Labor Day Weekend is brought to you by these Florida lobbyists and political associations

The final days of summer are here.

Labor Day Weekend marks the unofficial end of summer, the last hurrah before the fall. It’s a time for barbecues and beers, to spend a few days floating in the pool or relaxing on the deck.

Labor Day is also meant to be a chance to celebrate the American worker. First established in 1894, Labor Day was celebrated in industrial centers across the country. While labor unions may not hold as much clout in Florida, they are still present in every Floridian’s life.

They’re the police officers that walk the street, state employees who keep the trains running on time, the teachers and professors who help mold the minds of young Floridians and the health care workers who take care of us when we’re sick.

The Fraternal Order of Police is the largest law enforcement union in the country, and the Florida State Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) is the third-largest state lodge under FOP. The Florida division was chartered in 1950, and currently serves 20,000 members in 100 local lodges across the state. The state FOP serves as the voice of law enforcement officers in policy matters.

When the Florida FOP needs a hand in the Legislature, they turn to Lisa Henning of Timmins Consulting.

The FOP isn’t the only organization looking out for Florida’s men and women in blue. The Florida Police Benevolent Association (FPBA) was established in 1972 and also serves as an advocacy organization for law enforcement and their families.

You’ll find Matt Puckett, the executive director, working on behalf of law enforcement officers in front of the Legislature alongside in-house advocates James Baiardi, John Kazanjian, Mick McHale, Steve Slade and William Smith.

FPBA also has several a few contract lobbyists on retainer, including Brian Ballard and Mathew Forrest of Ballard Partners as well as Gary Bradford of the Bradford Group

When it comes to protecting the interests of Florida’s firefighters and EMS personnel, look no further than the Florida Professional Firefighters (FPF). Founded in 1944, the Florida association now has 150 local affiliates and more than 24,000 members. The organization has become known as one of the most effective and respected voices in the Capitol.

Their in-house team includes FPF president Wayne “Bernie” Bernoska as well as George Marsh, Rocco Salvatori and Meredith Stanfield. They also have Screven Watson of Screven Watson & Associates working on their behalf.

Among the bills affecting police and firefighters in the 2022 Legislative Session was HB 453, which established new rules regarding workers’ compensation benefit eligibility. The legislation, which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed, requires public employers to keep preemployment medical exam records on file for at least five years after the officer or firefighter leaves their job. If they do not, a claim is automatically OK’d.

Perhaps the best-known union in the state is the Florida Education Association (FEA). When most people think of FEA, they think of K-12 teachers. While they indeed make up a large portion of FEA’s 150,000 members, the group also represents school support staff, higher ed faculty, retirees and even education students.

Their in-house team includes Catherine Boehme, Tina Dunbar, Stephanie Kunkel, Chadwick Leonard, Michael Monroe, Alexis Montalvo, Yale Olenick and Eric Riley. They are also represented by contract lobbyists Jonathan Kilman, Carlos Cruz and Elnatan Rudolph of Converge Government Strategies.

While police and firefighter unions are often on the winning side of issues in Tallahassee, things are a bit more contentious between lawmakers and FEA. The organization, for instance, was vocally opposed to bills that regulate how topics such as race and sexuality are discussed in the classroom. FEA also has sparred over how teacher pay increases are handled, advocating for an approach that provides more consideration to veteran teachers and non-instructional school staff.

Teachers, police and firefighters are all public employees, but what about all the other workers on the state’s payroll? There are also workers in the courts, at the DMV, the health department, city hall and dozens of state agencies and offices. Many of those workers are represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME for short.

They’re a large union, representing more than 100,000 current and retired workers, and they’ve got a top-tier firm handling their needs in the Capitol. Their current roster includes Bill Rubin, Heather Turnbull, Melissa Akeson, Jacqueline Carmona, Erica Chanti and Matthew Sacco of Rubin Turnbull & Associates. Those who’ve followed The Process for a few years may remember that Carmona served as AFSCME’s state political director before joining Rubin Turnbull in early 2021.

