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Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
As Trump cuts FEMA, Florida says it will take care of residents
On the eve of hurricane season, Florida's top disaster official promised Floridians that they will see no changes to the state's hurricane response despite the turmoil at FEMA over staff cuts and proposed slashes to state disaster aid. Kevin Guthrie, the executive director of Florida's Division of Emergency Management, said it's not about money. Even if FEMA cuts the amount of cash it pays out to a state after a disaster, he stressed that state leaders 'have never, ever made decisions based on whether we're going to get reimbursed by the federal government.' 'You go out to protect life, safety. You go out to stabilize scenes. You go out to protect the environment. That is what we have been doing for decades inside Florida,' he said. 'That's what we're going to continue to do for the coming decades ahead.' READ MORE: Florida says it's ready for hurricane season, with or without FEMA's help Florida was smacked with two devastating storms last year, and forecasters say the upcoming hurricane season, which starts June 1, is set to be another active season. Greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, raising global temperatures that in turn lead to stronger, wetter and more deadly hurricanes. At a press conference Saturday in Fort Lauderdale, Guthrie said the state was fully prepared for the season — even if FEMA might not be. The agency is down more than 2,000 employees and a dozen senior leaders this year, as President Donald Trump pushes his new vision for the beleaguered agency. Part of that change involves shifting more responsibility — and costs — for disaster cleanup to the states. Already, FEMA has begun to act on that mission. Last week, the agency denied North Carolina's request to keep covering the entire tab for Hurricane Helene recovery. Instead, FEMA will continue helping with 75% of the costs, the bare minimum required. And yet, Guthrie said, Florida is prepared to accept the president's new vision for the agency, with the federal government still picking up the tab. It's unclear if Florida's annual budget includes more cash for storm recovery, as the legislature and governor have not yet agreed on one. Gov. Ron DeSantis asked Guthrie, as a member of the federal FEMA review council, to push FEMA to shift more of its state assistance to block grants that states like Florida can spend directly. Guthrie said the state is even considering preparing for the 'challenge' of directly giving cash to survivors after a disaster, a FEMA program known as individual assistance. 'We are already having these conversations about if the federal government allows us to run an individual assistance program, we're ready to get that done,' he said. 'We believe we can do it just as fast, if not faster than the federal government.'
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida has a ‘blueprint' to curb illegal immigration. Here's what's in it.
Florida officials have created and submitted to the federal government a 37-page plan that outlines one of the nation's most aggressive policies to curb illegal immigration. The document, called the Immigration Enforcement Operations Plan, details how the state should carry out mass deportations and serves as an example for other states across the nation. Larry Keefe, executive director of the State Board of Immigration Enforcement, has another name for it: the Florida Blueprint. 'We can do more,' Keefe said Monday in Tampa. 'We have more capacity, more capability.' The plan says it's 'a road map for the significant role that the state of Florida can play in aiding the federal government in combating illegal immigration during the present emergencies and going forward into the future.' Details of the plan were first reported Thursday by the news service Gannett. Among the plan's goals: Enhance intelligence collection and analysis by leveraging existing state databases and coordination between agencies. It includes providing resources for immigration and border security efforts at all levels. Florida has deployed representatives from an array of agencies, including the Division of Emergency Management, Department of Corrections and Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, to support the intelligence-sharing operations. The plan aims to develop a comprehensive strategy to maintain state-led border security operations in the absence of federal support. According to the plan, Florida has approximately 47,000 law enforcement officers who have already received, or are in the process of obtaining, training and certification to act as immigration officers under the 287(g) program, which allows local agencies to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts. At an event in Tampa on Monday, Gov. Ron DeSantis said that 100 Florida Highway Patrol troopers have been sworn in as special deputy U.S. Marshals, a designation that allows them to act and operate with the same powers as an immigration agent. DeSantis said Florida can be an example for other states in fighting illegal immigration. 'If you look nationwide at all the law enforcement agencies that have entered in 287(g) agreements with the federal government, more than half of them are in one state. Guess what state that is? The state of Florida,' DeSantis said. The plan also considers training judge advocate generals as immigration judges through the Florida National Guard. It proposes suspending federal detention standards to avoid the risk that many could be released due to limited detention space, and to increase the state's capacity to arrest people. The plan proposes building more detention centers in parts of northeastern and south-central Florida, with the capacity to hold up to 10,000 people. These temporary or long-term facilities, selected for their access to nearby airstrips, could be constructed and 'fully operational within 72 hours,' using a network of about a dozen private contractors already working with the state, the plan indicates. The plan adds that Florida should prepare to move forward on its own, 'independently of the Department of Homeland Security,' and create a state-run immigration enforcement effort. The plan outlines some costs associated with transporting immigrants. One option: Purchasing and modifying 12-passenger vans at a cost of up to $124,000. Others include leasing a fleet of buses for about $1.5 million, or vans for nearly $780,000, over a two-week period. Florida National Guard or state law enforcement officers could be tapped to transport immigrants to detention facilities. The blueprint reintroduces the idea to run a self-deportation program and create some ways for the state government to cover the costs of people who choose to leave the country voluntarily. The Division of Emergency Management, it states, may be able to help purchase commercial flights for eligible individuals. The plan said that the state should seek reimbursement from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for any transportation and removal efforts involving detainees. But it also acknowledges that it may not be fully repaid. 