On Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) held a press briefing on the Hope Florida Program.
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00:00:00We're working on accelerating the roads to do all that.
00:00:03They just did the auxiliary lane on I-4.
00:00:07I mean, some of you may have to go in that direction.
00:00:10And honestly, it's been really, really helpful to do that.
00:00:13And that's going to be part of a larger project.
00:00:14But anyways, we talk about that another day.
00:00:16I'm great to be joined here today by our First Lady of Florida, my wife Casey,
00:00:22our Education Commissioner, Manny Diaz, Superintendent of Schools here in Lake County,
00:00:27Dianne Corningy, Mary Magner, and Lakeisha Williamson are Hope Navigators with the Florida Department of Education,
00:00:34and Rachel Arashavili, did I say it right?
00:00:38Almost.
00:00:39Executive Director of Kids Are First and a Hope Florida Foundation Fund recipient.
00:00:45So when it comes to education, we are working hard to set the standard.
00:00:51We have done it.
00:00:51We don't rest.
00:00:52We're ranked number one in education by U.S. News and World Report the last two years.
00:00:57Number one in higher education the last eight years.
00:01:01Number one in education freedom.
00:01:03Number one in parent empowerment and parental involvement in education.
00:01:09And if you look at where we are with education choice, for example,
00:01:14you know, we have 500,000 students now that are on scholarships to go to the school of their choice.
00:01:19We have over 400,000 that are in charter schools, you know, public schools, but they're not necessarily, you know, controlled by the school districts.
00:01:28And then we've had record choice programs emerge in our school districts throughout the state of Florida.
00:01:33And so students likely have options within their school district.
00:01:38They likely have options for charter, and they likely have options for scholarship for private.
00:01:43And we also have a very strong homeschooling community in Florida.
00:01:47And so that is really giving families, regardless of income, an opportunity to get a good education for their kids.
00:01:54And of our private scholarships, you know, we do have scholarships that go to students with unique abilities.
00:02:01And there are schools in Florida now that really exclusively focus on children with unique abilities.
00:02:07And that's been a huge game changer for so many families throughout the state of Florida.
00:02:11We also are proud of higher education, no tuition increases for in-state tuition since I've been governor.
00:02:20So we, the average in-state tuition is about $6,300 for Florida's public universities.
00:02:26And we have four universities in the top 50 public, University of Florida has been ranked in top five, Florida State.
00:02:36We also have, of course, University of South Florida, and then Florida International University.
00:02:41And we have others that are doing well, too.
00:02:43But you can go to a university as a Florida resident and not have to go into debt at all.
00:02:49And that's a huge, huge thing for young people.
00:02:52And then we have Bright Futures programs.
00:02:54So if you score high enough, you get no tuition costs.
00:02:58And then if you're rung below that, you get 75% off the tuition.
00:03:03So that is a huge deal.
00:03:04So we're graduating a lot of students with no or minimal debt, which, you know, I don't care, you know, what they're doing in some of these schools.
00:03:12But when they are charging, I mean, some of this stuff all in, room and board, is $80,000 to $100,000 a year.
00:03:18And I'm just thinking to myself, man, that is just not going to work.
00:03:22So we're really proud of what we've been able to do with that.
00:03:25We've, you know, led the nation in supporting the rights of parents to make sure that they know what's going on in the schools.
00:03:32We've made sure our universities are focused on education and not political indoctrination.
00:03:38And that's an ongoing issue that we continue to do.
00:03:41But I think you've seen Florida really lead the way in many, many good ways.
00:03:46And then even in K-12 funding, the current year's budget, we have the record per pupil spending, almost $9,000 per pupil.
00:03:55That's 240 more per pupil over the previous year.
00:03:58Last year, last school year, our graduation rate rose to 89.7%.
00:04:04That's an increase of almost 2% over the previous year.
00:04:08And that was the highest that we had ever recorded in Florida history.
00:04:12When I became governor, Florida had been doing a lot of the testing, end-of-year testing, the FCAT and the other iterations of that program.
00:04:22And while there was, you have to evaluate, you can't just say, you know, you go, you do need to evaluate, you need to know how students are doing.
00:04:31It was almost like you'd prepare for this test at the end of the year.
00:04:35And then if you didn't do well, you're at summer vacation.
00:04:38And so there was no time for remediation.
00:04:40So we replaced that high stakes test, end-of-year testing model with progress monitoring.
00:04:48So you have progress that's monitored throughout the school year.
00:04:51So you may do a test, see some deficiencies, but then you have time to work with the parents and rectify that.
00:04:58And so that's been very positively received.
00:05:00The results have been good.
00:05:02And this has been going on now for really just a couple of years.
00:05:05But that was a very positive change.
00:05:08And then last year, we had 13, or the last full school year, 2024, 1,300 schools earned an A grade.
00:05:16And that's a six-point increase over 2023.
00:05:19And I know we've got a lot of A schools here in Lake County, so we really appreciate what you're able to do with that.
00:05:26We've also done a lot on school safety and mental health.
00:05:30I put in the budget $570 million for 2024-2025 fiscal year.
00:05:35I don't know if any people are following the machinations in Tallahassee.
00:05:39They do not have a budget agreed upon in the legislature yet.
00:05:44And we have Friday as the end of the legislative session.
00:05:47So I don't know where that's going to land or where that's going to stand.
00:05:50But I do think that what we've done on school safety, mental health, has been very positive over the years in the state of Florida.
00:05:57Some of that grew out of the Parkland and the recommendations that were implemented.
00:06:01And I think it's made a really, really big difference.
00:06:03Another thing that we've done that's been really positive is focus on workforce education.
00:06:09Yes, going and preparing people to be college-ready is good.
00:06:13That's a good path for a lot of students.
00:06:15But it's not the only path to go to a four-year brick-and-ivy university.
00:06:19And if you look at the economy, particularly over the last four or five years, there's been demand for skilled trades and being able to do it.
00:06:29And we have a lot of industries that have grown.
00:06:30We've added 100,000 manufacturing jobs in Florida since I've been governor.
00:06:35Our manufacturing businesses are up 30%.
00:06:37You have opportunities certainly in central Florida.
00:06:39You go over to the Space Coast.
00:06:41You have a lot of people that are involved in aviation, aerospace, and can make a really, really good living having these needed skills.
00:06:50So we've worked really hard to do that.
00:06:51We had over 800,000 CTE students and 480,000 post-secondary CTE students in the most recent academic year.
00:07:02We've also pioneered the idea of rapid credentialing.
00:07:05And we got almost 80,000 rapid credentials in 2024.
00:07:10Those are disproportionately, if not exclusively, skills-based credentials.
00:07:16And we've invested over $10 billion in workforce education programs since I've become governor.
00:07:22Teacher pay.
