Our Florida elected officials have been hard at work, in Tallahassee. Special Session 2023B convened on Monday, February 6, 2023, and they have already passed and presented 3 bills for Governor DeSantis’s consideration and signing. Governor DeSantis has until February 25, 2023, to act on these 3 bills.
SB 2-B is emergency response related and creates the Local Government Emergency Bridge Loan Program within the Department of Economic Opportunity. It authorizes the department to provide interest free loans to eligible qualifying local governments impacted by Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole. The purpose of funding is to assist local governments in maintaining operations by bridging the gap between the time that the declared disaster occurred and the time that additional financial assistance funding sources are secured. The disbursement of funding is lump sum with a loan term of one year which could be extended an additional 6 months depending on the local government’s financial condition. The funding may only be utilized for continued local governmental operations or to expand or modify local government operations to meet disaster-related needs. These funds can’t be expensed to finance or replace funding for capital improvements or repairs or restore damaged public facilities or infrastructure. This bill will be funded for the 2022-2023 fiscal year, with the sum of $50 million in nonrecurring funds from the General Revenue Fund. Any unexpended balance of these funds as of June 30, 2023, will revert and will be appropriated for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. The bill also transfers $650 million to the Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund (EPRF) to be used for responding to declared state of emergencies. Even through the bill earmarks the $50 million in nonrecurring funds specifically for local governments effected by Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole, it does provide funding of $650 million to the Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund to be utilized for preparing and responding to newly declared state of emergencies. Also this bill’s framework will provide a formidable and expeditious legislative framework for local government funding needs in future declared state of emergencies.
SB 4- B creates the Department of Legal Affairs an Office of Statewide Prosecution. The office may investigate and prosecute an extensive list of crimes if certain conditions are met. The bill also removes election-related issues from this extensive list and forms a new paragraph that more clearly defines the election related crimes in which statewide prosecutors have concurrent jurisdiction with state attorneys to prosecute. These crimes include voting in an election in which a candidate for a federal or state office is on the ballot; voting in an election in which a referendum, an initiative, or an issue is on the ballot; the petition activities of a candidate for a federal or state office; the petition activities for a referendum, an initiative, or an issue; voter registration or any attempt, solicitation, or conspiracy to commit any of the crimes defined above. The bill provides that the office has the power to investigate and prosecute election-related crimes only if, such offense is occurring, or has occurred, in two or more judicial circuits as part of a related transaction; or such office is affecting, or has affected, two or more judicial circuits. Also provided in the bill is the authority of the office to investigate and prosecute any defined crime that is facilitated by or connected to the use of the Internet.
SB 6-B creates the Unauthorized Alien Transport Program within the Division of Emergency Management. Authorizes the division to adopt rules to implement the program and contract for services to transport “inspected unauthorized aliens” within the United States, consistent with federal law. The bill appropriates $10 million for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. An “inspected unauthorized alien” has been defined as “an individual who has documentation from the United States Government indicating that the United States Government processed and released him or her into the United States without admitting the individual in accordance with the federal Immigration and Nationality Act.” This bill was passed to mitigate the effects on Floridians from the Federal Government’s Open Border policy. Governor DeSantis has already signed Executive Order 23-03 which directed state law enforcement agencies and other state agencies to take necessary actions to protect Floridians from the impact of the border crisis. The bill further reads, “Without such actions, detrimental effects may be experienced in Florida, including increased crime, diminished economic opportunities and wages for American workers, and burdens on the education and health care systems.”
If this is an indication of what the Florida Legislature will pass this year, we will be well protected from Washington’s bad policies, we will have preservation of our election integrity, we will have safeguards for Florida’s economy and most importantly we will have Floridian concerns and needs at the top of the legislative process.
Published | Jackson County Times | February 16, 2023