Another big-time union is the AFL-CIO. The organization has a rich history dating back to the 19th century. The hyphen came in 1955 when the American Federation of Labor, which represented a variety of trade workers, and the Congress of Industrial Organizations, which represented industrial workers, realized they’d be more effective as a team than as bitter rivals.

The Florida AFL-CIO reflects the “supergroup” origins of its nationwide parent, representing more than 500 local labor unions, 10 councils and over a million union members, retirees, and their families in the state. Their affiliate unions represent a diverse array of industries, ranging from actors to airline pilots.

When it needs help in the Legislature it turns to its director of politics and public policy, Rich Templin.

Another massive non-public sector union is the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). One of their branches in Florida, SEIU 1199 United Healthcare Workers, represents more than 25,000 health care workers, from nurses to clerical employees and everyone in between working in the hospital and nursing home industry.

When it needs results in the Legislature, it calls PinPoint Results and Robert Beck, Andrea Gheen and Tanya Jackson take it from there.

To the many Florida politicos knee-deep in the 2022 elections, 16-hour work days every day of the week isn’t a concept, it’s their current reality. But it wasn’t that long ago when that was expected of every American worker.

While the politics of labor have certainly shifted over the 128 years since Labor Day became a federal holiday, it’s important to remember what the holiday is all about.

Without the hardworking men and women who clocked in every day throughout American history, the United States — and Florida — would never have become the prosperous economic powerhouse it has been for decades and hopefully will continue to be for decades to come.

The post Labor Day Weekend is brought to you by these Florida lobbyists and political associations appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..

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Sandy Freedman to host Charlie Crist for Tampa fundraiser

Tampa’s first woman Mayor Sandy Freedman is set to host gubernatorial Democratic nominee Charlie Crist for a fundraising event in Tampa in late September.

Freedman, who served as Tampa’s Mayor from 1986-1995, will join Tucker/Hall chair Tom Hall and Ken Jewett at the event. The fundraiser is set for Sept. 22 starting at 6 p.m., with private pre-reception tickets ranging from $3,000 (co-host) to $10,000 (chair) and general reception tickets ranging from $500 to $1,500. Proceeds will go to Crist’s affiliated political committee, Friends of Charlie Crist.

The host committee is still being formed.

Crist has been doing well in the fundraising game, raising another $1 million for his campaign in the first 11 days of August. That’s on the heels of raising $2.3 million in July. But, he’ll need to keep up the momentum to compete with incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis.

DeSantis, who faced no Primary challengers, holds more than $10 million in the bank for his candidate account and controls another nearly $120 million with a committee.

The Governor spent substantially leading into the August Primary despite not having his name on the ballot, plunking down more than $8 million in the month of August as he campaigned for endorsed School Board candidates. He slowed down expenses in the final week before the Primary, but only after sending a variety of mailers in counties around Florida.

Crist, on the other hand, spent big before the Aug. 23 Primary, in which he defeated fellow Democrat Nikki Fried by 25 points.

A Democratic Governors Association-commissioned poll by Impact Research showed DeSantis up by 5 percentage points. Liberal groups Progress Florida and Florida Watch published polling modeled on a Republican-leaning Midterm electorate and found DeSantis leading with 48% to Crist’s 45%. That closely matches findings for a generic ballot test showing 48% of voters feel inclined to vote Republican in the Midterms and 45% intend to vote Democratic. That puts the race within the poll’s 1.78% margin of error.

In the last week, Crist has made several headlines, first for announcing his running mate, United Teachers of Dade President Karla Hernández, and also for his resignation from Congress to focus on the Governor’s race.

Crist has represented Florida’s 13th Congressional District since winning the seat in the 2016 election. Crist was elected Governor as a Republican in 2006 but left the party and did not seek re-election in 2010, opting instead for a bid for the U.S. Senate.

