State Senator Gwen Margolis

01/14/2016

I love when my constituents visit me in Tallahassee! Miami Realtors here in Tallahassee for Realtor day at the Capitol.

12/04/2015

Don't forget, it is the open enrollment period for the Health Care Exchanges from now until January 31, 2016. Find out more at the HealthCare.gov website.

12/03/2015

Growing our job base and making Florida businesses competitive in the global market place is a big priority for us and is very important. However, we must safeguard the assets we already have and the industry that powers our economy. We can both, it does not have ot be one or the other.


http://m.staugustine.com/news/florida-news/2015-12-03/key-senator-questions-scott-plan-taxes-incentives .tab=0

TALLAHASSEE — A powerful state senator seemed to cast doubt Wednesday on two central planks of Gov. Rick Scott’s proposed budget for the coming fiscal year, the latest sign of tension over efforts to slash taxes and establish a new fund to recruit businesses.

10/20/2015

Dear Friends,

I am writing this after having arrived back in Tallahassee. Today, we started a special session to create new Senate district maps.
As I talked about last month, we are back to re-draw the maps to ensure compliance with the Fair Districts amendment to the Florida Constitution.

Today we are talking about what are called the “base maps”, which are six maps drawn by the Senate professional staff independent of consideration to which party would win a specific district or where sitting legislators live. We are discussing the methods which were used and which we believe will meet the Florida Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Constitution. Below, I will tell you a little more about the methods used, and what it means for Miami Dade County.

Additionally, this week will see our second committee week. In my committees we will consider tax cuts such as the back to school sales tax holiday, a cut in the rate of the commercial lease tax, and a cut in the corporate income tax, along with agency presentations.
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Redistricting

The Florida Legislature is tasked with redrawing the Federal congressional, Florida Senate, and Florida House of Representatives voting districts every 10 years, to be in effect two years after the Federal Census which occurs at the beginning of every decade. In 2012, the Florida legislature created these districts in Florida, but there was a new wrinkle – the Fair Districts constitutional amendment. This amendment requires the legislature to draw the new districts without specifically benefitting a specific party or incumbent in a seat. Earlier this year, the courts found that this provision had not been complied with and invalidated the maps for the congressional and Florida Senate districts.

This month, the legislature is working on the maps for the Florida Senate districts in a special session that coincides with two of our committee weeks. We will be working to make sure we create maps that comport with the law and the constitution, and this may result in a change of your Senator for next year.

The six base maps legislative staff produced were based on the two following methodologies.

Methodology No. 1: Keep Counties Whole and Districts Entirely Within Counties
• Tier 1 Principles:
• In drawing districts, avoid dilution or retrogression of voting strength in minority districts.
• In drawing districts, give no regard to partisanship or incumbency.
• Tier 2 Principles: Should be adhered to except where Tier 1 principles require otherwise.
• In drawing districts, consistently respect county boundaries by keeping counties whole and keeping districts entirely within counties, where feasible.
• Where county lines cannot serve as the boundary line of a district:
• Consistently respect municipal boundary lines and keep municipalities whole, where feasible.
• Consistently follow other easily ascertainable and commonly understood geographic boundaries, such as railways, major roads, interstates, and rivers and other major bodies of water, where feasible.
• Make districts as nearly equal in population as practicable, with a maximum overall range of 4%.
• Districts shall be compact.

Methodology No. 2: Minimize The Number Of Times Each County Is Split Into More Than One District
• Tier 1 Principles:
• In drawing districts, avoid dilution or retrogression of voting strength in minority districts.
• In drawing districts, give no regard to partisanship or incumbency.
• Tier 2 Principles: Should be adhered to except where Tier 1 principles require otherwise.
• In drawing districts, consistently respect county boundaries by minimizing the number of times each county is split into more than one district, as well as the aggregate number of county splits statewide, where feasible.
• Where county lines cannot serve as the boundary line of a district: o Consistently respect municipal boundary lines and minimize the number of times a municipality is split into more than one district.
• Consistently follow other easily ascertainable and commonly understood geographic boundaries, such as to railways, major roads, interstates, and rivers and other major bodies of water, where feasible.
• Make districts as nearly equal in population as practicable, with a maximum overall range of 4%.
• Districts shall be compact.
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Committee Weeks

This year, our first committee week was in September. This is much earlier than usual, and combined with our two special sessions over the summer it feels like we just left. The first committee week usually entails presentations from executive agencies, letting us know how and what they are doing.