00:07:24We approved a $200 million increase for teacher salaries in the most recent budget.
00:07:32Total amount for exclusively teacher pay was $1.25 billion.
00:07:37When I became governor, people would talk about teacher pay.
00:07:42And, you know, you can increase education funding.
00:07:46Florida sends a lot of money to the school districts.
00:07:49But then it's determined on the district how to do it.
00:07:51So you can say, hey, teachers need more money.
00:07:53Let's increase spending.
00:07:54And then it goes down.
00:07:55They don't have to spend it on teacher salaries, right?
00:07:58I mean, that's a determination of the school board, working with the school district.
00:08:02You have interest groups that get involved.
00:08:05And so we said, you know, if you want to do teacher pay, then you have to say, here's money.
00:08:10And it can only be used for teacher pay.
00:08:12So we created a categorical in the budget that could only be used for teacher salaries.
00:08:17I think it started at a half a billion the first time.
00:08:20It got up to $1.25 billion this most recent year.
00:08:24In my budget and I think in the Florida Senate's budget, we have $1.5 billion for this upcoming fiscal year.
00:08:33And I think that that will be very good.
00:08:34So the districts can kind of determine how they want to do it.
00:08:37Initially, we needed to get that average minimum salary up.
00:08:40But I think everyone's met that threshold.
00:08:42So they can apportion that in different ways, but they've got to give it to the teachers.
00:08:47And that's allowed us to increase the average minimum salary.
00:08:50I think it was like $39,000 four or five years ago.
00:08:53And now that's up closer to $50,000, which is helpful.
00:08:56I mean, it's not nearly enough, obviously, for how much costs have gone up for people in a high inflation economy.
00:09:03And hopefully we'll see that ebb as the months go on.
00:09:07But that's been a real big issue over the last three or four years for a lot of people.
00:09:10But we've put record amounts of money.
00:09:12We've never done this much resources for teacher pay in the entire history of Florida than we have in these most recent years.
00:09:20And I know we've had a lot of great support from people in the legislature to be able to do that.
00:09:25One of the things that we stressed was civics education.
00:09:29I think people realize, like, you know, there has not been a good job in the recent generation in teaching young people about what it means to be an American, about our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution.
00:09:42We have our 250th anniversary coming up next year, next July 4th, 2026.
00:09:47And so, but this is really important because you're graduating folks from high school, let's say.
00:09:53They're going to go in a whole different directions for different things that they'll pursue.
00:09:57But they're all going to be called upon to exercise the duty of being an American citizen.
00:10:01And you should have a foundation about what that means.
00:10:04So we really put an emphasis on civics education.
00:10:07And it's one thing to say, you must learn this, you must learn that.
00:10:10But you also have to have teachers that are well-versed in this and that are passionate about it.
00:10:16And it just occurred to me, having looked at higher ed reform, you go to a lot of these universities, some of them don't offer really anything that's straightforward about the founding of America.
00:10:27And that's one of the most critical periods to study in all of human history.
00:10:31And so you could be somebody that's gung-ho about civics, and you just may never have been exposed to a lot of the foundational elements that ended up leading to the creation of America and have been reflected in our founding documents.
00:10:43So we created a program called the Civic Seal of Excellence, which, and you get a bonus for going through.
00:10:50You go through this course, I think it's 50 hours, you can do it online, and you get a $3,000 bonus if you go through.
00:10:57And you don't even have to just be a civics teacher, an English teacher, because really this undergirds everything.
00:11:04And so we've been able to award more than $50 million in bonuses to teachers that have gone through the Civic Seal of Excellence program.
00:11:12And we were getting people from, like, professors from, like, Hillsdale College, Heritage Foundation, I mean, people that really revere the foundations of America and really have learned about it.
00:11:22And the response has been, I think it's like a 90-some percent approval for having gone through the course.
00:11:29They think it's very, very valuable.
00:11:30And so I think that's very telling that it's been that.
00:11:33So we're proud of doing that, and we're going to continue to do that.
00:11:37Now, we're always looking for ways to increase the experience in our schools and make sure that students have what they need to be successful.
00:11:46So one of the things that we've done is utilize Hope Florida, because we initially started with Child Welfare, Department of Children and Families, but obviously there's a very strong nexus with education.
00:11:59And so using Hope Florida as a way to be able to connect students and families with additional resources, depending on their needs, that are exterior to government.
00:12:09And that's the whole thing with Hope Florida.
00:12:10You know, I say it's like one of the policies of our administration.
00:12:15Some have said it's a program.
00:12:16It's not really a program as much as it's a philosophy about how do you use existing resources in state government to lift people up and put people in touch with resources that can lead them to a path of self-sufficiency.
00:12:30So the standard model, if you're in a government agency, if someone in need comes in and you look to see, okay, you know, what programs or checks can I get to them that the government is doing, and that's kind of your silo, and that's what you really focus on.
00:12:46And that hasn't really been proven to be very successful over many, many decades of doing that model, but it is what it is.
00:12:54But we also recognize in Florida, we have a wealth of resources in our communities that are exterior to government, particularly with the faith-based community.
00:13:05And so when the first lady conceived of Hope Florida years ago, the insight was, you know, there's a lot of people in need.
00:13:15There's a lot of people that want to help people in need, but connecting the two is not always easy.
00:13:20And the people in need tend to not know where all the resources are outside of maybe going to try to see if there are government programs they can get on.
00:13:27And so Hope Florida has enlisted thousands and thousands of churches, businesses, charities, even individual volunteers to be a part of the program.
00:13:38These folks that are working for state government have been basically repurposed to be what we call Hope Navigators.
00:13:47And so rather than just focusing on getting people on as many government programs as possible, they come in.
00:13:53We now have this care portal.
00:13:55The needs can go in.
00:13:56It goes out to all the Hope Florida stakeholders.
00:13:59And boom, you can have folks come and help that have nothing to do with government and are no cost to the taxpayer.
00:14:07And so that model is much different, but it's a model that is more successful.
00:14:12So since Hope Florida has been instituted, there have been 30,000 people that have gotten off public assistance, and it's saved Florida taxpayers over $100 million.
00:14:23Now, that's good in terms of the taxpayer savings, and we're proud of what we've been able to do to run a good fiscal ship.
00:14:31I mean, for example, I put out some good graphs.
00:14:33You know, we've been on this mission to retire as much of Florida's debt.
00:14:40So, you know, over a 180-year period, states can rack up debt.
00:14:44And so Florida had X amount of debt, and not like it was terribly high, but we wanted to do.
00:14:50So we've retired 41% of our state's historical debt just since I became governor in 2019.
00:14:57And what we've done is we've created a program to do it more aggressively, so we're retiring it early.
00:15:02That then saves us – I mean, we've saved over a billion dollars in interest costs by retiring the debt early.
