June 11, 2023 - Mayfield Minute - Celebrating Flag Day

Mayfield Minute - June 11, 2023 - Celebrating Flag Day

Good Morning!

This Wednesday June 14th, we celebrate National Flag Day. The history of National Flag Day dates back to a proclamation by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777. The resolution was made following the report of a special committee which suggested that the United States of America's flag design "shall be of thirteen stripes of alternate red and white, with a union of thirteen stars of white in a blue field, representing the colonies." The new U.S. flag was first carried into battle on September 11, 1777 in the Battle of the Brandywine during the American Revolutionary War.

In 1916 President Wilson and in 1927 President Coolidge issued proclamations calling for June 14th to be observed nationwide as National Flag Day. On August 3, 1949, Congress approved the national observance and President Harry Truman signed a law declaring June 14th as National Flag Day.

For more information on the history of the U.S. Army birthday, click here.

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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!

Statewide Update

AG Moody Kicks Off "Idle Time" Summer Series to Protect Kids from Illicit Drugs

Last week, Attorney General Moody launched Idle Time: A Summer Safety Series to issue warnings against dangerous illicit drugs like rainbow Fentanyl, Nitazenes, and Xylazine. The program is designed to help parents safeguard their children as summer approaches and children have more free time.

“With millions of Florida students on summer break, how they spend their free time will be extremely important when it comes to their safety,” said Attorney General Moody.

She went on to say that from digital drug dealers to online predators, danger is only a few clicks or direct messages away.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 110,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2022, mostly driven by illicit Fentanyl.

Attorney General Moody offers the following tips for parents:

Make clear rules and consequences for children;
Keep it age-appropriate—a drug talk with a child in middle school will be quite different from one with a high schooler or college student;
Talk about how dangerous addiction is and how just one pill can kill;
Reassure children that they are free to talk about the subject at home because keeping an open conversation is a healthy way to build trust;
Learn to recognize the potential signs of drug impairment and know the proper steps to take if you suspect your child is using drugs; and
Lock up medications, including cough syrups, at all times keeping it out of reach and sight of children, young adults and visitors, and safely dispose of unused/unwanted prescriptions.

Click here for more resources from AG's Moody's "Idle Time" Dose of Reality program.

Governor DeSantis Signed the Digital Bill of Rights for Floridians

Last week Governor DeSantis signed Senate Bill (SB) 262 creating the Digital Bill of Rights. The legislation requires Google and other large search engines to disclose whether they prioritize search results based on political ideology. Additionally, SB 262 prevents government-led censorship by prohibiting state or local government employees from colluding with Big Tech companies to censor protected speech.

“Floridians should have the right to control their own personal data,” said Governor DeSantis. “If a multibillion-dollar company is conspiring to take your data and sell it or use it against you, it is your right to be able to protect that data. No longer will the Big Tech oligarchs be able to commandeer your personal information and deprive you of the right to access, confirm, or delete that data as you wish.”

The newly created Digital Bill of Rights includes:

The right to control personal data, including the right to confirm, access, and delete your personal data from a social platform;
The right to know that your personal data will not be used against you when purchasing a home, obtaining health insurance, or being hired;
The right to know how internet search engines manipulate search results;
The right to opt out of having personal data sold; and
The right to protect children from personal data collection.

To read more about the legislation, click here.

Governor DeSantis also Approved the Following Bills Agreed Upon by the FL Senate and FL House

Since we last reported in the June 4th edition of the Mayfield Minute, the Governor has signed the following bills:

CS/CS/SB 376 – Automatic Sealing of Criminal History Records and Making Confidential and Exempt Related Court Records