As we move in to the second month of committee meetings, we begin hearing a few bills and continue reviewing the work of the agencies and hearing from community stakeholders. This week we will be discussing several tax cuts in the Finance and Tax committee. First up is the annual back to school sales tax holiday. This year’s bill is set for August 2016, and allows no sales tax for back to school clothing, school supplies, and up to $750 for computers used at home.

Next up is the tax on commercial leases. This tax is currently at 6%, and will be lowered to 5% by this bill. Florida is one of the few states that has a tax on real property leases.

Finally, we will be considering a cut on corporate income taxes. Rather than just making all the taxes cheaper, this method is aimed to specifically help small businesses. This bill would raise the deductible threshold from $50,000 to $75,000 before a company must start paying taxes.
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Miami Book Fair

Don’t forget the upcoming Miami Book Fair! This year from November 20th-22nd, Miami Dade College will hold its annual street fair. Check out http://miamibookfair.com/ for more information.
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Miami Legal Aid

Starting October 1, 2015 you can apply for help online from Legal Services of Greater Miami at www.LegalServicesMiami.org. You can also walk in to their offices to apply at: 3000 Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 500, Miami, Florida 33137; or 11285 SW 211 Street, Suite 302, Miami, Florida 33189 between 9am-12pm Monday through Thursday. You can also call in Monday through Thursday 1:30-4:30pm at 305-576-0080.
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Fuel Your School Program

This program allows teachers to sign up for funding for proposed school projects at www.DonorsChoose.org, and then Chevron will donate $1 (up to $500,000 total) for every customer who purchases at least 8 gallons of gas per transaction.

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I always love hearing from my friends and constituents and I would love to hear from you.

Your friend,

Gwen

09/15/2015

I have filed SB 270 to allow the Florida Department of the Lottery to offer lottery tickets for online sales. Florida derives a large amount of education dollars from these sales and it only makes good sense to increase our revenue and our funding for schools.

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2015/09/14/south-florida-lawmaker-wants-online-lottery-tickets/

How would you like to buy those weekly Florida Lotto or Powerball tickets online and skip waiting in line at the grocery or convenience store?

08/27/2015

Dear Friends,

We have had a long streak of luck here in South Florida. We are currently in the midst of a 10 year long with streak, with no hurricanes making landfall in South Florida. This is the longest time without a hurricane on record. As I write to you this morning, however, Miami is in the "cone of concern" for Tropical Storm Erika, which is currently projected to make landfall here on Sunday or Monday as a category 1 hurricane. I wanted to send you this letter today to remind you of some of the resources available as we prepare for the season and for individual storms.

For storm tracking, I recommend NOAA's National Hurricane Center. Their storm tracking feature can be found here: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

As we get prepare for the storms, I recommend the hurricane readiness guides put together by City of Miami Beach (http://bit.ly/1hh7342) or Miami Dade County (http://www.miamidade.gov/hurricane/library/hurricane-guide.pdf). Both guides give great tips for getting ready, including how to make a communications plan, what items you should stock up on, and how to properly protect your property.

If Erika does make land fall here in South Florida, remember above all to be safe. Stay away from the top floors of buildings and stay away from unprotected windows. Remember too that Miami-Dade county's information line available at 311.

Above all, please be safe! I look forward to sending you another newsletter in September, when committee weeks for 2016's legislative session begin.

Thank you for reading through my newsletter. As always, feel free to contact my office with any questions or concerns. I thank you again for choosing me to represent you both at home and in Tallahassee.

Best regards,

Gwen

*Spanish translations courtesy of the NWS San Juan Weather Forecast Office. Information about experimental Spanish Tropical Cyclone Forecast Discussions can be found here.

07/28/2015

Don't forget the back to school tax week is August 7 - August 16 this year. Please see the attached pictures for more information including examples of what items are covered.

