emergency funds

The Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund can’t be used to purchase any more boats, aircraft, or motor vehicles, but they can be leased for a “short-time,” SB 7040 says. The Republican-dominated Legislature approved these new guardrails after the state’s emergency managers spent more than $573 million on immigration enforcement in three years.

The Florida House voted Thursday to revive the state’s expired emergency fund — embattled because of an immigration enforcement tab totaling in the hundreds of millions — but with a few weakened changes to appease the DeSantis administration.

The Florida House on Tuesday backed down from its proposal to block emergency funds from being used on illegal immigration enforcement following harsh criticism from the DeSantis administration.

The lower chamber — long at odds with the DeSantis administration — would also ban the purchase of aircraft, boats, or motor vehicles through the Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund, a trust set to expire next week unless reauthorized by the Legislature.

A Florida congresswoman charged with conspiring to steal $5 million in federal COVID-19 disaster funds has formally pleaded not guilty nearly three months after her indictment. U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick was not present for Tuesday's arraignment in Miami federal court, but her attorney, William Barzee, entered the plea on her behalf.

A federal judge in Miami has rescheduled a hearing for a South Florida congresswoman charged with conspiring to steal $5 million in federal COVID-19 disaster funds. Judge Enjoliqué A. Lett granted U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick two more weeks to finalize her legal team, moving the arraignment to Feb. 3.

U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick has reiterated her innocence outside a Miami federal courthouse, where she faces charges of conspiring to steal $5 million in federal COVID-19 disaster funds. Cherfilus-McCormick was scheduled to be arraigned on Monday, but her attorney requested the proceeding be rescheduled to Jan. 20 so that she could finalize her legal team.

Senators have revived a proposal to create a $1 billion fund that Gov. Ron DeSantis could use at his discretion during emergencies he declares.

Qualified applicants can expect to see emergency relief money by the end of the month.

Floridians are bracing for a major hurricane just as funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is being directed away from disaster…