Amid an ongoing feud with Gov. Ron DeSantis, the House wants to eliminate funding the Florida State Guard — the force the Governor resurrected that also faces allegations of wasteful taxpayer spending.
Slashing millions of dollars for the State Guard is the latest pushback from House GOP leaders who have not rubber-stamped DeSantis’ priorities, increasingly drawing the Governor’s fury.
The fight between the House and DeSantis trickled down in the ongoing budget conference as lawmakers returned to Tallahassee to deliberate over the budget in Special Session.
The Senate supported spending $4.6 million to fund 32 full-time State Guard positions, $15.3 million for air expenses, $3.2 million for crisis response and special missions, $1.7 million for maritime expenses, and $1.6 million for State Guard operating expenses.
The House wants to spend $0.
The Senate also proposed spending $901,000 on a line item to increase workload for the Florida State Guard and $494,000 for information technology. The House nixed that pair as well.
“We’re working with our partners in the Senate to make sure that that we cover the basics to keep government running,” House Transportation and Economic Development Budget Subcommittee Chair Jason Shoaf said when media asked about the House’s stance on the State Guard.
But Shoaf and Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Ed Hooper acknowledged the two sides are still negotiating on the force that DeSantis commands and sent out during hurricanes and to Texas in the immigration fight.
“I think it won’t be $33.9 (million) and it won’t be zero,” Hooper told journalists Tuesday.
The Orlando Sentinel published an investigation this year describing turmoil and accusations of improper spending.
“Allegations of misuse of taxpayer dollars, sexual harassment and poor planning and budgeting by the Florida State Guard’s top executive has sparked a wave of departures of senior officers, pilots and rank-and-file soldiers who also say they have been retaliated against for speaking out,” the Sentinel story said.
“In public statements, mostly on social media, they say Executive Director Mark Thieme — the third chief executive since the guard was reactivated four years ago — committed fraud by racking up $100,000 in flight time and other costs to obtain a personal private pilot’s license. They also criticize his spending millions of dollars on aircraft parts and planes incompatible with existing surveillance equipment and the guard’s mission.”
When asked if the controversy weighted into the House’s proposal to refund the State Guard, Shoaf said, “Everything that you’re covering in the news, we are also watching for the results of the Inspector General’s investigation. So we’re eagerly waiting for that. And once we get that, we’ll be able to make the right decision on it.”
Regarding maintaining the Camp Blanding Joint Training Center’s Level 2 status, the House supported $40 million in its first budget offer compared to the Senate’s $10 million
The Starke training facility for the Florida National Guard is rated a Level 2 facility because it can train 5,000 to 11,999 guardsmen. But the facility only has 3,000 beds and not enough amenities, according to the DeSantis administration. DeSantis has voiced concerns that if Camp Blanding keeps failing federal guidelines, Florida National Guard’s force could be cut.
The post Budget conference: House wants to eliminate funding for Ron DeSantis’ Florida State Guard appeared first on Florida Politics – Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..