The post Sandy Freedman to host Charlie Crist for Tampa fundraiser appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..

For Pensacola owners, trees are an important part of any landscape, but they also need to be maintained and trimmed properly to avoid becoming a hazard.

Neglecting to trim or remove trees can lead to dangerous situations, such as limbs falling on homes or people, or roots growing into the foundation of your home.

Pensacola Tree Service is the perfect solution for all your tree maintenance needs. We have experienced professionals who will take care of your trees quickly and safely.

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Albaugh increases in-house production of 2,4-D

Albaugh said the company initiated a project to increase the in-house production of the active ingredient 2,4-D in a large-scale, backward-integrated plant in Argentina.

Under the new project, Albaugh said it will substantially increase the production of key intermediates such as chlorine, caustic soda and monochloroacetic acid based on commodity raw materials in Argentina. The final products for the market in the U.S. will be produced at the company’s North America manufacturing facility in Saint Joseph, Mo., utilizing the existing large-scale capacities for both ester and amine formulations of 2,4-D.

Albaugh expects to initiate the project this year and once completed the company expects its total investment in Argentina and the U.S. will exceed $50 million.

The post Albaugh increases in-house production of 2,4-D appeared first on Landscape Management.

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‘A fighter’: Janelle Perez debuts first pair of English and Spanish broadcast ads for SD 38

Democratic local business owner Janelle Perez’s campaign for Senate District 38 is debuting its first broadcast ads in English and Spanish depicting her as a “fighter,” or “luchadora,” determined to improve health care options and living costs for Floridians.

The twin 30-second spots, different only in the language spoken, began airing Thursday in the southeast area of Miami-Dade County she hopes to represent in Tallahassee after Nov. 8.

The English-language video opens with Perez’s father, Martin Perez, speaking about his daughter. He describes her as “a fighter who is passionate to serve our community because it is part of our family values.”

The video then switches to the candidate herself, a Miami-born daughter of Cuban exiles whose successful struggle against stage 4 follicular lymphoma and leadership work in Miami’s LGBTQ community informs her political outlook.

“As a cancer survivor, I know accessible health care is critical, and as a working mom I am willing to take on the affordability crisis with real solutions,” she says. “Because it’s time we get things done for you.”

Perez is a co-owner of her family’s Coral Gables-based managed care company Doctors Healthcare Plans Inc. She’s an active member of the LGBTQ community who served as the first chair of the Miami LGBTQ+ Advisory Board.

Since launching her candidacy for public office in early August 2021, she’s received numerous endorsements, including nods from Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Miami Sen. Annette Taddeo, former U.S. Reps. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell and Donna Shalala, Giffords PAC, Emily’s List, Equality Florida Action PAC, SEIU Florida, AFSCME, South Florida AFL-CIO, Victory Fund, Ruth’s List Florida, The Next 50 and Run For Something, among others.

She is one of five candidates the Florida Senate Democratic Caucus’ campaign arm, known also as Senate Victory, is backing in its slate of frontline races highlighted as featuring “strong, diverse women candidates” contending for flippable seats.

Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book, who leads Senate Victory, called Perez “the fighter Miamians need in Tallahassee to defend shared values and personal freedoms.”

“Janelle has the experience and the drive to take on tough fights and put everyday people first,” Book said in a statement.

In the General Election, Perez faces Republican former GOP staffer Alexis Calatayud, who currently works as director of policy and programs at the Florida Department of Education.

SD 38 covers a large, coastal portion of Miami-Dade, including the municipalities of Cutler Bay, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, South Miami, parts of Homestead and Coral Gables, and the unincorporated neighborhoods of Goulds, Kendall, Sunset, Perrine, Redland and Westchester.

The post ‘A fighter’: Janelle Perez debuts first pair of English and Spanish broadcast ads for SD 38 appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..

