Republicans said the Florida Senate's balanced budget prioritizes infrastructure, education, tax cuts and record reserves. Despite all the politics surrounding the Legislature, they paid down the state debt, prioritized public schools and parental choice in education, provided historic funding to increase Florida's health care workforce, and provided environmental and He also said he would invest in clean water.
The Florida Senate Appropriations Committee, chaired by Republican Sen. Doug Broxson of Pensacola, has proposed Senate Bill 2500, the General Appropriations Act, and implementing and conforming legislation related to the upcoming 2024-2025 balanced budget. announced. .
This legislation makes significant investments in Florida's infrastructure, providing record funding for public schools and school choice opportunities for Florida parents. Florida's Senate budget approves $455 million in state debt repayments, includes significant tax cuts and builds record state reserves. Additional legislation advancing in the Senate includes historic funding to expand Florida's health care workforce and new dedicated investments in Florida's environmental and clean water resiliency.
Comments from Chairman Broxon, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo of Naples, and the chairs of the five Senate appropriations committees that manage various budget silos include some highlights of the budget proposal.
“Here in the Free State of Florida, we are using pandemic funds wisely to make critical one-time, generational investments in infrastructure, from roads and bridges to education facilities, clean water and coastal resilience. We did it,” President Passidomo said. “As the pandemic funds disbursement schedule draws to a close, we are making fiscally responsible and prudent adjustments to properly set a balanced budget at a long-term sustainable level. Our incomes are increasing, but instead of spending everything we have, we are paying down our debt and building on our historic reserves so Floridians can keep more of their hard-earned money. We are putting money aside and providing meaningful tax relief.”
“The situation is even worse as other states have made deep budget cuts and raised taxes as they spent pandemic funds on recurrent expenses they cannot afford, and are facing post-pandemic revenue declines and budget deficits. Here “In the Sunshine State, thanks to sound fiscal management by Governor DeSantis and the Legislature during the pandemic, forward-looking investments are strengthening our infrastructure and helping create good jobs in our growing communities.” the chairman said.
“With more than 300,000 people moving to the Free State of Florida each year, we are developing and building transportation, housing, health care, and clean water infrastructure to accommodate the significant population growth over the next decade.” President Passidomo continued. “Despite all the growth we are experiencing, we cannot and will not forget our environment, which is one of the main reasons people move here in the first place. We continue to expand animal corridors, expand public access for recreation, and continue to invest in land management to protect the environment and natural resources for future generations of Floridians and visitors. Masu.”
“Our budget retains the talented and dedicated employees who serve state government with across-the-board pay raises to combat inflation and targeted raises for some of state government’s toughest jobs. We remain committed to doing so,” said Chairman Broxon.
Florida House Republicans say the budget is built on major investments and pad reserves, and that conservatism in land management, water systems, roads and fiscal policy is a hallmark of the House budget. added.
The Florida Democratic Party has criticized Republican legislative policies and called the conservative platform “outrageous BS.”
Here are the details of the Florida Senate budget:
“This is an important step forward for us,” said Republican Sen. Jason Brodeur of Sanford, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government.
“We continue our long-standing efforts to protect Florida’s unique natural resources and are making important improvements to our environment and clean water infrastructure. These investments will benefit Floridians now and for future generations. while protecting Florida's economy as Florida's pristine nature continues to attract tourists from across the country and around the world.
“We are investing more than $1 billion to improve water quality and restore the Everglades, and more than $400 million in conservation acquisitions, including wildlife corridors. $120 million in flood and sea level rise programs. $770 million for wastewater and drinking water revolving loan programs, plus $178 million for water infrastructure improvements. We will expand public access to the state's recreational and hunting lands. Describes additional legislation by Sen. Hutson that would dedicate significant funding to clean water infrastructure and wildlife corridors, including land management efforts. The government operations side of our committee will continue to support our government agencies. We make sure that we operate effectively and efficiently.”
Republican Sen. Jennifer Bradley (Fleming Island), Chair of the Senate Civil and Criminal Justice Appropriations Committee:
“Our budget focuses on top priority requests for nearly every government agency, including pay increases across the board and staffing, recruitment, and retention for the Department of Corrections (DOC), the Department of Juvenile Justice, and the Department of Justice. Focuses on ongoing state efforts to address issues in the court system.
