A bill to add language specific to fraud involving gift cards just cleared its final Senate hurdle and is bound for a floor vote beside its lower-chamber companion.

Senators voted 37-0 for SB 1198, which would define gift card fraud in Florida Statutes and establish it as a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and $1,000 in fines.

Gift card fraud, as described in the bill, includes acquiring or retaining gift card or gift card redemption information without proper consent, tampering with a gift card or its packaging and illegally using a card or its info to obtain goods, services or money.

If the value of the ill-gotten goods or services exceeds $750, the crime would become a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison and $5,000 in fines.

In 2023 alone, gift card-related fraud accounted for $217 million of the record $10 billion lost in scams across the U.S., according to Federal Trade Commission data. And there is no shortage of news reports about gift card fraudsters getting caught across the Sunshine State.

“A ‘yes’ vote on this bill will kill the Grinch,” said the bill’s sponsor, St. Augustine Republican Sen. Nick DiCeglie, ahead of the Wednesday floor vote.

Before the vote, DiCeglie amended SB 1198 so its language aligns with its House companion (HB 1007) and provides that law enforcement may aggregate the value of fraudulently obtained goods to determine the degree of the offense.

HB 1007, sponsored by St. Augustine Republican Rep. Sam Greco and Coral Springs Democratic Rep. Dan Daley, passed through both of its House committee stops with only “yes” votes.

The Florida Chamber of Commerce, Florida Retail Federation, Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, Associated Industries of Florida, Florida Smart Justice Alliance, AARP and Interactive Communications International support the legislation.

Post Views: 0

Last Call – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.

First Shot

The Senate has passed a budget that includes $50 million in priority funding for farmers, addressing food insecurity.

The funding was included in the Senate’s General Appropriations Act (SB 2500) and was also a priority for Senate President Ben Albritton.

“As I travel the state, attacking food insecurity unites Floridians like nothing else can. Food matters. The fact is no matter how prosperous our state is, unexpected and unplanned things happen that can cause food insecurity for families,” Albritton said.

“That reality resonates with people from all walks and at every stage of life. No one wants their neighbor, especially a child or senior, to go to bed hungry. This initiative is about connecting hungry families with farmers who produce fresh, wholesome food — a much-needed hand-up for families when it matters most.”

Of the $50 million included in the Senate proposed budget, $12 million funds a grant program expanding food banks and pantries serving food-insecure Floridians who are currently disadvantaged by their distant proximity to services. The Food Bank Infrastructure Expansion Grants are administered by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS).

“We are grateful for President Albritton and the leadership’s recognition that investing in food security strengthens both our agricultural community and supports those facing hunger,” Feeding Florida CEO Robin Safley said.

The Department will work with Feeding Florida to identify underserved areas, emphasizing rural communities.

The grant program will also help expand distribution routes, fund new transportation equipment and provide necessary training to onboard food pantry staff.

Another $38 million will go to FDACS to administer Food Bank Operational Grants, which help provide fresh food grown or produced in Florida for hunger relief efforts. The grants can be awarded to associations or organizations coordinating or distributing fresh food products.

Evening Reads

—”The 41 wackiest lines from Donald Trump’s big speech to House Republicans” via Chris Cillizza of So What

—“An experiment in recklessness: Trump as global disrupter” via David E. Sanger of The New York Times

—“Here’s which grocery store items will get more expensive because of tariffs” via Nathaniel Meyersohn of CNN

—“Many lawyers who argue for Trump at Supreme Court are heading for the exit” via Ann E. Marimow of the Washington Post

—“RFK Jr. vowed to upend American health care. It’s happening faster than expected.” via Adam Cancryn of POLITICO

—“Bill Maher says he doesn’t hate Trump: He’s ‘one of the most effective politicians’” via KiMi Robinson of USA Today

—“Ron DeSantis says Florida won’t be ‘immune’ to economic ‘slowdown,’ but the state can ‘weather storms’” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics

—“Hope Florida’s mysterious $10M came from settlement with state’s largest Medicaid operator” via Arek Sarkissian of POLITICO

—“Senate President Ben Albritton floats new tax cut idea amid Session talks” via Brendan Farrington of Florida Politics

—”North Florida leaders rally around Chase Brannan in race for HD 10” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics

—“A ‘flying car’ over Tampa Bay? Yes, it’s real.” via Emily L. Mahoney of the Tampa Bay Times

Quote of the Day

“I’m going to embarrass you on this. There’s no excuse it’s not in this book.” 