'The federal government has shown itself to be very hesitant to commit to any form of reimbursement to past or future immigration operations,' the plan reads. 'There may come a time when, without federal assistance, a long-term immigration support mission may become fiscally untenable.' Lisette Sanchez, an immigration attorney in Tampa, said the Florida plan is alarming not only from a constitutional and legal standpoint, she said, but also from a humanitarian and operational perspective. Sanchez recognized the importance of addressing immigration challenges. However, she said the Florida plan raises 'serious concerns.' 'This approach appears to blur the lines between state and federal authority, potentially leading to constitutional conflicts and due process issues,' said Sanchez.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
State Emergency Response Commission discuss western NC recovery efforts following Helene
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Hurricane season starts in a little more than a month, and state leaders are gathering to give an update on Helene recovery. It's been nearly 7 months since Helene ravaged Western North Carolina, leaving behind flooded roads and destroyed buildings. The meeting comes just as Governor Josh Stein appealed FEMA's decision not to renew 100 percent match of recovery funding from the storm. NC Governor Stein appeals FEMA decision to not renew 100% match for Helene recovery There are scenes that Justin Graney, Chief of External Affairs and Communications with the Division of Emergency Management, will never forget. 'It was the largest response in North Carolina history for the worst disaster in North Carolina history with thousands of responders coming into the area. Over 3,300 searchers working in Western North Carolina in the immediate aftermath of Helene,' said Graney. Nearly seven months after the storm, recovery is still a top priority. Members of the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) joined together to discuss recovery efforts. Graney says since the storm hit, over six million cubic yards of debris have been removed and over 8,000 private roadways and bridge projects have been awarded. Graney also told the commission that almost $100 million has been appropriated for the state's private road and bridge program that was established to help property owners repair private roads and bridges damaged during the storm. 'We're working closely with the volunteer organizations that have come into the area and have signed on to assist as well as bringing on consultants and engineers to facilitate that for small communities, homeowners, community centers that had a private bridge that was either damaged or destroyed to make sure that we get those repaired and in place. With cuts to federal funding, Graney is keeping faith that it doesn't affect the progress toward recovery efforts in the western part of the state. 'We're also extremely committed to learning every lesson we can, however it takes financial investment,' said Graney. 'We need to make sure that we're investing in local emergency management programs as well as the state program to make sure that we can fill these gaps so we can procure the right resources, the right assets and we can train the right personnel to make sure that we take these lessons learned so that we're more ready next time.' Garney says the state is currently working on an after-action review where they will assess what went well in response to the storm and provide recommendations to improve. He says the Department of Emergency Management plans to release the report to the public soon. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
03-04-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Florida reps. sending demand letters to state agencies amid government-spending probe
Citing 'deep frustration' and a lack of cooperation by officials in Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration, House budget leaders are issuing demand letters to some state agencies amid a probe into possibly wasteful government spending. The House's inquiry into agencies' finances, ordered by Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, is part of a broader effort to slash spending as lawmakers craft a budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. House and Senate committees approved the chambers' proposed budgets on Wednesday, setting up negotiations in the coming weeks on a final spending plan. The House Budget Committee on Wednesday heard a litany of concerns about finances at a handful of agencies, with some lawmakers accusing agency heads of thwarting efforts to delve into questionable spending. Rep. Jason Shoaf, R-Port St. Joe, said lawmakers need 'a better understanding of how the billions were spent per disaster' by the Division of Emergency Management. Shoaf, chairman of the House Transportation and Economic Development Budget Subcommittee, also accused the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles of giving pay raises to employees without authorization from the Legislature. 'I have problems in several of my agencies,' Shoaf said, referring to agencies whose budgets he oversees. 'Dadgum it, after hearing all of this stuff, we need to get more information and wrap this up.' The committee approved a proposal by Shoaf to send letters requesting 'the production of documents and records' to the Division of Emergency Management, the Department of Management Services, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Education, the Agency for Health Care Administration and the Florida State Guard. Bryan Griffin, a spokesman for DeSantis, said the agencies 'have cooperated and complied with House information requests.' 