COVID cash

Jacksonville Bold, Florida Politics, 3/10/2021	 


Rep. Angie Nixon seeks money for a COVID-19 project, and the first-term Democrat may have a hook for Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

HB 3389 sets aside $750,000 for Agape Health Services and its "behavioral health response" to the coronavirus. The bill is on the Appropriations Committee schedule.

Agape is the company of former Rep. Mia Jones; Nixon was once her staffer.

According to the appropriations request: "The allocation of these funds will help to increase the number of uninsured and medically underserved patients that can be seen in our program. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic recession has negatively affected many people's mental health and created new barriers for people already suffering from mental illness and substance use disorders. This program will minimize service gaps for youth and adult population who may suffer from a variety of mental health issues."

A few weeks back, DeSantis even appeared at a Jacksonville event associated with AGAPE Health, a vaccination highlight at Edward Waters College. Under fire for alleged vaccine favoritism for a couple of pods seemingly tailored to the donor class, the Governor could score some points by ensuring Agape gets the necessary funds.