Adjournment Sine Die is the conclusion of a meeting by deliberative assembly, without setting a day to reconvene. The assembly can reconvene either in its present form or a reconstituted form if preexisting laws and rules provide. On Friday, March 8, 2024 Sine Die was declared ending the 2024 Regular Session of the Florida Legislature. The conclusion represented 6 weeks of committee meetings and 60 days of intense negotiations and law-making for Florida Constituents.
At the end of the Session, SB 2500-Appropriations, First Engrossed bill provided the following funding for Jackson County. This funding is contingent upon the Governor’s signature.
| SPECIAL FACILITIES CONSTRUCTION ACCOUNT PROJECTS $15,000,000 |
| Recipient: Jackson County School Board |
| Purpose: “The funds will be used to complete the construction of a new Grand Ridge School that was damaged by Hurricane Michael to also combine Sneads Elementary School’s student population onto one school site.” |
| 1920A GRANTS AND AIDS TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND NONSTATE ENTITIES $ 436,150 |
| Recipient: Lake Seminole Howell’s Boat Landing Improvements |
| Purpose: “Installation of additional parking spaces, storm water retention pond, floating dock boat slips (20x10ft), 200ft elevated wooden boardwalk. Construction of covered pavilions (1 at 15ftx15ft and 2 at 10ftx10ft), playground, permanent restroom facility, and extending the sewer line approximately 2,000ft to the site. Any A/E Costs for these facilities will be covered by the County.” |
| The funds in Specific Appropriation 466A, nonrecurring funds from the General Revenue Fund $ 350,000 |
| Recipient: Jackson Hospital |
| Purpose: “Jackson Hospital Therapy Center Construction” |
| Funds in Specific Appropriation 714 $ 6,566,854 |
| Recipient: Graceville Correctional Facility (Jackson County) |
| Purpose: “Provided for payments required under the master |
| Lease purchase agreement used to secure the certificates of participation issued to finance or |
| refinance correctional facilities.” |
| From the funds in Specific Appropriation 1278, $20,713,800 in recurring |
| funds from the General Revenue Fund: |
| Recipient: Jackson County Sheriff’s Office $ 1,303,272 |
| Recipient: Jackson County Board of County Commissioners $ 610,220 |
| Purpose: “Salary increases for deputy sheriffs and correctional officers employed by sheriff’s offices or boards of county commissioners in fiscally constrained counties, as defined in section 218.67(1).” |
| Nonrecurring funds in Specific Appropriation 38A $ 350,000 |
| Recipient: NextStep at Endeavor Housing |
| Purpose:” Funds will be used to renovate an existing building on the campus of NextStep Academy. Participants attending NextStep’s two-year transition academy program will live in these renovated spaces to learn, practice, and apply the skills necessary to live independently.” |
| From the funds provided in Specific Appropriation 28 $1,019.247 |
| Recipient: Jackson Adults with Disabilities Program |
| Purpose: Recurring Funds |
| From the funds in Specific Appropriation 81, $909,927,228 is provided for the School |
| Readiness Program and is allocated to early learning coalitions: |
| Recipients: Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Franklin, Washington, Holmes, Jackson $14,577,084 |
| Purpose: Early Learning Coalition |
| From the funds provided in Specific Appropriation 83, $442,486,401 in recurring funds is |
| provided for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program as provided in |
| sections 1002.51 through 1002.79. |
| Recipients: Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Franklin, Washington, Holmes, Jackson $ 4,965,106 |
| Purpose: Recurring Funds |
| The funds in Specific Appropriation 7 from the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund and Specific Appropriation 119 from the General Revenue Fund, $460,096,247 is provided for school district workforce education programs as defined in section 1004.02(25), Florida Statutes, and is allocated as follows. |
| Recipient: Jackson $ 241,677 |
| Purpose: Jackson County School District Workforce Education Programs |
| The funds in Specific Appropriation 2348 |
| Recurring funds from the State Economic Enhancement and Development |
| Trust Fund is provided as grant funding for the following Florida panhandle counties to facilitate the planning, preparing, and financing of infrastructure projects in these rural communities: |
| Recipient: Calhoun, Gadsden, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty, and Washington Counties $ 5,000,000 |
| Purpose: “Eligible uses of these funds include roads or other remedies to transportation impediments; storm water systems; water or wastewater facilities; and telecommunications facilities and broadband facilities. Grant funds are provided pursuant to section 288.0655(7), Florida Statutes.” |
| Nonrecurring funds in Specific Appropriation 17 shall be allocated as follows $ 1,135,000 |
| Recipient: Chipola College |
| Purpose: “Driving Range and Skid Pad Area Construction” |
| From the funds in Specific Appropriation 127 $ 125,375 |
| Recipient: Chipola College |
| Purpose: “Provided for the 2+2 Student Success Incentive Fund to support college efforts to improve the success of students enrolled in associate of arts degree programs in completing critical college credit courses, graduating with associate of arts degrees, and transferring to baccalaureate degree programs.” |
| From the funds in Specific Appropriation 127 $ 304,591 |
| Recipient: Chipola College |
| Purpose: “Provided for the Work Florida Student Success Incentive Fund to support college strategies and initiatives to align career education programs with statewide and regional workforce demands and high paying job opportunities.” |
| From the funds in Specific Appropriation 8 from the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund |
| and Specific Appropriation 128 from the General Revenue Fund $15,452,951 |
| Recipient: Chipola College |
| Purpose: “Provided for operating funds and approved baccalaureate programs and shall be allocated.” |
| Included within the total appropriations for Florida College System institutions in Specific |
| Appropriation 128, recurring funds from the General Revenue Fund are provided for the following |
| base appropriations projects: $ 200,000 |
| Recipient: Chipola College |
| Purpose: “Civil and Industrial Engineering Program” |
| From the funds in Specific Appropriation 128, nonrecurring funds from the General Revenue |
| Fund are provided for the following appropriations projects: $ 650,000 |
| Recipient: Chipola College |
| Purpose: “Conditioning and Refrigeration Program” |
| From the funds in Specific Appropriation 129 $ 432,695 |
| Recipient: Chipola College |
| Purpose: “Provided for the Prepping Institutions, Programs, Employers, and Learners through Incentives for Nursing Education (PIPELINE) Fund to reward performance and excellence among nursing education programs at Florida College System institutions pursuant to section 1009.897, Florida Statutes.” |
Sneads also received a big win from HB1165 and State Representative Shane Abbott. This bill transfers ownership of Adam Tucker Park from the State of Florida to the Town of Sneads. The transfer of ownership makes it easier to acquire funding for repairs and improvements.
Hats off to all who endured the 2024 Legislative Session and the passing of laws and funding to keep our Great State of Florida FREE. Elected U.S., state, and local leaders are your best defense from the lawless, open-border society the federal government is forcing hardworking, law-abiding citizens in other states to tolerate. In August and November 2024, I hope your vote will be for citizens running for election who will tirelessly fight to keep us free and protect us from the long arm of BIG BROTHER, a/k/a The Federal Government.
I will leave you with those thoughts and that concludes this week’s The Straight Truth With Mary Ann Hutton.