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Walt Disney World’s Reedy Creek May Get New Name & State Appointees from Governor Ron DeSantis

Matt OHern
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Walt Disney World’s Reedy Creek May Get New Name & State Appointees from Governor Ron DeSantis

TALLAHASSEE – Walt Disney World’s Reedy Creek Improvement District, a special created by the state of Florida 55 years ago, may be renamed the Florida Tourism Oversight District and undergo an overhaul of its board appointment structure, if a new state bill is signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis.

According to the bill, HB-9, filed by Florida State Representative Fred Hawkins, outstanding debt contracts and tax collection would not be affected, meaning that Orange and Osceola counties would not be responsible for Reedy Creek’s $1 billion debt. Other notable reforms proposed in the bill include the barring of an appointment of any person who has worked for or had a contractual relationship with a theme park within the past three years would be prohibited from serving on the new board, including rival theme parks such as Universal Studios, Sea World and Busch Gardens.

HB-9 stipulates that all five board members be appointed by the state’s sitting governor and confirmed by the Florida Senate. Initially, three members would be appointed to serve four years, and two of them to serve two years. Under current Florida law, Reedy Creek district’s landowners elect the board members. According to an Orlando Sentinel report, due to the fact that Disney owns almost all of the land in the district, Disney can handpick the board members for Reedy Creek.

According to a recent report by Bloomberg, Reedy Creek currently holds around $1 billion in debt, presenting concerns among lawmakers and residents of nearby Orange and Osceola counties surrounding the unanswered question of where the district’s debts might flow to.

HB-9 was introduced during a special session called by Governor Ron DeSantis and is currently in the State Affairs Committee, where it is expected to pass with strong support from Republican legislators on the committee.

STATE REPRESENTATIVE HAWKINS‘ BACKGROUND

Florida state representative Fred Hawkins is a Republican representing Florida State House District 35, which encompasses parts of Orange County and Osceola County. Hawkins was born in Ohio and lives in St. Cloud, Florida. Hawkins earned a B.S. in political science from the University of Akron.His career experience includes working as the president and CEO of the Osceola County Education Foundation.

Hawkins‘ service on house committees includes seats on Collective Bargaining Committee and the Education & Employment Committee.

Florida Democratic State House Rep Defends Venue That Showed Simulated Sex Acts to Children

Matt OHern
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Florida Democratic State House Rep Defends Venue That Showed Simulated Sex Acts to Children

Florida state representative Anna Eskamani defended Orlando Plaza Live after Governor Ron DeSantis filed a 6-count complaint against the venue through Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation, arguing that the venue had exposed children to obscene sexual acts after it was disclosed that the venue hosted a performance for children where characters simulated masturbation and other sexual acts, all with children in the viewing audience. According to a report in the Orlando Sentinel, the state has moved to revoke the liquor license of Orlando Plaza Live.

Eskamani, a state representative representing the state’s most democratic-slanted district by proportion, is known for her support of left-wing efforts including her push to give drivers licenses to illegal immigrants. She took to Twitter to vocalize her defense of the venue, where she framed the debate as first amendment rights vs. big government overreach.

“The very notion of shutting down a small business over a drag show is insane and extreme. In the United States we do not allow the government to determine what we can read, see or hear or who we can gather with,” Eskamani said. “Parents should not be asked to co-parent with Ron DeSantis and it’s clear that this continues to be selective outrage, especially since we don’t see the Governor attempting to shut down Hooters, gun shows, or rated R movies that parents bring their kids too,” Eskamani countered, commenting that “Unfortunately, these anti-LGBTQ+ attacks are nothing new. For decades, extremists have used harmful rhetoric to attack LGBTQ+ people and build their own power at the expense of others. We will not let extreme politicians drag us backward.”

According to the state, the show featured performance at the center of the show, “A Drag Queen Christmas”, which showed performers intentionally exposing performers’ prosthetic female breasts and genitalia to the audience, intentionally exposing performers’ buttocks to the audience, simulating masturbation through performers’ digitally penetrating prosthetic female genitals and graphic depictions of childbirth and/or abortion.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, in a joint statement, the Orlando Philharmonic Plaza Foundation’s board of directors said The Plaza Live has hosted drag performances for eight consecutive years and described the venue to be a “welcoming and inclusive establishment that operates in good faith and compliance with all applicable laws…That includes respecting the rights of parents to decide what content is or is not appropriate for their own children,” the statement said. “…We have just been made aware of this administrative complaint and are working with our legal team to evaluate and respond appropriately.”

