STATE REP. MOONEY ANNOUNCES STAFF FOR UPCOMING SESSION

Written by Upper Keys Mortgage Syndicated User on August 31, 2021. Posted in Politics, Politics & Government, State News, Upper Keys Florida Mortgage, Upper Keys Mortgage.

State Rep. James Mooney Jr. recently announced his staff for the upcoming legislative session. The office includes the addition of longtime Upper Keys residents Lee Young as his legislative assistant and Nola Ann Acker as district secretary in his Key Largo office at the Murray Nelson Government Center. They join Elsa Rodriguez, who is Mooney’s district secretary in Homestead, located in the office of attorney John Maas. “I’m proud to have a great team who knows the process and is willing to work hard for our district,” Mooney said. CONTRIBUTED The post STATE REP. MOONEY ANNOUNCES STAFF FOR...

E-WHAT? FLORIDA LAW IMPOSES PENALTIES ON BUSINESSES FOR UNDOCUMENTED WORKERS

Written by Upper Keys Mortgage Syndicated User on August 27, 2021. Posted in State News, Upper Keys Florida Mortgage, Upper Keys Mortgage.

It was one of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ campaign promises when he was running for office in 2018. In 2019, the Florida legislature passed into state law a requirement for local governments and some private employers to use E-Verify starting on July 1, 2020. E-Verify is a U.S. Department of Homeland Security Internet-based system that allows agencies and businesses to determine the eligibility of their employees, U.S. or foreign citizens, to work in the United States. An estimated 76,500 businesses in Florida of 2.5 million are using the system. The newest Florida law was an amendment...

LT GOVERNOR TALKS ELECTIONS BILL, COVID ACTIONS WITH WEEKLY

Written by Upper Keys Mortgage Syndicated User on May 13, 2021. Posted in Politics, State News, Upper Keys Florida Mortgage, Upper Keys Mortgage.

A 60-day legislative session in Tallahassee brought more than 260 pieces of legislation to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk for signature. Last week, the governor signed two bills related to the state’s elections and COVID-19 recovery, which also saw two executive orders. Joining DeSantis in his signature of election legislation, Senate Bill 90, during a press conference in West Palm Beach last week was the state’s No. 2 in charge, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez. The first Hispanic female lieutenant governor, elected in 2018, Nuñez was tuned in to the issues during the session. With the signing...

KEYS SCHOOL BOARD QUESTIONS AFFORDABILITY OF EMPLOYEE HOUSING

Written by Upper Keys Mortgage Syndicated User on May 7, 2021. Posted in Monroe County News, State News, Upper Keys Florida Mortgage, Upper Keys Mortgage.

School officials are still planning to build 20 units of employee housing next to Sugarloaf School, but pumped the brakes during an April 27 update, demanding more information from the project’s for-profit developers, Gorman & Co. School board members liked the appearance of the apartment complex, but questioned the affordability. A one-bedroom unit would cost $1,700 to $2,100 per month, Two-bedroom units would cost $2,000 to $2500 and three-bedroom units would cost $2,400 to $2,900 per month, based on the employee’s salary and how it compares to the AMI, or area median income, which...

KEY WEST’S CRUISE SHIP QUESTION WAITS ON GOVERNOR

Written by Upper Keys Mortgage Syndicated User on May 7, 2021. Posted in Cruise Ship Debate, Featured, State News, Upper Keys Florida Mortgage, Upper Keys Mortgage.

Will cruise ships return to Key West? Can the city change its charter to limit large ships? The answers lie with Gov. Ron DeSantis, who will decide in the coming weeks whether to approve or veto a statewide transportation bill that would prohibit all ports, including Key West, from restricting maritime commerce in any way. The transportation bill, known as Senate Bill 1194, passed the state legislature last week in a late-night vote. DeSantis has 30 days from that passage to either sign the bill into law or veto it. A veto would leave open the door for Key West to regulate the ships...

LOCAL MASK MANDATE ENDS, PER PAIR OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS

Written by Upper Keys Mortgage Syndicated User on May 4, 2021. Posted in Breaking News, Featured, Politics, State News, Upper Keys Florida Mortgage, Upper Keys Mortgage.

