Jay Collins to pitch senior protection programs in Monday news conference

Lt. Gov. Jay Collins is holding a news conference Monday to detail his agenda on delivering affordability to Florida seniors as part of his campaign for Governor.

Collins said he plans to outline his “Live Florida” initiative during the news conference set for 10 a.m. in Lady Lake. He’s holding the media gathering at McCall’s Tavern on Alverez Ave.

The initiative focuses on developing a plan to help seniors across the state remain financially secure and independent heading into their golden years. He plans to address the broad issues facing the increasing population of seniors in Florida.

Collins will also outline his approach to reducing elderly fraud and cybersecurity threats targeting retirees. He’ll also detail proposals to increase consumer protections and public safety measures that would protect seniors and their quality of life.

Collins has noted seniors are acutely being impacted by rising housing costs, insurance, healthcare and many daily living expenses.

He’s been at the forefront of senior protections before in his post as Lt. Governor. In November he helped launch Operation Senior Shield, an initiative to help seniors stay ahead of scammers in the Sunshine State.

“Senior Shield provides timely text and email alerts, so older adults and caregivers can stay ahead of scammers,” Collins said at a launch event in Jacksonville last year.

“We’re going to make you hard targets. You have to have the information to understand what’s going on. When a new threat appears, Floridians will know about it before the scammers get to their door, their inbox, or their phone. That’s how we keep you alert, keep you informed and secure.”

The Republican lieutenant to Ron DeSantis faces stiff competition for the GOP Primary Election Aug. 18. He acknowledged he has steep odds in that race against U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds who is the frontrunner in the party contest.

“You can’t hide in the shadows. You can’t pull a Biden and hide in a corner behind your couch in the basement. You’ve got to come out and debate, and I’m very frustrated that Byron Donalds is unwilling to do that. I think he’s got to stand up and show up. If you’re that far ahead, then what are you scared of? Step up, communicate, show up at a debate stage,” Collins said during an appearance on “Sunday Morning Futures” on Fox News.

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A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics contributed to this report.