Scott: Texas GOP platform not 'inclusive' on homosexuality
And so I don’t — I wouldn’t have supported that, what they did," Scott said when pressed on the homophobic language, which he said was not inclusive. Scott, who leads the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has been reluctant to criticize fellow Republicans as he works to flip the Senate this November. Scott said be believes the party can win 54 seats and retake control of the chamber amid soaring inflation and Biden's low approval ratings. “There’s no reason to believe we won’t win Missouri whoever our nominee is there. But we’ll see what happens.”As for the Texas platform, he said, “Every state party has a right to make any decision they want."
wftv.comSen. Rick Scott takes issue with parts of Texas GOP platform
Scott said be believes the party can win 54 seats and retake control of the chamber amid soaring inflation and Biden's low approval ratings. On Wednesday, he again dismissed growing concerns over the electability of two Republican Senate candidates: Herschel Walker, the party’s nominee in Georgia, and former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, who is seeking the Republican nomination in a highly competitive Aug. 2 primary to replace GOP Sen. Roy Blunt. “There’s no reason to believe we won’t win Missouri whoever our nominee is there. But we’ll see what happens.”As for the Texas platform, he said, “Every state party has a right to make any decision they want."
wftv.comFlorida Sen. Rick Scott says Democrats 'constantly go to taking somebody’s Second Amendment rights away' following Uvalde shooting
Former Florida Governor and current Florida Senator Rick Scott said that Democrats' reaction to regular mass shootings is always a step too far when asked...
orlandoweekly.comFlorida lawmakers introduce bill to address baby formula shortage
Several U.S. senators introduced a new bill Monday called the “Urgently Feeding America’s Babies Act,” which would direct President Joe Biden and his administration to invoke the Defense Production Act in response to the ongoing baby formula shortage.
Biden pushes 'ultra-MAGA' label on GOP as he defends record
But that is not stopping Biden and Democrats from trying to tie Republicans to it more broadly. Scott is the chairman of the Senate Republicans’ campaign arm and a member of Senate GOP leadership. “Here’s the truth: he’s the President of the United States, Democrats control the House of Representatives and the Senate. Speaking Monday night at a Democratic fundraiser, Biden tested out the “ultra-MAGA” messaging with donors, referencing Florida Gov. “This is not your father’s Republican Party,” Biden said.
wftv.comSCOTUS could overturn Roe v. Wade: Central Florida reacts
VIDEO: SCOTUS could overturn Roe v. Wade: Central Florida reacts SCOTUS could overturn Roe v. Wade: Central Florida reactsCentral Florida dignitaries and politicians reacted late Monday to news that a draft opinion involving the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling circulated among Supreme Court Justices earlier this year indicating that a majority of them at that time supported overturning the case that legalized abortion nationwide, according to a report published Monday night in Politico. My full statement is below ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/M2N1talbCX — Rep. Anna V. Eskamani 🔨 (@AnnaForFlorida) May 3, 2022READ: Leaked draft opinion suggests SCOTUS could overturn Roe v. WadeRep. Val Demings“Striking down Roe v. Wade and taking away a woman’s right to make her own decisions is appalling and dangerous. We refuse to go back to being treated as second-class citizens whose personal decisions are made by politicians like Marco Rubio, who has fought relentlessly against the right of Florida women to control their own destiny. Let me be clear: I will always stand up, speak out, and fight to codify Roe v. Wade into law, no matter what.”Agriculture Commissioner Nikki FriedThe women of our country are under direct attack by right-wing radicals. We must defeat DeSantis.https://t.co/mvOsf9btxA — Charlie Crist (@CharlieCrist) May 3, 2022What You Need to Know - Roe V. Wade What You Need to Know - Roe V. Wade (NCD)Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
wftv.comOhio GOP Senate hopeful: Middle class doesn't pay fair share
Election 2022 Senate Ohio FILE - Senatorial candidate Mike Gibbons speaks with supporters during a campaign rally in Maineville, Ohio, Jan. 14, 2022. Gibbons, a leading Republican Senate candidate from Ohio, said at a media event last fall that middle-class Americans don't pay “any kind of a fair share” of income taxes. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean, File) (Jeff Dean)COLUMBUS, Ohio — (AP) — Mike Gibbons, a leading Republican Senate candidate from Ohio, said at a media event last fall that middle-class Americans don't pay “any kind of a fair share” of income taxes. President Joe Biden included a "Billionaire Minimum Income Tax" in his 2023 budget proposal. That leaves the middle 40% of Americans earning 41.2% of the income and paying 26.1% of the income taxes.
