Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday announced his plans to increase funding for the Florida National Guard. He is proposing the Florida legislature to expand the number of armories and re-establish a civilian volunteer force that would be essentially the state’s control.
Gov. DeSantis announced that his new budget proposal for the next legislative session will include a whopping $3.5 million to re-establish the Florida State Guard. This unit was set up during World War II as a substitution for Florida National Guard when it was deployed abroad.
“This funding will support the necessary training, equipment and other support functions for up to 200 members who can aid in the response to hurricanes, natural disasters and other state emergencies,” DeSantis said during an appearance at the Pensacola National Guard Armory. “We want to be able to have a quick response capability. And re-establishing the Florida State Guard will allow civilians from all over the state to be trained in the best emergency-response techniques and have the ability to mobilize very, very quickly.” He added.
Florida State Guard is inactive since 1947 but remains in law as the Florida State Defense Force.
The governor also announced $87.5 million for the expansion of the National Guard’s Miramar Readiness Center and additionally to build three new armories across the state. Along with this, an additional $8.9 million is proposed for upgrading the existing armories and another $2.2 million for building new headquarters for the NG’s counter-drug program.
Additionally, he announced $5.1 million for supporting National Guard Members seeking higher education and $12.2 million of scholarships for spouses and children of deceased or disabled veterans.
Florida State Lawmakers will negotiate on this spending plan in the next session starting January 11, 2022.
While other states, especially the ones led by Democrats and Liberals are constantly looking to defund their police departments, Governor DeSantis and The Sunshine State is on the verge of adding large spending for its law-enforcement and national guard.
What do you make of Governor DeSantis’ proposal? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