00:15:10So not only are you retiring the debt, you lower the total debt burden, but you're saving – each tranche we do is usually saving $100 million to $300 million in accumulated interest costs.
00:15:24We also have a very uncertain bond market.
00:15:26There's a lot of issues out there in the economy, and so this has been really, really successful.
00:15:30So we now in Florida have the lowest per capita debt of any state that has state debt in the entire country.
00:15:38If you look at the percentage, the amount – so debt per capita, how much if you just divvied up Florida's debt and we just wanted to retire it in one fell swoop, what would each Florida resident have to pay for that?
00:15:52Your share is less than $500 per citizen.
00:15:56Now, what is it?
00:15:56Is that good?
00:15:57Is that not – well, the federal national debt, if we did that per U.S. citizen, you would owe over $105,000 per U.S. citizen to be able to retire our federal debt.
00:16:11And then the amount that is owed per person in Florida has been declining significantly.
00:16:16Obviously, it's been rising in the United States.
00:16:19Our total number of state employees per capita is the lowest of anywhere in the United States.
00:16:24We've also cut taxes.
00:16:26We've done all that.
00:16:26So I'm very much about the fiscal, and this is a program or a philosophy that has helped save taxpayers a lot of money.
00:16:35But that, to me, is secondary to actually lifting people up and actually giving them hope, getting them connected with people who really care about them, taking interest in them, and want to see them succeed in different avenues of life.
00:16:51And that has been the way to do it, and that's really what's been inspiring about the program.
00:16:57And so I'm proud of the cost savings.
00:16:59I'm proud of that, but the individual stories, when you hear people that have benefited from the program, when you listen to our navigators who can talk about what they've been able to do to get people on a better path by leveraging these resources that are exterior to government, that is worth its weight in gold.
00:17:16That is really what this is all about.
00:17:18So we have done higher education, Hope Florida expansion, where you have Hope Florida liaisons at our state colleges.
00:17:26Because if you think about it, you know, you may have a single mom struggling to put food on the table, but also going to a state college to try to get some more skills so that she could do a better job supporting her kids.
00:17:38And it's not easy, and you can fall on tough times.
00:17:42Well, you will have somebody right there at the state college who will be able to link with Hope and the resources that are available and potentially make a very meaningful difference in the lives of students like that.
00:17:55We've also done the Hope Florida with employers and career source.
00:18:01You know, sometimes people need some guidance on where to go.
00:18:04And look, Hope Florida, it can't guarantee you're going to get a job and all that.
00:18:08I mean, this is, we have a private sector and that.
00:18:10But linking people with the resources that can get them in a position to be able to succeed is something that's really, really important.
00:18:17So since June 23, more than 1,700 individuals that were referred to career source through Hope Florida obtained a job or received help that allowed them to increase their earnings.
00:18:30And so that's something that, if not for these connections, a lot of that may not have ever happened.
00:18:35So we've been able to highlight the success of individuals who have been able to advance themselves, and we're really, really happy to see that people have succeeded.
00:18:46Now, with the Department of Education, Commissioner Diaz has really led the effort to be able to utilize the Hope model within our Education Department.
00:18:54And so since October of last year, the Florida Department of Education has been working to help families, particularly very young children, age three to five, who think that their child may have a learning disability.
00:19:08Early interventions can make a really, really big difference.
00:19:12And so since October, the Hope Navigators at the Florida Department of Education have worked with more than 450 families across 46 different counties.
00:19:20And what they've done is they've connected those families with different resources.
00:19:25So 230 families were connected with student screenings and evaluation so that they could determine eligibility for community-based services available through partners like Center for Autism and Related Disabilities.
00:19:39120 families were helped with their school district administrators to improve student achievement.
00:19:4570 families helped with navigating school choice programs, 50 families helped with continuing education and employment assistance, and 50 families with child care and early learning resources.
00:19:57We're going to be doing more with Hope Florida in the child care space in the coming days and weeks.
00:20:02And, of course, FDOE here in Florida, they're really involved with the state colleges, having the liaisons there.
00:20:09They oversee our state colleges.
00:20:11So that brings us to today's announcement.
00:20:13So there's been a lot that's been done, a lot of positive momentum, but we want to keep it going.
00:20:18So we're happy to announce today that the Florida Department of Education is now working a pilot program that identifies and trains a Hope Florida liaison at each school in select school districts.
00:20:30So these liaisons will serve as a dedicated person on staff who can act as a point of contact for Hope Florida resources for students, parents, and staff,
00:20:39serves as a trained expert in the Hope Florida navigation, receives Hope Florida materials to distribute in the office to help students or families get connected with Hope Navigator when needed and to train others on both the philosophy and functions of Hope Florida.
00:20:56Additionally, the liaison will be able to connect local community providers, charities, and faith-based organizations that are active within their school community with the Hope Line if they can help support those who reach out to Hope Florida.
00:21:09Now, Orange County was the first school district to identify and train a liaison.
00:21:14liaison in Lake County, which is why we're here today, is now the second district that is going to identify and train a liaison in every school.
00:21:24So thank you, Lake County, for stepping up and helping to spearhead this great expansion.
00:21:29So what will the pilot program do?
00:21:35Well, the navigators who are trained will be able to help parents and kids who have developmental disabilities find the support they need to ensure they have access to special education services.
00:21:47Navigators will also help with early intervention for children who have special needs or even help families who may be having difficulties at home.
00:21:56And then the navigators can also help both students and parents by connecting them with resources for things like employment assistance for the parents or educational resources for the children.
00:22:08So how has this worked?
00:22:10Well, in one instance, a mother from Osceola County contacted Hope Florida seeking educational resources for a five-year-old son with autism spectrum disorder.
00:22:19Her hope navigator identified the need for autism support services during their initial assessment and referred her to the Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resource Systems Child Find Specialists to begin the evaluation process.
00:22:34The mother's hope navigator also facilitated a handoff to the Centers for Autism and Related Disabilities.
00:22:41And then continuing with that, the navigator followed up to learn that the son was enrolled in a local school and receiving autism services, and she is pleased with the Hope Florida navigators' help.
00:22:54So greater self-sufficiency for families is not only good in and of itself, it will also improve education for the children.
00:23:02So I want to thank Diane from here in Lake County for supporting this important mission.
00:23:07I know Lake County will continue to do a great job, as they have for many, many years.
00:23:12And so this is an exciting announcement, and we're going to hear from some more folks.
00:23:16So we'll begin with Florida's First Lady, and then we'll hear from our Commissioner of Education.
00:23:24Well, thank you, Governor.
00:23:25I appreciate it.
00:23:26You know, the last time I had a privilege to talk about Hope Florida, I ended up going, like, 15 minutes, so I'm not going to do that to you guys.
