State Senator Debbie Mayfield 03/31/24

Mar 31 2024

State Senator Debbie Mayfield 03/31/24

Good Morning and Happy Easter!

Christ Has Risen; He Has Risen Indeed

Next to the birth of Jesus Christ, Easter Sunday is the most important holiday in the Christian faith. We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on the third day after his crucifixion. Remembering the resurrection of Jesus is a way to renew daily hope that we have victory over sin. It is a time to remember the sacrifices made for us through Jesus’s life and death.

“Do not be afraid…for He is risen” (Matthew 28:5-6). Jesus is with us and gives us his ability to overcome any defeat. The true Christian realizes that he, with Christ, rises above every setback, every obstacle and enters into the true meaning of living.

Easter reminds us of the message of hope, the meaning of life, and the importance of faith. I wish all who celebrate, a blessed Easter surrounded by family and friends.

Please share this link with your friends and family so they too, can sign up for the Mayfield Minute.

If you or someone you know needs my assistance, please do not hesitate to contact my office. My staff and I are here to serve you throughout the completion of my term.

Bill Action by Governor DeSantis

Since the close of the 2024 Legislation Session, 68 bills have been sent to Governor DeSantis, He has signed 46 into law, vetoed two bills, and 20 remain pending his action.

Upon receipt of a bill, the Governor has seven days to sign, veto, or take no action at which point the bill will automatically become law.

Bills signed by Governor DeSantis last week include:

Bills received and pending consideration include:

CS/CS/HB 217 – College Campus Facilities in Areas of Critical State Concern
HB 523 – Florida Seal of Fine Arts Program
CS/CS/HB 883 – Short-acting Bronchodilator Use in Public and Private Schools
HB 7043 – OGSR/Agency Personnel Information
HB 5203 – Property Seized by the Florida Gaming Control Commission
CS/HB 241 – Coverage for Skin Cancer Screenings
CS/HB 85 – Pub. Rec./New State Banks and New State Trust Companies
CS/HB 591 – Hot Car Death Prevention
CS/HB 201 – Emergency Refills of Insulin and Insulin-related Supplies or Equipment
CS/HB 357 – Special Observances
CS/CS/HB 271 – Motor Vehicle Parking on Private Property
CS/CS/SB 66 – Revive Awareness Day
CS/SB 1286 – Return of Weapons and Arms Following an Arrest
SB 832 – Employment of Individuals with Disabilities
CS/SB 7008 – OGSR/Department of the Lottery
CS/SB 676 – Food Delivery Platforms
SB 304 – Household Moving Services
SB 46 – Reading Achievement Initiative for Scholastic Excellence Program
HB 0487 – Lost and Abandoned Property
CS/HB 801 – Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia Training for Law Enforcement Officers

If you have an interest or concern regarding any of the above bills, you can reach out to the Governor’s office directly here or please contact my office at 321-409-2025.

Statewide Update

Governor Signs HB 621 to Combat Squatting Trend

“Squatting” has become a national problem destroying homeowners’ property rights and wreaking havoc in our communities. I’m proud to have been part of the legislature that sent necessary and aggressive legislation (HB 621) to the Governor to end this increasing criminal trend.

Last week Governor DeSantis signed HB 621 Property Rights which provides homeowners remedies against squatters and increases penalties on squatters.

“We are putting an end to the squatters scam in Florida,” said Governor DeSantis. “While other states are siding with the squatters, we are protecting property owners and punishing criminals looking to game the system.”

The legislation allows property owners to request law enforcement to immediately remove a squatter from their property if the following conditions are met:

The individual has unlawfully entered and remains on the property;
The individual has been directed to leave the property by the owner but has not done so; and
The individual is not a current or former tenant in a legal dispute.

