Money sought for Mexico Beach after storm

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A request for $25 million to restore the hurricane-ravaged shoreline in Mexico Beach and another for $13 million to realign State Road 50 in Lake County are among 218 projects that House members have submitted for the upcoming legislative session.

As of Monday morning, requested projects approached an overall total of $400 million.

House members have until Tuesday to submit their proposals, according to Fred Piccolo, spokesman for House Speaker Jose Oliva, R-Miami Lakes.

The session starts March 5.

On Friday, Rep. Jay Trumbull, R-Panama City, sponsored the proposal (HB 2359) for the Mexico Beach recovery and restoration project.

Hurricane Michael made landfall Oct. 10 in Mexico Beach as a Category 4 storm, causing massive damage.

A proposal (HB 2350) to provide money for State Road 50 in Lake County was filed a day earlier by Rep. Anthony Sabatini, R-Howey-in-the-Hills.

The most-expensive request remains a $30 million proposal (HB 2087) by Rep. James Bush, D-Miami, for the New African Heritage Cultural Arts Center. That proposal was filed Jan. 22.

Overall, Republicans have accounted for 126 proposals worth a total of $254.1 million.

Democrats have submitted 92 proposals that collectively seek $143.4 million.


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