Good Morning!

 On Monday, April 8th, a total solar eclipse will take place over the skies of North America The greatest window of visibility in our area is expected from 1:48 p.m. to 4:17 p.m. with the peak time being approximately 3:04 p.m.  

Dr. Yanga Fernandez, Physics Professor at Planetary Sciences Group at UCF clarifies that the event for Florida viewers will be more of a partial solar eclipse, rather than a total solar eclipse. 

“It definitely depends on where in Florida you are. From Orlando, at maximum 58% of the sun’s area will be covered. Another way of saying it is that the moon will make it 65% of the way across the sun’s diameter at maximum. It’s still pretty dramatic,” stated Dr. Fernández. 

There are important precautions to take to protect your eyes, and particularly children’s eyes, while observing the eclipse due to the ultraviolet intensity. 

• Regular sunglasses or polarized sunglasses are not strong enough. You’ll need ‘eclipse specific glasses’ which can be picked up at Brevard County libraries while supplies last. 

• Eclipse glasses may be available for purchase at retailers such as Lowes, Walmart 7-Eleven, Warby Parker in Viera, Staples, Cracker Barrel, and Sonic Drive-In locations.   

If you are unable to view the eclipse, NASA is sending two pilots for an up close view and their journey can be followed here. The next solar eclipse will not occur again for more than 20 years.

I consider it a great honor to represent District 19. 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!

Bill Action by Governor DeSantis

 Since the close of the 2024 Legislation Session, 92 bills have been sent to Governor DeSantis. He has signed 63 into law, vetoed two bills, and 27 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:

HB 5203 – Property Seized by the Florida Gaming Control Commission

HB 7043 – A Review Under the Open Government Sunset Review Act

CS/CS/HB 883 – Short-acting Bronchodilator Use in Public and Private Schools

HB 523 – Florida Seal of Fine Arts Program

CS/CS/HB 217 – College Campus Facilities in Areas of Critical State Concern

CS/HB 801 – Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia Training for Law Enforcement and Correctional Officers

CS/CS/HB 1491 – Public Records

SB 46 – Reading Achievement Initiative for Scholastic Excellence Program

SB 304 – Household Moving Services

CS/SB 7008 – A Review Under the Open Government Sunset Review Act

CS/SB 676 – Food Delivery Platforms

CS/CS/SC/HB 1301 – Department of Transportation

CS/HB 85 – Pub. Rec./New State Banks and New State Trust Companies

CS/HB 241 – Coverage for Skin Cancer Screenings

CS/CS/HB 271 – Motor Vehicle Parking on Private Property

CS/HB 357 – Special Observances

CS/HB 591 – Hot Car Death Prevention

CS/SB 1638 – Funding for Environmental Resource Management

SB 7080 – Trust Funds/Indian Gaming Revenue Clear Trust Fund/Department of Financial Services

CS/SB 1286 – Return of Weapons and Arms Following an Arrest

SB 832 – Employment of Individuals with Disabilities

Bills received and pending consideration include:

CS/HB 201 – Emergency Refills of Insulin and Insulin-related Supplies or Equipment

CS/CS/SB 66 – Revive Awareness Day

HB 0113 – Tax Collections and Sales

HB 0135 – Voter Registration Applications

HB 0151 – Florida Retirement System

SB 0276 – Review of Advisory Bodies

HB 0353 – Alternative Headquarters for District Court Judges

HB 0433 – Employment Regulations

SB 0478 – Designation of Eligible Telecommunications Carriers

HB 0537 – Student Achievement

SB 0544 – Swimming Lesson Voucher Program

SB 0592 – Historical Preservation Programs

HB 0623 – Builder Warranties

HB 0709 – In-store Servicing of Alcoholic Beverages

HB 0781 – Unsolicited Proposals for Public-private Partnerships

HB 0813 – Certified Public Accountants

HB 0937 – Purple Alert

SB 0958 – Local Government Employees

SB 0968 – Spaceport Territory

SB 1090 – Unauthorized Sale of Alcoholic Beverages

HB 1131 – Online Sting Operations Grant Program

HB 1147 – Broadband

HB 1227 – Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day

HB 1337 – Department of Corrections

HB 1555 – Cybersecurity

HB 7011 – Inactive Special Districts

SB 0718 – Exposures of First Responders to Fentanyl and Fentanyl Analogs

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 DeSantis and Cabinet Approve Largest Investment in Decades for Conservation Land

Last week, Governor DeSantis and the Cabinet approved an investment to protect nearly 28,000 acres of Florida’s natural lands, including the first acquisition within the Caloosahatchee-Big Cypress Corridor, an important Everglades and panther habitat.

“Florida continues to lead the way in land conservation and protecting our natural resources,” said Governor DeSantis. “These protections will further protect our natural lands for Florida’s families to enjoy for generations to come.”

Since 2019, the Florida Legislature has committed more than $1.25 billion to the Florida Forever Program, including $100 million in recurring annual funding. This consistent funding has enabled the FL Department of Environmental Protection to acquire over 220,000 acres for conservation, 90% the acreage is within the Florida Wildlife Corridor.

