Florida Legislative Session Bittersweet For Citrus
June 23, 2015 Florida Gov. Rick Scott has signed the $78 billion “Keep Florida Working Budget” for fiscal year 2015-2016. As always, there were plenty of initiatives that came out on the winning side. And for this particular session, a record $461.4 million in special projects got the ax.
While the Florida citrus industry has endured a difficult season, what transpired over the last three months in Tallahassee provides some relief with nearly $20 million being appropriated to help combat HLB.
Gov. Scott OK’d several citrus legislative priorities including:
- $8 million to the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) for citrus research
- $2.5 million for citrus health management areas (CHMAs) and citrus inspection programs
- $9.4 million for the CHMA, Citrus Health Response Program, and MultiAgency Coordination activities that flow through Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS)
- An agriculture sales tax exemption that will provide $14 million in recurring tax relief on certain purchases
Among the pile of vetoes was a number of funding initiatives involving the Florida Department of Citrus: welcome centers ($250,000) and consumer awareness ($2.5 million).
According to a statement prepared and released by Gov. Scott, these two projects were vetoed “because it provides additional resources for advertising Florida citrus that is already achievable through the Department of Citrus or FDACS’ agriculture promotion campaign.”
In addition, $500,000 for New Varieties Development & Management Corp. was vetoed “because it provides additional resources for services already paid for by the state through the Department of Citrus and funds provided to the CRDF.”
And finally, a $500,000 request for economic research was vetoed “because it provides additional resources for services already paid for by the state through the Department of Citrus and FDACS’ agriculture promotion campaign.”
With the legislative session wrapped up, Mike Sparks, executive VP/CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual is taking a glass-half-full view of what transpired. “We would like to thank all of our allies in Tallahassee who supported us during a challenging three months. Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, Rep. Ben Albritton, as well as Senators Alan Hays and Denise Grimsley really stepped up for citrus. We can’t thank them enough.”
In related news, the quarantine research facility at the UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center in Fort Pierce was banking on a $180,000 increase in the state budget. Instead, not only did the facility not get the $180,000 increase, but also lost all of its $720,000 funding. Given the nature of this veto, the facility will likely close.
Another specialty agriculture-related veto of consideration includes the denial of $150,000 for the removal and destruction of avocado trees that serve as hosts to the red bay ambrosia beetle, which is the vector for the deadly laurel wilt virus. Scott notes the reason for this veto is because “federal funds that have supported this program are being replaced by state funds, expanding the size and role of state government.”
To see the entire veto list, click here.
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