In the News

Reps. Fabricio and Jacques push ‘common-sense’ reforms to cut red tape and prioritize Floridians

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Republican Reps. Tom Fabricio and Berny Jacques outlined a series of legislative priorities Wednesday aimed at reducing taxpayer burdens, tightening workforce integrity, and prioritizing Floridians in the state’s university system.

Speaking in separate interviews on Florida’s Voice Radio, both lawmakers described a fast-paced legislative session focused on “common sense” reforms and responding to the economic pressures facing working-class families.

Fabricio targets ‘ancient’ technology and professional oaths

Fabricio is pushing a plan to modernize vehicle registration by eliminating the physical yellow registration decals currently required on Florida license plates.

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Rep. Jacques, Sen. Martin file bills targeting illegal immigration, employer sanctions

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Rep. Berny Jacques filed sweeping legislation Thursday aimed at tightening restrictions on illegal aliens and sharply increasing penalties for employers who hire them, building on a broader Republican effort to eliminate what state leaders describe as incentives for illegal immigration.

Jacques’ proposal, HB 1307, was filed a day after a companion measure was filed in the Senate and comes amid a broader push led by Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia to reform the state’s workers’ compensation laws.

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Rep. Berny Jacques Files Bill to Increase Penalties on Sexual Offenses

Today, I filed HB 1195, a vital piece of legislation designed to increase penalties on offenders who commit sexual crimes against our society’s most vulnerable—children and animals.

HB 1195 will require a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of at least five years to those who are convicted of possessing ten or more files of pornographic content involving minors. Additionally, HB 1159 adds a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years to those who generate child pornography and those who distribute child pornography.

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Rep. Berny Jacques files legislation to mandate citizenship verification for Florida voters

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — State Representative Berny Jacques, R-Seminole, filed legislation Monday aimed at tightening Florida’s voter registration process by requiring citizenship verification and new “non-citizen” markers on state-issued identification.

The bill, HB 985, seeks to reinforce the security of the state’s electoral process by ensuring only eligible Florida citizens participate in elections.

“The future of our state and our nation depends on free and secure elections,” Jacques said in a statement.

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Florida Rep. Jacques warns of fraud risks, pushes immigration enforcement bills

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Rep. Berny Jacques warned that fraud schemes like those uncovered in Minnesota could threaten any state, including Florida, and pledged to push legislation cracking down on immigration-related abuses during the upcoming legislative session.

During a interview Tuesday on Florida’s Voice Radio with Drew Steele, Jacques, a Republican representing District 59 in the Tampa area, praised citizen journalist Nick Shirley for exposing what he called widespread fraud in Minnesota involving Somali immigrants and federal funds.

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