07/23/2015

Hello Friends –

After having finally wrapped on our budget, the majority of the bills we passed this past session went in to effect as new laws as of July 1st. Here is a list of some of the new laws I thought would be important to you and our community, followed by some news and events in our community.

Tax cuts

There is a 10-day sales-tax holiday starting Aug. 7 on clothing under $100, school supplies that cost $15 or less and the first $750 of personal computers purchased for non-commercial use.

There are tax cuts on the cost of gun club memberships, college textbooks, luxury boat repairs, certain agricultural supplies and services, school extracurricular fundraisers, aviation fuel at select flight-training academies, and on motor vehicles purchased overseas by internationally deployed service members from Florida.

Likely the most noticeable item will be a reduction in the communications-services tax on cell-phone and cable-TV bills. The savings are projected at $20 a year for people paying $100 a month for the services.

Adoption

HB 7013, provides $5,000 payments to government workers who adopt foster children, with the payments increasing to $10,000 for adoptions of children with special needs. The measure also repeals the state's decades-old ban on gay adoption.
Military

HB 27, requires the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to accept a military personnel identification card as proof of a social security card number during the application process to acquire a driver license or identification card.

HB 277, ensures young service members are able to rent hotel rooms in Florida. Some hotels and other lodging establishments have minimum age requirements. The law requires hotels, motels and bed-and-breakfast inns to waive age restrictions for active-duty service members with valid military identification cards.

HB 329, creates Woman Veteran, World War II Veteran, Navy Submariner, Combat Action Badge Ribbon, Air Force Combat Action Medal and Distinguished Flying Cross license plates.

HB 801, adds a memorial in the Capitol Complex to 241 members of the U.S. military killed Oct. 23, 1983 when a truck carrying 2,000 pounds of explosives drove into a headquarters and barracks area in Beirut, Lebanon.

Education

HB 41, known as "Gabby's Law for Student Safety," revises how "hazardous walking conditions" are identified and handled. The law allows school district superintendents to make formal requests to the government agencies with jurisdiction over roads to correct the hazards. The government agencies would have to include the work in their next annual five-year capital improvements programs or declare why the corrections aren't being planned.

Law enforcement

SB 264, makes it clear local law-enforcement agencies cannot use ticket quotas. Also, the law requires individual local governments to submit reports to the Legislature if traffic-ticket revenues cover more than 33 percent of the costs of operating their police departments. The proposal is a reaction to the speed trap that was nestled along U.S. 301 in the small North Florida city of Waldo.

HB 7001, allows children under 18 to secretly record conversations related to sexual abuse or other violent acts. The proposal stemmed from a Florida Supreme Court decision last year that ordered a new trial for a Lee County man who had been sentenced to life in prison for sexually abusing his stepdaughter.

HB 133, dubbed the "43 Days Initiative Act." The law extends the statute of limitation on felony sexual battery offenses from four years to 10 years. The title of the law is tied to a sexual offense victim who reported the crime four years and 43 days after the crime, which meant that no charges could be brought against the offender.

Drones

SB 766, prohibits the use of aerial drones to capture images that could infringe on the privacy of property owners or occupants. The law allows people to initiate a civil action against a person, state agency or political subdivision that violates the prohibitions. However, the prohibition doesn't include agencies countering the risk of terrorist attacks, police who obtain search warrants that authorize the use of drones, property appraisers making tax assessments, and utilities maintaining their facilities.

Entertainment

HB 239, regulates the use of certain drugs in racing horses and greyhound dogs. The law also hikes the maximum fine when a racing animal tests positive for a prohibited substance from $5,000 to $10,000, or the amount of the purse if it's greater.

Alcohol

SB 186, ends the state's prohibition on brewers being able to fill 64-ounce beer containers known as "growlers" for off-site consumption. The law limits cup sizes to 3.5 ounces for beer tastings and caps the number of vendor licenses that can be issued to a brewer. The law ends the use of the tourism exemption for on-site alcohol sales that brewers have been operating under since 1963.

SB 596, allows craft distillers to annually sell up to two factory-sealed bottles of each product directly to each customer visiting the property.