00:23:32But I'm very passionate about it, and I'm just so appreciative of having the opportunity to be here and, obviously, to continue all of the good work that we're doing with Hope Florida.
00:23:43The governor laid it out so well.
00:23:44But in its simplest of terms, Hope Florida is just for somebody who is seeking help, help finding help.
00:23:51You can have the best resources.
00:23:52You can have the best programs, but if you don't know that they're there, then what good are they?
00:23:57As the governor mentioned a second ago and why this partnership with the Department of Education is so important, you know, I've talked to a lot of moms, moms of children who have unique abilities.
00:24:07And when they find out that their child has a unique ability, they don't know where to turn.
00:24:12They don't know what to do.
00:24:13They don't know who to call.
00:24:15And so what we're trying to do is simplify the process.
00:24:18It's one number, and you can talk to a human.
00:24:20And that human can help you with subject matter expertise, be able to find the resources.
00:24:26And not only that, fellowship, right?
00:24:29Be able to find other people who have experienced certain things in their lives, and you have relatability, and you're able to make connections, and your children, they're able to prosper because you're bringing the connection together.
00:24:39The Hope Florida model, and that's really what it is, the governor mentioned it, it's not a program.
00:24:46It's a philosophy.
00:24:47It's an idea about how can we truly help people in need in society, whether it's our veterans, whether it's children, whether it's a single mom.
00:24:56How can we do that and look outside of government?
00:24:59How can we utilize the nonprofits, meet immediate needs, how can we see what's there on the ground already, and how can we embrace the faith-based community?
00:25:07Because we're the first state in the nation to do that.
00:25:10We have 16.5 million people of faith across the state of Florida.
00:25:13They're there.
00:25:14They're willing and able to help.
00:25:16They just need to know where to look.
00:25:17And some of these people who are in need of help, they need to know that there are other people there willing to help.
00:25:23And so when you make that connection, it's a beautiful thing.
00:25:26And we're able to get away from government and see all of the resources and love and hope that's there in the communities.
00:25:32It's always been there.
00:25:33I mean, you're really able to unlock some pretty neat potential, and it's really special having the opportunity to see it up first.
00:25:41So I would just say with this, for anybody who needs help, calling that number, going to HopeFlorida.com to be able to talk to somebody, I think that is your first big step.
00:25:54But then I would also say anybody who wants to be a part of the solution.
00:25:58This is something else that's important.
00:25:59You know, the governor was talking about the care portal technology and embracing the faith-based communities.
00:26:04Did you know if you go to Hope Florida right now and you log down, I want to help, and you go down and you look at the various things that are on the website,
00:26:11you can see how I can get involved and meet immediate needs in my community.
00:26:16So I was looking at this yesterday.
00:26:18There are needs right now in Orlando for a mom who needs cleaning supplies.
00:26:23Don't tell me for a second the people in this room wouldn't do that or the faith-based communities or the private.
00:26:27They would.
00:26:28So being able to see that firsthand and meet those needs is a really powerful thing.
00:26:31So it's nothing more than embracing what's always been there.
00:26:35It's the connective tissue that we're doing behind the scenes to facilitate those opportunities.
00:26:39And so it's really been a privilege and an honor to spearhead this.
00:26:43And we're going to continue to do it and continue to grow because this is a model, yet again, for the nation.
00:26:48So thank you.
00:26:48Okay.
00:26:49Thank you, Governor and First Lady, for having me here.
00:27:00And thank you for your leadership on Hope Florida.
00:27:03As you heard the governor say, not only has Hope Florida been able to help thousands across the state long-term and finding self-sufficiency,
00:27:12but when we've added these navigators here at the Department of Education, and you'll hear from some of our great navigators today on some of these services,
00:27:20they're fully equipped to be able to connect.
00:27:23When you think about having a family where you have a desperation of having a child that's in need of special services with unique abilities or anything else,
00:27:32and being able to call the department and have our navigators connect them with those direct services.
00:27:38And that can include anything from an evaluation to having them be educated on the scholarship opportunities or the charter schools or district programs that are available in your area.
00:27:50A lot of folks don't have the time to be really cognizant of what these things are,
00:27:55and having that navigator there walking them through ends up in a good outcome.
00:28:00But on top of that, once we have that connection through the navigators at the department, we can talk to the adults,
00:28:07we can talk to the parents about, have you thought about going back to a state college and getting a credential or getting a degree?
00:28:13What is the situation we can help you with?
00:28:15And I am ecstatic to have our 28 state colleges involved now.
00:28:20Thanks to the leadership of the First Lady, we had a meeting.
00:28:23All of our presidents jumped on board.
00:28:25And it's not only being able to connect now these parents that come in through the department to that possibility,
00:28:30but think of all the students we have across our state that are going through a state college
00:28:34and may be facing a situation in their life as they're trying to get this credential or degree.
00:28:40Now we can connect through our navigators, through that liaison at that state college,
00:28:45to Hope Florida and help them find solutions and help provide those resources for our college presidents,
00:28:52for the staff who are trying to help their students, whether they be adults that are career changers coming back to school
00:28:58or just students that are trying to get ahead in life and have come through there.
00:29:03So it's really incredible making all of these connections and being able to connect it to anywhere from three to five,
00:29:09all the way to people who are going through college.
00:29:12I'm very excited and thank you, Superintendent, for Lake County joining us in this venture, in this pilot program.
00:29:20I'm thankful to Orange County as well.
00:29:22This is going to be great.
00:29:23Everybody knows that our schools are the centers of our community.
00:29:27And oftentimes it is our principals, it is our teachers, it is our guidance counselors
00:29:31that find out about an issue that a family is having through the student and through the parent.
00:29:35What better way to get them help than to immediately connect them to this network?
00:29:41I look forward to this growing across all 67 districts, you know, through this pilot.
00:29:48And I look forward to being able, through Hope Florida, changing the lives of not only the children but the families.
00:29:54And again, Governor, I want to thank you for your leadership on this.
00:29:57First Lady, incredible leadership, thank you for doing this.
00:30:00And we will continue to go forward and make sure that we can change the lives of Floridians going forward.
00:30:16Well, good afternoon.
00:30:18I am Diane Kornegay, and I am the very proud Superintendent of Lake County Schools.
00:30:22And on behalf of Lake County, we are honored to welcome these state leaders here today
00:30:27who, like all of us here in Lake County, are committed to Florida's families, our students,
00:30:32and dedicated to making a positive impact in our communities.
00:30:36Today, we recognize your leadership.
00:30:38And through this initiative, we know that it holds great promise for the children and the families of Lake County
00:30:44and all across the state.
00:30:46Hope Florida, as you've heard, is designed to provide essential support, resources, and opportunities
00:30:51for the young people facing challenges in their personal lives.
00:30:54Developed and led by you, First Lady, thank you.
