Representatives Roth and Caruso Give their Views on the 2024 Session

On Tuesday, May 28th, Representatives Rick Roth and Mike Caruso gave us their impressions of the accomplishments of this year’s legislative session.

As each legislator has their particular areas of focus, each had a different list of highlights. Here are the major items they discussed:

• 207 bills so far signed by the Governor, with 27 awaiting approval and 77 more to be presented to him
• Home schooling has really accelerated under the school choice framework – 77K 10 years ago is now 155K
• 2/3 of the house is republican – the reason we can pass such important legislation
• There was a focus on public safety this year, including:
  • HB1365 – Unauthorized public camping and public sleeping – sets minimum standards for a county to allow homeless encampments
  • HB49 – relaxed rules on hours worked for 16 and 17 year olds
  • HB621 – allows for the efficient eviction of squatters
  • HB549 – reduces threshold for felony theft to $40 from $750 and targets “group retail theft”
  • HB75 – raises penalties for impeding, threatening or harassing 1st responders
  • HB1451 – no ID cards for illegals issued by out of state jurisdictions accepted (issuing them already banned in Florida)
  • HB1036 – enhanced penalty for illegals returning after being deported

• $117B budget, 40% health care, $22B for agriculture
• HB1 – Keeping roads open when closed by protestors
• HB7073 – cuts business rental tax to 2% from 4.5%
• HB1611 – reduced lawsuits against insurance companies and lower taxes on insurance
• CS/SB 7028 – up to $10K to harden homes under “my safe homes”
• HB3 – limit access to social media for under 14
• HB1403 – increases school choice with additional voucher programs
• SB184 – protects 1st responders – stay 20′ back

As reference material, Representative Roth provided his written notes on the session which are available HERE.

The meeting included some elected officials – County Commissioner Sara Baxter and Jupiter Inlet Commissioner Jim Davis were in attendance along with the two representatives.

Candidates introducing themselves included:

Joe LaFauci for State Committeeman
Jody Schwartz and Tami Donnally for State Committeewoman
Anthony Aguirre for House District 94
Michael Gauger for County Sheriff
Deborah Adeimy for Congressional District 22

President’s Council Red White and Blue BBQ

In lieu of holding a meeting in June, we are asking our members to attend the Republican Club President’s Council Barbeque on Saturday June 15th. Many of the federal, state and local candidates will speak in addition to Peter Ticktin’s anecdotes about former (and next) President Donald Trump. The club will have a tent at the event, so drop by and say hello!

May Meeting – Session Review with Representatives Roth and Caruso

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Representative Rick Roth is the current representative for District 94, which encompasses most of the western part of Palm Beach county, including the Glades cities, Westlake, Royal Palm Beach, Loxahatchee Groves and the parts of Jupiter and Palm Beach Gardens west of the turnpike. Rick is term limited this year and has completed his eighth Legislative Session since his election in 2016 in what was then district 85. He currently serves as Vice-Chairman of the Republican Party of Palm Beach County.

With a degree in Mathematics from Emory University, Rick became President and principal owner of his family’s farming operation in 1986. Today, he is primary owner of both Roth Farms Inc., a diversified vegetables, sugar cane, and rice farming operation and Rays Heritage LLC., a vertically integrated state of the art packinghouse and sales operation in Palm Beach County. Rick has served in numerous leadership roles in his community, including on the Board of Directors for the Western Palm Beach County Farm Bureau, Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association and the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida.

Representative Mike Caruso is the current representative for District 87, a coastal district running from Juno Beach south to Manalapan and including parts of Palm Beach Gardens, North Palm Beach, Lake Park and Jupiter. Prior to the redistricting in 2022, Mike served two terms in district 89 which includes parts of Boca Raton and Delray Beach.

With a degree in Business Administration from George Washington University and several years as a CPA at KPMG and Grant Thornton, Mike opened his own CPA firm, Caruso & Caruso in Palm Beach County. He is deeply entrenched in the community both personally and professionally. In addition to his professional work as a CPA, he owns several residential and commercial properties throughout the county and is the CFO of Delray Beach Executive Suites. Mike has used his skills to benefit the community, serving on many community organization boards, and serving as an expert witness in many local and national court cases as a forensic accountant.

