Lawmakers give early OK to money for museum projects

Flag of Florida in a mixed stack of european coins (series)
These projects now are primed for budget consideration.

Money for a handful of museum projects is now one step closer to inclusion in the statewide spending plan lawmakers will craft this Session.

The House Transportation and Tourism Appropriations Committee rapidly worked through 19 member projects early Tuesday morning.

The budget requests were all cleared, meaning their next and last committee stop is in the main budget panel.

Plenty of projects relate to museum refinement, development or maintenance. Members representing the areas covering the projects at stake are sponsoring the requests.

For example, the panel approved St. Petersburg Democratic state Rep. Ben Diamond‘s $1.3 million ask (HB 9017) to expand the St. Petersburg Museum of History.

If ultimately included in the budget, the money would help construct a two-story, 8,000 square-foot addition to the museum.

Another request (HB 4157) by state Rep. Ralph Massullo would help kickstart completion of the Richloam Museum in Hernando County.

The Lecanto Republican said exhibits would “serve to preserve the history of the settlers in early Central Florida, especially the African-Americans that worked in the turpentine industry.”

A request (HB 2197) by state Rep. Nick DiCeglie, a Republican from Pinellas County, would provide $750,000 to the Florida Holocaust Museum.

DiCeglie said the resources would allow the museum “to continue promoting the unique and economic relationship Florida has with Israel.”

Consideration of the request came a day after the same panel approved security project funding at the museum.

Mark Anderson with the Florida Holocaust Museum said that Monday’s security project would protect the project considered Tuesday at the St. Petersburg exhibits.

Miami-Dade Republican state Rep. Daniel Perez‘s $100,000 request (HB 3505) for building maintenance at the Hialeah Gardens Bay of Pigs Museum also won approval.

Danny McAuliffe

Danny is a contributor at floridapolitics.com. He is a graduate of Fordham Law School and Florida State University, where he served as the editor of the FSView & Florida Flambeau. Reach him at [email protected].



#FlaPol

Florida Politics is a statewide, new media platform covering campaigns, elections, government, policy, and lobbying in Florida. This platform and all of its content are owned by Extensive Enterprises Media.

Publisher: Peter Schorsch @PeterSchorschFL

Contributors & reporters: Phil Ammann, Drew Dixon, Roseanne Dunkelberger, A.G. Gancarski, Anne Geggis, Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, Cole Pepper, Gray Rohrer, Jesse Scheckner, Christine Sexton, Drew Wilson, and Mike Wright.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @PeterSchorschFL
Phone: (727) 642-3162
Address: 204 37th Avenue North #182
St. Petersburg, Florida 33704




Sign up for Sunburn


Categories