Utilities

HB 7109, limits future Public Service Commissioners to three consecutive four-year terms. The law also requires utilities to notify customers of the best available rates and prevents electric utilities from charging higher rates through extensions of billing cycles --- a provision directed at Duke Energy.
Medical

HB 269, allows terminally ill patients to access certain experimental drugs. Dubbed the "Right to Try Act," the law focuses on drugs that have been through what is known as "phase 1" of a clinical trial but have not been approved for general use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The law also provides liability protections to doctors and drug manufacturers.

Insurance

HB 4011, repeals a law capping at four the number of vehicles that can be covered by a single family insurance policy.

SB 1094, which provides flexible insurance options for flood coverage.

Public records

SB 7040 and SB 200 which makes email addresses provided to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and tax collectors no longer part of the public record.

SB 248, which creates a public-records exemption for certain videos made by police body cameras. The exemption would apply to videos made on private property without the approval of a property owner or individual.

Community Events and Information

Free back-to-school immunizations at the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County

MIAMI – The Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County’s Immunization Program is urging parents to check their children’s immunization record to see if they are due for a vaccine. Children entering Kindergarten and 7th grade are normally due for a vaccine and need to meet the requirements for school entry.
If your child is due for a vaccine, please visit your child’s healthcare provider or one of our health department clinics.

The Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County provides free back-to-school immunizations to children between the ages of 2 months through 18 years of age. Please see the below clinic schedule for locations and hours and call 786-845-0550 to schedule an appointment.

West Perrine Center Little Haiti Health Center
18255 Homestead Avenue 300 NE 80th Terrace
Miami, Florida 33157 Miami, Florida 33138
Mon.- Fri. (8 am – 3:30 pm) Mon., Wed. & Fri. (8 am – 3:30 pm)


North Miami Clinic Downtown Clinic
14101 NW 8th Avenue 1350 NW 14th Street
North Miami, Florida 33168 Miami, Florida 33125
Tues. & Thurs. (8 am – 3:30 pm) Mon. – Fri. (8 am – 3:30 pm)

News from the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs
August 6, 2015 - Community Grants Workshop (CG) - Second Quarter

Visit Grants for Organizations and Grants for Artists for more information.

Click here to sign up for the workshop: http://www.miamidadearts.org/content/community-grants-cg-program-workshop

EDUCATION, OUTREACH & ACCESS

Audience Access (AUD) Grants Program
Deadline: Ongoing

A program of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Audience Access (AUD) Grant Program is designed to provide funding to promote and help pay for arts program ADA/access technology and services, such as American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters, captioning, audio description, materials in accessible format, ADA/access training, and other such services to ensure programmatic access for audiences of all abilities. More information:
http://miamidadearts.org/audience-access-aud-grants-program
Florida Cultural Alliance - Good News!

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Terra Foundation for American Art - Exhibition Grants
Deadline: August 1, 2015

This grant supports exhibitions that enlarge the understanding and appreciation of historical American art made between 1500 and 1980. To be eligible for funding, exhibitions that take place internationally or in Chicago may be aimed at the general public, scholars, or both; exhibitions that take place only in the United States but outside of Chicago must present historical American art in an international context and reach a scholarly audience. Grant funding is also available for exhibitions that include objects from the Terra Foundation's collection of American art. Letter of Inquiry required. The foundation only accepts proposals from institutions with 501(c)(3) status or the international equivalent. Award Ceiling: not specified. Letter of Inquiry is due on August 1, 2015. For information: http://www.terraamericanart.org/what-we-offer/grant-fellowship-opportunities/grant-opportunities-for-institutions/

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Tigertail Productions Seeks Video Submissions for ScreenDance Miami. Submissions Accepted: Through September 30, 2015

ScreenDance Miami is a 4-day festival that takes place January 21-24, 2016, at various venues. The festival offers skill-developing workshops, panel discussions and screenings. The festival is produced by Tigertail and directed by Marissa Alma Nick.