Additional approval was provided for the acquisition of more than 8,000 acres of working agricultural and conservation lands through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. This includes over 3,000 acres within the Heart Bar Ranch, a working cattle ranch since 1847 operated by 5th and 6th generation Florida farmers.

The Governor and the Cabinet also approved the Florida Forever Priority List which includes 128 projects containing more than 2.1 million acres.

More information on today’s conservations can be found here.

Voters Will See Four Legislative Initiatives and Two Citizens Initiatives to Amend the State Constitution on the November Ballot

Floridians will see six constitutional amendments on their ballots for their approval this November. The state Supreme Court approved two citizens’ initiatives last week regarding abortion rights and the recreational use of marijuana. The remaining four proposed amendments were approved by the Florida Legislature. Passage of each proposalrequires 60 percent of voter support.

Proposed Constitutional Amendments:

Abortion: (Citizens’ Initiative) In summary, the proposed constitutional amendment states that no law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.

Campaign money: The legislature approved placing the campaign money issue on the ballot to repeal ‘a program that offers state matching funds to gubernatorial and state Cabinet candidates.’ The issue dates back to 1998 when the initiative was created. Attempts to repeal the measure have failed over time.

Fishing and hunting: Voters will determine whether to preserve the rights to fish and hunt in the state Constitution. In summary, the proposal says hunting and fishing ‘shall be preserved forever as a public right and preferred means of responsibly managing and controlling fish and wildlife.’

Marijuana: (Citizens’ Initiative) Eight years after voters approved a constitutional amendment that broadly allowed medical marijuana, in November recreational use of marijuana will be on the ballot. The initiative allows people ages 21+ to ‘possess, purchase, or use marijuana products and marijuana accessories for non-medical personal consumption.’

Property taxes: Homeowners could receive slightly larger property-tax breaks if voters approve a constitutional amendment. The proposal adjusts part of the homestead property-tax exemption for inflation. Homeowners receive tax exemptions on the assessed values of their property up to $25,000 and on the values between $50,000 and $75,000. The proposal would require adjusting for inflation the exempt portion currently between $50,000 and $75,000.

School board elections: On the November ballot, voters will decide whether to hold partisan school-board elections. Voters passed an amendment in 1998 to make school board elections non-partisan; recently the legislature placed a measure on this year’s ballot that would return to partisan races starting in 2026. 

For more information on the Constitutional Ballot Initiatives, please reach out to the Supervisor of Elections here or contact my office for assistance at 321-409-2025.

Over 200 Americans Rescued from Haiti by the State of Florida

Since the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s first state coordinated rescue flight on March 20th, a total of 220 Americans have been successfully evacuated from Haiti to Florida.

“When Floridians and other Americans are in need, the State of Florida acts,” said Governor DeSantis. “I’m pleased to announce that we’ve been able to successfully rescue more than 200 Floridians and other Americans from Haiti. Even when the federal government fails to act, Florida will always step up.”

Floridians make up over 95% of the Americans that the state has evacuated from Haiti at no expense to those who were rescued.

For more information, click here.

Governor DeSantis Announces Road Projects and Congestion Relief Initiatives 10–20 Years Ahead of Schedule

Last week, Governor DeSantis signed House Bill 1301 and announced expedited construction timelines for several “Moving Florida Forward” infrastructure projects, including the widening of I-4 in Osceola and Polk counties. 

The I-4 Moving Florida Forward projects will be constructed in segments to widen 14.7 miles of I-4 in Osceola and Polk counties from six to 10 lanes, and add express lanes to reduce traffic congestion, and to widen road shoulders for emergency situations. 

“Under my watch, Florida’s Department of Transportation will be solely focused on transporting people, unlike the federal government’s politicization of our national Department of Transportation,” said Governor DeSantis. “And because of this approach, Florida’s major transportation upgrades are fully funded and ahead of schedule, by decades.” 

House Bill 1301 provides FDOT the remaining authority to complete the Moving Florida Forward Infrastructure Initiative. Additionally, the bill fortifies Florida’s transportation priorities in state law to focus on reducing congestion, supporting the supply chain, promoting Florida’s quality of life, and spending transportation dollars wisely.

More information on the projects announced last week, can be found here.

Constituent of the Week

  Mr. Jim Barfield

Our Constituent of the Week is Mr. Jim Barfield, Retired CEO, President, and Co-founder of Luke & Associates.   

Mr. Barfield moved to Rockledge from Georgia with his family in 1962. His distinguished work ethic began early, at age 11, where his first job was delivering the Cocoa Tribune newspaper. While in high school, he worked as a janitor for the Brevard County Health Department which propelled his interest in environmental and public health with guidance from the Medical Director at the time.  

He completed one year at Brevard Community College (EFSC) before transferring to East Tennessee State University where he received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Environmental Health in 1980. He later earned his Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of South Florida.

Mr. Barfield’s first job after college was with the Brevard County Health Department as a sanitarian (health inspector) in Environmental Health. Next, during the early days of the space shuttle program, Mr. Barfield took a position at KSC in environmental health and safety. His responsibilities included monitoring the workplace protections specifically for employees working with launch processing operations and performing analysis of payloads to be deployed in space. 

