TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — As of right now, a line in the 2019 Florida budget gives $500,000 to a Pulse Memorial and Museum.
- Orlando state lawmakers campaigned to get state funding
- Florida House, Senate still need to vote on it
- Gov. DeSantis can still veto the money
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State Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith (D-Orlando) said the Florida House agreed to the Florida Senate budget request Thursday. That request was pushed by State Sen. Linda Stewart (D-Orlando).
The two lawmakers made a concerted push after initial budget proposals gave no money to the memorial.
The move was especially frustrating for Orlando Democrats, since the state had already approved $1 million toward a memorial to the victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting last year, but had not given any money to the Pulse project, which would honor the 49 victims of the 2016 shooting, the worst mass shooting in recent Florida history.
Even with the money in the budget, there is no guarantee that the funding won't be stripped before the final vote in the full House and Senate.
Also, in Florida, the governor has the right of line item veto to the budget, so Gov. Ron DeSantis could decide to veto the funds.
Right now, there is a temporary memorial at the site of the Pulse nightclub. A design competition is currently underway for the permanent facility. Information is available on the onePulse Foundation website.