Governor Scott approves state funding for veterans treatment court, military museum

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY – Gov. Rick Scott on March 16 signed the 2018-19 budget which included $800,000 in state funding for the Miami Military Museum Education Center and $150,500 for Miami-Dade County’s veterans treatment court.

Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz sponsored the Oct. 3, 2017 resolution urging the Florida Legislature to provide funding for the Miami Military Museum Education Center. During World War II, the Naval Air Station Richmond in Miami-Dade County became the world’s largest military blimp base. Building No. 25 from the base later served as the CIA’s base of operations during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and subsequently served as a reserve center for the Army and Marines. The building was relocated to County-owned land near Zoo Miami and the Gold Coast Railroad Museum for use as the Miami Military Museum and Memorial.

Miami-Dade’s veterans treatment court, which started in January 2017, diverts veterans from the traditional criminal justice system and provides them with the tools needed to successfully reintegrate back into civilian life – including substance abuse treatment, vocational training and housing from the Veterans Administration. Commissioner Diaz worked with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Miami Veterans Health Administration, the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, and the South Florida Behavioral Health Network to create the Miami-Dade Veterans Treatment Court.

“I applaud the Florida Legislature and Gov. Scott for approving this much-needed funding for the Miami Military Museum and the Veterans Treatment Court,” said Commissioner Diaz, who serves as the Chairman of the Miami-Dade Military Affairs Board.