ScreenDance Miami is looking for dance films and videos in various styles that combine choreography and cinematography. Submissions should be15 minutes or less of footage, including everything from shorts, documentaries and stage adaptations to animation, stop motion, 3D films and music videos. Submissions are currently accepted through September 30, 2015.
For more information and to submit your film online visit: https://tigertail.submittable.com/submit

Independent Sector National Conference Comes to Miami

October 27 - 29, 2015

This October, the Independent Sector conference comes to Florida for the first time. We are pleased to share a personal invitation from Alberto Ibargüen, president of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and chair of this year's conference host committee. In his letter, Alberto reflects on the vitality of the conference experience and why this year's conference, Embark, is an important opportunity for Florida's nonprofits and foundations. In his words: "It creates an inclusive, level playing field where leaders and practitioners from nonprofits and foundations of every size and mission exchange ideas, learn from experts, and collaboratively forge new solutions for improving our world." Click here to read the full letter and visit ISEmbarks2015.com to learn more about the conference.

Featured Resources

National Council of Nonprofits, Nonprofit Economic Vitality Center: http://www.councilofnonprofits.org/
This resource was developed to help nonprofits better understanding the current economic climate and assist in accessing strategies to help navigate the economy so that nonprofits can provide community services more effectively.

All applicants of the Department of Cultural Affair's Community Grants (CG) Program must attend one (1) workshop prior to application. Refer to the grant program guidelines or contact the grant administrator for further pre-application requirements. All workshops are held at the: Miami-Dade County D…

07/13/2015

Proud help and support the Miami River Commission in their great work, and humbled that they, along with Mayor Tomas P. Regaladohonored me today along with Joe Negron, Senator Oscar Braynon II, David Richardson, and José Félix Díaz with a plaque of appreciation.

06/30/2015

Friends,

The Governor has signed the $78.7 billion budget which the Florida Legislature passed, $2 billion more than last year. We were able to do this while cutting taxes by over $400 million to our citizens and business owners. Despite my disappointment that we were not able to come to an agreement on expanding healthcare to cover uninsured Floridians in the so-called coverage gap and the governor’s incredible $412 million in vetoes for important projects, there are still some great projects in this year’s budget. Here is a list of selected projects I supported that impact Miami-Dade County that have been passed in this year’s budget.

Before I talk about some of the great projects that did receive funding, I wanted to show you some of the projects that the legislature funded that were vetoed by the Governor. These projects include education, health care, infrastructure, environmental, and cultural projects.

- FIU Land Acquisition - $5,000,000
- FIU Biscayne Bay Mold Remediation - $3,000,000
- FIU Cybersecurity Network - $200,000
- Emerging Technology Entrepreneurship at Miami Dade College - $1,000,000
- Coral Gables Environmental Sustainability Design Education Program - $100,000
- Holocaust Documentation and Education Center - $50,000
- Holocaust Memorial $300,000
- Miami Dade Homeless Trust - $189,794
- Nurse-Family Partnership Program - $497,500
- Florida Children’s Initiative - $300,000
- Aventura NE 29th Place Stormwater Retrofits - $195,000
- Bay Harbor Islands Sewer Manhole Lining Project - $100,000
- Coral Gables Miracle Mile and Giralda Avenue Drainage - $200,000
- Coral Gables Wet Well Rehabilitation - $80,000
- Miami Beach Stormwater Project $750,000
- Miami Garden Stormwater Drainage Improvements - $175,000
- North Miami Beach Sewering - $425,000
- Palmetto Bay Drainage - $225,000
- Underline Linear Park - $2,000,000
- Ludlam Trail - $3,000,000
- North Miami Beach Texas U-Turn - $1,000,000
- Sunny Isles Pedestrian Bridge - $1,000,000
- Palmetto Bay Softball Field - $250,000
- Miami Boat Show - $500,000
- Fulford Fountain $112,500
- Actor’s Playhouse - $200,000
- Museum of Contemporary Art - $49,000
- Adrienne Arsht Center - $150,000
- Vizcaya - $400,000

Education

Our education system is one of the most important services provided by our government to its citizens, and the funding we devoted to education, both K-12 and Higher Education, is reflective of that importance. Our K-12 public schools this year received record overall funding, increasing spending by $780 million, which is a 3% increase per student. We were also able to provide $171 million to Miami Dade College and $487 million to FIU in funding. In addition, we provided FIU with $2.2 million for a general capital project.

