DeSantis signs $116.5 billion budget, slashes $511 million

TALLAHASSEE — In an unprecedented move that broke from decades of tradition, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the 2023-24 state budget Thursday at a private yacht club without discussing the projects he slashed with his veto pen or disclosing the final total.

The $511 million veto list of mostly local projects came hours later, putting next year’s budget, which begins July 1, at a still record high of $116.5 billion that includes many of the big ticket items he requested and sets the state reserves at $15.3 billion.

‘We run a big budget in the state of Florida. We lower taxes in the state of Florida,” DeSantis said. “We are able to do things that make a difference in people’s lives by not wasting money but by spending it on things that have a great impact on the general public.”

While he touted all of his priorities the budget contained during the event, far from the Capitol press corps at the swanky Pelican Yacht Club in Fort Pierce, he also used the opportunity to talk about the things he would do if elected president, including hiring a new FBI director and cleaning house.

“When there’s a new sheriff in town on January 20, 2025, accountability is going to be the order of the day, so buckle your seatbelts,” DeSantis gave as he left the podium. The most recent polls show former President Trump the leading candidate in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, with DeSantis trailing by more than 30 points.

DeSantis also criticized President Joe Biden, the federal deficit and the national economy. Questions fed him toward the end of the event gave him opportunities to attack California Gov. Gavin Newsom, the White House display of a Pride flag, which he called a “transgender flag,” the FBI’s failure to investigate Hillary Clinton and the “weaponization of government.”

His presidential campaign had a t-shirt ready for sale following the event, featuring a line from his response about Newsom. “Stop pussyfooting around,” read the shirt, priced at $34.47.

Traditionally, DeSantis and his predecessors have used the line item budget vetoes to show they were even tougher fiscally than their legislative counterparts. Last year, legislative leaders stood behind DeSantis and smiled as he slashed $3 billion from the budget as he bragged about cutting the “pork” they left in the $110 billion budget, including their own pet projects.

“We’ve known for years that Ron is an enemy of transparency,” said Nikki Fried, chair of the Florida Democratic Party and former commissioner of Agriculture, the last Democrat elected to statewide office. “Refusing to release a list of line-item vetoes — like every other governor before him — is an unprecedented attempt to bully members of the legislature into supporting his presidential campaign.”

State senators and representatives for the Treasure coast were in attendance Thursday, including Sen. Erin Grall of Vero Beach, one of six Republican senators who has not endorsed DeSantis for president.

The Legislature handed DeSantis a record $117 billion budget that funds many of the governor’s stated priorities for the environment, transportation, disaster recovery, 5% pay raises for state employees, $711 million for workforce housing and $2.7 billion in tax breaks.

DeSantis said in a statement that he vetoed $511 million worth of local projects to help buffer state residents “against continued economic headwinds due to ill-conceived federal policies.” Florida TaxWatch recently published a $500 million list of “budget turkeys.”

He slashed $100 million in conservation and rural land protection easements, $18.4 million for Polk State College, $34 million for St. Johns State College, $30.8 million for the Kirkland Ranch land acquisition in Pasco County, $4.9 million to restore an Indian River Lagoon inflow project. and $2 million for the Brevard Zoo aquarium.

Democrats applauded the things in the budget that will improve their constituents’ lives, but they said it still falls short of addressing the biggest and most persistent pocketbook issues for Florida’s citizens: skyrocketing property insurance, rising housing costs and health care.

After two special sessions and two regular sessions, the Legislature has still not provided relief to combat rising property insurance costs, nor has the Legislature taken advantage of federal funds to expand Medicaid, House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell of Tampa said.

The budget includes $711 million for the Live Local Act, a priority of Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, to increase workforce housing stock. That includes $100 million for the Florida Hometown Heroes Program, $252 for the State Housing Initiatives Partnership, $259 million for the State Apartment Incentive Loan Program and $100 million for SAIL’s inflation loan program.

Residents will see some relief in the $1.3 billion in sales, property and corporate tax relief next year. They include two back-to-school sales tax holidays, a hurricane prep holiday and a summer recreation holiday. An additional $1.4 billion in tax breaks brings total tax savings to $2.7 billion.

Floridians will also get a permanent year-round tax break on diapers and baby supplies, an issue pushed by Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando and Senate Minority Lauren Book of Plantation.

The budget includes $1.9 billion to continue funding projects to improve water quality and restore the Everglades.

“This is the strongest environmental budget we’ve ever had in the state of Florida,” DeSantis said.

When Duane Defreese, executive director of the Indian River Lagoon Council, thanked DeSantis for his leadership, the governor brusquely said, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,” before taking the podium to answer questions from the audience.

The budget also has $389 million to give the state’s nearly 98,000 workers a 5% percent raise. Average state worker pay is around $44,000 a year, which puts Florida’s state government workforce among the smallest and lowest paid in the nation.

Another $108 million has been set aside for bonuses and recruitment, and $130 million for law enforcement bonuses and recruitment, and $1.1 billion for classroom teacher raises, DeSantis said.

The budget also earmarks $19 million for additional raises and bonuses to retain correctional officers. They will see a base salary increase to $45,760 a year, or $22 an hour. DOC educational and maintenance staff will also see additional pay increases.

It also includes $635 million on workforce education programs, as well as $108 million for the governor’s state guard.

State workers, however, did not get the annual cost-of-living increase they sought back into the budget, and a Democratic measure to raise the base pay for teachers to $65,000 a year also failed.

The governor also touted $4 billion tapped to accelerate transportation projects aimed at relieving traffic congestion.

The budget also includes $4.9 billion for hurricane recovery and resiliency efforts. It has $350 million for ongoing Hurricane Ian and Nicole recovery efforts, in addition to the $1.5 billion in state and federal money approved for hurricane recovery during two special sessions last year.

The budget also contains $350 million for the “Educational Enrollment Stabilization Program” to protect school districts from financial instability as result of changes in student enrollment. That is included in the overall $26.8 billion in overall education funding.