Synopsis of Dr. Rob Otto’s talk

Know your surroundings
Know the exits
Be aware
When you are in a store look for the exit signs
Come prepared just in case of emergency
Don’t engage with danger just remove yourself
Remember to use your tools when needed. Tools for example would be purchasing —maze spray and hand held strob light
Trust your gut or instinct or intuition when you feel that something isn’t right
He reminded us of the huge amount of dangerous people in our country

Gloria Giorno to Speak at the April 23rd Meeting

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Gloria Giorno is the author of “Outcast-How the Radical Left Tried to Destroy a Young Conservative”. She is a Conservative Christian mother and wife. Born in the suburbs of Chicago, she lived in Communist Yugoslavia in 1972 while attending first grade. Gloria has first hand experience of the tragedies under Communism and a deep appreciation for the freedoms that are taken for granted in America.

2024 Anne Roberts Scholarship

The Republican Club of the Palm Beaches’ Scholarship was named after a long-standing and active member of our Club, Anne Roberts.

The Anne Roberts Memorial Scholarship is available to any resident of Palm Beach County who is a full or part time undergraduate or graduate student seeking to further their education. Students must have a GPA of 3.0 or above and plan to attend an accredited college. Applicants must be registered (or pre-registered under 18 yrs. of age) Republicans. Current members of our Club may refer applicants for this scholarship. The deadline for this application is May 31. The recipient will be eligible to receive up to $500 to be sent to the school they will attend. Award will be presented at the monthly luncheon in June 2024.

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RCPB Scholarship application 2024

General Mark Holler’s Remarks at the February Meeting

General Holler told us some of the stories of serving under and with Generals we read about in the paper while serving several tours in the Middle East, South Korea, and in between and while serving as Executive Officer in the Army Inspector General at the Pentagon. The General also talked about the time he spent in Afghanistan and remarked how he was disappointed with the way the US exited from the country and gave us a 250 year history lesson on the practicality of the military from isolationism to pragmatism.

Dr. Rob Otto to Speak at our March Meeting

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Dr. Rob Otto grew up in Boca Raton. He was the 7th in his family to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point. He graduated with a degree in aerospace engineering. Dr. Otto served for many years as an Infantry officer and is Airborne and Ranger qualified. Rangers are experts in small unit tactics and are trained to deal with threats in very dangerous situations. He has extensive training on creating safety for those around him and often speaks and teaches on this topic. After leaving the Army in 1998, he pursued a PhD in family therapy at Nova Southeastern University. He has a counseling office in Boca Raton. Dr. Otto and his wife, Shannon, have been married for more than 3 decades. They have two sons and a daughter who are all married. They are known as Ranger and Mumsy to their 5 grandchildren.

General Mark Holler at February Meeting

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Brigadier General (Ret.) Mark A. Holler most recently served as the Deputy Commanding General – Operations for Eight Army in South Korea (2022-23). A native of Florida, Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Holler graduated from the University of North Florida in 1992 as a ROTC Distinguished Military Graduate. His advanced education includes a master’s degree in military operational art and science and a master’s degree in strategic studies.
Over a 31-year active duty career, Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Holler served in leadership positions ranging from platoon leader to commanding general. He served a total of eight years overseas, to include five combat tours in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, and three assignments within the Pacific region. Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Holler also served in the Pentagon as the Director of Fires on the Army staff and Executive Officer to the Inspector General of the Army.
Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Holler’s awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit (six awards), Bronze Star (three awards), Meritorious Service Medal (five awards), and Joint Service Commendation Medal. His badges include the Ranger Tab, Master Parachutist Badge, Combat Action Badge, Senior Space Badge, Inspector General Badge, and the Army Staff Identification Badge.

Mel K and Eric Golub featured at January Meeting

Mel k educated the club members on why the United Nations was started by Rockefeller.
She referred to the Covid pandemic shutdown as a plandemic, suggesting that it was planned. She believes that Trump is needed now more than ever

Eric Golub asked the club members to find a common denominator when talking to independent voters. Eric says not to argue about state of affairs but to ask probing questions such as are you happy with high food prices?

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