According to Florida Watchdog, President Trump’s national emergency declaration that diverts $8 billion in already appropriated money for border security is unlikely to have a direct impact on Florida.
However, what will directly impact Florida, specifically the Panhandle, is the $333 billion bipartisan spending package adopted 83-16 in the Senate and 300-128 in the House in mid-February.
This compromise funding bill includes no money for assistance to Panhandle communities and farmers devastated by Hurricane Michael in October 2018.
According to the state’s Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR), as of Feb. 15, more than 144,300 property insurance claims totaling almost $5.6 billion in damages had been filed since Michael hit Florida’s Panhandle.
