Battle Brewing In Tallahassee Over Whether To Spend Leftover School Security Money
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – The money left over from the voluntary Aaron Feis Armed Guardian Program is substantial at $58 million.
But there's a battle brewing among state legislators over whether to send the money to local school districts and counties and it's creating some unusual political bedfellows.
Governor Rick Scott has said since he signed the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act that he thinks those leftover dollars should go to local school districts and counties to pay for additional School Resource Officers and the Governor sent a letter late Thursday to members of the Legislative Budget Committee urging them to do so.
But in a weird twist, it's Democrats who appear to be in agreement with the Governor and members of the Governor's own party who are disagreeing with him.
In the letter Scott wrote, "(R)ecently the media has reported that Legislative leadership is unwilling to bring the redirection up for consideration. This is not the right decision for the safety of our children and our grandchildren."
Scott is getting some support from Democrat State Representative and Legislative Budget Committee member Jared Moskowitz.
"If we have money to use and we can secure more schools, we should secure them. We shouldn't wait 6 months until the Legislature is back in session," he said.
The Aaron Feis Armed Guardian Program was created after the Parkland shooting and named in honor of one of the victims.
It provided $67 million dollars for armed school staff on campus but only a few school districts across the state used the money.
The Governor said all along that he wanted any leftover money to go to local districts for school resource officers.
A redirection of the leftover dollars, the Governor's Office said, would send $5.5 million to Broward and more than $8 million to Miami-Dade.
But Republican State Representative and incoming House Speaker Jose Olivia from Miami Lakes says it's not a good idea because the dollars are not promised for future years.
"It would be irresponsible of the legislature to put on local cities and counties a burden of hiring people with a source of funds that is not dependable," Oliva said, calling the move "an unfunded mandate" for counties and school districts.
Moskowitz said he understands the concern about the money being a one time fund.
He's suggesting that the money be split over two years instead, spending $29 million this year and saving the other $29 million for next year.
Or, he said, the legislature could simply agree to make this an ongoing part of the budget.
"He's the speaker," Moskowitz said of Olivia. "He could fund this in the next budget. He decides that."
Ryan Petty, whose daughter Alaina was murdered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, isn't concerned with the politics.
He just knows there are dollars that can be used to secure schools and believes that's what they should be used for.
"We shouldn't let the money go to waste," Petty said. "It's not being spent in the Guardian Program. It needs to be put into the SRO program as quickly as possible."
Other Republicans have been quoted saying they think the Guardian Program needs more time to succeed and needs to be fully funded.
The issue is likely to continue to generate headlines. The Legislative Budget Committee is expected to have their regularly scheduled meeting in September.
Representative Oliva says he does not plan to put this item on the agenda while Representative Moskowitz says he's looking for a way to bring up the issue.
And with the Governor pushing for this money to be spent this is far from resolved.