CS/SB 384 – Violent Offenses Committed Against Criminal Defense Attorneys

SB 508 – Problem-Solving Courts

CS/SB 612 – Blood Clot and Pulmonary Embolism Policy Workgroup

CS/SB 7024 - Retirement

CS/CS/HB 67 – Protection of Specified Personnel

CS/HB 319 – Interference with Sporting or Entertainment Events

CS/CS/HB 365 – Controlled Substances

CS/CS/CS/HB 425 – Transportation

HB 829 – Operation and Administration of the Baker Act

CS/HB 1221 – Broadband Internet Service Providers

CS/HB 7041 – Space Florida

CS/CS/CS/HB 1209 – Rural Development

CS/CS/SB 262 – Technology Transparency

CS/HB 599 – Debt Management Services

CS/HB 619 – State Estate Tax

HB 719 – Practice of Veterinary Medicine

CS/CS/HB 775 – Shared Parental Responsibility after the Establishment of Paternity

HB 793 – Collateral Protection Insurance

CS/CS/HB 869 – Department of Business and Professional Regulation

CS/CS/HB 897 – Group Health Plans

CS/CS/SB 154 – Condominium and Cooperative Associations

CS/CS/CS/SB 162 – Water and Wastewater Facility Operators

CS/SB 180 – Regulation of Securities

Constituent of the Week

Walter Aucoin, Jr.

Mr. Walter Aucoin, Jr. is our Constituent of the Week. He recently celebrated his 40^th year at Health First and is planning for retirement, perhaps near the end of 2023.

Mr. Aucoin was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and moved to Florida in 1983 after attending Delgado Community College, studying in electronics servicing. He started his career at Holmes Medical Center in the biomedical field, where his wife was employed as a nurse at the Brevard Hospital/Holmes Medical Center.

At the time, the hospital was launching a new phone communication system, and although his experience was in the biomedical field, he quickly transitioned from biomedical to tele-medical communications.

In 1995, Health First was formed and by then Mr. Aucoin had served nearly 12 years working for Health First’s predecessors as a Telecommunications Specialist (Senior), Network Engineer, and Systems Engineer. During the expansion of the Health First organization, he was responsible for bringing the new hospitals into advanced, modern, and online telecommunications.

He worked with the hospitals in Palm Bay, Cape Canaveral, Viera, and others over the past four decades to bring doctors and nurses from held clip board charts to privacy secured electronic patient record devices. In addition to working with the medical staff, he also implemented the new advanced telephonic systems into current day accessibility for patients seeking access to their health care records and their providers.

Mr. Aucoin resides in Melbourne and was married to his late, beloved wife Mrs. Cynthia Aucoin for over 30 years. Mrs. Aucoin passed away peacefully after a brave 14-year battle with Melanoma cancer. Together they are the parents of two children and two grandchildren.

As he prepares for his retirement, Mr. Aucoin looks forward to special times with his grandchildren, traveling stateside and internationally, and continuing his long term hobby as a HAM Radio Operator.

He serves as the President of the Platinum Coast Amateur Radio Society (PCARS) and they will be operating their annual HAM Radio Field Day at the Melbourne Fire Training Center (1980 Hughes Road) in Melbourne on June 24th and June 25th. Click here for more information.

Senate District 19 is grateful for individuals like Mr. Aucoin for dedicating decades of service in careers vital to our community including health care and information technology.

District Highlights

Governor DeSantis Appoints Jason Steele to the Brevard County Board of Commissioners

Congratulations to Jason Steele for his appointment to the Brevard County Commission.

Mr. Steele is the Director of Government Relations at Smith & Associates. He served as a Representative in the Florida House of Representatives from 1980 to 1982 and was previously appointed as a member of the Enterprise Florida and Space Florida Boards of Directors. Steele is active in the community as a founding member of the Space Coast Tiger Bay Club, past president of the Melbourne Association of Realtors, and a member of the Melbourne/Palm Chamber of Commerce .

Mr. Steele will complete the term that was vacated by Kristine Zonka who was recently appointed by Governor DeSantis as the Administrator of the Department of Health in Brevard County.

The Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County Needs Adopters

The local humane society is reporting its average of receiving eight pets per day has increased to an average of up to 36 per day as of June 1st. Humane society officials say they are facing capacity with a nearly 20% increase in animal intakes.

The lack of affordable housing that will accept animals, family economic conditions, and the cost of veterinary care are reasons pet owners are unable to keep their animals. Last week the shelter had 121 cats and 71 dogs in-house with more animals in temporary foster care.

