Five Florida local law enforcement agencies were awarded a combined $1.78 million as reimbursement for their work on immigration enforcement, Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia announced.

The funding went to Sheriff’s Offices in Polk, Hernando, Sarasota and Hardee counties, as well as the Port Richey Police Department.

At a news conference in Winter Haven, Ingoglia said the agencies have been enforcing immigration laws and arresting undocumented migrants for years. He said they are costly operations, and it’s appropriate they get reimbursed from federal funds.

“Local law enforcement agencies throughout Florida work tirelessly to protect Floridians. Because of the crisis caused by reckless border policies of the Joe Biden administration, our local law enforcement agencies have stepped up to assist with immigration enforcement efforts and help to deport dangerous criminal illegal aliens out of our country,” Ingoglia said.

“It is because of their efforts that Florida leads the nation in immigration enforcement. We must keep our foot on the gas to continue our efforts to protect Floridians from criminal illegal aliens.”

The immigration issue has risen to increased prominence in the past year as tensions mount in many states, most notably in Minnesota in the past week. But Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said his deputies have long been focusing on deporting migrants who are not in the country legally.

“As our deputies work to arrest and transport criminal illegal aliens, they must have the tools to do their job safely and effectively. I want to thank CFO Ingoglia for his dedication to prioritizing the needs of our deputies as they protect and serve the Polk County community,” Judd said.

Ingoglia presented ceremonial checks to each law enforcement office. The breakdown of funding for each Department includes:

— Polk County Sheriff’s Office: $1,006,985.10.

— Hernando County Sheriff’s Office: $321,112.30.

— Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office: $283,389.68.

— Hardee County Sheriff’s Office: $135,560.

— Port Richey Police Department: $32,850.

The federal funding is distributed through the Florida State Board of Immigration Enforcement, which applies for the reimbursements. Ingoglia is a member of that Board, along with Gov. Ron DeSantis, Attorney General James Uthmeier and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson.

The Florida Medical Association (FMA) Political Action Committee is backing Republican Rep. Josie Tomkow in the special election for Senate District 14, adding another high-profile endorsement to her growing list of supporters.

FMA PAC President Andrew Borom said the organization supports Tomkow’s leadership on health policy and her current work as Chair of the House Health and Human Services Committee. Borom said Tomkow understands the health care challenges facing Floridians and emphasized the group’s interest in continuing to work with her should she advance to the Senate.

“As Chair of the House Health and Human Services Committee, Rep. Tomkow understands the significant health care issues impacting Floridians and we look forward to our continued collaboration in the Florida Senate,” Borom said.

Tomkow said she was “humbled” by the endorsement, and highlighted the role medical professionals play in improving access to care and driving innovation across Florida’s health care system.

“Florida’s medical community is helping lead our nation into a healthier future that emphasizes wellness,” Tomkow said. “Through their advocacy, Florida’s doctors have helped improve access to care and leveraged innovation and technological advances to deliver better health outcomes in Florida. I’m so humbled to have the endorsement of Florida’s doctors who are on the frontlines of making our state — and country — healthier for generations to come.” 

The endorsement further strengthens Tomkow’s standing in the race for the open Hillsborough County-based seat. The SD 14 seat became vacant after former Sen. Jay Collins was appointed Lieutenant Governor by Gov. Ron DeSantis, and the Special General Election to find his successor is scheduled for March 24.

Tomkow formally entered the race last fall and quickly consolidated support from Republican leadership and elected officials. She previously received endorsements from Senate President Ben Albritton and Sens. Jim Boyd and Jay Trumbull, as well as U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee, several members of the Florida House, and multiple county Sheriffs across the Tampa Bay region.

The FMA PAC, founded in 1974, supports candidates it says will advance policies that make Florida the best state to practice medicine. The committee raises voluntary contributions from health care professionals and routinely weighs in on competitive legislative races across the state.

A seventh-generation Floridian and third-generation cattle rancher, Tomkow currently represents Polk County in the House. She is term-limited from her House seat and has been viewed as a logical successor to Collins in the upper chamber, particularly given her leadership role on health and human services and her close ties to House leadership.

The Tampa Bay Rays appear one step closer to identifying a location for a new stadium and related development, with an expected meeting Tuesday with the Hillsborough College District Board of Trustees to discuss a potential development at the school’s Dale Mabry campus, the Tampa Bay Business Journal first reported Thursday.

A deal with Hillsborough College, formerly Hillsborough Community College, would allow Rays ownership to develop a 110-acre mixed-use development, including a new stadium and a range of other community amenities. The Rays’ new owners have previously discussed a development that includes a mix of affordable housing, park space, retail, entertainment and more.

The meeting on Tuesday would be a first vote on a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) on a potential stadium deal. The Hillsborough College administration has recommended approval.

It’s important to note that an MOU does not guarantee a project; it allows the parties to move forward with plans and terms for an eventual binding agreement.

It’s not clear at this early juncture what public subsidy the project would require, but the team’s new ownership group — Ken Babby, Patrick Zalupski and Bill Cosgrove — previously said one would be required.

Speaking in October shortly after the team’s sale was finalized, owners said, and have since reiterated, they are looking at Atlanta as a model for a successful stadium development. The Atlanta Braves play at Truist Park, located in the Battery district.

And Babby said this week on the newly launched “Hunks Talking Junk” podcast, hosted by College HUNKS Hauling Junk and Moving co-founder Nick Friedman, the group has set an aggressive timeline to open a new ballpark in April 2029.

The ownership group has long said its goal was to keep the Rays in the Tampa Bay region and has made clear its preference is for Tampa.

The Rays item is the only issue included on Tuesday’s Hillsborough College Board of Trustees meeting. It notes that the school “has been approached” by Rays’ leadership.

“The MOU does not require the College to do the Project, and it can be terminated by the Board at any time,” the agenda reads, noting that, if approved, the MOU would allow both parties to “begin negotiating and drafting Project agreements for the Board’s review and approval at a future meeting.”

The agenda also notes that “the Rays have included a proposal to reimburse the College for the costs of preparing the final Project agreements.”