competitive Workforce Act” in Florida 

Florida Family Policy Council joined other leading organizations across the country to file an amicus curiae, or “friend of the court”, brief in the Masterpiece Cakeshop v Colorado Civil Rights Commission case.  The Supreme Court agreed to review the case on June 26^th and oral arguments are expected to be heard this fall.   The case is one of many involving artists who have declined to use their artistic talents to participate in same-sex weddings on the basis of their religious beliefs.  While other cases involving photographers, florists, and the like have been working their way through the courts, this is the first time the Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments in this type of case; namely, where a law creating a new protected class for sexual orientation and gender identity has been passed and an artist has declined to provide their services for a same-sex wedding. In Florida, this type of law is called the “Competitive Workforce Act” and while those in the LGBT movement have attempted to pass it for many years, they have failed thus far.

In the case of Jack Phillips, two men came into Jack’s bakery in 2012 requesting a custom-designed wedding cake for their same-sex ceremony. In an exchange lasting only a few seconds, Jack offered to make the couple any other type of baked good or sell them a pre-made cake but stated that because of his faith he couldn’t design a cake celebrating that particular event.  The two men left and shortly after filed a complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights Commission alleging sexual orientation discrimination.  The Commission ruled against Jack in December 2013, saying that designing and creating cakes is not speech protected by the First Amendment. The Commission ordered Jack and his staff to go through a “re-education” program, implement new policies to comply with the Commission’s order, and file quarterly “compliance” reports for two years to show that Jack had completely eliminated his religious beliefs from his business.

The amicus brief focuses not only on arguments surrounding the right to a free exercise of religion but freedom of speech.  Specifically, the government cannot compel speech in violation of one’s conscience. If the Supreme Court rules against Jack, “the rights of all Americans would be trampled, but it would place a special burden on those Americans trying to earn a livelihood consistent with their faith.”  The Colorado Civil Rights Commission has maintained that it is not violating Jack Phillip’s freedom of speech because cake baking/decorating is not speech. However, in cases where a bakery was asked to design a cake with a message opposing same-sex marriage, the Commission upheld the bakery’s right to refuse service on free speech grounds.

The brief also argues that cake design is clearly art. Supreme Court precedent has defined art as speech and, thus, because the government cannot compel speech, it cannot compel a cake designer (or other artists) to use their artistic talents in regards to a same-sex wedding.  “The most dangerous aspect of the lower court’s decision is the idea that public accommodation laws somehow override the promise that ‘The First Amendment protects the right of individuals to hold a point of view different from the majority and to refuse to foster . . . an idea they find morally objectionable.’”

The brief concludes that “Government coercion of speech or conduct that violates the religious conscience of the speaker or actor is not only a violation of the First Amendment, it is also patently un-American and a gross violation of personal liberty.”

Florida Family Policy Council and its sister organization, Florida Family Action, continue to fight against instituting the same type of law as the one being used to punish Jack Phillips for simply trying to live a life consistent with his faith. However, while the anti-liberty and anti-business “Competitive Workforce Act” has failed for many years, it continues to pick up ignorant supporters unaware of the chilling and dangerous effect of these laws.   If passed, the “Competitive Workforce Act” would create a weapon to punish citizens who want to live and work according to their conscience without fear of reprisal by the government for exercising their right to religious freedom and free speech.

Click to download the persuasive Amicus Brief in PDF format.

The post FFPC Joins Amicus Brief Filed in Landmark US Supreme Court Religious Liberty Case appeared first on FFV.

I am sitting here stunned. Late last week, Congress voted on an amendment by Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO) to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which would have barred the use of taxpayer dollars for gender reassignment surgeries and hormone therapy for transgender members of the military.  Unfortunately, with the defection of 24 Republicans in the US House, the initiative failed and there is nothing to prevent the Obama-era policy from moving forward.

I believe that gender dysphoria (the condition of feeling one’s emotional and psychological identity as male or female to be opposite to one’s biological sex) can be very painful for the individual with the condition. However, helping that person to ignore reality and basic biology and assisting them in harming their otherwise healthy body with medical treatments is not the answer. We certainly shouldn’t be using public funding to pay for those treatments!  In fact, Dr. Paul R. McHugh, the former psychiatrist-in-chief for Johns Hopkins Hospital and its current Distinguished Service Professor of Psychiatry, said that transgenderism is a “mental disorder” that merits treatment, that sex change is “biologically impossible,” and that people who promote sexual reassignment surgery are collaborating with and promoting a mental disorder.  As a nation, we shouldn’t be promoting gender transition and the denial of biological reality, we should be helping those individuals struggling by getting them counseling.