We also provided money for the following special programs:

- Lighthouse for the Blind - $150,000
- FMU, Grants and Aid - $3.7 million
- FIU, Public Hurricanes Loss Model - $2.3 million
- Partnership for School Readiness-Florida Developmental Disabilities Council Help Me Grow Florida Network Expansion - $1.8 million
- Early Learning Coalition (Miami Dade and Monroe) - $107 million
- VPK Early Learning Coalition (Miami Dade and Monroe) - $58 million
- University of Miami, Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resource Centers - $450,000
- University of Miami, Autism Program - $1.7 million
- University of Miami Sylvester Cancer Center-Firefighter Cancer research - $965,000
- New World School of the Arts - $650,000
- Holocaust Memorial Instructional Enhancement, Miami Beach - $75,000
- SEED School of Miami - $2,000,000
- Miami Dade Workforce Development - $79 million
- Lotus House Women’s Shelter - $150,000

Infrastructure

The following projects in Miami-Dade County received funding for parks and infrastructure:

- Miami River Commission, Miami River Environmental Restoration - $150,000
- Village of Biscayne Park Stormwater Master Plan - $150,000
- Florida Recreation Development Assistance Grants- Village of Key Biscayne - $50,000
- Florida Recreation Development Assistance Grants-City of South Miami - $50,000

Social Services

The Miami Lighthouse for the Blind's Heiken Children’s Vision Fund was created in 1992, and to date it has provided free comprehensive eye examinations and eyeglasses to more than 85,000 financially disadvantaged schoolchildren who had no other source for vision care. The Miami Lighthouse for the Blind's Heiken Children's Vision fund received $750,000 in appropriations.

One of my goals for this session which was strongly supported by the Senate was to improve funding for mental health and substance abuse issues in our community. We appropriated:
- Children’s Action Teams for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services- Institute for Child and Family Health-Miami-Dade - $750,000
- Community Substance Abuse Services-Family Intensive Team Model (FIT) for intensive team-based family-focused, comprehensive services to families in the child welfare system-Miami Dade County - $483,871

Cultural Affairs

I am proud of my work with the budget of the Office of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Department of State, which offers funding that is designed to support the program activities of an organization that is realizing its stated mission and furthering the state's cultural objectives by conducting, creating, producing, presenting, staging, or sponsoring cultural exhibits, performances, educational programs, or events or providing professional services as a State Service Organization or Local Arts Agency. The following Miami-Dade programs received grants from these allocations:

Historic Preservation Grants

- City of Homestead Seminole Theatre – $50,000
- The Kampong of the National Topical Botanical Garden In., Restoration of the Fairchild Sweeny Home - $50,000
- The City of Miami Beach The Great Spirit Conservation Project - $15,455
- The Coral Gables Museum-Miami Dade - $9,600
- Coral Gables Merrick House Restoration - $350,000

Culture Builds Florida Grants

- The Thomas Amor Youth Ballet Dance as a Vehicle to Success - $25,000
- ArtSpring, Inc. Dimensions in Arts for Florida Inmates - $25,000
- Karen Peterson and Dancers, Inc. Inclusive Dance-Benefits for Teens - $25,000
- Miami Dance Futures, Inc. Florida initiative/National Water Dance 2016 - $25,000
- TL Tango Lovers Organization, Inc. Legacy by Tango Lovers - $25,000
- Fantasy Theatre Factory, Inc. Fantasy Theatre Factory’s Literacy Incentive Through Theatre - $25,000
- Deco Echo Artists’ Delegation, Inc. - $25,000
- Ground Up and Rising, Inc. 2015-2016 Season $20,000
- Coral Gables Congregational Church/United Church of Christ, Inc. 2015 Summer Concert Series & Young Musicians Summer Master Classes - $25,000
- Mystery Park Arts Company, Inc. American Masterworks at SoBe Institute of the Arts - $25,000
- Miami Momentum Dance Company, Inc. Momentum Dance Company –Four Tiered Residency - $25,000
- Teatro Avante, Inc. ### International Hispanic Theatre Festival - $25,000
- Orchestra Miami, Inc. Orchestra Miami’s Family Fun Concert Series - $25,000
- The Murray Dranoff Foundation, Inc. Piano SLAM-“The Music Speaks” - $25,000
- The Miami Foundation, Inc. WEIRD Miami Artist Swaps: Pollinating South Florida with an artistic/activist network - $25,000
- Miami Gay and Le***an Film Festival, Inc.Miami Gay and Le***an Film Festival - $25,000
- Culture Builds Florida Barry University’s Carnival Arts Program - $25,000
- Caribbean Diaspora Oral History PROJECT - $10,000