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National gun control group backs Charlie Crist as Ron DeSantis goes the other way

The Democrats’ candidate for Governor, Charlie Crist, received the endorsement of a national gun violence prevention group Wednesday, increasing the contrast between him and Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonpartisan group billionaire and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg founded in 2013, is throwing its weight behind Crist and his running mate, Karla Hernández. They are the sole Florida politicians that have received the support from the group that claims to be nearly 10 million members strong.

“Ending gun violence requires electing strong gun sense champions and Charlie Crist has a solid track record of supporting gun safety in Florida,” said Monisha Henley, senior director of state Government Affairs for Everytown.

Crist said that he will continue to work to ban assault weapons and require background checks every time someone buys a gun, even for private sales. He invoked Florida’s worse mass shootings.

“From Parkland to Pulse, the epidemic of gun violence has rocked our state and torn Florida’s families and communities apart — we need action,” Crist said, in a prepared statement.

Meanwhile, earlier in the week, DeSantis reiterated his support for loosening existing gun regulations. He said he would sign a bill allowing Floridians to carry firearms without training or a permit, if the Legislature passes it. And he said he would have vetoed the bill that strengthened the state’s gun control regulations in the wake of the Parkland massacre that left 17 people dead at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

In 2018, the Legislature passed a measure that increased the minimum age required to buy an assault-style weapon and approved what is known as a red-flag law. That law allows a judge to temporarily take away weapons from someone deemed a risk.

“That was in response to a very serious tragedy and people wanted to do something,” DeSantis said at a Tuesday news conference. “But that’s when rights are important.”

Those laws, however, bucked the state’s long history that earned it the nickname, “the Gunshine State.” Everytown rates Florida 19th for its control of guns. It still has “missing key laws,” but the state is better off than those states listed as having “weak systems” and those in the worst category, “national failures.”

In addition to more background checks, Everytown says the state could improve public safety by repealing the stand your ground law that allows individuals to use deadly force if there’s a reason to believe death or bodily harm is imminent.

Crist calls his plan “Safer Florida for All.” It also calls for more background checks when guns are sold, better reporting of lost and stolen firearms and the regulation of ghost guns that are untraceable.

“As Governor, I will fight every single day for background checks that actually check backgrounds, keeping guns out of the hands of criminals and terrorists, and keeping weapons of war off our streets and out of our communities,” Crist said.

Meanwhile, Everytown is gearing up to mobilize its people, its spokeswoman declared.

“Everytown has endorsed Charlie Crist because Florida families and communities deserve a governor who will work day in and day out to keep constituents safe from gun violence,” Henley said. “Our grassroots army of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers are eager to get out the vote for him this November.”

The post National gun control group backs Charlie Crist as Ron DeSantis goes the other way appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..

For Pensacola owners, trees are an important part of any landscape, but they also need to be maintained and trimmed properly to avoid becoming a hazard.

Neglecting to trim or remove trees can lead to dangerous situations, such as limbs falling on homes or people, or roots growing into the foundation of your home.

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Marco Rubio claims Joe Biden, Democrats ‘criminalizing and dehumanizing’ Republicans

A Florida Senator is speaking out against the President, claiming that Democrats and President Joe Biden are “criminalizing and dehumanizing” Republicans.

“There are two things happening here. The first is they are criminalizing and dehumanizing their opposition. So this is what they have been doing for a while,” Marco Rubio claimed on Hannity Wednesday night.

Rubio outlined familiar complaints, including Biden’s objections to election law changes in Georgia and a contention that Biden was “basically calling the Supreme Court illegitimate” when he objected to the Court decision in the Dobbs care overturning Roe v. Wade, before arguing that a double standard is in play regarding partisan rhetoric.

“”If you criticize them, they will claim that you are putting them in danger. They, on the other hand, do not criticize Republicans, they try to dehumanize, defame and smear Republicans by calling not Republican officeholders, but Republican voters, everyday people, by calling them semi-fascist,” Rubio asserted.

