2009 Session of the Florida Legislature

Today is final day of the 2009 Session of the Florida Legislature, a session which has been full of difficult decisions for all involved. I commend our lawmakers for their leadership in these challenging times and for the efforts they have made to protect Floridians.

I believe significant progress has been made toward safeguarding Floridians’ investments and promoting public safety. The Legislature passed the Florida Securities and Investor Protection Act, an important piece of legislation which allows the Attorney General to seek civil penalties and restitution for victims of securities fraud and provides better tools for criminal prosecution of these crimes.

The Legislature also strengthened the CyberCrimes Against Children Act, approved federal stimulus funding for four additional forensic analyst positions for my CyberCrime Unit, and continued its support of the Coordinating Council on Criminal Gang Reduction Strategies, one of my top priorities. Funding was also secured to support the Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys, which is housed in my office.

With the current state of our economy, these have been trying times for our state, our citizens, and our leaders. It is during times like these that those that would prey on our vulnerabilities come out in full force, therefore the Attorney General's Office will be doing everything possible to protect our consumers, our businesses, and our public entities from the unscrupulous deeds of others.