Floridaâs influential affiliate of the Family Research Council will be hosting GOP presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., at its annual policy awards dinner.
The Florida Family Policy Council is a social conservative group that has supported anti-gay and anti-reproductive rights policies in the past. Last year, the groupâs policy awards dinner featured Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., as a speaker. At that event, the groupâs president, John Stemberger, announced that he would be starting a political action committee called Florida Family Action.
The group also received backing from Rubio for its âIgnite an Enduring Cultural Transformationâ campaign.
âIgniteâ aims to raise large amounts of cash for âgroups [that] intend to pass anti-gay marriage amendments, curtail abortion rights and, in at least one case, ban âtransgender bathrooms,ââ The American Independent reported.
According to earlier reporting from the Independent:
Florida Family Policy Councilâs Ignite plan, which calls for spending $300,000 to mandate that women view an ultrasound before having an abortion and to âdefeat the radical homosexual agenda.â
The group averaged revenues of $384,000 over the last three years.
Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida loaned his name to theFlorida Family Policy Council president John Stemberger told supporters their plan was meant to stave off victories by ânon-religious right friendly legislators.â
âThe people who work to undermine the values you and I share may have suffered a historic defeat in this yearâs election, but both you and I know they wonât just go home,â he wrote. âAs a matter of fact, theyâre already planning how to turn things around in the next election. The âIgnite Planâ that Iâm working on right now⊠is focused on making sure that doesnât happen.â
Sen. Rubio wrote in support of the the groupâs Ignite plan (.pdf), saying, âFFPCâs successes in education, legislation and accountability have made them an indispensable asset in promoting and defending traditional values.â
The âIgniteâ campaign is featured in the promotions for this yearâs awards dinner.
Bachmann has recently been embroiled in controversy over anti-gay ties. It was revealed that her husband runs a clinic that provides âex-gayâ therapy.
Tickets for the policy awards dinner are ranging from $75 to $25,000.