wftv.comOhio GOP Senate hopeful: Middle class doesn't pay fair share
“The top 20% of earners in the United States pay 82% of federal income tax — and, if you do the math, and 45% to 50% don’t pay any income tax, you can see the middle class is not really paying any kind of a fair share, depending on how you want to define it,” Gibbons said.
news.yahoo.comGOP's Senate campaign chief won't back down from party fight
But Scott, who is also the Senate GOP's midterm chief, insists he has only begun to fight. Those close to Scott suggest he understands the modern Republican Party better than McConnell and his establishment allies. As chairman of the Senate GOP's campaign arm, Scott is responsible for his party's quest to retake the Senate majority. That's even as Republican Senate candidates privately worry that Scott's policy agenda is giving Democrats a powerful talking point to use against them this fall. He has been elected Senate Republican leader by acclamation without so much as a token challenger since 2007.
wftv.comGOP's Senate campaign chief won't back down from party fight
Rick Scott likes to think of himself as Gen. Ulysses S. Grant during the Civil War. Barely halfway through his first Senate term, the Florida Republican is already leaning into a fight against his own party's leadership as he navigates a delicate alliance with former President Donald Trump and pushes a handcrafted policy agenda that many Republicans reject. The 69-year-old former businessman likens his situation to that of Grant during the battle of Vicksburg, when the general ordered multiple bloody assaults on the Southern stronghold before delivering a victory that helped turn the war in the Union's favor.
news.yahoo.comLaurence Tribe: What Clarence Thomas did was illegal
MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell speaks to Harvard Law Professor Laurence Tribe about the mounting pressure that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is facing after text messages his wife sent in the lead-up to the January 6th Capitol riot were made public.
news.yahoo.comSen. Rick Scott proposed cutting the IRS budget by half. The agency's commissioner said 'you might be better off and save more money by just shutting it down completely'
"We got to make this system where we don't need a big IRS," Florida Republican Rick Scott told Insider in a brief interview.
news.yahoo.comFlorida senators to weigh appointment of judge with Florida roots to U.S. Supreme Court
In 1988, Ketanji Brown graduated from Miami Palmetto Senior High School. Now with one as a two-term U.S. senator and the other a Federal judge, their paths will cross once more as Rubio votes on Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. READ: Who is Ketanji Brown Jackson? DeSantis eliminates FSA in all Florida public schoolsOn June 14, 2021, Judge Brown Jackson was confirmed as a U.S. The vote for the U.S. Supreme Court, which is expected to take place in mid-April, will only require a simple majority.
wftv.comSenate approves bill to make daylight saving time permanent
(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) (Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON — (AP) — The Senate unanimously approved a measure Tuesday that would make daylight saving time permanent across the United States next year. The bipartisan bill, named the Sunshine Protection Act, would ensure Americans would no longer have to change their clocks twice a year. "No more switching clocks, more daylight hours to spend outside after school and after work, and more smiles — that is what we get with permanent Daylight Saving Time,” Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, the original cosponsor of the legislation, said in a statement. Nearly a dozen states across the U.S. have already standardized daylight saving time. Members of Congress have long been interested in the potential benefits and costs of daylight saving time since it was first adopted as a wartime measure in 1942.
wftv.com‘We don’t have to keep doing this:’ Senate passes bill to make Daylight Saving Time permanent
The U.S. Senate passed a bill on Tuesday that would make Daylight Saving Time permanent. RELATED: Congress weighs benefits, costs of Daylight Saving Time“Just this past weekend, we all went through that biannual ritual of changing the clock back and forth, and the disruption that comes with it. Why are we doing this?’” Rubio asked on the Senate floor. RELATED: Daylight saving time 2022: When do we ‘spring forward’? Rubio said that’s to accommodate public transportation, which has already built out its schedules around states that observe Daylight Saving Time.
wftv.comShould daylight saving time be permanent? Sen. Rick Scott is leading the charge
The never ending debate continues whether daylight saving time is a good thing or a bad thing. Read: Daylight saving time 2022: When do we ‘spring forward’? Since I was governor, I have been leading the charge to make daylight saving time permanent,” said Scott. “I want to thank Senator Rubio and all our colleagues for their unanimous passage of this common-sense legislation. Currently, most of Arizona and Hawaii do not us daylight saving time.
