South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
First Florida Cabinet meeting in 7 months doesn’t have coronavirus stimulus spending on the agenda
TALLAHASSEE — An agenda recently released for the first Florida Cabinet meeting in seven months doesn’t include a request by Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried to discuss state plans for spending federal stimulus money received because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Instead, the Sept. 22 meeting will include whether to spend more than $9 million to keep 5,200 acres across five counties from development and replacing the chief judge of the state Division of Administrative Hearings.
In a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis, Fried asked for a discussion of state plans to spend federal CARES Act dollars and her push to use some of the money for school nutrition programs.
Fried, the only Democrat on the Cabinet, has argued for months that the four statewide elected officials, also including Attorney General Ashley Moody and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, should have been jointly coordinating the response to the coronavirus pandemic. She estimated state government has received $4.58 billion from the federal government.
DeSantis and the Cabinet have not met in person since Feb. 4, though they held a meeting by phone on May 28. The governor’s office has pointed to the Capitol being closed to visitors amid the pandemic and a need to keep a safe workplace as reasons for canceling other scheduled Cabinet meetings.
Next week’s agenda includes acquiring conservation easements on five agricultural properties totaling
3,367 acres. Such agreements restrict future development while allowing landowners to continue using the property for such things as agriculture.
A sixth land deal, for
1,901 acres in Marion County owned by Florida Power & Light, is proposed for acquisition through the Florida Forever Land program at $3.05 million.
The Cabinet is also being asked to draw money from the state’s Rural & Family Lands Protection Program to spend $1.6 million for 668 acres in Okeechobee County and $1.477 million for 748 acres in Highlands County.
State staff members have recommended approval of all six acquisitions.
Regio, a Mexican toilet paper, is stocked at a CVS this month in New York. Retailers are stocking foreign brands to deal with demand.