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Lawmakers Push Poverty Commission

October 22nd, 2015 by flanews

17 percent of the state’s population is living in poverty. As Matt Galka tells us, lawmakers say it’s about time to bring groups together and start coming up with real solutions.

D’Andrea Williams is one of more than three million Floridians in poverty.

“It’s hard making ends meet. I don’t want to stay where I’m at, but I want to get out of where I’m at to have a better foundation for my family,” she said.

The Getting Ahead program from the Capital Area Community Action Agency is helping Williams get there. Tim Center is the agency’s CEO.

“Once we’re able to stabilize them in crisis, we can then work with them and get them out of crisis and into a better situation, hopefully moving out of poverty and off of public assistance,” he said.

But here’s the problem. Groups like Community Action – who help low-income families with anything from paying utility bills to child care – are working independently from other poverty-focused groups around Florida. Now lawmakers want to bring groups across the state working on Florida’s poverty problem together and form a new commission.

Legislation introduced Thursday would create the Florida Commission on Poverty.

“There’s a lot of great work being done throughout each of our 67 counties, but there could be a more coordinated effort,” said bill sponsor Rep. Alan Williams (D-Tallahassee).

The bill’s sponsors were quick to point out that some people may roll their eyes at yet another Florida commission…but they’ve been successful in the past.

“The defense support task force we created, and Florida has led the nation in becoming the most military friendly state,” said Senate Sponsor Thad Altman (R-Rockledge).

If the bill were to pass, the Governor, Chief Financial Officer, Senate President, House Speaker and Florida Association for Community Action would all be able to appoint a member to the problem solving group.

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