For Hometown News
TREASURE COAST --
The Treasure Coast Advocacy Coalition presented its red book of local political concerns to elected state officials Nov. 9 at a special legislative breakfast.
Issues presented in the red book, a compilation of local nonprofit priorities, were identified earlier in the fall during a legislative summit.
This year marked the return of the annual breakfast, which had been suspended last year in a streamlining attempt to combine both the summit and the breakfast. The events were separated after legislators asked for a return to the original two-day format.
Several legislative members, including Rep. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart and Rep. Larry Lee, D-Fort Pierce and about 50 members of the community attended the breakfast, which was held at the Port St. Lucie Civic Center.
Issues included in the red book include:
o $150,000 request by Alzheimer's Community Care for home care to keep patients out of more costly, deep-end services such as nursing home care.
o Removal of the preemption clause in the Florida Clean Indoor Act to allow communities to prohibit outdoor smoking in public places such as beaches and parks.
o $11.9 million request for the Healthy Families Program, to restore cuts from last year and continue the non-recurring funds this year in order to provide child abuse prevention services to families in need.
o Restore $5.4 million in Healthy Start cuts to provide prenatal care to women with high-risk pregnancies to ensure healthy birth outcomes for mother and baby.