The penalties include:

A first-degree misdemeanor for making a false statement in writing to obtain real property or for knowingly and willfully presenting a falsified document conveying property rights;
A second-degree felony for any person who unlawfully occupies or trespasses in a residential dwelling and who intentionally causes $1,000 or more in damages; and
A first-degree felony for knowingly advertising the sale or rent of a residential property without legal authority or ownership.

For more on HB 621, click here.

Florida is Home to the Second Largest Population of Women Veterans

As we close out the month of March, Women’s History Month, I wanted to acknowledge our women Veterans in Florida who have heroically and selflessly served our state and nation.

Our state is home to the second largest population of women Veterans in the nation, with more than 168,000.

We are truly grateful for their service and sacrifice and want to ensure each of our heroes are aware of the full range of federal and state benefits and programs available to them.

The Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs recently appointed a committee to assess the needs of women Veterans in Florida and the availability of their earned Veterans’ benefits,

The executive summary of the committee’s findings can be found here. For direct outreach to the Florida’s State Women Veterans’ Coordinator, Vanessa Thomas, please email her here.

Constituent of the Week

Our Constituent of the Week is Amanda Hernandez.

Ms. Hernandez is the founder of We Pray Brevard, a prayer ministry focused on bringing people together throughout Brevard County to pray for the needs of our community.

We Pray Brevard was established in 2020 after Ms. Hernandez read an article about a prayer event in San Diego which brought together over 16,000 people from the county lining the streets to pray for their community.

With her heart pressed to create a similar experience of unity here on the Space Coast, she led the first We Pray Brevard prayer gathering on August 1, 2020. This one-hour prayer day brought together hundreds of individuals and dozens of churches and ministries who prayed as groups, individually at home, and others traveling and even walking the beaches.

We Pray Brevard continued to organize prayer day events over the next two years throughout Brevard County in partnership with Love INC Brevard. In 2022, Ms. Hernandez was honored to be asked to step in as the next Coordinator for the Space Coast Prayer Breakfast, which was formerly led by Dr. Carol Drake, and is now in it’s 12th year.

The Space Coast Prayer Breakfast is a gathering of Brevard County business leaders, ministry leaders, elected officials, and prayer warriors who come together on The National Day of Prayer for the purpose of praying for our nation, our families, churches, military, and communities.

Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Ms. Hernandez has made Florida her home for the past 18 years. She earned a Bachelor’s of Arts in Aviation Science/Professional Pilot from St. Louis University Parks College. She trained as a Commercial Pilot earning an Instrument and Multiengine rating and worked in aviation for many years.

After expanding her family, she switched gears in her aviation career to stay home with her children and serve in ministry. The transition has allowed her to teach Bible studies in church, answer God’s call to serve on staff with Bible Study Fellowship, and serve as a Hospitality Ministry Leader.

She and her husband, Nathan, have three children, two daughters at home, and their oldest son is stationed overseas serving in the U.S. Air Force.

As we celebrate this Easter weekend in SD 19, may we continue to recognize leaders, like Ms. Hernandez and the We Pray Brevard team as they remind us of the importance of compassionate ministry to others and the sharing of God’s Grace.

District Highlights

State Funding for Brevard County and New Stormwater Rules

Last week, I participated on the Cocoa Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce Legislative Wrap-Up panel with Senator Wright, Representative Altman, Representative Fine, Representative Brackett, and Representative Tramont.

It was a wonderful opportunity to share the Brevard Delegation’s accomplishments during the 2024 Legislative Session. Approximately $478 million of the $117 billion state budget passed by the legislature is designated specifically for projects and programs in Brevard County.

Some of the highlights include:

$298.3 million in FDOT Transportation Work Programs
$60.8 million for Post-Secondary Education
$42.3 million for Early Learning Education
$31 million in Water Projects
$15 million in Local Transportation Projects

To view the entire Brevard County allocation, click here. Please note, all project budget items are subject to Governor DeSantis’ consideration and approval.

