Help is on the way

By Christine Sexton| Senior Reporter

President Donald Trump approved Florida’s request for a major disaster declaration 12 days after receiving it, authorizing public assistance funds to help local governments across 15 counties in the Panhandle recover from Hurricane Isaias. The DeSantis administration told the Phoenix it requested $237 million for “debris removal, public infrastructure, and emergency protective measures.” The request also included individual assistance for nearly 1,000 damaged residencies in eight counties. That is still under review.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has stepped up his lobbying efforts for Amendment 3 dedicating nearly half of his Wednesday press conference—ostensibly called to announce a $100 million investment for water projects—advocating for the-reaching property tax reduction proposal. It’s the second time this week that the governor held a televised media event encouraging voters to support the proposed constitutional amendment.

COMMENTARY

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in July was reported to have pulled the driving records of 16 people who criticized the agency, many of them opponents of its bear hunt. By mid-October that number ballooned to 49. Among those being investigated were Davie resident and FWC volunteer Ben Olsen and his 67-year-old mother who had Alzheimer’s disease. Olsen never opposed the bear hunt or sent the FWC messages, he told Phoenix columnist Craig Pittman. Olsen did, however, request assistance from the FWC in helping him stop the federal government from flooding his family’s land, prime panther habitat.

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