wftv.comHappening Tuesday: Florida Senate to vote on controversial Parental Rights in Education bill
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The controversial “Parental Rights in Education” bill is set to face its final hurdle — a vote in Florida’s Republican-controlled Senate. If the legislation passes the Senate, it goes to the governor’s desk for his signature. READ: Florida Senate passes 15-week abortion banGov. “We don’t want the social engineering of trying to guide children in a direction, which is very tempting when you are responsible for their growth and development,” said State Sen. Dennis Baxley. These are not issues that Floridians are telling us to come to Tallahassee to fight for,” said State Sen. Lauren Book.
wftv.comAmerican couple in Kyiv accept their 'destiny to die' rather than flee
The centre of Kyiv is deserted, with the soundtrack of the approaching war audible in the distance. But John and Natasha, an American couple who refuse to leave Ukraine, go out quietly to walk their dogs, accepting that it may be their "destiny to die" rather than leave Ukraine.
news.yahoo.comMcConnell rejects GOP Sen. Rick Scott’s tax plan and agenda, insists he will remain Republican leader
“If we’re fortunate enough to have the majority next year, I’ll be the majority leader," McConnell said Tuesday as he rejected fellow Republican Sen. Rick Scott's agenda that calls for all Americans to pay some form of income tax.
washingtonpost.comMcConnell rebukes Scott over his 11-point plan that includes a tax hike on the poorest families: 'That will not be a part of the Republican Senate agenda'
"I'll be the majority leader," declared McConnell as Scott walked away. "That will not be part of a Republican Senate majority agenda."
news.yahoo.comHere’s everyone we saw at CPAC 2022: Bad hats, bad tats and a very stable genius
While former president and Putin-praiser Donald Trump may have stolen the show at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, the real spectacle is always the crowd of MAGA diehards, QAnon followers and far-right grifters that instinctively flock to this event year after year. But along with the near endless supply of "Let's Go Brandon" merch, last weekend also featured a who's-who of right-wing speakers including Mike “My Pillow Guy” Lindell, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz (shown here in several begging-to-be-memed shots), Florida Sen. Rick Scott, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Paul Gosar, Jim Jordan, ex-Trump aide Seb Gorka and more. Here's everything we saw at CPAC 2022, including:-big trucks-big butts-bad hats-bad tats-terrible haircuts-a white guy in a mariachi sombrero-Trump-thumpers-a 6-foot-tall praying mantis-a walking MyPillow-people taking photos with iPads-Jordan Klepper-a light sprinkling of untreated mental illness-a lot of people who don't give a crap about politics but will happily take your money for a shitty T-shirtRelated: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis cheered at CPAC as potential presidential campaign looms02/26/2022 | Photos by Dave Decker
photos.orlandoweekly.comSen Rick Scott defends tax plan as critics say it’ll raise taxes on retirees and low-income families
ORLANDO, Fla. — “Absolutely not.”That was the answer Sen. Rick Scott (R-Florida) gave on Saturday in Orlando when asked if his 11-point plan included an income tax hike for groups that traditionally do not pay income taxes: low-income families, many retirees, and many veterans.
READ: Ukraine talks yield no breakthrough as Russians close in“I’m trying to protect the working class; they are paying income taxes, property taxes, and sales taxes and they’re getting taxed to death,” Scott said.
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Two Republican members of Congress participated in a white nationalist’s conference. Mitt Romney called them ‘morons.’
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) later defended attending the conference organized by Nick Fuentes, saying she didn't know he has promoted white nationalist ideas.
washingtonpost.comLake Okeechobee water release could curb toxic algae bloom
Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency in seven Florida counties to combat the potentially toxic green algae bloom. While the South Florida Water Management District supported the decision to release water to the St. Lucie Estuary, spokesman Randy Smith said they will closely monitor salinity levels. With rainy season approaching in May, South Florida is still soggy from Tropical Storm Eta last year. If they go wrong, everything goes wrong,” said South Florida Water Management District board member Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch in a February meeting. The Army Corps makes weekly decisions on lake levels, and Perry hopes the water releases end before the April oyster spawning.
More states on board, senators introduce bill (again) to make daylight saving time year round
Rubio and other senators have been trying to pass the federal legislation needed to allow Florida’s 2018 law to actually change the state to daylight saving time. If the bill passes it would apply to the states who currently participate in daylight saving time, which most states observe for eight months out of the year. Rubio and Scott introduced legislation last year citing the coronavirus pandemic as one reason why daylight saving time would be beneficial. The push to make daylight saving time permanent across the country does have support beyond politicians. AdDr. Daliah Wachs, a family medicine physician, says that one-hour time difference of daylight saving causes a spike in car crashes, workplace injuries, heart issues, fertility issues and depression.