00:30:58Hope Florida seeks to empower children by helping them access vital educational resources,
00:31:03mentorship opportunities, and mental health services,
00:31:07recognizing that every child in Florida deserves a chance to thrive.
00:31:11Along with our state leaders, Lake County is committed to ensuring that our children receive the support
00:31:16they need to overcome obstacles and realize their full potential.
00:31:19Students' success isn't only driven by the classroom, but also by ensuring that students have the resources they need at home.
00:31:28And for this reason, Lake is so honored and happy to have a Hope Florida liaison in every school,
00:31:34a person equipped with the resources they need to ensure that every family, every child, has a path to success.
00:31:40Thank you, Governor DeSantis, thank you, First Lady, and thank you, Commissioner Diaz,
00:31:45as we continue to work together to foster hope and opportunity for the future generations of Lake County.
00:31:51First off, thank you to the Governor, and especially to the First Lady,
00:32:07for allowing me to represent Hope Florida's Department of Education Navigators today.
00:32:14My name is Mary Magner, and I am here not just as a representative,
00:32:19but as someone who walks in the same shoes as many of the families that we help.
00:32:23I'm a single mom raising a three-year-old, juggling the same daily challenges that so many Floridians face.
00:32:30Every day at Hope Florida, we're building bridges and connecting families with the private sector,
00:32:36the public agencies, nonprofits, and our faith-based communities.
00:32:40But behind all of the technical stuff, there is something much more personal happening.
00:32:45Before joining Hope Florida, I spent several years working with the Department of Juvenile Justice,
00:32:50where I saw firsthand how early intervention and proper supports can change the trajectory of a young person's life.
00:32:57That experience showed me that connecting families with resources before the crisis points are essential,
00:33:03and it's what drives my passion for the preventative work that I do now.
00:33:06Our team in the Department of Education actually works within the Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services,
00:33:13which means we have a special focus on supporting families who have children with disabilities.
00:33:18The system of support available to these families is incredible, but it is also overwhelming.
00:33:25Most folks simply don't know where to start, and that's where we come in.
00:33:28As navigators, we get to effectively deliver that person-centered support by prioritizing individualized goals
00:33:36and creating meaningful and lasting connections and support systems.
00:33:41I remember helping a single dad whose three-year-old had just been diagnosed with autism,
00:33:45and I saw a lot of myself in him.
00:33:48We got him in touch with CARD, the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities,
00:33:52along with our Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources systems to start setting up those needed educational supports.
00:34:00And it's those kind of connections that most people simply do not know are out there
00:34:04that Hope Florida helps build the bridges with.
00:34:07Ultimately, these aren't just cases.
00:34:09They're neighbors, friends, and sometimes they're even us,
00:34:13because at some point we all need help.
00:34:15And that's exactly why I hope Florida exists, is to be there when that moment comes,
00:34:20to offer the assistance and genuine hope.
00:34:23So thank you.
00:34:24Good job.
00:34:33Hello, hello, everybody.
00:34:36I am excited to be here.
00:34:37My name is Lakeisha Williamson.
00:34:39Thank you so much, Governor and First Lady, for inviting me out to speak.
00:34:43I am a Hope Navigator with the Florida Department of Education.
00:34:48I work with, I've worked with children and families.
00:34:53I started out there going just to be an admin or to be an assistant.
00:34:58I ended up being an assistant to Ms. Murray, who was the director over with Hope Florida.
00:35:05I had never heard of Hope Florida.
00:35:06So having the opportunity to kind of follow her around and go to the meetings she was going to,
00:35:12she was speaking, and the staff was speaking from the heart.
00:35:16We would hear testimonies.
00:35:17And I was like, I want to be a part of this venture.
00:35:22It was beautiful to actually have an opportunity to see the families who were actually in need.
00:35:28And Hope Navigator went to their rescue.
00:35:31They was linking up with a lot of people in the community, which I didn't know were out there that could actually assist.
00:35:39So when the opportunity came over at the Department of Education to be a Hope Navigator, of course I jumped in.
00:35:47I applied for the position.
00:35:49I got it.
00:35:50I was super excited.
00:35:51One of the things that I really learned is that it is so many of us, and I say us because I'm included in that number,
00:36:00who don't know where to go, who don't know where to start.
00:36:04Where do you start looking when your child has issues?
00:36:06I had a parent to come to me.
00:36:09She called in on the Hope line.
00:36:11She came in, and she was like, I am working.
00:36:13I'm working part-time.
00:36:15They want to give me a full-time position.
00:36:17I have two little ones.
00:36:19They are in daycare, but they're in daycare only part-time.
00:36:23I need full-time care.
00:36:24I don't know what to do.
00:36:25I don't know who I need to speak with.
00:36:28I told her, I got you.
00:36:29No problem.
00:36:30We got this.
00:36:31So I linked her up with one of our, one of our, at ESE, I'm sorry, ELC, which is the education for coalition.
00:36:42So it's for the younger kids.
00:36:44So we were able to get her in and get her with her.
00:36:48They talked to a couple of daycares.
00:36:51She picked off of a list.
00:36:52Now, she didn't have transportation.
00:36:55So that's another problem.
00:36:57And it was fine.
00:36:58They were able to work together.
00:37:00They found a daycare that actually was able to pick the kids up.
00:37:03This daycare came out to her house and gave her the application.
00:37:07She filled out the application right there.
00:37:09They got the kids into school.
00:37:11I called her actually this week to make sure that everything was going smoothly.
00:37:15When I called her, I couldn't even get out my name.
00:37:18She knew who I was immediately.
00:37:21So she was like, oh, my God, the kids are in school.
00:37:24They're loving it.
00:37:25The bus is coming to pick them up.
00:37:27They are so excited to go.
00:37:29And I said, okay, that's great.
00:37:31What about you?
00:37:32Did you end up doing anything different?
00:37:34She was able to get a full-time position where she was working at.
00:37:38They gave it to her because they wanted to give it to her, but she didn't have the child care.
00:37:42So once she was able to get all of those pieces lined up, she was able to get a full-time position.
00:37:48The kids are in school full-time at a daycare.
00:37:51It was amazing to see it unfold.
00:37:54We don't stop there.
00:37:55So we continue to reach out to those parents to make sure that it's going to continue,
00:38:00make sure that if there's anything that pops up, you have my direct line number.
00:38:05Call me.
00:38:05You have my e-mail.
00:38:07Give me a call.
00:38:08We're going to walk you through this process because it's a journey, and we all need help.
00:38:12And that's what we're here for is Hope Navigators.
00:38:15Good job.
00:38:16Good afternoon, everyone.
00:38:28My name is Rachel Arazashvili.
00:38:31I think you did very well, Governor.
00:38:33I had to learn how to say it myself.
00:38:35I practiced it before I went on.
