By Christine Sexton | Senior Reporter
“There’s just so many different problems with the fact that we’re just getting this report two months late. Should we wait two months to vote on this appropriation?” – Senate Democratic Leader Sen. Lori Berman
The Florida Capitol building on March 11, 2026. (Photo by Jay Waagmeester/Florida Phoenix)
The Legislative Budget Commission on Friday agreed to steer another $247 million in state money for immigration enforcement. Before voting along partisan lines to approve the transfer of funds, the LBC discussed the findings of an overdue report released shortly before the start of the meeting detailing how the administration of Gov. Ron DeSantis has been using the Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund.
The Florida Cabinet met Friday morning to approve the state’s terrorist designation rules, paving the way for the Muslim Brotherhood, the Council on American Islamic Relations, and Antifa to be deemed terrorist organizations. The designation is allowable under a new law that is being challenged in federal court by the ACLU, the ACLU of Florida, and two other legal groups representing CAIR and CAIR Florida.
Here’s one mistake that may not cost Florida. The unofficial payment error rate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for federal fiscal year 2026 is an average 14.49%. The error rate is so high that the state may avoid having to pay $1 billion in October 2027 if it wants to continue to participate in the food security program.
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