DeSantis’ funding veto couldn’t shut down Santa Rosa Veterans Court

DeSantis' funding veto couldn't shut down Santa Rosa Veterans Court

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One year ago, the founders of a fledgling Santa Rosa County Veterans Treatment Court program were floored by the news that Gov. Ron DeSantis had vetoed a $150,000 state appropriation the group was counting on to fund its second year of operation.
Worse still, the 24 veterans enrolled in the program in 2025 were left in a terrifying limbo.
"There was a lot of tension in the court that day," said Carmen Reynolds, a retired lieutenant colonel instrumental in establishing the Veterans Treatment Court. "There were veterans who didn't know if they'd be going back to jail."
The Veterans Treatment Court was established in September 2024 as a voluntary program that provides selected veterans who have broken the law an opportunity to divert out of the traditional criminal justice pipeline. Candidates who are able to navigate a rigorous 12- to 18-month path toward sobriety, recovery, restoration and stability are honored with a graduation ceremony and a second chance.
County Court Judge Jose Giraud, who has overseen the Santa Rosa Veteran's Treatment Court since its inception, stepped into the breach created by the DeSantis veto and declared that he would not give up on the program or its 24 enrollees.
His decision inspired Reynolds and the Friends of Veterans Treatment Court nonprofit she created to vow to do everything in their power to see the 2025 class through to graduation on what she termed "a shoestring budget."
Their dedication to the cause will be celebrated at 10 a.m. March 25 in the Jury Assembly Room on the first floor of the Santa Rosa County Courthouse when the Veteran's Treatment Court celebrates the graduation of approximately 20 of the 24 people who entered the program last year.
Reynolds said her organization went to groups like the American Legion and VFW and found partners willing to assist where they could. The Friends of Veterans Treatment Court annual report for 2025 lists the American Legion as a $3,000 donor and the VFW's Midway Post as a $1,000 contributor to the Veteran's Court.
The group also solicited donations from local businesses in the form of gift cards or donations of services such as eye examinations, mental health evaluations and chaplain services.
Reynolds and her cohorts pulled in $9,000 as a beneficiary of the annual New Year's Day Pirate Plunge and recorded an annual donation from the Helping Hands Mission in Pace.
The most significant contribution, however, was of $78,525 from the Florida Veterans Foundation, a Tallahassee-based tax-exempt public charity that lists state veterans courts as one of its veteran initiative special projects.
"I contacted them and they asked me 'What can we help you with?'" Reynolds said. "I told them and they said 'write us up a budget and we'll run it through the board of directors.' They're getting us through until June 30 2026."
She said Florida Veterans Foundation members plan to drive in from Tallahassee to attend the graduation.
"We have them to thank for saving the second year, in spite of the veto," Reynolds said.
Depending on what transpires as a legislative soap opera continues to unfold in Tallahassee, one of the few bills introduced this session to have made it to the governor's desk is a measure that if signed into law would protect future Santa Rosa Veterans Treatment Court allocations.
Introduced by Okaloosa County state Rep. Patt Maney, often cited as the architect of Florida's veterans courts system, the bill would fund Santa Rosa County's Veterans Treatment Court through the State Court budget.
"That's the way the other specialty courts are funded generally," Maney said. Sometimes referred to as problem solving courts, specialty courts in Florida include drug courts, veterans courts, mental health courts and early childhood courts.
State Sen. Don Gaetz, whose district includes Santa Rosa County, served as Senate sponsor.
In order to get the Santa Rosa Veterans Treatment Court considered for state court budget funding, the Chief Judge of the First Judicial Circuit had to pass on a recommendation to the Legislature with a request for funding. That has been accomplished, according to Maney.
All that needs to happen now is for the Florida House and Senate to agree on a budget. The two chambers were unable to accomplish that within the 60 days allotted them in the 2026 regular session. The two groups will reconvene in special session to try again.
"When we get a budget, the Santa Rosa Veteran's Treatment Court will be funded like Escambia and Okaloosa counties and won't have to go to the Legislature separately," Maney said.