00:38:38It is an honor to be here today in Fruitland Park.
00:38:41I have to say it's the first time I've ever heard of it and the first time I'm ever here,
00:38:46but a wonderful memory to last a lifetime.
00:38:50Before I begin, I do want to extend a heartfelt gratitude to First Lady and Governor
00:38:55for not only allowing me to share my story,
00:39:00but also for the steadfast leadership that you bring to Florida
00:39:06and how we are prospering and your willingness to do so.
00:39:13Again, my name is Rachel Arazashvili.
00:39:17I am the – I'm a proud wife, a mother of two sons,
00:39:23one who served the military and served our country proudly,
00:39:26and one that's here with me today.
00:39:28I am the executive director of Kids Are First, the founder of KR Fashions.
00:39:36We are a nonprofit organization that have served as the nonprofit
00:39:41for the guardian ad litem program in the Seventh Circuit Court in Volusia County,
00:39:46Putnam, St. John's, Flagler, for over 23 years.
00:39:52We are a nonprofit 100% voluntary.
00:39:56So all of our members, all of our individuals that participate is on a voluntary basis,
00:40:04so nobody gets paid.
00:40:06What we do is we provide basic essentials for the children in foster care systems,
00:40:13clothing, shoes, school supplies, birthday gifts, Christmas presents,
00:40:21graduation cap and gown, prom dresses, whatever your child has and needs,
00:40:26you name it, is what we provided.
00:40:28And the reason why this nonprofit came into fruition is because there wasn't enough funding in the system to provide.
00:40:37And so our community came together to provide it.
00:40:39Our connection with Hope Florida began a few years ago when we received an award of funding that supported what we did.
00:40:58And it came at such a crucial moment for our nonprofit, and it was truly a blessing that allowed us to continue to serve the needs of our community
00:41:11and ask and also solidify our service to the community.
00:41:18It was a surprise that we got because they gave us a call and said,
00:41:26First Lady would like to meet you and award you.
00:41:30And we went anticipating nothing but just the honor of meeting you.
00:41:35And then we got an award, money.
00:41:37We love that.
00:41:40And so as of today, we are partners of Hope Florida, and we continue to receive the calls and the needs in our community.
00:41:49And our community is willing to help.
00:41:52And so when we get the phone calls, if it's something that we do not have, we put the word out and we provide it.
00:41:59It could be a stroller, a bed, a high chair for a child that just came into the system and a grandmother taking in the child.
00:42:06And so it is a blessing to be able to have that.
00:42:10But my story doesn't just end there.
00:42:17Not just a leader, but it's a deeply personal one.
00:42:22Because I'm a mother of a brilliant 16-year-old son living with autism, and he's here with me today.
00:42:33He's a gifted pianist, mathematician, a servant in our community and our church,
00:42:39and he continues to thrive in ways that I could have never imagined.
00:42:43Still, the early years were incredibly hard because I didn't have anywhere to go.
00:42:49I was a working leader in my community and in my church.
00:42:56When I got the news that he was diagnosed over 13 years ago, I didn't have any direction on who to call.
00:43:04I didn't have anybody standing next to me, guiding me, and showing me where to go.
00:43:08And so this is the reason why today's announcement is so important.
00:43:14Because the process of finding the right services or advocating for his needs,
00:43:19while I'm working and being a parent and serving the needs of the children, the community, and the foster care system,
00:43:27was overwhelming and most of the time felt lonely.
00:43:31Had I been connected with Hope Navigator back then, having someone like these two ladies to guide me and support me,
00:43:41talk me through it, give me hope, connect me with others, or just give me that call the next day to say,
00:43:47how did that go?
00:43:48Follow you through it, would have made a difference in the stress, the anxiety, the sleepless nights,
00:43:58my time that could have been directed in other areas.
00:44:02And so I thank you ladies, navigators, that do what you do with your passion and your commitment
00:44:10because you are changing lives that are immeasurable.
00:44:13I also want to mention that embedding Hope Navigators within the school system
00:44:27will ensure that these families, like mine, won't have to face these early uncertain years.
00:44:34And it means that someone will be there for them.
00:44:38And so that in itself is a blessing.
00:44:40And thank you First Lady Cassidy.
00:44:43Cassidy, Cassidy, Cassidy.
00:44:45Cassidy.
00:44:46Cassidy, my Latin actually goes backwards, so I apologize.
00:44:50But thank you First Lady for heading up this initiative because I believe it's going to be a blessing to so many.
00:44:57And thank you for having me.
00:44:59Good job.
00:45:06We appreciate everyone that's involved.
00:45:08You know, when you're dealing with different issues, if someone needs, you know, like we had the Hurricane Ian and it knocked out, you know, one, a couple of the causeway and one of the bridges.
00:45:20Like, not that that's easy, but like you either rebuild the bridge or you don't, right?
00:45:24I mean, it's pretty much, you know, when we did the one in three days, we did the other one very quickly.
00:45:28And people were happy with that.
00:45:30But you know what you got to do, you do it, right?
00:45:33When you're talking about someone in need, it's not like you can just write a check and be guaranteed that those folks are going to end up broadening their horizons.
00:45:42There's a lot of different things that go into it.
00:45:44And I just don't think that ultimately you can have a sustainable model if you're not enlisting all these great partners in the community, whether it's our charities, our faith-based groups, whether it's private businesses who want to help.
00:45:59I mean, how many businesses want to help veterans who are in need, individuals who want to volunteer their time?
00:46:05So it's much more difficult.
00:46:07The problems are much more difficult.
00:46:09They're not as susceptible to easy solutions.
00:46:12And so that's where you have to start thinking bigger than just the silo of one or more government bureaucracies.
00:46:19And that's exactly what Hope Florida's done.
00:46:21And the people that have been a part of it have made a real difference.
00:46:24And the best is yet to come, guys.
00:46:26So thank you all.
00:46:27Appreciate it.
00:46:27All right, I'll take any questions if we got any back there.
00:46:30Yes, ma'am?
00:46:31Sorry, you want to go ahead?
00:46:33Go ahead, you can start.
00:46:34Governor DeSantis, Laverne McGee, New Six, good to see you here in Central Florida.
00:46:39I had the opportunity to speak with you last week when you were in South Florida.
00:46:43Hope Florida was under fire.
00:46:45And now the inquiry has been dropped.
00:46:48Do you think that that was some sort of political attack against people who were...
00:46:53Of course it was.
00:46:54It was all political.
00:46:55Of course it was.
00:46:57People smear what they fear.
00:46:59And if Hope Florida represents a threat to their worldview, they're going to go at it.
00:47:03If the first lady represents a threat, potentially, to what they're doing.
00:47:07So it was all manufactured in terms of the political.
00:47:10But the reality is, is when you're doing this stuff, why are you doing it?
