TALLAHASSEE, Fla.— Today, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis spoke out against the Florida League of Cities letter to Governor Ron DeSantis requesting that he veto a bill which passed unanimously to provide cancer coverage to Florida firefighters:

 

“It's shameful that the Florida League of Cities is pressuring Governor DeSantis to veto a great bill which will ensure our firefighters receive the cancer coverage they need and deserve. Nationwide, 70 percent of firefighter line-of-duty deaths in 2016 were cancer-related—firefighters are dying from cancer at higher rates than you or me. It seems that Florida League of Cities, once again, does not care about these heartbreaking statistics or the brave men and women who they represent.

 

“Excuses for not wanting to step up and putting politics in front of our firefighters is shameful. Last year, the Florida League of Cities challenged our fight for important PTSD benefits for first responders, and now they oppose ways to help firefighters fight cancer. The League of Cities continues to show they don’t care about the first responders who protect their communities every day.”