“The centerpiece of our Senate budget is a huge investment to address major prison infrastructure needs. $100 million annually, for a total of $3 billion. First year funding provides funding to complete the Lake Mental Health Facility and build four new dormitories at the existing prison. It is scheduled to be done.
“Last year, we funded a historic expansion of education and career programs at DOC with an emphasis on virtual education. Provides $11.1 million to continue expansion, including additional teachers and IT infrastructure, equipment, and educational materials. This funding will address educational gaps among inmates and prepare them for the workforce upon release. , which aims to reduce recidivism and alleviate the problem of laziness among inmates in the facility. It also expands funding for the Toll Savings Program, which allows inmates to have no accidents in the past three months. , you will receive 15 minutes of free calls each month, which will save families of prisoners money and encourage good behavior.”
Republican Sen. Keith Perry of Gainesville, chairman of the Senate Education Appropriations Committee, said:
“This budget continues our strong support for education in Florida. We are increasing K-12 funding by $218 per student, including $175 in the base student allotment. We recognize that this is an increase that will provide school districts with important flexibility that they need. Parents across the state can take advantage of the education options provided by Family Empowerment Scholarships to help them decide where their children's education funds go. As we continue to guide how they will be spent, we have $350 million in FES scholarships in reserve in case more students enroll than expected this year.Enroll in the program This level of funding ensures that traditional neighborhood public schools continue to maintain historic per-pupil funding levels.
“We know that students are best served when education is connected to economic and job market realities and opportunities. We continue our commitment to career and technical education opportunities by supporting school districts, colleges, and universities to create or expand important programs.
“In higher education, Florida universities keep tuition low and do not allow tuition increases. As last year, each university raised the amount of money it raised without seeking legislative approval to increase its spending authority. Tuition and fee income can be spent. This approach does not allow tuition increases, but it gives universities more flexibility as enrollment increases. It also increases the performance and excellence of state universities. We are allocating $845 million to support our efforts, including an additional $100 million for research universities of excellence.”
“This is an important step forward in the fight against COVID-19,” said Republican Sen. Gail Harrell of Stuart, chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
“Our Health and Human Services budget delivers on the promise of vital investments to improve the health and well-being of our state’s most vulnerable populations, especially children, seniors, and our fellow Floridians with disabilities.” Complements historic spending throughout the Healthy Act. It also increases funding to support independent living for young people in the child welfare system, increases the level of respite support for families affected by Alzheimer's disease, and increases the Expanding needed services for those suffering from abuse. We are recommitting to long-term care for veterans by funding the state's ninth VA nursing home in Collier County, making Florida the We ensure that we remain the most veteran-friendly state in the nation.
“This budget and our Live Healthy proposals are very focused on mental health and will expand the number of providers and make significant changes to the way people access mental health services. Remotely. We want people to know that Florida has the options they need, whether it's an online health care provider or someone who needs more intensive, long-term services.
“With the investments included in this budget and the overall Live Healthy package, Florida will have an efficient and effective health care system that provides more options for our residents to receive the best care possible in the best environment.” We're building a.'' to meet their needs. ”
“We're really excited about this,” said Republican Sen. Ed Hooper of Clearwater, chairman of the Senate Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development Committee.
“Our transportation infrastructure is the foundation of Florida’s vibrant and diverse economy. This budget continues historic, generational infrastructure investments in transportation. Labor is the backbone of Florida’s economy. Affordable housing options for workers are also a critical component of our state’s infrastructure. We maintain our important commitment and vision for workforce housing as outlined in the Live Local Act of 2023. An additional bill by Sen. Calatayu includes $100 million for the Hometown Heroes program, which helps Florida workers buy homes in their communities.
“We also continue our efforts to support communities affected by recent hurricanes through investments that help local governments repair and replace infrastructure such as roads, sewers, and water facilities. We are all in this together, and the funds included in this budget will help our communities continue to recover and rebuild.
“We continue our efforts to recruit law enforcement officers to our state. These dedicated public servants have helped our fellow Floridians in our darkest hours, and we offer our strong support for their efforts.” I’m glad we have the funds to show for it.”
