Capitol Report: Following the Script in Tallahassee

This year’s committee weeks were more contentious than in decades.

While resolution over immigration enforcement policy eventually was reached, tensions remain as legislators mull over line item budget vetoes by the Governor late last spring and whether to override more of them, beyond restoring funds that were cut for a range of legislative services.

Template Presentations Amidst Looming Federal Cuts

One thing was consistent, however, as executive branch departmental heads and their top staff appeared before a long list of legislative committees and subcommittees. It was as if someone had outlined a template script to follow:

1. Step One: Thank the legislators for the money allocated to their departments last year
2. Step Two: Assure policy-makers the money is being spent judiciously
3. Step Three: Be firm that operations at the departments are charging full speed ahead and mention specific examples of new approaches
4. Step Four: Do not mention any problems, challenges or citizens going unserved or children falling through the cracks. All trend lines are moving in the desired direction.

With events happening in Washington, D.C., with the slash and burn of the federal workforce, programs and services due to the DOGE headed by the world’s richest individual, one would think some of the departmental heads in Florida would qualify their comments that cuts would definitely impact their game plan and create gaps in funding and therefore services. To be fair, the DOGE impacts to the states are not yet fully known but to leave the topic in a complete vacuum?

Consider for example the approximate level of federal funds flowing in Florida. This includes 8% of DJJ. 55% of AHCA. 35% of DCF. 44% of DOH. Any federal cuts will have a significant impact.

What Will Florida Do?

Further, headlines across all national, state and local media are covering cuts to Medicaid with the recent actions in both chambers of Congress. While not all details are as yet understood, this is a four alarm fire alert. What will Florida do?

The Florida Senate President has pledged to focus on a rural renaissance. It is timely and needed. Cuts at the federal level in staffing and funding and Medicaid will hurt rural and fiscally restrained counties as much as if not more so than urban areas. Shouldn’t legislators hear what the department heads are thinking and what priorities they will recommend on behalf of all Florida children and families?

Serious Needs that Aren’t Being Discussed

For example, the following issues were not addressed to a significant degree in a review of the legislative hearings during committee weeks.

NOTE: the following is not a complete list.

•  Many sources have approached the American Children’s Campaign about their concerns regarding the continued centralization of control in Tallahassee over child welfare / dependency operations and mental health. This has been taking place without legislative discussion and direction for more than one legislative session. Will there be any public discourse about the prospect of moving back toward the days of HRS (Health and Rehabilitative Services) and its many failures? It’s understood that few in leadership positions do not remember the turmoil that led to the structural changes.
•  What are the needs of dependent children and those at risk? It was mentioned in committee weeks by one panel member that Community Based Care Agencies (CBCs) are starting the new fiscal year at least $25-million “in the hole”.  The actual level of funding needed to meet immediate demand and then improve the system of care did not appear in the Governor’s budget and is left hanging in the air.
• Enormous differences exist between counties and within counties as to which children receive a youth citation versus those who are arrested for the same offense. This is known as “Injustice by Geography”. Testimony to criminal justice committees proudly mentioned the drop in juvenile crime but did not inform policy-makers that the drop is largely attributed to the youth citation program and did not highlight the imbalance in its use. Is it even on the radar screen to make justice fair and equal to all regardless of where a child lives in the state or in which zip code?
• One wouldn’t know based on testimony that Florida is mired in an oral health crisis so deep and wide that more and more people agree it has become a public health emergency. Why do only 18 of every 100 dentists accept Medicaid? Is it okay for Florida to have 120,000 admissions to emergency care for oral health problems at a cost of a half-billion dollars per year? How will there be a rural renaissance without oral and physical health availability? Where do foster and adopted children go to receive the oral health care required?
• Who is raising the flag that caseloads for those wonderful souls managing prenatal care must be lowered to elevate good birth outcomes?
•  No mention either of Caregiving Youth, those kids who by family stress or emergency lean on their school-aged child to rush home to help an aging grandparent or stricken parent or younger child. Are the Departments of Education, Health and Child/Family Services aware of the scope of the numbers of caregiving youth that far exceed children in the dependency system?
• How widespread is food security.? We don’t recall specific testimony with numbers as to the children and families who go to bed hungry. Florida has yet to acknowledge the benefits of the summer EBT program.

The list goes on to include special needs kids, waiting lists, hang-ups due to long waits on the child abuse hotline and more.

The problem isn’t that these needs exist. The problem is that the presentations didn’t even mention them. Where does that leave us?

Recent Happenings

• Senate President Albritton’s Rural Renaissance package was filed by Senator Corey Simon from the Big Bend area, It is SB 110.
• House Bill 21 sponsored by Rep. Linda Chaney authorizing dental therapists passed its first House committee on a 14-1 vote.
• Florida TaxWatch has endorsed the Governor’s budget proposal to eliminate the Business Rent tax over a two-year period. TaxWatch also issued a report that Florida’s undercount in the 2020 Census resulted in Florida losing $2.3 billion in revenue, impacting health care, Florida KidCare and supplemental nutrition assistance.
• Florida Policy Institute has published the 2025 Florida Child Well Being Index providing information on counties using 16 indicators broken into 4 domains.
• Travis County, Texas (Austin) passed a local children’s tax similar to the child taxing districts in Florida. It is expected to raise $75-million for children’s services annually,
• Individual cities and counties are debating the use of fluoride in potable water. American Children’s Campaign supports fluoridated water. It appears debates will take place in the Florida legislature whether to pre-empt local governmental action with a statewide ban.