Mask-wearing mandates and other local government COVID-19 restrictions on businesses and individuals in Florida are no longer in effect, per a pair of executive orders signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on May 3. Business owners can still require masks when patrons enter their establishments, but DeSantis’ orders override any approved decision-making and oversight by city and county governments over COVID measures that infringe on rights or liberties. The first executive order signed by DeSantis suspends all local COVID-19 restrictions and mandates on individuals and businesses through the end of...

TALLAHASSEE ROUNDUP: LEGISLATIVE SESSION ENDS FRIDAY

Written by Upper Keys Mortgage Syndicated User on April 29, 2021. Posted in Monroe County News, Politics, State bills, State News, state session 2021, Tallahassee, Upper Keys Florida Mortgage, Upper Keys Mortgage.

A 60-day legislative session in Tallahassee is nearing the end. While some bills related to election administration and social media are making progress, other pieces of legislation are stalling — not to mention a $100 billion budget that still must be approved. Session is set to end Friday, April 30, as legislators work to get their bills to the finish line. SENATE BILL 90 — ELECTION ADMINISTRATION Passing through the Senate via a 23-17 vote on April 26, the bill sponsored by Dennis Baxley, who represents Sumter, Lake and Marion counties, puts tighter regulations on vote-by-mail ballots. The...

BREAKING NEWS: LEGISLATURE SAYS KEY WEST CAN’T LIMIT CRUISE SHIPS

Written by Upper Keys Mortgage Syndicated User on April 29, 2021. Posted in Breaking News, Business, Cruise Ship Debate, Featured, Key West News, News, Politics, Safer Cleaner Ships, State News, Upper Keys Florida Mortgage, Upper Keys Mortgage.

Key West’s effort to ban large cruise ships is on death row, the governor its only lifeline. A single signature by Gov. Ron DeSantis will bring a breathless end to Key West’s cruise ship debate today. If DeSantis approves the bill passed by the Florida House late Wednesday night, cruise ships of all sizes will continue coming to Key West. If DeSantis instead vetoes the bill, Key West’s Committee for Safer Cleaner Ships will prevail. But a veto is unlikely given the breadth of the transportation bill that contains the cruise ship legislation. Just before 10 p.m. Wednesday, the Florida House...

SCHOOLS ON TAP TO GET $20 MILLION IN FEDERAL AID

Written by Upper Keys Mortgage Syndicated User on April 23, 2021. Posted in Community News, Education, Florida Keys, Monroe County, Monroe County News, schools, State News, Upper Keys Florida Mortgage, Upper Keys Mortgage.

Just as many U.S. citizens have been receiving stimulus payments from the federal government throughout this pandemic, the Monroe County School District has received emergency relief funds to address the impact that COVID-19 has had at its elementary and secondary schools. According to Amber Archer Acevedo, coordinator of community relations for Monroe County School District, the district so far has received $1.3 million for the first round of stimulus payments. The district has also applied for and will probably be approved for a $5.8 million second-round stimulus payment. In the near future,...

LEGISLATION RELATED TO KEYS MOVE AHEAD IN TALLAHASSEE

Written by Upper Keys Mortgage Syndicated User on April 23, 2021. Posted in anchoring limitation area, appropriations requests, Coral Restoration, Everglades, Featured, Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority, House Appropriations Committee, Miami-Dade County, Monroe County, Monroe County Mobile Pumpout Progam, Monroe County News, mote marine laboratory, State News, state session 2021, Upper Keys Florida Mortgage, Upper Keys Mortgage, vessel exclusion zone, White Marlin Beach Jim Mooney.

Key bills await consideration as legislative session in Tallahassee draws to a close. The last day is scheduled for April 30, and the race is on to get bills approved for Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signature. Members in the House and Senate continue to mull funding requests for key environmental projects to measures that create civil liability protections for individuals and businesses against COVID-19-related claims. Among the notable requests is $20 million for the Florida Keys Stewardship Act, which supports ongoing water quality projects and land acquisition in the island chain. Passed by the...

Category: State News