00:47:17Are you doing it because you have some type of personal or political agenda?
00:47:21Are you doing it because you actually want to see people succeed?
00:47:24You actually want to lift people up.
00:47:25And I can tell you this is a program designed to lift people up, a philosophy designed to do that.
00:47:30And the results have been very, very positive.
00:47:32I don't think there's anybody out there that thinks it's a bad thing to get 30,000 people off welfare programs and save taxpayers $108 million.
00:47:42I mean, there's no one out there that's going to say that's a bad thing, especially when you see partners who have made such a big difference.
00:47:49And they're in all corners of the state.
00:47:51I mean, you know, you can be in northwest Florida.
00:47:53You can be in central Florida.
00:47:55We've got churches.
00:47:56We've got charities.
00:47:57We've got people that really, really care.
00:47:59And, you know, you heard from some of our navigators.
00:48:01I mean, it's inspiring to be able to make a difference in people's lives in a more profound way.
00:48:06So, yes, it was political.
00:48:09Obviously, we're now in a different posture in terms of this legislative session.
00:48:13But the mission continues, and we're not going to let, you know, any of these guys get in our way.
00:48:21Yes?
00:48:21Details on the navigators themselves.
00:48:23Are these volunteer positions, paid positions?
00:48:26So what it is, yeah, I mean, it's a great question because I think a lot of people don't know.
00:48:29From inside the district already or people from outside, some of those details.
00:48:33Right.
00:48:33Well, so just generally speaking, writ large hope navigators are almost all people that are already working for the state.
00:48:40And then they are trained and repurposed to be able to serve as navigators.
00:48:45And so it's really an expansion of their responsibilities and their duties, but at no cost, additional cost to the taxpayer.
00:48:53I would imagine that's what the school districts will do as well.
00:48:56Take folks who are already here, train them to be navigators, and then they will serve that function would be my guess.
00:49:02The program or the philosophy of what we've done with Hope hasn't sought to get a lot of money or any money to do.
00:49:11It has been repurposing what you have.
00:49:14Now, I also think the reality is, is if you were to hire more navigators and do that, you probably would save a lot of money in the long run because you'd have people that would be more connected.
00:49:25You'd get more people, the help they need, there'd be less reliance on government programs at that point.
00:49:31And so it would end up being a net savings for the taxpayer.
00:49:34But the beauty of this was this was something that, you know, we knew we had people that were working for the state.
00:49:40We understood that it was not their fault.
00:49:43They were told to basically be siloed, that if you liberated them from the silos, train them to be connected with all these groups, you would be able to make a big difference.
00:49:52And I think that's another part of the success story, that it hasn't required, you know, massive amounts, if any, amount of amount of tax dollars to be able to do.
00:50:01So it's really reducing government when you think about it in terms of both the scope of government, but also the expenditures of government.
00:50:09So that's a good thing.
00:50:11All right.
00:50:11Yeah, one more.
00:50:12The second school district to become part of this pilot program, are there any other school districts that are on the verge of joining?
00:50:20Manny?
00:50:20We're having those conversations.
00:50:23They're working with them now, yeah.
00:50:24So I'm going to anticipate you will definitely see more that are going to want to do it.
00:50:29And we're getting towards, of course, the end of the school year now.
00:50:33So I would imagine in the fall we probably will have some more announcements with some folks that will want to do it.
00:50:39Do you think it will be passed?
00:50:41I know you've worked hard this session to work with your fellow legislators.
00:50:45Do you think we'll see a budget?
00:50:47Well, you're not going to see a budget passed by the end of session, which is Friday, because they just don't have enough time to do it.
00:50:55But I'll leave it to the leaders of the House and Senate to provide the update on where they think they are.
00:51:02My sense is that they haven't really been close to doing it.
00:51:06But here's just what I would say.
00:51:07This is not, at this point, rocket science, guys.
00:51:11You know, we have six years of showing how it's done.
00:51:16And I wouldn't have been able to do the things I did if I didn't have good partners in the legislature.
00:51:20House and Senate, all six years, we had great partners in the leadership.
00:51:24And so now we're in a situation, do you want to continue paying down debt at an accelerated rate to save taxpayer dollars?
00:51:32Yeah, I want to continue to do that.
00:51:33Do you want to continue to support teacher pay increases?
00:51:35Yeah, I want to continue to do it.
00:51:37Do you want to continue to cut taxes?
00:51:38Not for Canadian tourists, but for Floridians and things like property taxes.
00:51:43Yeah, I want to keep doing that.
00:51:44Do you want to continue our support for no tuition increases at higher education?
00:51:49Yeah.
00:51:50I don't want Florida residents paying more tuition.
00:51:52Do you want to keep supporting law enforcement and our highway patrol?
00:51:56Or do you want to defund positions and body armor like the House budget had?
00:52:00So do you want to continue supporting natural resources, Everglades restoration, springs, water quality, that have been hugely successful in Florida?
00:52:09So we've had broad agreement that this is kind of the way to go.
00:52:14And, you know, for whatever reason, I think you're seeing the House of Representatives, their position and the leadership.
00:52:20Because I think the Senate is pretty much wants to continue and build off what we've done.
00:52:25It doesn't mean you have to agree with everything they've done.
00:52:27I don't necessarily agree with everything the Senate's done.
00:52:29But I think their position is Florida's been successful.
00:52:32Let's solidify the success and let's build off it.
00:52:34And that's my basic position.
00:52:36I think the House's position has been, well, you know, the governor has gotten everything he wants.
00:52:41So whatever he's for, we're against.
00:52:43And that's why they've been running themselves ragged with this really dysfunctional and unsuccessful House of Representatives, this legislative session.
00:52:52Regardless of what happens the next couple days, this will go down as the least productive Florida House of Representatives in decades.
00:53:01And maybe you've probably never had one since Republicans got the majority in the mid-90s.
00:53:07I don't know that you've had one.
00:53:09And those are choices that were made to not focus on your issues, but to focus on the personal agendas of the leadership.
00:53:17And that's not what this business is about.
00:53:20When you get up there, you've been given trust by the people that have elected you.
00:53:25And you have a responsibility to convert on what you told them you would do.
00:53:30You have a responsibility to make sure that you're doing things that are needed to be done.
00:53:35For example, we have this condo issue that legislation caused these crushing assessments.
00:53:42We know people need relief from that.
00:53:44We've got to do it.
00:53:45The Senate's got, I think, a great product that can do it.
00:53:48So you've got to do that.
00:53:49We know that people want property tax relief.
00:53:52They're not asking to cut taxes on non-residents or Canadians or people visiting.
00:54:00We're so lucky in Florida that we can get a lot of our taxes paid by people that aren't residents of our state.
00:54:07How many people have an opportunity to do that?