West Virginia Senators Manchin, Capito Reintroduce Public Health and Border Security Act

Matt OHern
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West Virginia Senators Manchin, Capito Reintroduce Public Health and Border Security Act

Opioid deaths have devastated the Appalachian region of the United States, and West Virginia’s two U.S. Senators are asking their federal colleagues to take further action to address the crisis, including enhanced border security. Democrat Senator Joe Manchin joined Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, to lead a bipartisan group of Senators in reintroducing the Public Health and Border Security Act.

The act would require all COVID-19 related national states of emergency to be lifted before Title 42 is officially terminated. The legislation would also require the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to put in place a workable plan to manage the chaos at the border. 

In an press release, Senator Manchin stated “The immigration crisis at our southern border threatens to overwhelm our broken immigration system. I am proud to join my bipartisan colleagues in introducing this important legislation to ensure Title 42 stays in place, even if the current public health emergency ends, until the Administration develops a plan to handle the anticipated migrant surge once Title 42 is repealed. I will continue to work with my colleagues and the Administration to pass comprehensive, bipartisan immigration legislation that addresses the crisis we are facing,”

In the same press release, Capito echoed Manchin’s concerns about the problems on the country’s southern border with Mexico.

“It’s unacceptable that we are still experiencing record amounts of illegal crossings at our southern border, but I am encouraged that a bipartisan group of senators realize the path this administration is taking is dangerous and untenable,” Capito said. “I have long been outspoken regarding President Biden’s crisis on our southern border, and how his administration’s policies have made the situation worse. Ending Title 42 only adds to those challenges in a way we simply are not prepared to handle. This bill provides direction, something that is desperately needed in light of the administration’s decision to end Title 42.”

Last week, President Joe Biden announced on Monday that all COVID-19 related health emergencies will end on May 11. Title 42 Authority has been a vital tool for U.S. Customs and Border Patrol to quickly expel migrants crossing the border illegally.

On January 5, 2023, Senator Manchin released a statement on the Biden Administration’s decision to expand the CDC’s Title 42 order to include Cuba, Haiti and Nicaragua, along with other actions including surging resources to the border. 

On Dec. 19, 2022, Senators Manchin and Capito released a statement responding to the Supreme Court’s order to stay the DC District Court’s decision to overturn the CDC’s Title 42 order. Senator Manchin stated the order is critical to maintaining operational control of the border but is not a permanent solution.

On December 13, 2022, Senator Manchin led a group of bipartisan lawmakers in urging President Biden to extend the CDC’s Title 42 order, set to expire on December 21, 2022.

On April 7, 2022, Senator Manchin led a group of bipartisan lawmakers in introducing the Public Health and Border Security Act to require all COVID-19 related national states of emergency to be lifted before Title 42 is officially terminated.

 On April 1, 2022, Senator Manchin released a statement responding to the Biden Administration’s decision to end the Title 42 policy. Senator Manchin stated the Title 42 is essential to combat the spread of COVID-19 and manage the influx of migrants at southern border.

On March 29, 2022, Senator Manchin called on the CDC to extend the Title 42 due to rising COVID-19 cases across the globe and record migrant encounters. 

On September 29. 2021, Senator Manchin led a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers in introducing the Providing Officers with Electronic Resources (POWER) Act to provide state and local law enforcement with high-tech devices to detect and identify dangerous drugs like fentanyl, including at U.S. ports of entry.

On April 2, 2021, Senator Manchin visited and toured the U.S.-Mexico Border. Senator Manchin visited the World Trade Bridge to meet with officials from CBP and the City of Laredo to discuss cross border international trade and visited the Holding Institute to meet with migrant families and see the impact of the increase in migrant individuals released at the southern border.

New Georgia Talk Show Host Draws State’s Politicians and Power Brokers for In-Depth Discussions

Matt OHern
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New Georgia Talk Show Host Draws State’s Politicians and Power Brokers for In-Depth Discussions

Few Americans can imagine the magnitude of the pressure Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger from elected officials, voters and a sitting president, when Donald Trump asked him to “find the votes” to overturn Trump’s 2020 Election loss in Georgia to now President Joe Biden. When Raffensperger joined Georgia political talk show host Ben Burnett, the now nationally-known state leader explained how his political and personal life were transformed by that historical phone call, which was ultimately replayed to millions of people across the globe.

