fried

Fried Taps Nelson for Honorary Inaugural Role

Dan Florida, Industry News Release

After being ousted from office by Republican Gov. Rick Scott, departing U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson will have a hand in an upcoming inaugural in Tallahassee. Agriculture Commissioner-elect Nikki Fried, the only Democrat to win statewide in the Nov. 6 election, named Nelson an honorary co-chair as part of her inauguration leadership committee. Nelson served in the Senate for almost two …

redistricting plan

Two Statewide Races Go to Manual Recounts

Dan Florida, Industry News Release

Floridians will have to wait a little longer to get official word about who will be the state’s next agriculture commissioner and who will serve in the U.S. Senate. Secretary of State Ken Detzner announced Thursday that manual recounts of “overvotes” and “undervotes” will be required in the two statewide races, as the margins between candidates were below 0.25 percent …

trade agreement

Senators Take Aim at Unfair Trade Practices Hurting Florida Fruit and Vegetable Growers

Dan Exports/Imports, Fruits, Industry News Release, Trade, Vegetables

U.S. Senators Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) introduced legislation to help Florida fruit and vegetable growers combat unfair trade practices. The bill comes amid long-standing and increasing complaints from Florida farmers that Mexican growers illegally flood the U.S. market with subsidized produce during the winter season. Florida is one of the few places in the country that can …

trade

Rubio, Nelson Raise Concerns About Mexico Trade Deal

Dan Florida, Industry News Release, Trade

While President Donald Trump on Monday hailed a tentative trade deal with Mexico, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., raised concerns about whether the deal would adequately protect Florida farmers. Rubio and Nelson sent a joint letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer requesting that he work “diligently to ensure Florida’s agriculture community is fairly …

trump

Trump Immigration Furor Underscored in Florida

Dan Florida, Industry News Release, Labor and Immigration

Amid escalating bipartisan demands for President Donald Trump to stop separating undocumented immigrant children from their families at the southern U.S. border, two high-ranking Florida Democrats were denied access Tuesday to a federal detention facility in Homestead housing an estimated 1,000 minors. The Trump administration family-separation policy — which has resulted in more than 2,000 children being warehoused throughout the …

rubio

Rubio, Nelson Push for Agriculture Help

Dan Florida, Industry News Release

U.S. Sen Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., want the federal government to quickly approve aid for farmers, small business and communities impacted by Hurricane Irma. In a letter Wednesday to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, the senators asked for “expedited consideration of any disaster declaration and assistance requests.” Irma caused extensive damage to citrus crops …

Nelson to Try Legislative Route in ‘Water War’

Dan Florida, Georgia, Legislative, Water

by Lloyd Dunkelberger, The News Service of Florida U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson said Monday he will file legislation aimed at forcing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to divert more freshwater into Northwest Florida’s Apalachicola Bay system. Nelson, who visited Florida A&M University and the state Capitol, said he and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio will support Senate legislation similar to …