With more states on board, Florida senators introduce bill (again) to make daylight saving time year round
ORLANDO, Fla. – Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, of Florida, is trying again to make daylight saving time permanent across the country after reintroducing the Sunshine Protection Act. If the bill passes it would apply to the states who currently participate in daylight saving time, which most states observe for eight months out of the year. “Studies have shown many benefits of a year-round Daylight Saving Time, which is why the Florida legislature voted to make it permanent in 2018. Rubio and Scott introduced legislation last year citing the coronavirus pandemic as one reason why daylight saving time would be beneficial. The push to make daylight saving time permanent across the country does have support beyond politicians.
With more states on board, senators introduce bill (again) to make daylight saving time year round
Rubio and other senators have been trying to pass the federal legislation needed to allow Florida’s 2018 law to actually change the state to daylight saving time. If the bill passes it would apply to the states who currently participate in daylight saving time, which most states observe for eight months out of the year. Rubio and Scott introduced legislation last year citing the coronavirus pandemic as one reason why daylight saving time would be beneficial. The push to make daylight saving time permanent across the country does have support beyond politicians. AdDr. Daliah Wachs, a family medicine physician, says that one-hour time difference of daylight saving causes a spike in car crashes, workplace injuries, heart issues, fertility issues and depression.
Florida GOP outlines $100M+ plan to tackle climate change
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Low-lying Florida, surrounded by the sea, is one of the most vulnerable U.S. states to ocean level rise driven by climate change. House Speaker Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, said at a news conference that measures in the upcoming session of the Legislature would address flooding and sea level rise. They include:$100 million a year from 2022-23 to deal with sea level rise and flooding. A grant program providing money to local governments for the costs of planning and dealing with sea level rise. We must adapt to rising seas but, we also must lower the heat and rising temperatures causing seas to rise,” she said.
Gov. DeSantis among Florida lawmakers speaking at CPAC in Orange County
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – When the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, comes to Orange County, Florida’s governor will be making an appearance. Ron DeSantis now appears among the long list of speakers for the conservative event set to take place at the Hyatt Regency near the Orange County Convention Center Feb. 25-28. [TRENDING: Plan to track COVID-19 variant | NASA prepares to land Mars rover | REWATCH: Town hall on race, obstacles, opportunities]AdDeSantis is not the only GOP Florida lawmaker set to speak at CPAC. CPAC, which has been running since 1974, is normally held in the Washington, D.C. area. This will be the first time the convention will be held in Central Florida.
Senators introduce school safety act nearly 3 years after Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting
Sorrow is reverberating across the country Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021, as Americans joined a Florida community in remembering the 17 lives lost three years ago in the Parkland school shooting massacre. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)Three U.S. senators have introduced a school safety bill named for two of the students killed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting almost three years ago on Feb. 14. Senators Rick Scott, Marco Rubio, of Florida, and Sen. Ron Johnson, of Wisconsin, introduced the Luke and Alex School Safety Act of 2021. “The Luke and Alex School Safety Act will ensure that the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse remains a resource our schools can access in the future. AdJohnson introduced the Luke and Alex School Safety Act of 2019 to create the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse.
Donor backlash fuels GOP alarm about Senate fundraising
The GOP already faces a difficult Senate map in 2022, when 14 Democratic-held seats and 20 Republican ones will be on the ballot. That includes at least two open seats that Republicans will be defending because of the retirements of GOP Sens. One of those lawmakers, Florida Sen. Rick Scott, is the new chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, a post that makes him the public face of the Senate Republican fundraising efforts. But two senior Republican strategists involved in Senate races say the cumulative effect of the companies' decisions could have a bigger impact. That puts more pressure on the NRSC and the leading Senate Republican outside group, Senate Leadership Fund, to cover the difference.
Florida adds 24,000 jobless claims as Trump ponders relief bill
Congress passed the long-sought $900 billion COVID-19 relief package this week, teeing it up for action by Trump. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Labor on Wednesday estimated that another 24,000 first-time jobless claims were filed in Florida last week, close to the state average for more than a month. DeSantis said it could take weeks for the state to fully grasp all of the Florida-related benefits in the package. On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Labor estimated that 24,092 claims were made in Florida the week ending Dec. 19. However, the federal agency initially put the state’s new claims for the week of Dec. 12 at 21,780.
Florida disciplines teacher for threatening to ‘call immigration’ on students
(Photo by CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP via Getty Images)BOCA RATON, Fla. – A former Florida middle school teacher has been banned from teaching in the state until at least next summer after being accused of making disparaging and anti-immigrant comments to students. The Education Practices Commission suspended the license of Susan Oyer, 54, last week for remarks she made to students at Boca Raton Middle School, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported. She worked for the Palm Beach County school district from 1998 until last spring. The district began investigating in October 2019, after Boca Middle School Principal Peter Slack reported that parents were complaining about Oyer’s comments. A district report said students and parents found the teacher's comments “offensive, insulting or embarrassing.”It was not the first time Oyer has been accused of inappropriate comments, the newspaper reported.