Raffensperger is just one of several prominent names known throughout the Peachtree State who has joined Burnett on the airwaves in recent months. Other guests include , Georgia Lt. Governor Burt Jones, former U.S. Senator David Perdue, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, former U.S. Congressman Doug Collins (A ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee who was one of Trump’s staunch defenders during the first impeachment hearings), Georgia Deputy Secretary of State Jordan Fuchs, Jared Thomas, who served as Chief of Staff and Press Secretary for then-Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, and went on to co-found Garst Thomas Public Affairs and Greg Bluestein, the head political writer at the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Burnett, who served on the Alpharetta City Council, touts himself as the “voice of suburban women.”

“Ever since I was in high school, they would ask me about my opinions,” Burnett said. “When I was an elected official, I advocated for paid FMLA and minimum wage increases. I always put kids first. I pay attention, and they pay attention to me.”

You can follow Ben Burnett’s coverage of Georgia politics on NewsBreak at original.newsbreak.com/@ben-burnett-1602520 and listen to his talk show at thepodcastpark.com/the-ben-burnett-show/

Opinion: Trump Wants Haley in 2024 GOP Primary to Siphon Votes from DeSantis

Matt OHern
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Opinion: Trump Wants Haley in 2024 GOP Primary to Siphon Votes from DeSantis

With so much media attention focused on Trump’s criticism of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, it was easy for the average news consumer to miss the fact that Trump also told reporters that he was supportive of Haley entering the 2024 Republican Primary.

“I talked to her [Haley] for a little while, I said, ‘Look, you know, go by your heart if you want to run,’” Trump said. “She’s publicly said that ‘I would never run against my president, he was a great president.’”

Trump knows from 2016 that his best shot to win the nomination is to divide and therefore conquer the anti-Trump Republican voters. Trump faced 16 Republican opponents in 2016, including multiple long-established major names in the party who received millions from major donors. The large field fractured the opposition, allowing Trump to win primaries with mere pluralities through the vast majority of the primary campaign season.

Yesterday, Haley tweeted: “It’s time for a new generation. It’s time for new leadership. And it’s time to take our country back. America is worth the fight—and we’re just getting started.”

Haley also Tweeted a video clip from her interview with Brett Baier of Fox News, when she said “The survival of America matters, and it’s bigger than any one person. And when you’re looking at the future of America, I think it’s time for new generational change. I don’t think you need to be 80 years old to go be a leader in D.C. I think we need a young generation to come in, step up and really start fixing things.”

Haley tweeted the clip on the same day when Trump hosted a political rally in South Carolina, where Haley served two terms as governor. Trump was joined by current governor Henry McMaster and Senator Lindsey Graham. The state’s junior Senator Tim Scott, who is rumored to be considering his own 2024 campaign, was not at the rally

Judge Dismisses Lawsuit vs. Ron DeSantis’ Immigrant Relocation Flight

Matt OHern
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Judge Dismisses Lawsuit vs. Ron DeSantis’ Immigrant Relocation Flight

A Florida judge made national headlines earlier today as she dismissed a lawsuit filed against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the Florida Department of Transportation and a company involved with the relocation of undocumented immigrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, with a layover in Florida.

According to sources including the Florida News Service, the Tampa Bay Times and The Floridian Press’ editor Javier Manjarres, Leon County Circuit Judge Angela Dempsey dismissed a lawsuit alleging that DeSantis and FDOT didn’t comply with public-records requests.

“The burden is on the plaintiff to prove they made a specific request for public records, that Vertol received the request, the requested public records exist and Vertol refused to provide them in a timely manner,” Dempsey wrote in one of the decisions. “While plaintiff meets the first and second prongs of the test, there is no evidence that the public records exist or that Vertol refused to produce public records in a timely manner.”

DISMISSAL FOLLOWS ANOTHER RECENT LEGAL VICTORY FOR DESANTIS

DeSantis’ enjoyed another legal victory just ten days prior to the dismissal of the migrant relocation public records lawsuit, when a federal judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit filed by an elected Florida state attorney who was ousted by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) over the attorney’s commitment to not prosecute people seeking or providing abortions. U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle ruled that DeSantis does not have to reinstate Andrew Warren (D), who the governor suspended for neglect of duty and incompetence in August after Warren pledged to not enforce bans on abortion and transgender surgery on minors.

