Committee advances memorial urging increased federal allocations to Florida National Guard

The Senate Committee on Military, Veterans Affairs, Space and Domestic Security on Jan. 27 reported favorably on Senate Memorial 1186, which urges the United States National Guard Bureau to review resource allocations for the Florida National Guard and consider increasing its federally-allocated positions.

Senator Wright told the committee Florida is currently allocated about 12,000 guardsmen, a figure he said "is based on our state's population in 1958," while the state's population today is roughly 23,000,000. "Based on our 23,000,000 population, we should have about 20,000 positions allocated by the federal government," Wright said, and he argued the state is underprepared for large-scale disasters without increased allocation.

Senator Sharif spoke in support during debate. Senator Wright closed and the committee recorded a favorable report on the memorial.

Why it matters: The memorial asks federal authorities to reconsider allocations that affect Florida's readiness for emergencies and disasters.

Next steps: SM1186 was reported favorably by the committee and will advance according to legislative practice.