Mayfield Minute 12/1/24

Dec 1 2024

Mayfield Minute 12/1/24

Good Morning!

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

On Sunday, December 7th, 1941, at approximately 8:00 a.m., the nation of Japan launched an unexpected and devastating air attack on the United States Pearl Harbor Naval Base on Oahu, Hawaii. More than 2,300 Americans were killed in the attack, including 49 civilians. Over 300 American aircraft and 20 naval vessels were either damaged or destroyed.

The following day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan in a memorable six-hour speech to a joint session of the United States Senate and the House of Representatives.

“Yesterday, December 7th, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan,” declared President Roosevelt.

Congress approved the request and Japan’s unprovoked attack on Pearl Harbor catapulted the United States into a global conflict. U.S. forces fought directly in WWII for three years, eight months and seven days from the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the signing of Japan’s surrender documents aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.

This Saturday, December 7th will mark the 83rd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor which changed our nation forever. It is important that we take time each year to remember and give honor to those we lost.

For more information regarding the attack on Pearl Harbor, click here.

I consider it a great honor to represent House District 32. 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 temporary office number at (321) 312-0124. My staff and I are here to serve you!

Statewide Update

Hope for The Holidays Toy Drive

Hope Florida and the Department of Children and Families are holding the second annual Hope for the Holidays toy drive. The toy drive is completely digital this year. Toys are available for purchase and donation online at this link. Donations will be accepted until December 13th.

The donated toys will be wrapped and delivered to families in need throughout December.

To read the full press release, click here.

2024 Holiday Consumer Protection Guide.

Some of the busiest times for online transactions this year are predicted to be December second and third for Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday. The Attorney General released a Holiday Consumer Protection Guide, which includes some helpful tips to ensure you are shopping and donating safely this week and throughout this year’s holiday season.

1. Scrutinize deals that seem too good to be true. Unfamiliar merchants or unusually low prices may signal counterfeit or stolen goods.

2. Use credit cards over cash or debit cards. Credit cards offer better consumer protections in the event of fraud.

3. Stay cautious with credit and coupon offers. Be wary of discounts tied to opening new accounts, which may require divulging sensitive information.

4. Monitor financial accounts closely. Regularly check your bank and credit accounts for unauthorized transactions and report suspicious activity immediately.

5. Research charities before donating. Verify organizations through reliable sources such as the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance or Charity Watch.

6. Protect your deliveries. Use secure delivery options or package lockers to avoid becoming a victim of porch pirates.

To view the full preguide, click here.

Florida Holiday Money Hunt

The Department of Financial Services’ Division of Unclaimed Property launched the 2024 Holiday Money Hunt. This initiative is designed to remind Floridians to search the Florida Treasure Hunt website to learn if they, or their business, have unclaimed property in the state’s possession.

Currently, Florida’s unclaimed property account is valued at more than $3 billion. More than a half billion dollars of unclaimed property is in the Central Florida region alone. Cl ick here to find out if you have unclaimed property.

To read the full press release, click here.

Agency Highlight

The Florida Legislature

The Florida Legislature is the state’s law-making body. The legislature’s structure and functions are defined in Article III of the Florida Constitution. The legislature is bicameral, which means that it is composed of two equal chambers: the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate.

Every Floridian is represented in the Florida legislature by both a Senator and a Representative. Each year the legislature considers a wide variety of bills. The only duty that is statutorily required of the legislature is to pass a balanced budget each year.

The Florida House of Representatives has 120 members who are elected to serve 2-year terms. Each member represents a district of approximately 179,485 constituents. The Florida Senate has 40 members, who are elected for 4-year terms to represent districts of approximately 538,455 constituents.

The presiding officer of each chamber is elected among the members during the Organization Session, which is held fourteen days after a general election. The Senate is led by the Senate President and the House is led by the Speaker of the House. For the 2024-2026 term the Senate is being led by President Ben Albritton, and the House is being led by Speaker Daniel Perez.

In addition to the elected legislators and their personal staff, both chambers have support offices which are critical to the execution of their legislative functions. Both chambers have a Sergeant at Arms, IT Offices, Administrative Offices, and committee support staff. Both chambers have a nonmember administrative officer that acts as the parliamentarian and oversees the records, calendar, and the drafting of bills. In the House this position is held by the Clerk of the House and in the Senate it is held by the Senate Secretary.

The legislature convenes for sixty days once a year for a regular legislative session at the State’s Capitol (400 S Monroe St, Tallahassee). In even numbered years the session begins in January and in odd-numbered years it begins in March. The legislative process involves preparing a state budget, committee hearings, debates, and votes on proposed laws.

Outside of the annual sixty day session, special legislative sessions may be called by the governor, by a joint proclamation of the Senate president and House speaker, or by a three-fifths vote of all legislators. During any special session, the Legislature may only address legislative business that is within the purview of the purpose, or purposes, stated in the special session proclamation.

Each year, the proposed budget must be agreed upon by both the Senate and the House. Once an identical version is passed in both chambers, it is sent to the governor for his approval. The governor has the option to sign or veto the budget in its entirety, or he canexercise his authority to line-item vetoes. A two-thirds majority of both chambers is required to overturn budget items vetoed by the governor. Legislation that is proposed during the legislative session undergoes the same process.

To learn more about the Florida House of Representatives, click here. To learn more about the Florida Senate, click here.

Constituent of the Week

Jeannette Jarnes

This week we are honored to feature Jeannette Jarnes, as our Constituent of the Week. Mrs. Jarnes is a local entrepreneur and dedicated nonprofit leader.

