Wes Wolfe
Millions of state dollars will go to facilitate the work of a Florida food bank, but exactly how many of those dollars is still in question.
As conferees meet on the budget, the House set aside $2.5 million for Farm Share, while the Senate upped its appropriation from $4 million in the budget bill to $4.5 million in its first offer.
Brevard County Republican Rep. Randy Fine and Palm Harbor Republican Sen. Ed Hooper both filed appropriation project requests with a $5 million ask.
“It is estimated that 40% of the food produced in the United States goes uneaten, and approximately one-fifth of Floridians are food insecure, including 1 million children,” according to the House’s staff analysis of related legislation earlier this Session.
“Each year, millions of pounds of surplus and slightly blemished fresh fruits and vegetables are destroyed while many residents of the state go each day without food.”
In addition to providing help and relief for people who are food insecure, Farm Share lends a hand throughout the state in times of natural disaster recovery.
Conferees are also working out the difference on money to Feeding Florida, which “partners with Florida farmers to source fresh product that would otherwise not find its way into the supply chain — due to it being cosmetically blemished or market shifts — to distribute through … 10 member food banks throughout the State of Florida, in partnership with over 2,500 partner agencies,” according to a funding request placed by Fleming Island Republican Sen. Jennifer Bradley.
Bradley asked for $10 million in her request for the Feeding Florida Healthy Food Initiative, as did Tavares Republican Rep. Keith Truenow.
The House set aside more than $4.7 million in its budget bill, with the Senate sticking by its $6.5 million.
Budget conference subcommittees will meet throughout the week to resolve differences in each area. When remaining issues reach an impasse, they will be “bumped” to the full budget conference committee.
Lawmakers must reach an agreement on a final spending plan by May 2 to meet the 72-hour “cooling off” period required by the state constitution before they can vote on the budget to avoid pushing the Regular Session past its scheduled May 5 end date.