— Jimmy Patronis grilling Chief Resilience Officer Wesley Brooks about excluding info about the My Safe Florida Homes program in a storm guide for residents.

Put it on the Tab

Look to your left, then look to your right. If you see one of these people at your happy hour haunt, flag down the bartender and put one of these on your tab. Recipes included, just in case the Cocktail Codex fell into the well.

Mix up a Florida Screwdriver with some vodka and Florida orange juice to celebrate Florida’s farmers getting a sizable budget item to help funnel food to hunger relief organizations.

Members of Florida’s congressional delegation are hoping to avoid a Hurricane as talk grows about shutting down the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Gov. Ron DeSantis, meanwhile, says he’s happy to see the agency go.

Speaking of DeSantis, he’s continuing to take shots at House Republicans he says aren’t conservative enough. But there may be a Chase(r) joining that body soon, with Republican Chase Brannan grinning up support to succeed his father, Rep. Chuck Brannan.

Breakthrough Insights

Tune In

Lightning duel for playoff positioning

With five games remaining in the regular season, the Tampa Bay Lightning have already clinched a playoff spot but continue to battle for the top spot in the Atlantic Division when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight (7 p.m. ET, FanDuel Sports Network Sun).

The Lightning (45-26-6, 96 pts.) trail Toronto by two points in the division standings and sit fourth in the Eastern Conference. Tampa Bay has won five of the last seven games and eight of 12 dating back to March 15.

While the Lightning chase playoff positioning, there is another chase ongoing. Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov trails Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon by one point for the league lead. Kucherov has 34 goals and 81 assists for a total of 115 points. He trails MacKinnon by three assists but has two more goals than the Avalanche center, despite playing six fewer games.

Last season, Kucherov won the Art Ross Trophy for the second time for leading the league in points. He also accomplished the feat in 2019. If Kucherov wins the award again this season, he will join an elite list of players to win the Art Ross Trophy more than twice. The list consists of Wayne Gretzky (10 times), Gordie Howe (six), Mario Lemieux (six), Phil Esposito (five), Jaromir Jagr (five), Connor McDavid (five), Stan Mikita (four), Bobby Hull (three), and Guy Lafleur (three).

After tonight’s game, the Lightning will host Detroit, Buffalo, and Florida before concluding the regular season against the New York Rangers. 

___

Last Call is published by Peter Schorsch, assembled and edited by Phil Ammann and Drew Wilson, with contributions from the staff of Florida Politics.

Post Views: 0

The Senate has passed legislation (SB 1678) penalizing so-called academic boycotts of Israel, which is seen as part of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanction (BDS) movement.

Ahead of the 34-2 vote in favor of the bill, Sen. Tom Leek said the measure “expands and broadens Florida’s stance against antisemitism,” moving from private companies to educational and cultural institutions.

The bill would defend Israel against its opponents in schools and non-governmental agencies, holding that anti-Israeli actions undertaken by “an educational institution, a nonprofit organization, an agency, a local governmental entity or unit thereof, or a foreign government” amount to an “academic boycott.”

It also would mandate cessation of state contracts and grants with those entities on the wrong side of the ideological conflict if they don’t curb the behavior.

Impacted schools or groups would have 90 days to correct noncompliance and be removed from what would be called the “Scrutinized Companies or Other Entities that Boycott Israel List” under this proposal. Otherwise, the state would divest itself of contracts.

Leek said noncompliant entities would have to repay three times the amount of the original grant, and they would be banned from new grants for a decade. No appeal process is contemplated in the bill, and awardees would have to ensure they are “on the right side” of the issue ahead of time.

If the bill is signed as expected by Gov. Ron DeSantis, public funds, such as the State Board of Administration or State University System, cannot invest in identified companies. Additionally, it requires that arts and culture grants not go to support antisemitic work.

The bill would also target agreements, like foreign exchange programs, with foreign universities deemed to be supporting antisemitism.

The companion measure (HB 1519) is ready for a House vote, but the lower chamber likely will pick up the Senate version for consideration.

Post Views: 0