Since permanently relocating with her family from Orlando to the Eau Gallie area, she has become an invaluable member of the community.

She and her husband Larry Jarnes are the owners of the Relentless brand which includes Northboro Builders, Relentless Real Estate, Relentless Title and more. The Jarnes family have been instrumental in several revitalization projects for the Eau Gallie Arts District.

Mrs. Jarnes’ most exciting new venture comes from her love of horses and a desire to share that love with the community around her. Her vision became a reality with the purchase of an existing farm off Lake Washington Road, which was converted into the Relentless Equestrian Stables in 2021.

The stable offers traditional equestrian services such as boarding and riding lessons as well as innovative services like horse leasing. The leasing concept provides accessibility to equestrian sports for those who otherwise would be unable to afford to participate.

The Relentless Equestrian Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the stables, aims to “ensure that every child, veteran, and individual facing mental health challenges finds a safe space filled with love, joy, and acceptance”.

Mrs. Jarnes worked with Dr. Michele Leone, a local psychiatrist and licensed mental health counselor, to develop their equine therapy program. Participants spend time connecting with the horses as they heal and grow through the program. In addition to horses, the property is a safe space for many previously neglected animals including dogs, pigs, goats, and alpacas.

The equestrian center is not the only way Mrs. Jarnes serves the community, she has been involved with several other local nonprofits. Notably in 2020, she joined the Board of Directors for Space Coast Habitat for Humanity.

Habitat for Humanity fights homelessness by building and improving homes in partnership with individuals and families in need of a decent and affordable place to live. Currently, Mrs. Jarnes serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors.

On behalf of House District 32, It is an honor to highlight Mrs. Jarnes for her dedication to providing support for Melbourne’s most vulnerable residents.

District Highlights

Grant for Military Infrastructure Support

Governor Ron DeSantis recently awarded $106,500 to the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast. This award was part of the $2.1 million Defense Reinvestment Grant Program to support military infrastructure.

The funds will be used to develop a Wastewater Treatment Plant Phase 3 plan for Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to include targeted funding resources for infrastructure improvement.

To read the full press release, click here.

Florida Tech Receives Grant for AI Research

Florida Tech has received a $2.3 million award to expand its high-performance artificial intelligence (AI) computing cluster. The funding comes from the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

This funding will enable the school to develop large-scale AI applications in diverse areas such as healthcare, defense, cybersecurity, business analytics and social sciences.

To learn more about the grant, click here.

Brevard High Schools Ranked in Top 10

The U.S. News & World Report published their annual list of the best Public High Schools in Florida. Two Brevard Public Schools were featured in the top 10.

Westshore Junior/Senior High School in Melbourne was ranked third in the state and Edgewood Junior/Senior High School in Merritt Island was ranked sixth.

Metrics considered for the rankings include College Readiness, State Assessment Performance, Underserved Student Performance, College Curriculum Breadth, and 4-Year Graduation Rate.

Upcoming Events

BCSO Reverse Christmas Parade

Brevard County Sheriff’s Offices is hosting their annual Reverse Christmas Parade on Monday, December 2nd. The parade’s first stop will be in Titusville at 9:00 AM and make its final stop in Palm Bay at 6:45 PM. At each stop, citizens line the streets to give new, unwrapped toys, to Law Enforcement Officers for those in need.

For additional information on the event and for a full schedule of the nine stops throughout the county, click here.

Countdown to Christmas Concert

The Melbourne Municipal Band’s 321 Jazz Orchestra is hosting a Christmas concert at 7:00 PM on Thursday December 5th. The event will be held at the Melbourne Auditorium (625 E Hibiscus Blvd, Melbourne). Like all Melbourne Municipal Band events, this concert is free to attend.

For more information, click here.

Holiday Light Parade

The City of Palm Bay is hosting their annual Holiday Light Parade on Saturday, December 7th at 6:00 PM. The parade will feature decorated floats as well as high school marching bands and cheer teams.

The parade route begins at the Palm Bay campus of Eastern Florida State College (250 Community College Pkwy SE, Palm Bay) and ends at Palm Bay City Hall (120 Malabar Rd SW, Palm Bay.

For more information, click here.

Candlelight Shopping

Melbourne Mainstreet is hosting candlelight shopping events in Downtown Melbourne from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM each Saturday between November 30th and Christmas. The event includes new attractions each week.

This Saturday, December 5th, attractions include live music, photos with the grinch, and a Cookie Crawl. To participate in the Cookie Crawl, purchase a cookie tin ahead online for $20 and pick it up at Melbourne Mainstreet (2004 Vernon Place, Melbourne) starting at 3:45 PM on the day of the event. Take your cookie tin to participating businesses for a free cookie at each stop.

To purchase your cookie tin and view participating businesses, click here.

Gift of Light

Parrish Medical Center (951 N. Washington Avenue, Titusville) is hosting their annual Gift of Light event on December 5th from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM. There will be fireworks, lighting of a 50’ tree, activities for kids and families, food trucks, and live performances.

The event is free to attend, with the option of donating to place a light on the tree in honor of a loved one. For more information, call (321) 269-4066.

Holiday Boat Parade

Cocoa Village is hosting their 5th annual Holiday Boat Parade beginning at 6:00 PM on December 13th at the Cocoa Riverfront Park (401 Riveredge Blvd, Cocoa). The parade of decorated boats will be free to attend and benefit the Central Brevard Sharing Center.

For more information on attending, or entering the parade as a boat captain, click here.

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