Just over half (14 of 27) of Florida’s Congressional delegation voted against the amendment to bar funding for gender transition treatments, with the exception of mental health counseling. Especially disappointing are the three Florida Republicans who voted against the amendment in defiance of conservative principles.  FFPC reached out to each of those three Republican offices and asked them to vote yes on Hartzler’s amendment and ensure that you and I aren’t paying for treatments we believe to be fundamentally wrong.   Below is a list of every member who voted to allow the use of your tax dollars to pay for service members’ gender transition:

*Rep. Brian Mast asked that his vote be changed after the fact due to a mistake in voting

Already the Army is instructing women soldiers to accept sharing public showers, restrooms, and barracks with transgenders, including men who call themselves “women” yet remain fully anatomically male. This is absolutely outrageous!  Now, we are going to further perpetuate the myth that one can change one’s gender by paying for gender transition treatment.

This issue is only going become more prominent in Florida and cities throughout our state in the coming days, weeks, months, and years, so we all need to educate ourselves.  For that purpose, I’m including some resources on transgenderism:

• Understanding and Responding to the Transgender Movement by Dale O’Leary and Peter Sprigg (Family Research Council)
• VIDEO: Walt Heyer, former transgender, exposes the transgender movement (Louder with Crowder)
• VIDEO: Biology Isn’t Bigotry: Why Sex Matters in the Age of Gender Identity (Panel Discussion with the Hands Across the Aisle Coalition and Ryan T. Anderson)
• Hiding from the Sun: Gender Ideology’s Attack on Truth by Gerard T. Mundy (Public Discourse)

Florida Family Policy Council is committed to continuing to educate individuals on the transgender issue and to fight for common-sense public policy, but we need your help!

If conservative principles and being aware of this kind of information is important to you, please consider giving a gift today. Your gift will help us continue our work throughout the state of Florida and ensure that our shared values are being heard in the public square.  You can donate by clicking this link.

Thank you for your prayers and support as Florida Family Policy Council works to build a state and a nation where God is honored, life is cherished, families thrive, and religious liberty flourishes.

The post Congress Voted Against Banning Taxpayer Funding of Gender Transition Benefits for Military appeared first on FFV.

We must equip our young people to not only be ready and able to withstand the pressure and the attacks on their faith and values, but to thrive and be ready to change the world for Christ! 

The way to do this is to find true champions of our values in young people, and train and equip them to be leaders, ready to be light in a dark and culturally hostile world.

I cannot stress enough, how important investing in, and training, the next generation is!

This is why we are excited to bring the Patriot Academy training program to Florida.

Patriot Academy is a 3-day intensive training opportunity for young people ages 16-25.  Through training in communications, worldview, debate, leadership, politics, law, and history, students are trained and equipped to confidently stand for and articulate their faith and values.  

For three days young people will live and work in the Florida Capitol.  They will argue for their idea on how to make the world a better place.  They will sit where the actual legislators sit, debate and see their names on the board when they vote on issues.  They attend training classes and are personally coached and taught how to stand for truth.

Check out the video testimony from Benjamin who attended Patriot Academy last year and described the experience as one of the most significant in his life….

2016 was our first year to offer the Patriot Academy in Tallahassee and 25 students participated.  Our goal this year is to double the number of students and be able to train at least 50 students in 2017.

The only thing holding us back are the finances, which limits the number of scholarships available.

This training will serve young people on their college campus, in the marketplace, and as they discover their voice and role as an active citizen and eventually a leader in their community. Whether they pursue public office or not this training is invaluable to teaching confident and helping then find their purpose in the world.

Will you invest in the next generation with a gift today?    

Patriot Academy (PA) started in Texas some 14 years ago and today it is hard to find a legislative office in the Texas where a PA graduate is not employed somewhere.  We would love to annually train a team of young people who will go out and influence Tallahassee in the same way!

I firmly believe that every Christian young person age 16 and older would benefit from Patriot Academy – so much so, that I am even sending my oldest son through the program this year!

Click here to invest in the next generation of leaders with a gift.

Click here for more information about Patriot Academy.

If you have questions about registering your child or grandchild, please feel free to call our office at 407-251-5130.

Today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders.

This year’s Patriot Academy will take place from June 28th to 30th  at the Capitol in the House of Representatives in Tallahassee, Florida.

We have several promising young people who would like to attend but are financially unable to without your help.

Your gift today will allow us to offer quality students a scholarship to this life-changing event and underwrite their cost to attend! 

We are aggressively promoting the training and will soon have a long list of young people who would benefit from attending.

Thank you for your prayers and hopefully for your support!

