The Florida Senate and House of Representatives wrapped up the final version of the budget this week and sent bills for final review to the governor’s desk before adjourning for the year. Senator Bill Montford, who represents 11 counties in North Florida, gave a final overview for his district.
“As a Legislature we committed to passing legislation that will protect our springs and waterways and fund programs for students with unique abilities in the very first weeks of Session,” said Montford. “This set the tone for a productive Session, and while there were some disappointments along the way, North Florida can be proud of much that was accomplished.”
Education - Education received an overall increase of one percent, which will pay for over 36,000 new students who will be coming into public schools this upcoming fall. Montford advocated for the Legislature to look at the very real needs of public schools, to fund the many requirements placed on schools and to expand programs that help students succeed. The hard-working teachers and principals deserve the tools to ensure that every student is successful. Increased funding for students with disabilities and additional money for computers in the classroom was achieved. $75 million was also allocated for capital outlay that can be used to maintain and repair public school buildings.
Environmental Preservation - This year, Montford sponsored two bills that would provide small counties specific funding avenues for solid waste management and sewer projects. The lack of quality water infrastructure is on the minds of many communities around the nation and these two programs will allow for the protection of not only the environment but also the communities.
Fracking -There was an attempt this year to regulate hydraulic fracturing in the State of Florida. “I, along with several of my colleagues fought this effort and asked for a closer examination of the impacts that fracking is having around the country,” said Montford. “The peninsula of Florida is especially susceptible to aquifer disruption and my Senate district has the most first magnitude springs in the state, so North Florida should be the last place we consider fracking.”
Military Affairs and veterans - Florida is committed to being the friendliest state in the Union when it comes to veterans and their families. The Legislature and the governor have supported measures over the last several years to accomplish this goal and this year was no different. Senator Montford was a co-sponsor to a bill that will establish the Florida Combat Veterans’ Care Coordination Program within the Department of Children and Families, which will facilitate better coordination of services and improve outreach to combat veterans.
State Employees - Florida has the lowest number of state employees per capita in the nation and the state’s population only continues to grow. State employees are rising to the occasion to do the work of the state in classrooms, prisons and on the roadways. These workers have seen only one raise in almost a decade and an 11 percent increase in inflation in the same time. Their pay has been sliding backwards for years and a raise is required just to keep up with the cost of living. While an across-the-board pay raise was not established, Montford and his associates were able to fund a pay raise for Florida’s firefighters, who are among the lowest paid in the nation. Montford also helped defeat attempts to make changes to the Florida Retirement System and the health insurance benefit program, both of which are financially sound recruiting tools for the state.
Department of Corrections - The Senate attempted to fund pay raises for North Florida’s hardworking corrections personnel, but with so many competing budgetary needs, they were not funded in the conference process. However, 215 new positions were funded with $12 million to alleviate the staffing shortage. Most Floridians have never visited a prison but here in North Florida, the prisons are a part of the community and are in desperate need of increased staffing, funding and better pay for those who put their lives on the line everyday. While the Legislature made progress this year, there is certainly more work to do and Montford announced his commitment to ensuring all those needs are met.
Roads and Transportation - The importance of maintaining and building new infrastructure cannot be understated. This year, an increase to the Small County Road Assistance Program, (SCRAP) was achieved by $15 million for a total of $43.3 million and add $9 million in the Small County Outreach Program (SCOP) for small cities leaving a total of $68.1 million. Both are vital in helping small and rural towns, cities and counties.
Transportation projects for Madison County include resurfacing SR 55 from Taylor CL to US 90; resurfacing NE Rocky Springs Church Rd. to SR 145 and two lane construction from NE Hickory Grove Rd. from CR 150 to CR 255.
Lorenzo Cain Senate Resolution - “I was privileged to bring a Senate Resolution before the Legislature this year honoring the Kansas City Royals’ centerfielder, Lorenzo Cain,” said Montford.
Cain graduated from Madison County High School before being drafted into Major League Baseball and helped lead the Kansas City Royals to defeat the New York Mets in the 2015 World Series. He has continued to represent North Florida and make his home county proud.
2016 Madison County Legislative Budget Allocation – Madison County Ag and Expo Center - $500,000.
Senator Bill Montford (D-Tallahassee) represents the Florida Senate’s third district, which includes the following counties: Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Hamilton, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor and Wakulla. Senator Montford was first elected to the Senate in 2010 and re-elected in 2012. He serves as Chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Vice Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education and is a member of the Pre K-12 Education, Appropriations, Banking and Insurance and Rules Committees.