Gov. DeSantis touts education, infrastructure spending in $117.6B Florida budget

TAMPA, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a nearly $118 billion Florida budget on Monday during a news conference in Tampa at Hillsborough College.

Florida lawmakers had to return for a special session to complete this year’s budget, which was sent to the governor at $114.5 billion.

The total cost, though, was higher after “back of bill” spending moves, and DeSantis said that with about $810 million in line-item vetoes, the final budget came out at $117.6 billion.

“The things that we vetoed, a lot of those are just either inappropriate or maybe nice to have. Nice to have is fine, but I want to fund things that we have to have,” DeSantis said.

He said that makes this the fourth straight year that the state’s budget is less than it was the year before.

“Who else is doing that?” DeSantis said. “The footprint of government is not growing in Florida. If anything it’s shrinking.”

The budget includes more than $30 billion for K-12 schools, or about $9,338 per student, about $150 more than the prior year. That includes about $4.5 billion for the state’s school vouchers program, which pays parents a stipend to send their children to private schools or for homeschooling.

The funding also sets aside $1.5 billion to boost teacher pay, with more than $201 million for teachers with at least 10 years of experience, although the increase will be capped at $3,000 per year.

There is also $665 million for Everglades restoration projects, another priority for DeSantis throughout his two terms in office.

“This budget continues to move Everglades restoration forward so that Floridians – and those that visit our great state – can realize the ultimate benefits ahead of schedule,” said Everglades Trust CEO Anna Upton in a released statement. “Restoring the natural flow of water south through the Everglades and decreasing harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee will mean that Florida’s economy, which relies on clean water, will continue to thrive.”

The signing also comes just days before more than 100 laws are set to take effect in Florida on July 1.

The governor’s office released a detailed breakdown of where the money is going from the budget and what was vetoed.

For highlights from this year’s budget, click here.

To see the list of line item vetoes, click here.