Additionally, Mr. Barfield worked for Bechtel Corporation where he focused on remediation of superfund-designated hazardous waste dumps and expanding the company’s aerospace business line. In 1994, he established Barfield & Associates to perform business development consulting services to small and large companies seeking government and commercial contracts. 

In 2004, Mr. Barfield and his business partner, Rich Hall founded Luke & Associates, Inc. (Luke) to staff military medical treatment facilities worldwide in non-combat zones. Luke’s first contract award was in the amount of $1.9 billion to provide clinical support services for the U.S. Air Force and was quickly followed by similar contracts with the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and the Veterans Administration. Under Mr. Barfield’s leadership, the company has earned many national recognitions and hired more than 7,000 health care workers.

From 2014 to 2018, Mr. Barfield served on the Brevard County Commission where he prioritized major issues such as post-shuttle economic development, the Indian River Lagoon, hurricane preparedness and recovery, and community services. 

Mr. Barfield retired in 2023, yet he remains on many boards serving in leadership roles for Junior Achievement of the Space Coast, Cocoa Beach Regional Chamber Foundation, Brevard Zoo, Family Promise of Brevard, the Space Coast Economic Development Commission, and several more. 

Mr. Barfield resides in Brevard County with his wife of 44 years, Darleen, an OB/GYN Nurse Practitioner. They have two sons and seven grandchildren. 

District 19 is tremendously appreciative of Mr. Barfield’s decades of service in both the public and private sectors, and for the contributions he and his family continue to make in our community.

District Highlights

First Medical School in Brevard County Set to Open in July

The Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine (BCOM) will open on Florida Institute of Technology’s campus in Melbourne in July with an inaugural class of 100 osteopathic physician students. 

According to BCOM officials, over the past three years, more than three dozen BCOM students have participated in clinical work at local hospitals, and based on that success, they decided to bring a medical school to Florida.

Statistics show students are more likely to remain in the state where they complete their four-year medical degree and their residency training.

“You are 78.8% likely to stay in that state, and in the state of Florida, in Brevard County, we need physicians, so that’s very exciting for Brevard County,” says Dr. Doris Newman, Burrell College Florida campus dean.

BCOM’s original campus is located in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The College has graduated over 500 doctors since 2020.

For more information, click here.

The City of Melbourne Beach Police Department Welcomes a New Police Chief

Former Palm Bay Police Commander, Tim Zander, will replace retiring Chief Melanie Griswold. While Chief Zander is new to the position, he is not new to the profession.

He is a 24-year veteran law enforcement officer of the Palm Bay Police Department serving as a Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer, Honor Guard, Special Investigations Agent, Field Training Sergeant, Special Investigations Sergeant, Patrol Lieutenant, Uniform Services Division Captain, Investigations Division Commander, and Support Services Division Commander.

We wish Chief Zander great success in his new position and congratulate Chief Griswold on her retirement. 

Upcoming Events

Botanical Fest in Downtown Melbourne

The popular annual Botanical Fest in Downtown Melbourne will take place on Saturday, April 13th from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The event is an opportunity to celebrate the flora and fragrance of the Botanical Fest and shop local as vendors line the streets with food, drinks, plants, and arts/crafts available for purchase.

For more information, click here.

EFSC to Host Three Bachelor’s Degree Virtual Information Sessions Starting April 23rd

Eastern Florida State College will host three Bachelor’s degree information sessions on Tuesday, April 23rd, Wednesday, April 24th, and Thursday, April 25th from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. via Microsoft Teams.

The areas of specialization for each session will be:

• April 23: Nursing and Health Sciences
• April 24: Computer Science
• April 25: Business

The sessions are free of charge and will provide opportunities for perspective students and parents to ask questions of the guest speakers. 

Participants will need to register for the virtual information sessions here, and then a link will be provided.  Summer and Fall 2024 enrollment information is available here.

Helping Hands Family Festival

The Helping Hands Family Festival will take place on Saturday, April 27th at the Space Coast Harley Davidson (1440 Sportsman Lane) in Palm Bay, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The event is sponsored by Angels Bridging Gaps, Inc. and ABGworks, Inc. and serves to provide support, employment, enrichment, and resources for individuals living with Autism and other Autism spectrum related disabilities, and their caregivers.

New events this year include karate, cheerleading, gymnastics, dance demonstrations for children, K-9 demonstrations, zoo animals, pet adoptions, bounce houses, the Big Red Bus, live music, emergency vehicles from the Palm Bay police department and the Brevard County Fire Rescue, in addition to a variety of food truck, and ‘kid entrepreneur’ vendors.

For more information, call 321-324-1643 or send an email.

Contact Information

Melbourne Office 

900 East Strawbridge Avenue

Melbourne, FL 32901

(321) 409-2025

Tallahassee Office

400 Senate Office Building

404 South Monroe Street

Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100

(850) 487-5019

Staff:

Yvette Campbell

Kelli Lane

Ian Nolan

Samantha Scaringe