extend the controversial fund<\/a> through the end of next year, with some wanting more oversight of how the money is spent.<\/p>\nLawmakers created the Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund in 2022 to prepare for and respond to disasters.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t like deficit spending in state government. That\u2019s why we have a balanced budget,\u201d said Sen. Ed Hooper, R-Palm Harbor.<\/p>\n
Before 2022, governors could deficit spend by declaring an emergency during disasters, requiring lawmakers to account for the spending later.<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout a specific pot of money, the governor could deficit spend by declaring an emergency. And then we would somewhere along the way have to account for that,\u201d Hooper said.<\/p>\n
The legislature has put more than $4.7 billion in the fund since it was created. The state used it to respond to Hurricanes Ian and Milton and for immigration enforcement efforts.<\/p>\n
More Florida politics: <\/p>\n
DeSantis has renewed his immigration emergency order nearly 20 times since 2023, when migrants were arriving in the Florida Keys.<\/p>\n
Democrats have called the fund a slush fund for the governor and want to see more safeguards.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis doesn\u2019t have to be a policy issue. This has to be an oversight issue. That is our role. We\u2019ve given up oversight,\u201d said Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton.<\/p>\n
The legislature has the power to end states of emergency. Democrats filed a resolution that would end the immigration emergency and bills to limit emergency renewals without legislative oversight. Those bills have not moved forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe rest of us wouldn\u2019t have a problem if this fund were limited to natural disasters or other kinds of true emergencies that I think we can all agree are emergencies,\u201d Polsky said.<\/p>\n
Hooper said lawmakers may add safeguards to the fund.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis session might be late, but next session there will be a different governor, maybe a different makeup of the cabinet,\u201d Hooper said.<\/p>\n
The Senate is trying to fast-track legislation to the governor before the Feb. 17 deadline. However, the House does not currently have a bill addressing the fund, making it unclear if that will happen.<\/p>\n
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