'Unfortunately, this is a politically motivated and false attack,' Griffin said in an email. FLORIDA POLITICS: Once DeSantis' cheerleaders, Florida GOP puts his administration under scrutiny Speaking to reporters after the committee meeting, House Budget Chairman Lawrence McClure, R-Dover, characterized the request for information from agencies as an effort to carry out part of Perez's mandate to root out wasteful spending. 'There's just a deep frustration. We're not trying to do anything other than make sure we're being good fiduciaries and stewards of the taxpayers' dollar. But if you don't have the data or the information … Look, there are some inconsistencies here that don't pass a common-sense test, but in the absence of data, you can't confirm it,' McClure said. Rep. Vicki Lopez, a Miami Republican who chairs the House State Administration Budget Subcommittee, told McClure's committee she was 'stonewalled' by the Department of Management Services and its secretary, Pedro Allende, as she dug into spending by the agency. Lopez pointed to a recent audit showing the department could not account for 2,200 vehicles. The agency also has at least four employees earning six-figure annual salaries who live out of state, Lopez's committee found. 'We were all striving to get some accountability … but we have failed miserably to get answers, and we need them and we need them now,' Lopez said. Lopez included a provision in her part of the House's nearly $113 billion proposed budget that would put the salary for Allende — who earns more than $210,000 annually — in reserve. The committee also signed off on a measure (PCB BUC 25-05) that would create a new 'Florida Accountability Office' and strengthen legislative oversight of state agency performance and finances. Lawmakers also need answers about state spending on prisons, according to House Justice Budget Chairman Patt Maney, R-Shalimar. The Department of Corrections 'has a chronic problem of improperly managing both their salary and overtime costs,' Maney said. The state also has paid $35 million in interest after issuing bonds to finance a mental-health prison facility at Lake Correctional Institution, Maney said. But the facility has never been built. 'We've gotten nothing for it. We haven't used the money. We haven't started anything … and there's really been no explanation for why,' Maney said. The demand for information to the DeSantis administration appeared to deepen an increasingly fractious relationship between the Republican-controlled House and the governor. DeSantis, as an example, has pushed for a reduction in homestead property taxes while Perez is advancing a plan to lower the state's sales tax rate. Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, meanwhile, this week indicated that more time was needed to study the tax proposals. READ MORE: DeSantis escalates feud with House speaker on tax cuts In public appearances and on videos posted on social media, DeSantis in recent days has punched at the House for 'expanding bureaucracies' and failing to deliver on what he called the 'Florida model' of governing. 'They all campaigned on our conservative agenda and now that they're in power, they're basically squandering this,' DeSantis told radio host Dana Loesch on Tuesday, accusing the House of joining with Democrats 'to increase pork spending.' McClure said the House's inquiry into spending doesn't target the governor. 'We're not hostile towards anybody. We're sincerely interested in looking out for the taxpayers of Florida,' the House budget chief told reporters. RELATED CONTENT: DeSantis rips House Republicans in remarks to grassroots at governor's mansion McClure's committee on Wednesday also tackled a schism with the DeSantis administration over offices on the 21st floor of the Capitol. The Department of Management Services canceled the House's lease for the offices, which House leaders had allowed former U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio — a former Florida House speaker who now serves as President Donald Trump's secretary of state — to use. DeSantis said the House did not offer the offices to former Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody when DeSantis appointed her to replace Rubio in the U.S. Senate. The House committee signed off on a plan (HB 5203) that would make the House, Senate, governor and Cabinet members 'permanent' tenants of the Capitol Complex. Any changes to the Legislature's leases would have to be approved in advance by the House speaker or Senate president. Legislative leaders also would have to sign off on any Capitol construction or remodeling projects.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Travis County Judge enacts last-minute burn ban following red flag warning
Travis County Judge Andy Brown has enacted a county-wide burn ban amid growing concern over elevated wildfire risk, according to a news release. Brown signed a disaster declaration Monday evening after the National Weather Service's Austin/San Antonio office issued a red flag warning for most of Central Texas. A Pacific front that arrived Tuesday morning brought wind gusts and drove down humidity levels, creating ideal conditions for a blaze to spark and spread in the county. "I ask all Travis County residents to avoid outdoor burning, keep cars off dry grass, and properly store trailer chains, so we can all do our part to minimize the risk of wildfires," Brown said in the news release. "Additionally, signing this declaration will allow Travis County to make all necessary preparations to quickly evacuate neighborhoods if needed and access state resources.' The Texas A&M Forest Service released a fire danger forecast map Monday showing the majority of the state, including Austin, has been classified in "extreme" danger of wildfires on Tuesday, the most severe ranking. More than 80% of Travis County is in "extreme" drought according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. On Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott instructed the state's Division of Emergency Management to begin preparing for the extreme weather conditions, according to a news release that focused especially on the threat to the western, northern and eastern parts of the state. "As the state faces increased wildfire risks in West Texas and potential severe storms in North and East Texas, Texas stands ready to swiftly deploy additional emergency response resources to communities that may be impacted,' Abbott said in the release. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Burn ban enacted by Travis County Judge following red flag warning