US gives Florida wider authority over wetland development
Florida accounts for about a fifth of the country’s wetlands and includes the Everglades, among the state’s most important environmental jewels. “The fact is that Florida’s proposed program to take over wetlands permitting doesn’t comply with federal environmental laws,” she said. Florida becomes the third state to gain broader permitting authority of wetlands under the federal Clean Water Act. Florida's request to gain sole permitting authority was launched under the administration of Gov. Ron DeSantis, also a Republican, took on that mantle and earlier this year formally petitioned the federal government to transfer that authority.
Orlando International Airport expects 90,000 passengers to pass through on Sunday after Thanksgiving
[TRENDING: Gov: Vaccine coming to Florida ‘relatively soon’ | CDC: Avoid Thanksgiving travel | Georgia presidential race recount results]Senator Scott released a statement that said in part, “As we approach Thanksgiving, we know this holiday will be different this year. Orlando International Airport said that it expects about 90,000 passengers to pass through on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Airport officials also add there are still flight restrictions for the European Union and parts of Brazil. “Last year, people would start booking for Thanksgiving well in advance because it would be a heavy travel day. If you do gather with family outside of your household for Thanksgiving, the CDC advises people to eat outdoors, keep social distancing, and wear a mask when not eating.
Florida's Sen. Scott has coronavirus, 'very mild symptoms'
Scott, 67, has been quarantining at home all week after coming into contact in Florida on Nov. 13 with someone who subsequently tested positive. Scott, a Republican, said he was “feeling good” despite the mild symptoms and would be working at his home in Naples. “I want to remind everyone to be careful and do the right things to protect yourselves and others,” Scott said in a statement. House members could be regularly tested in the Capitol starting this week, but there is still no testing protocol for senators. The absence Scott and Grassley on Tuesday helped Democrats block the nomination of Judy Shelton, Trump’s controversial pick for the Federal Reserve.
Sen. Rick Scott tests positive for COVID-19
WASHINGTON – Sen. Rick Scott has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a news release from his office. [TRENDING: Gov: Vaccine coming to Florida ‘relatively soon’ | CDC: Avoid Thanksgiving travel | Georgia presidential race recount results]According to the release, Scott tested negative for COVID-19 multiple times since learning of his exposure but received a positive result back Friday from a PCR test he took on Tuesday. I will be working from home in Naples until it is safe for me to return to Washington, D.C. I want to remind everyone to be careful and do the right things to protect yourselves and others. Quarantine if you come in contact with someone positive like I did,” Scott said.
Too soon? Georgia draws next class of White House hopefuls
Georgia would like a few moments of presidential campaign time. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas senator widely viewed as having presidential ambitions, will campaign in central Georgia on Friday. Meanwhile, Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley has sent a flurry of fundraising emails coaxing rank-and-file Republicans to bankroll the Georgia runoff campaigns. That popularity makes it politically risky for Republicans with White House ambitions to call out Trump’s falsehoods. On Cotton’s future plans, Colas said, “The senator remains focused on 2020.”For Democrats, there’s less future presidential intrigue to blend into the Georgia campaign.
‘Imma shoot them:’ Florida woman accused of threatening DeSantis, Rubio, Scott
Karen Jones, 55, was arrested at her South Florida home last Saturday. She is facing three charges of making written threats to kill or do bodily harm to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.S. senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, according to an arrest report. Jones posted on Twitter last week, “DeSantis, Rick Scott and Marco Rubio are looting my state. Imma shoot them," according to the arrest report.
Sen. Rick Scott quarantines again after contact with COVID-19 patient
Sen. Rick Scott announced on Twitter Saturday afternoon that he would be entering self-quarantine because he learned that he recently came into contact with someone who has since tested positive for COVID-19. Scott said he was in contact with the person Friday night after arriving in Florida and later learned that person was infected. [TRENDING: Gregory Edwards video released | SpaceX Crew-1 launch delayed until Sunday | Fatal Orange County crash]The former governor said he took a coronavirus test Saturday morning that came back negative. He added that he has no symptoms but is choosing to quarantine out of an abundance of caution. In March, when the state first began reporting COVID-19 cases, Scott decided to enter self-quarantine after attending an event in Miami with a Brazilian Embassy member who tested positive.