Additionally, while serving as Rules Chair of the Florida Senate, I am incredibly proud to have overseen the unanimous ratification of SB 7040 which revises stormwater rules with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

This is a first update to our stormwater rules in 30 years that regulates development permits in stormwater management throughout state. The new rule was a requirement of SB 712 which was passed in 2020. This rule is a result of countless public reviews, hearings, and revisions over the past three years to create standards for measuring and controlling stormwater runoff.

Please contact my office at 321-409-2025 if you would like more information about the state budget allocations for Brevard County or the revised stormwater ratification.

Space Coast Robotics Team 801 Places First in Regional Competition, Earns Invite to World Championship

The Space Coast Robotics Team 801 placed first out of 33 teams at the annual Smoky Mountain Regional competition in Tennessee earning the team a spot at the World Championship competition in Houston April 17th thru April 20th.

Space Coast Robotics was founded in 2001 at Merritt Island High School and has grown significantly over the past two decades. Today, students from Edgewood Jr./Sr. High School, Cocoa Beach Jr./Sr. High School, and homeschooled students throughout Brevard County have joined with Merritt Island High School students as part of Space Coast Robotics Team 801.

The goal of the team is to create a robot that students know inside and out built from the collective efforts of each member of the team. Robotics Team 801 is preparing talented students for future Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math careers on the Space Coast.

For their travel to the World Championship competition, Space Coast Robotics Team 801 is seeking donations. If you are interested in learning more or contributing to their successful trip, click here.

Congratulations to all of the Team 801 students and mentors on this exciting achievement. We wish you great success at the World Championship.

Upcoming Events

Florida’s Two-Day License-Free Freshwater Fishing Begins Next Weekend

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) license-free freshwater fishing weekend will take place on Saturday, April 6th and Sunday, April 7^th.

This 48-hour event opens Florida’s freshwater lakes and rivers temporarily for all without the usual requirement of a fishing license.

“Florida offers an experience seen nowhere else in the world through its abundant fishing opportunities,” said Tom Graef, FWC Director of the Division of Freshwater Fisheries Management. “License-free fishing weekends help residents and visitors alike connect with friends and family while enjoying the nature Florida has to offer,”

For those new to the sport or looking for tips, FWC’s fishing basics web page offers valuable information to get started. Visit www.myfwc.com for resources to learn about fishing locations, boat ramps, and local piers.

Anglers who catch a largemouth bass weighing eight pounds or more can also participate in FWC’s bass fishing recognition program, TrophyCatch, to win prizes.

Keep Brevard Beautiful Community-Wide 2024 Trash Bash

Ten of Brevard County’s cities and municipalities will participate in the Keep Brevard Beautiful Annual 2024 Trash Bash on Saturday, April 6th from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

The mission of Keep Brevard Beautiful is to develop, motivate, educate, and activate community partners to reduce litter, recycle, beautify, and sustain the environment for the benefit of Brevard County.

Each city and municipality participating in the 2024 Trash Bash also competes to organize the most volunteers and remove the most trash for their designated area. This annual event is part of the Great American Cleanup.

The participating cities are:

Melbourne
Malabar
Port Canaveral
Rockledge
Melbourne Beach
Titusville
Cocoa Beach
Cocoa
West Melbourne
Satellite Beach

Each city/municipality welcomes preregistered volunteers and ‘day of’ volunteers. The meeting points for each location and additional information can be found here.

Melbourne Police to Host Special Olympics Torch Run

This year, the Melbourne Police Department will host the Brevard County leg of the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) on Wednesday, April 24th beginning at the Front Street Civic Center in Melbourne.

Chief David Gillespie stated, “We are thrilled to be a part of the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Florida. This exemplifies our commitment to serving and uplifting our community, and we are honored to host this event in the City of Melbourne.”

Members of our community are invited to participate in the City of Melbourne’s leg of the Special Olympics Torch Run and can register by email here or by following the Melbourne Police Department on Facebook.

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and visit my Senate website