Our young people are our hope for the future.  With your help, we will equip them to not just survive in a hostile world but to become leaders and change that world for Christ!

Sincerely,

John Stemberger
President

PS:  Please consider standing with me and praying for and investing in our young people today!  This is a life-changing training for these young people and we can’t do this without your partnership.  Thank you, once again.

Here are some examples of how your gift today could help:
$50 offsets the cost of printed training materials for a student.
$100 helps alleviate the cost of the training program.
$250 covers 3 days of meals and transportation to/from the event for a student.
$500 pays the program fee for one student.
$750 underwrites the program fee, meals, and transportation for one student. (Basically, all expenses paid for one student.)
$1,500 funds the program fee, meals, and transportation for two students. (Basically, all expenses paid for two students.)

A gift of ANY size is appreciated! Thank you for your consideration!

The post We have young people who need your help! appeared first on FFV.

Supporters of the measure claimed that the requirement for a wall was antiquated and that the bill was simply implementing the free market.  Opponents attacked the measure as bad for small business and as opening the door to increased consumption and theft by youth and those struggling with alcoholism.

Florida Family Action supporters, along with many other opponents of the bill, sent almost 10,000 communications to Governor Scott asking him to veto this bad bill.

John Stemberger, President and General Counsel of Florida Family Policy Council, issued the following statement:

“I want to thank Governor Scott for his leadership on this issue. While we know that he has been under pressure from those on both sides of the issue, he did the best thing for Florida’s families.  Alcoholism is far too prevalent in our society and we believe that appropriate safeguards should be kept ensuring that we do not exacerbate the epidemic in Florida, especially with our youth. Government has a role in protecting citizens by placing reasonable restrictions on addictive and mind-altering substances.  In this case, in the end, the government did the right thing.  I would also like to thank FFA supporters for responding to the call to take action which played a major role in killing this bad bill.”

The post Florida Family Policy Council Praises Governor Scott for Veto of “Whiskey and Wheaties” appeared first on FFV.

• These stores employ teenagers who would have access to hard liquor in the stockrooms or performing duties in the normal course of their jobs
• It would increase access to hard liquor which is likely to increase consumption, especially by alcoholics, teenagers, and others at-risk
• Large stores, such as Walmart and Target, are not able to monitor these products as easily as small package stores increasing the likelihood that they will be shoplifted and immediately consumed or resold
• Hard liquor should not be sold on the shelves of “family-friendly” stores.  We don’t allow harmful products (such as cigarettes and pornography) are not sold on the shelves of these stores and neither should hard liquor.
• Many liquor stores require their employees to be at least 21 years of age.  Many grocery stores and big box stores employ minors.

Whiskey and Wheaties passed on the floor of the House in a 58-57 vote, but late votes and a changed vote now make the vote count 57-63, meaning that it would not pass if the vote was held today. This legislation is being sponsored by large corporations hoping to increase their sales and profits, and it is not being requested by consumers. If the governor vetoes this bad legislation, it will do nothing to ban these products, but the manner and location of which they are sold would continue to be limited.  Governor Scott needs to hear from you so that he will veto this BAD legislation.

Please take action and email Governor Scott TODAY. SB 106 is on his desk right now, and he can sign it at any moment.  The deadline for him to veto the legislation is May 24th, but he can choose to sign it before then, so time is of the essence.  Once you take action, please request that your friends and family do the same. Thank you for taking action and helping to make a difference in our state!

We have made it easy, all you need to do is click this link to email Governor Scott.

The post Ask Governor Scott to Veto “Whiskey and Wheaties” appeared first on FFV.

FFPC President John Stemberger interviews Amber Kelly, Director of Policy and Communications, about the 2017 Legislative Session

It’s a wrap, folks! After 63 days, the Legislature adjourned at 8:52 pm on Monday night after passing the state budget.  While there is rampant speculation that Gov. Scott may veto the budget and force a special session of the Legislature, the 98-14 vote in the House and a 34-4 vote in the Senate indicates that the Legislature has the 2/3 vote necessary to override any such veto.

The chambers also could not reach a consensus on gambling in the state.  While a joint conference to tackle the issue was established and a few offers were made back and forth, talks broke down over the issue of whether referendums would be required to approve gambling in eight counties which currently do not have it.   Sen. Dana Young (R-Tampa) launched a last ditch effort to expand gambling in the state by introducing an amendment to an unrelated bill which would have allowed fantasy gaming and slot machines.  The House refused to accept the amendment, and the bill was not passed.  The last week of the Legislative session was a busy week with a significant amount of legislation being passed out in the final days while other important pieces of legislation languished and died in the final hour. One such issue was the implementation of Amendment 2, the legalization of medical marijuana in Florida, passed by voters in 2016. Amendment 2 legalized medical marijuana, but legislation is needed to instruct government entities and the population as to how the marijuana is to be grown, processed, and distributed. While both the House and Senate adopted their own bills on medical marijuana, the two chambers did not reach an agreement on a cap on the number of dispensaries in the state, so no legislation on the issue was passed. While John Morgan is calling on the governor to convene a special session to enact such legislation, it seems highly unlikely that Gov. Scott will do so.  That leaves the Department of Health to issue the regulations.