Through a partnership with the Mermaid Vet Hospital/Orchid Island Dog Spa & Resort in Vero Beach, the owners compassionately agreed to house 20 dogs at their boarding facility.

The 20 dogs transferred to the Orchid Island Dog Spa & Resort are available for adoption now. If you can provide a forever home for the pets in need, please visit them during business hours (Monday thru Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.) at 6590 Old Dixie Highway, or call 772-217-8257.

To view all animals available for adoption at the Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County, click here or call 772-388-3331.

Eastbound NASA Causeway Bridge Complete and Open

Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nunez and Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Secretary Jared Perdue announced the milestone completion of the bridge improvement project on the NASA Causeway. The $126 million project was completed over 100 days in advance of the scheduled completion deadline, and replaces the 1964 Causeway drawbridge with a double high-rise fixed bridge.

The opening of the new bridge is the first step. A second bridge for westbound traffic will be built with an expected opening date of early 2026. Traffic will now be temporarily switched to the newly opened bridge for two-way traffic over the causeway until the new westbound bridge is complete.

“The new NASA Causeway Bridge is evidence of our Administration’s focus on improving Florida’s infrastructure,” said Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez. “This year, the Space Coast is projected to host close to 100 launches, further cementing Florida’s position as the Launch Capital of the World. With surging demand across the commercial aerospace industry, we are committed to improving infrastructure to accommodate space payloads making their trek to launch pads. This NASA Causeway Bridge will meet the demands that ensure Florida remains the global hub for all aerospace activity.”

To view details of the project in full, click here.

Upcoming Events

Palm Bay Seeking Vendors for 2023 Independence Day Celebration

The City of Palm Bay’s Annual Independence Day Celebration will be held at the Palm Bay Campus of Eastern Florida State College (250 Community College Pkwy SE) on Sunday, July 2nd from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. with fireworks at 9:15 p.m. In addition to fireworks, the event will feature food trucks, vendors, live music, and a kids’ zone.

Applications for vendors are now being accepted for the event. The fee for one 10’ x 10’ commercial vendor space is $75. Non-profit organizations are $50 per 10’ x 10’ space. Vendors must provide their own table, tent, chairs, extension cords, tent weights (Min. 25 lbs. per tent leg), and any other materials needed for their displays. Professional pre-set tents are available for $200 for vendors who do not want to bring their own tent.

All vendors will be accepted on a first come, first served basis and the registration deadline of Friday, June 23rd is firm due to high volume of interested vendors. For more information or to request a registration form, email Daniel Waite or call (321) 726-2760.

Melbourne Kids Village Summer Schedule Announced

The Melbourne Kids Village (MKV) Summer Event Series schedule was recently announced. Every Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. throughout June, July, and August, MKV (5000 North Wickham Suite 110) in Melbourne, will host a variety of events for children, ages one to six, and parents:

June 14th: Dining and Dancing with Daddy

June 21st: The Room is Our Canvas (Special Times: 10:00 a.m. for ages one and two; and 4:00 p.m. ages three and six)

June 28: 321 Blastoff! A Galaxy Wide Space Ship Ride

July 7: MKV Summer Beach Bonanza

July 12: Stop, Chomp, Roar We're Dinosaurs

July 19: Yummy Yummy Yummy (An Edible Fun Adventure)

August 2: Yo Ho Hoi Talk Like a Pirate Dress Up Party

Tickets may be purchased here or over the phone at 321-622-6546. Price per child is $16 for members and $20 for non-members.

Kennedy Space Center Launches New 2-for-1 Florida Resident Ticket Offer

For a limited time, Florida residents can get a two-day admission for the price of one with discounted tickets priced at $75 for adults, and $65 for children ages three to 11.

Tickets for the special Florida resident offer must be purchased by Aug. 30th and redeemed by Aug. 31st. Proof of Florida residency may be required at the admissions gate.

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex features activities, exhibits and shows based on the U.S. space program. Admission includes access to the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, Space Shuttle Atlantis, the Rocket Gardens, Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex, and the new All Systems Are Go! show.

For ticket information, click here.