The President used the term “semi-fascist” days ago, and that construct was defended by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Wednesday after a question about that not being “unifying language.” She cited Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis‘ quip about throwing “little elf” Dr. Anthony Fauci “over the Potomac” as an example of the “dangerous trends that we’re seeing.”

Rubio extended his critique to DeSantis’ opponent in the Governor’s race.

“Last week in Florida Charlie Crist running for Governor once again here said he did not want the support of anyone who had voted or supported Ron DeSantis, which is the majority of the state,” Rubio said incorrectly, as DeSantis only got 49.6% in 2018, short of a majority.

“They are not attacking political leaders alone, they are attacking voters, which in Florida is the majority of voters,” Rubio lamented.

Rubio’s comments serve as an effective prebuttal to a widely anticipated Biden speech Thursday, in which the President is expected to address the “soul of the nation.” Expect remarks like these from other prominent Republicans in the run up to the Biden speech Thursday night.

The post Marco Rubio claims Joe Biden, Democrats ‘criminalizing and dehumanizing’ Republicans appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..

For Pensacola owners, trees are an important part of any landscape, but they also need to be maintained and trimmed properly to avoid becoming a hazard.

Neglecting to trim or remove trees can lead to dangerous situations, such as limbs falling on homes or people, or roots growing into the foundation of your home.

Pensacola Tree Service is the perfect solution for all your tree maintenance needs. We have experienced professionals who will take care of your trees quickly and safely.

source https://floridapolitics.com/?p=553220

Labor Day 2022: Sunshine State working conditions improving

As the country prepares to celebrate Labor Day, Florida is nowhere near a workers’ paradise, but conditions are improving, according to a new report that rates each state’s climate for making a living.

Florida ranks 29th overall among the 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington when measuring work-related laws and policies, according to the anti-poverty nonprofit Oxfam America’s 2022 edition of “The Best and Worst States to Work in America” report.

The state’s overall rank has improved three ticks upward from 2021, when it was ranked 32nd. That’s because of the increase in the minimum wage, an Oxfam America spokeswoman said. Voters mandated the increase with a constitutional amendment approved in November 2020.

Minimum wage workers got their first raise on Sept. 30. The lowest wage increased from $8.65 to $10 an hour. Those wages will keep coming until the minimum wage hits $15 in September 2026, according to the amendment voters approved.

Still, even the country’s most generous minimum wage — in Washington state, where the minimum wage is $14.49 — only covers 38% of the cost of living for a family, the report said. And, in that regard, workers everywhere have taken a hit.

“No minimum wage has kept up with the historic inflation of this year,” the report says.

Wages are the biggest factor in the report’s rankings. Worker protections are weighted next and then comes workers’ rights to organize.

For wages, Florida ranks 30th, falling between Michigan and West Virginia. For worker protections, Florida received the same score as Alaska, Iowa, Montana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Florida is also middling in the rights workers have to organize, scoring 27th, just a little worse than Virginia and getting the same score as Indiana and Montana.

The Sunshine State’s ranking was dinged because state policies don’t allow local governments to set wages above the state standard. And the unemployment benefits, with a maximum weekly benefit of $275 per week, rank among the lowest in the country.

Also, the state’s standing in worker protections got a downgrade because it hasn’t passed heat protections for outdoor workers like the kind in legislation (SB 732) that Republican Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez proposed last year. The legislation died in its second committee.

The report also ranked conditions for working women, putting Florida 27th among the 50 states plus Puerto Rico and Washington. Not providing accommodations for pregnant workers, breastfeeding in the workplace and paid family leave dragged Florida’s showing there.

The northeastern and western coastal states — Oregon, California Washington state, the District of Columbia and New York — rank highest overall. States in the South, however, consistently dominate the basement rankings. North Carolina ranks the lowest. Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama and Texas also bring up the rear.

The post Labor Day 2022: Sunshine State working conditions improving appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..

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