The governor has not yet received “Whiskey and Wheaties” which would allow grocery stores and large retailers such as Walmart and Target to sell hard liquor.  We are launching a campaign asking the governor to veto SB 106.  Please send an email to the governor today!

Thank you for all of your prayers and support during this legislative session.  We could not do what we do without our supporters.  If you haven’t yet given a financial gift to FFPC this legislative session, would you please consider doing so now? While we believe that our efforts are well worth it, the financial cost of being on the ground in Tallahassee is significant, and we could use your help.  You can donate online or call our office at (407) 251-5130 today.

For a list of all the good bills that passed and the bad bills that did not this year, please look at our summary below.

ACTION ALERT!

“Whiskey and Wheaties” (Hard Liquor in Grocery Stores) – SB 106 by Rep. Avila (R) and Sen Flores (R)
STATUS: Passed House 58-57, Senate 21-17. Not yet sent to the governor.  

Dubbed “Whiskey and Wheaties,” this bill would allow grocery stores and large retail stores to sell hard liquor in their main store rather than building or renting a separate store to sell liquor.

Late votes (and one changed after roll call) mean that the current vote count is 57-63. However, only votes at the time of the roll call count in the passage/failure of a bill. The governor can veto this bad bill.  To take action, please send an email to Governor Scott.

GOOD BILLS THAT PASSED

Grieving Families Act – HB 101 by Rep. Bob Cortes (R and Sen. Aaron Bean (R)
STATUS: Passed by House 115-1, Senate 36-0. Not yet sent to the Governor.

This bill would allow parents to request a certificate of nonviable birth in cases where a woman has a miscarriage, and the unborn child is at least 9 weeks old.

Expanding the Gardiner and Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Programs – HB 15 by Rep. Jennifer Sullivan (R), Sen. Denise Grimsley (R)
STATUS: Passed by House 101-11, Senate 27-11. Not yet sent to the Governor.

This bill expands the eligibility for the Gardiner  Scholarship and the amount of the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship.

Warnings for Lottery Games – HB 937 by Rep. Jennifer Sullivan (R) and Sen. Keith Perry (R)
STATUS: Passed by House 114-3, Senate 23-15.  Not yet sent to Governor. 

This bill would require a warning placed on lottery tickets that lottery games can be addictive.

Child Victims of Human Trafficking – SB 852 by Rep. Jeanette Nuñez (R), Sen. Rene Garcia (R)
STATUS: Passed by House 116-0, Senate 39-0. Not yet sent to Governor. 

This bill seeks to help children who have been the victims of sex trafficking by requiring the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to maintain a database of services available for victims of commercial sexual exploitation, increases the situations in which a defendant’s confession may be used at trial, outlines procedures for assisting victims, and requires officials to follow up with victims within six months to evaluate services used and their effectiveness.

Religious Liberty in Public Schools or “Florida Student and School Personnel Religious Liberties Act” – HB 436 by Rep. Kim Daniels (D), Rep. Patricia Williams (D), Sen. Dennis Baxley (R)
STATUS: Passed by House 103-12, Senate 23-13. Not yet sent to Governor.

This bill would prohibit a school district from discriminating against students, parents, or school personnel on the basis of religious viewpoints or expression.  This bill states that a school cannot penalize or reward a student’s religious expression in their coursework, artwork, or other specified assignments.  It provides equal access to all religions and non-religions before, during, and after school. While many people supported this bill, an equal number were ambivalent about it because it simply states what the current law is and does not provide any new or needed protections. Unfortunately, there are very real threats to religious liberty today, and this legislation did not address any of them.

Opposing United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2334 – HB 281 / SB 574 by Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D), Sen. Kevin Rader (D)
STATUS: Passed by voice vote in both Chambers.

The UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2334 in December 2016, which stated that Israel’s settlement activity constitutes a flagrant violation of international law, has no legal validity, and is a major obstacle to the vision of two states living side-by-side in peace and security. The US abstained from voting when it had the power to veto Resolution 2334.  This Resolution pronounces that the Legislature opposes and requests the repeal or fundamental alteration of Resolution 2334 so that it: is no longer one-sided and anti-Israel and authorizes all final-status issues toward a two-state solution to be resolved through direct, bilateral negotiations between the parties involved.