00:54:10I mean, do you think that they can do that with converting on foreign visitors and part-time snowbirds in some of these others?
00:54:17No, they have no chance.
00:54:18They have to have more of their citizens.
00:54:20I don't want to relieve that from the Canadians.
00:54:23I want them to continue to contribute to that.
00:54:26And then I want to cut your taxes.
00:54:28So we know what needs to be done.
00:54:31We know the successful formula.
00:54:34I mean, there's a reason why Florida has tops in economic growth amongst all large states, number one in net migration.
00:54:41And I've said many times, like, you know, I'm not asking people to flood down here because we've got a lot of people, right?
00:54:47There's challenges with transportation and roads and all this stuff, schools you've got to do.
00:54:52But the reality is it's a free country, and people are going to gravitate towards states that have successful policies and a good quality of life.
00:54:59And people know now in Florida, you know what?
00:55:02If we move to Florida, you know, they're not going to be releasing criminals on the street willy-nilly like they do in California.
00:55:08They're going to hold them accountable.
00:55:09You know, if we're in Florida and we have a second-grade daughter in second grade and you send her to school, you know, she's not going to be taught that she actually is really a boy and that she should change her gender.
00:55:20You know that's not going to happen in Florida.
00:55:23You know that we are going to take our responsibilities seriously with respect to protecting taxpayers, not having an income tax, reducing taxes.
00:55:39We're going to have budget surpluses.
00:55:40We're going to pay down to—you just know all that stuff.
00:55:43So obviously there's a lot of people that find that attractive.
00:55:46So what you should be doing, what the voters elected these members to do, is to solidify that success and build off of it.
00:55:55They did not elect any members of the House of Representatives, certainly in Republicans.
00:55:59They didn't elect a single one of them to sabotage the achievements and to sabotage the success, but that has been their posture and what they want to do.
00:56:08So I don't know what's going to happen between now and Friday, but I will tell you this legislative session, there's been a glaring distinction between the Senate conducting business in a way that is mature, that is professional, that is seeking to build off the success.
00:56:27And again, I don't agree with everything they've done, but they got elected, and you can kind of do—where I think the House has been more, you know, based on personal agendas, vendettas.
00:56:38I think it's been petty, and that is not the way to do business.
00:56:42They are not—they are failing you when they let that drive their behavior.
00:56:47So this will be the first time that I don't—that we may not have a budget.
00:56:52I mean, we've been—they've been late a couple days in the past since I've been governor.
00:56:57Last two years, I know they were out at noon on Friday, pretty much, and they got it done.
00:57:02So that's not going to happen.
00:57:04There will not be a budget passed in the legislature when the legislative session expires on Friday.
00:57:10How that then gets resolved, we'll work through it.
00:57:13But I just think that folks need to be—folks just need to be very clear on what's happened here.
00:57:20Why has the legislative session had a lot of these turns?
00:57:26And it's because you've seen a much different set of behaviors in the Florida House of Representatives than you have seen amongst the legislative chambers, certainly for the last six years.
00:57:37You know, Manny knows more.
00:57:38Or I think he would say even before I was governor, you know, you never really saw anything like you've seen with the current Florida House of Representatives.
00:57:45And that's not serving you.
00:57:47And that's what this thing's about.
00:57:49It's—I don't need any credit for anything.
00:57:52I mean, we've done a lot since I've been governor.
00:57:54We've done more than any other governor.
00:57:56And I'm proud of that.
00:57:56But at the same time, like, you know, put forward good ideas.
00:58:00Focus on your constituents.
00:58:01Show why you're doing well for Florida.
00:58:04It's not about you.
00:58:05It's ultimately about the people that you represent.
00:58:08And I think that's gotten lost in this House agenda during this legislative session.
00:58:13I don't think that the actual people that sent them there have been the focus of their attention.
00:58:19I think they're trying to settle scores.
00:58:21I think they're trying to do these machinations.
00:58:23I think they have personal agendas at stake.
00:58:26And that—you will not succeed if that's how you do.
00:58:30So it'll get resolved one way or another.
00:58:33It will not be fully resolved by Friday under any set of circumstances.
00:58:38But once the session ends, if they don't extend, if they don't have a deal handy,
00:58:43then these members in the House are going to go back to their districts.
00:58:47And I think—and I know voters are focused on a lot of other things.
00:58:50But, you know, they're going to have to answer to the voters about, hey, you know, why did you vote to reverse the conservative higher education forms that we've done in Florida?
00:59:04Why do you want to allow institutional capture of the universities by the left again?
00:59:09But you voted for that in the Florida House.
00:59:11Why did you try to stop the governor from my immigration enforcement proposals?
00:59:16You actually voted in the House this failed amnesty bill to make Florida a de facto sanctuary state.
00:59:21Why did you vote for that?
00:59:22Why didn't you support the governor from day one and support the president on that?
00:59:27We just did—we're doing this Operation Title Wave right now.
00:59:30Massive operations, state, local, federal.
00:59:33You know, you campaigned saying you were strong on immigration, and yet you voted that way.
00:59:37Why did you join with Democrats to undo $60 million of cost savings that I instituted in the budget last June, including $56 million for yourself in the legislature, so-called legislative services?
00:59:50Is that fiscally responsible, conservative?
00:59:52Why are you doing that?
00:59:54Why are you doing some of these things that you've been doing?
00:59:57And it doesn't make sense.
00:59:59It's not consistent with what the House has been doing for the previous six years.
01:00:03And I've said, like, look, I get the focus, you know, no matter—like, I'm the subject of attacks, I'm the—but when things happen in Florida, people will say, you know, the governor, you know, signing the bill.
01:00:14That gets a lot of the attention.
01:00:15But I've said for the last six years, you know, we've had the most productive legislature of any state in the country.
01:00:22And I would put the House for those six years across three different speakers as the most productive House of Representatives in the country.
01:00:29In addition to the Senate, you obviously can't say that so far this year in this legislative session.
01:00:36Them's the facts.
01:00:37Like, that's just the reality.
01:00:39You can't sugarcoat it.
01:00:40You know, we can sit here and have a song and dance.
01:00:42But these guys have been able to do a very good job in the past.
01:00:46They have not been able to get the job done this time.
01:00:48And so, you know, hopefully, you know, we have a situation where people will see the light and be more productive.
01:00:55Because this is ultimately about you.
01:00:58It's not about the people in Tallahassee.
01:01:00You know, we're just agents to be able to bring about positive results for the people that we represent.
01:01:06And we've had a great track record of doing that.
01:01:08I put it up to any other state, soup to nuts, second to none.
01:01:13Yet, here we are dealing with this dysfunctionality.
01:01:17So stay tuned on that.
01:01:20I think it's fair to say that I will have a little bit more to say on this as the days go on.
01:01:24Thanks, everybody.
01:01:25Appreciate it.