Rick Scott Introduces Bill to Rescind Biden’s Plan to Add 87,000 IRS Agents

Matt OHern
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Rick Scott Introduces Bill to Rescind Biden’s Plan to Add 87,000 IRS Agents

Earlier today, Florida Senator Rick Scott joined Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) and Mike Braun (R-In) to introduce the Blocking the Adverse and Dramatic Increased Reliance on Surveillance (BAD IRS) Activities Act.

“Across America, families are struggling to keep up with Joe Biden’s raging inflation crisis, while skyrocketing interest rates are holding them back from everything from home ownership to starting a business,” Scott said. “This is what happens when Washington spends decades recklessly spending taxpayer money and racking up $31 trillion of debt. In the face of these hardships for hardworking families, instead of cutting taxes and regulations to grow our economy and encourage job creation, Joe Biden and Democrats in Washington are hell bent on growing government and hiking your taxes to pay for it. There’s no denying their intentions and they even approved $70 billion for 87,000 new IRS agents to make sure they squeeze every penny possible out of American families to fund their radical agenda. Enough is enough. The last thing folks need is more government in their lives and my BAD IRS Activities Act will stop Biden and the Democrats for using the IRS to terrorize the American people and raise your taxes. Increasing costs and regulations on already-struggling Americans is wrong and I won’t stop fighting to put an end to it.”

According to a public statement from Sen. Scott, the BAD IRS Activities Act would:

  • Rescind any unobligated funding as appropriated by the Inflation Reduction Act to hire 87,000 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agents, which would harass and audit even more American families and small businesses.
    • Senator Scott’s language previously received an amendment vote during consideration of the continuing resolution on December 15, 2022. All Republican Senators present voted in favor. (Senate amendment to H.R.1437, with Scott (FL) amendment #6540)  
  • Repeal the tax increase Democrats placed on working class gig and sharing economy independent contractors in the American Rescue Plan, which requires companies to send 1099-K forms to gig workers and independent contractors earning at least $600 a year on any number of transactions, dramatically increasing the prior requirement of $20,000 a year on at least 200 transactions.
    • Senator Scott previously filed the language in two separate bills last Congress, S.4798 and S.948.

“We should not be hiring 87,000 new IRS agents to treat working families and small startup businesses like tax cheats,” said Senator Budd said, “We should be removing harmful regulatory barriers so that we can jumpstart economic growth and see wages rise. Big thanks to Senator Rick Scott for leading this pro-growth legislation.”

Senator Braun added “The IRS has far outrun its intended purpose, and President Biden’s $70 billion army of bureaucrats is just the latest excess. I’m proud to cosponsor this bill to bring this agency closer to what it’s supposed to be doing.”

Tommy Tuberville Joins 46 Senate Republicans to Introduce ‘No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion’ Act

Matt OHern
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Tommy Tuberville Joins 46 Senate Republicans to Introduce ‘No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion’ Act

Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), joined 46 of his Senate colleagues in introducing the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act.” If passed, the bill would establish a permanent prohibition on federal funding for abortion and would make funding restrictions permanent for abortion and elective abortion coverage, including the Hyde Amendment, which requires annual approval. The legislation would also eliminate taxpayer-funded subsidies for elective abortion coverage currently offered on Affordable Care Act exchanges through refundable tax credits.

“Millions of hardworking Americans believe that life begins at conception and don’t want their taxpayer dollars inadvertently funding abortions” Tuberville said in a press release. “As a Christian, and as a conservative, I share their belief that every life is sacred, and every American has a right to life. That’s why I’m proud to sign on to this legislation that will solidify abortion funding restrictions that have been in place for decades, and better protect the unborn,” said Senator Tuberville.

Other Republican Senators who joined Tuberbville to introduce the bill include Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and McConnell’s fellow Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, along with Alabama Senator Katie Britt, Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan, Arkansas Senators Tom Cotton and John Boozman, Florida Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, Indiana Senators Mike Braun and Todd Young, Iowa Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, Kansas Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall, Louisiana Senators Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy, Mississippi Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith, Missouri Senators Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt, Montana Senator Steve Daines, Nebraska Senators Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts, North Carolina Senators Ted Budd and Thom Tillis, North Dakota Senators Kevin Cramer and John Hoeven, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, Oklahoma Senators James Lankford and Markwayne Mullin, South Carolina Senators Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott, South Dakota Senators Mike Rounds and John Thune, Tennessee Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, Texas Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, Utah Senators Mike Lee and Mitt Romney, West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito, Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson, and Wyoming Senators John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis.

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