BAD BILLS THAT DID NOT PASS 

Creating Special Rights for LGBT Citizens or “Florida’s Competitive Workforce Act” – HB 623 /SB 666 by Rep. Ben Diamond (D), Rep. Rene Plasencia (R), Sen. Jeff Clemens (D)
STATUS: Never heard in committee 

The CWA 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 and would allow men access to use women’s showers, locker rooms, bathrooms, women’s domestic violence shelters, etc.

This bill which we have described as the worst bill proposed in the Florida Legislature due to its effect on public safety and religious liberty has not been scheduled to be heard in committee. We continue to educate legislators on the dangers of this piece of legislation, and it continues to be dead on arrival despite liberal Republican support.

Expansion of Gambling – SB 8 by Sen. Galvano (R)
STATUS: Passed by the Senate 32-6.  The House amended the bill to conform to its bill which restricted gambling in the state. No agreement was reached in conference between the House and the Senate.

This bill is a massive and unprecedented expansion of gambling in the State of Florida. It ratifies and amends the 2015 Seminole Gaming Compact to allow lottery tickets at gas pumps, slot machines, blackjack, poker games, and fantasy sports to be offered across Florida.  SB 8 would allow 24/7 slot machines in the state wherever approved in a countywide referendum and would permit free or reduced-price alcoholic beverages to be served to those using the slots.  Furthermore, it would allow horse and dog tracks to quit live races and replace the live races with other types of gambling while giving $20 million of taxpayer dollars annually to live thoroughbred racing.  Lastly, it creates an “Office of Amusements” to allow and oversee fantasy sports gaming.

Relating to Student Discipline – HB 411/ SB 1064 by Rep. Antone (D) and Sen. Powell (D)
STATUS: Never heard in committee

Require school boards to create a code of conduct which includes a prohibition of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, including the right of students to cross-dress.  Creates “safe environments for safe environments for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students.Mandates community involvement in this discipline code.

Relating to Housing Discrimination – HB 659 / SB 742 by Rep. Raschein (R) and Sen. Latvala (R)
STATUS: Never heard in committee

Adds sexual orientation and gender identity or expression to Florida’s Fair Housing Act as impermissible grounds for discrimination. This action would place sexual orientation, gender identity or expression on the same level as and provide the same penalties for discrimination as those for race, religion, age, handicap, etc. This would allow men to enter women’s domestic violence shelters, homeless shelters, etc.

Abortion Funding and Abortion Clinic Records – HB 6025 / SB 1114  by Rep. Lori Berman (D), Sen. Jeff Clemens (D)
STATUS: Never heard in committee. 

Removes a prohibition against taxpayer dollars going to organizations/clinics that perform abortions. Removes the requirement that the Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA) review at least 50% of patient records.

Fantasy Contests & Fantasy Contest Operators – HB 149 by Rep. Brodeur (R)
STATUS: Heard in House Tourism & Gaming Control Subcommittee and Ways & Means Committee

States that fantasy gaming is not gambling and that fantasy contests & fantasy contest operators are not subject to regulation by the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation (DBPR).

Discrimination in Labor and Employment – HB 319 / SB 410 by Rep. Berman (D) and Sen. Stewart (D)
STATUS: Never heard in committee

Creates “Helen Gordon Davis Fair Pay Protection Act” which adds gender identity as impermissible grounds for discrimination. This action would place gender identity on the same level as and provide the same penalties for discrimination as race, religion, age, handicap, etc.

HB 6041 / SB 1174 Marriage Equality – HB 6041 / SB 1174 by Rep. David Richardson (D) and Sen. Gary Farmer
STATUS: Never heard in committee

Removes the language in the statute which prohibited same-sex couples from marrying and the State of Florida from recognizing same-sex marriages from other states.

Conversion Therapy – HB 273 / SB 578 by Rep. Richardson (D) and Sen. Clemens (D)
STATUS: Never heard in committee

This bill makes it unlawful for people in Florida who are licensed to provide professional counseling and others, like pastors who are licensed counselors, to counsel youth under the age of 18 struggling with their “sexual orientation and/or gender identity” to think and live in a heterosexual manner consistent with their biological gender, even if the child (as the patient) asks for their help to do so.

Fantasy Contest Amusement Act – SB 592 by Sen. Young (R)
STATUS: Never heard in committee

Creates an Office of Amusements within the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). Specifies licensing requirements for contest operators offering fantasy contests and requires contest operators to implement specified consumer protection procedures.

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