Florida legislative budget panel approves $240M for emergency management

A legislative budget panel approved another $240 million for the Florida Division of Emergency Management on Friday, the same day the agency issued a report showing they could have a $1.5 billion deficit at the end of the fiscal year. Much of the spending is centered on the state’s efforts to arrest and house undocumented immigrants – normally a federal government duty. The DEM set up Alligator Alcatraz, the now-defunct detention center in south Florida used to house undocumented immigrants, under a state of emergency first issued by Gov. Ron DeSantis on illegal immigration enforcement in 2023. The Legislative Budget Commission gave the greenlight to the $240 million to go to the Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund (EPRF), with $187.8 million going to illegal immigration enforcement contracts that have already been fulfilled. House and Senate members on the committee voted along party lines, with Republicans voting yes and Democrats voting no. The FDEM report, which is required by law to be sent to the Legislature every quarter, was originally due July 15 but was not sent to legislators until an hour before the meeting on Friday. According to the report, as of June 30, there was approximately $6.4 million left in the emergency fund. With a full reimbursement from the federal government for illegal immigration enforcement and an influx of $500 million from the legislature, the agency still projected a “worst-case scenario” of a $1.5 billion deficit in the EPRF at the end of the 2026-2027 fiscal year if the state experiences two natural disasters. Legislative Budget Commission Chairman Sen. Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater, said he did not know how much money was currently in the fund but that the state had enough in reserves to handle a natural disaster if one occurred this year. Hooper also said he did not have a chance to look at the report before the meeting, but he had a chance to speak with FDEM Director Jared Perdue, who told him he was committed to being transparent. Perdue and FDEM staff declined to answer questions about the EPRF on Friday after the meeting. Perdue, who is also the secretary for the Florida Department of Transportation, was appointed in August after Kevin Guthrie became Lt. Gov. Jay Collins’ running mate for the Republican primary for the governor’s race. “He is still learning where the restrooms are at DEM, but he’s very serious and he’s very competent and he wants to do the best he can do,” Hooper said. “He inherited several issues he’s trying to get a grasp on.” Sen. Lori Berman, D-Boca Raton, criticized the timing of the release of FDEM’s report and said the commission was “boxed in” when asked to approve money that has already been spent. “This is not the way we should be spending Florida money. We need more legislative oversight, we need more transparency,” Berman said. She asked Perdue when the agency would repay all of its outstanding invoices. The report says FDEM has 592 pending invoices for Operation Vigilant Sentry, the state’s name for its illegal immigration enforcement program. “I’m not prepared to answer that question here today,” Perdue said. “As I said, I’ve roughly been on the job two-and-a-half weeks. My main priority, one, is making sure that we are already prepared to respond to a natural disaster. And secondly, to enhance and continue the partnership with the federal government and aggressively pursue the reimbursements that are available.” The report states FDEM has only received $84.6 million out of the promised $608 million in federal grant money; $523.8 million still remains to be received. Hooper has already announced his resignation from the Senate, effective after the November elections. He voted for the $240 million transfer to the emergency fund, but he also noted the cashflow may come to an end after the election, as Florida has “a new sheriff coming to town in January.” “Governor DeSantis has led us through COVID, he’s led us through an incredible series of storms. We have given him some leeway, and I would just guess that the time for that leeway is coming to an end pretty rapidly,” Hooper said. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.