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On October 22, HB 265 (Grall) passed the House Health & Human Services Committee (12-6). The bill will be heard by the full House during the 2020 Legislative Session that begins in January. HB 265 and its Senate companion, SB 404 (Stargel), require parents to provide written consent before a minor receives an abortion.

On October 23, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida granted a stay of execution until December 30, 2019 to allow Mr. Dailey's newly appointed federal counsel time to present his substantial claims of innocence. Dailey was scheduled to be executed on November 7. 

Five death row exonerees made a trip to the Capitol to deliver a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis. The letter from Witness to Innocence, an organization of exonerated survivors of death row, urges a halt to the execution of James Dailey. The exonerees, along with many others, believe Dailey to be innocent of the murder for which he was convicted and received a death sentence.

November is Florida Adoption Month, a time to celebrate adoption finalizations, express thanks to the parents, staff and stakeholders who work throughout the year to find permanent families for children in need, and bring attention to the children who are still searching for their forever family.

TALLAHASSEE, FL (October 29, 2019) – Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops (FCCB) is pleased to announce that Ken Kniepmann has joined the staff as associate for health. Kniepmann will serve the bishops and Catholic health ministry leaders in the state as a professional resource person on matters related to health care. He will advocate on behalf of the Church and Catholic health care ministry on legislative, regulatory and other public policy proposals with particular attention to ethical and moral issues.

TALLAHASSEE, FL (October 21, 2019) – The eight Catholic bishops of Florida have written to Gov. Ron DeSantis urging him to stay the execution of James Dailey. Dailey, who was sentenced to death for the 1985 murder of 14-year-old Shelly Boggio, has a strong case for innocence.

Governor DeSantis has signed a third death warrant since taking office in January 2019. James Dailey, sentenced to death for the 1985 murder of 14-year-old Shelly Boggio, is scheduled to be executed on November 7. If carried out, this will be the 100th execution in Florida since the reinstatement of the death penalty in the 1970s.

A parent must consent to medical and surgical treatments for minors, including ear piercing and dispensing aspirin at school. However, this is not the case when a minor seeks an abortion.

As Pope John Paul II wrote, "We need to bring the Gospel of life to the heart of every man and woman and to make it penetrate every part of society" (Evangelium Vitae, no. 80). Therefore, each October, the Catholic Church in the U.S. celebrates Respect Life Month with the goal of helping Catholics to integrate the respect life message into the life of parishes, schools and ministries. A new website developed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, respectlife.org, provides resources to assist Catholics with building year round a culture that cherishes every human life.

For many years, the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche at Mission Nombre de Dios in St. Augustine has been a renowned landmark for pilgrims who visit from all over the world. It is America's oldest Marian Shrine, and on Oct. 11, Bishop Felipe J. Estévez made a surprise announcement that Our Lady of La Leche Shrine has been elevated to a National Shrine by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

As Catholics, we commit to live our faith in all areas of our lives, to pursue justice for our neighbors, and to protect and uphold the dignity of all human life. Each year during the legislative session, Catholics from across the state gather in Florida's Capital City for an opportunity to fulfill these commitments.

Lisa Brooks, the director of the Saint Rita Pre-School Program in Santa Rosa Beach (located in the diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee) came to Tallahassee on September 17, 2019 to participate in an early learning panel.  This discussion was part of the Florida House of Representatives’ Education Committee meeting that was held during the first committee week of the 2020 Legislative Session.  Ms. Brooks was one of three preschool directors who joined three early learning coalition officials on the panel.  They were asked to discuss ways of identifying and rewarding quality providers in the Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) Education and School Readiness programs. 

TALLAHASSEE, FL – Gary Ray Bowles is scheduled to be executed on Thursday, August 22 at 6:00 p.m. for the 1994 murder of Walter Hinton. Bowles additionally pled guilty to five other murders and is serving life sentences for two of them.

On behalf of my brother bishops of the Province of Miami, I am the moderator for respect life and have the privilege of pastoral responsibility for inmates awaiting execution and those relatives of victims.  I bring this perspective to you today, with a focus on our twofold interest: 1) pastoral care and 2) public or political discourse.

In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus says, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (22:39). Unfortunately, society has drifted away from this commandment, and hate has been spewed and acted out in many ways, most recently and notably in the mass shooting that occurred last weekend in El Paso, Texas. Racism and xenophobia are evident in the motive behind this and other mass shootings in recent years.

Florida's First District Court of Appeal has sent a ruling that found a 24-hour reflection period prior to an abortion unconstitutional back to the circuit court for further consideration. Though plaintiffs may appeal the decision, it is expected the case will go to trial. The lower court suspended the 2015 law after a Gainesville abortion clinic challenged the required reflection period as a violation of privacy rights under Florida's constitution. 

Gary Ray Bowles is scheduled to be executed on August 22 at Florida State Prison in Starke. Bowles, who was sentenced to death for the 1994 murder of Walter Hinton in Duval County, is also serving life sentences for the murders of John Roberts in Volusia County and Albert Morris in Nassau County.

You are invited to attend the 2019 Statewide Florida Respect Life Conference "In the Heart of Our Mother" in historical St. Augustine. National and state speakers will inspire and educate you with their expertise, sharing powerful fact-filled lectures that will lead us to a nurturing love which we can bring to others.

On Friday, June 21, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a record $90.9 billion budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. Before signing the spending plan passed by legislators in May, the governor used his line-item veto power to cut more than $131 million in proposed spending.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a death warrant for Gary Ray Bowles, who was sentenced to death for the 1994 murder of Walter Hinton in Duval County. Bowles, 57, is also serving life sentences for the murders of John Roberts in Volusia County and Albert Morris in Nassau County.