Cultural Museum Grants

- Actor’s Playhouse Production, Inc. - $70,986
- Performing Arts Center Trust, Inc. - $70,086
- Miami City Ballet, Inc. - $70,986
- Miami Book Fair International - $70,986
- Tigertail Productions - $19,403
- Zoological Society of Florida - $70,986
- Seraphic Fire, Inc - $69,472
- Miami Dade County - $70,986
- The Miami Children’s Museum - $70,986
- Miami Art Museum of Dade County Association, Inc. - $70,986
- New World Symphony, Inc. - $70,986
- Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens, Inc. - $70,986
- Arts & Business Council of Miami, Inc. - $13,532
- Museum of Science Inc. - $70,986
- Arts Ballet Theatre, Inc. - $36,676
- Miami Dade College Foundation, Inc. - $44,958
- Greater Miami Youth Symphony of Dade County Florida, Inc. - $35,965
- Gablestage, Inc. - $54,415
- Miami Light Project, Inc. - $40,226
- City Theatre, Inc. - $24,604
- Fundarte, Inc. - $20,586
- National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts, Inc. - $70,986
- Friends of the Bass Museum, Inc. - $70,986
- Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education, Inc. - $18,220
- Coral Gables Cinemateque, Inc. - $11,831
- Olympia Center, Inc. - $11,831
- Historical Association of Southern Florida Inc. - $66,254
- Miami Beach Film Society, Inc. - $11,831
- Village of Pinecrest - $11,831
- The Dave and Mary Alper Jewish Community Center, Inc. - $70,986
- Alhambra Music, Inc. - $3,696
- South Florida Art Center - $50,164
- ArtSouth, A Not for Profit Corporation - $14,926
- ARCA Images, Inc. - $5,758
- The Miami Theatre Center, Inc. - $70,986
- Cannonball Miami, Inc. - $11,831
- Florida International University Foundation, Inc. - $70,986
- Child of this Culture Foundation, Inc. - $7,335
- Miami Hispanic Ballet Corp. - $16,563
- Miami Design Preservation League, Inc. - $33,127
- Children’s Voice Chorus, Inc. - $2,366
- Florida International University Research Foundation, Inc. - $70,986
- Florida International University - $70,707
- Haitian Heritage Museum Corp. - $11,831
- University of Wynwood, Inc. - $10,411
- Creation Art Center Corporation - $5,679
- Miami Dade College - $43,247
- Miami Lyric Opera, Inc. - $8,772
- Florida Grand Opera, Inc. - $70,986
- The Miami Symphony Orchestra/Orquesta Sinfonica De Miami, Inc. - $44,958
- The M Ensemble Company Inc. - $6,996
- Beaux Arts of the Lowe Art Museum of the University of Miami - $11,831
- Patrons of Exceptional Artists, Inc. - $11,831
- Coral Gables Museum, Corp. - $25,839
- Miami Bach Society, Inc. - $11,831
- Red Chemistry, Inc. - $1,656
- South Florida Youth Symphony Inc. - $9,465

Grants and Aids to Local Governments and

- The Miami Children’s Museum, Inc. - $500,000
- Miami Dade County - $500,000
- Performing Arts Center Trust-Miami Dade - $500,000
- Miami Dade College-Miami Dade - $100,000
- Village of Pinecrest-Miami Dade - $500,000
- City of Homestead - $500,000
- Art of Cultural Evolution - $250,000


Your Friend,

Gwen