Proposal puts $35 million in emergency funding for Jewish protection
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A proposal ahead of the Nov. 6 week-long special session would appropriate $35 million to increase security for Jewish day schools and nonprofit entities at risk for violent attacks and hate crimes.
Rep. Randy Fine, R-Melbourne, is sponsoring the House version while Sen. Alexis Calatayud, R-Miami, is sponsoring the identical Senate version.
Fine said the legislation will protect Florida’s Jewish day schools, synogogues, Holocaust museums and cultural centers.
“The Florida Legislature is stepping up to protect Florida’s Jews,” Fine said on social media. “Few will ever know the heart of Speaker [Paul Renner] that I have witnessed the past four weeks.”
The proposal also makes clarifications to the Nonprofit Security Grant Program within the Division of Emergency management.
Some clarifications include allowing schools and museums to apply for a grant and allowing grants to be used for purchasing and installing materials for door hardening.
The proposal appropriates $10 million in nonrecurring funds from the General Revenue Fund to implement the program.
There will be $5 million from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Education to provide grants for hardening full-time Jewish day schools and Jewish preschools.
The highest amount is $20 million to the Department of Education for grants for nonhardening security measures to full-time Jewish day schools and Jewish preschools.
Florida House and Senate leadership called for a special session to take place next week to address Iranian sanctions, disaster relief, and additional topics. Leadership released a slew of bills that are expected to be considered.
Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, said in an Oct. 20 memo to lawmakers that Florida must “guard against” threats.
“In recent years, we have increased state support for security at our Jewish Day Schools,” Passidomo said.
“With incidents of anti-Semitism on the rise, we need to make certain that entities at risk for hate crimes have the security resources and infrastructure they need,” she explained.
