BREAKING: Florida Joint Legislative Budget Commission Approves Prison Health Privatization
At approximately 1:32 p.m., a majority of members of the Florida Joint Legislative Budget Commission voted to approve privatization of health services in three-fourths of the state's prisons. The vote fell along party lines, with Democratic Sens. Nan Rich and Gary Siplin and Democratic Reps. Charles Chestnut and Darryl Rouson voting against it. The six Republican participants at the meeting voted for it.
Spokeswoman Ann Howard of the Department of Corrections immediately issued a statement praising the decision:
"The Department appreciates the Legislative Budget Committee along with all lawmakers and their efforts in this matter. The governor’s support has been invaluable. This is a good fiscal decision that just makes sense for Florida. We plan to proceed with the process, with the goal of having the vendors in place by January 2013."
More to come ...
Spokeswoman Ann Howard of the Department of Corrections immediately issued a statement praising the decision:
"The Department appreciates the Legislative Budget Committee along with all lawmakers and their efforts in this matter. The governor’s support has been invaluable. This is a good fiscal decision that just makes sense for Florida. We plan to proceed with the process, with the goal of having the vendors in place by January 2013."
More to come ...
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3 comments
Comments (3)
5:28PM SEP 13TH 2012
if it's kept privat why are there peoples names on the comment????????
2:54PM SEP 13TH 2012
They tried this twice before and failed! It cost us more money being privatized than the state running the prisons. The way they save money is cutting back on staff. It is more dangerous,if that can be possible, to work in a private prison today. The inmates run the compound. I worked for the DOC in medical and mental health for 17 years. You put your life on the line every time you walk through the gate. I'm retired and glad of it but I pray every day for every person that works behind those gates every day. I think they are making a HUGE mistake going private.
4:16PM SEP 12TH 2012
This is just heart breaking...the governor is killing us! We have worked and saved and planned, and it's all being changed and taken away. Not only have 3% of our salaries been stolen for over a year, now we are being sold like slaves, with no thought other than to balance the budget on the backs of the state workers, who are the poorest class citizen at this point...totally and completely sickened by this whole mess!!!
