TALLAHASSEE Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke at the state Capitol building Thursday where he detailed a “huge” 2022 Florida budget.
The $99.7 billion “Freedom First Budget” included many recommendations previously shared by the governor, such as pay raises for teachers and law enforcement, new grants for environmental improvement projects and millions earmarked for Alzheimer’s and cancer research.
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If all goes as planned, DeSantis said that the new budget would leave $15-17 billion in reserves for Florida by July 1, 2022.
“When you look at what we’ve been able to do, to see really historic support for for education, both K-12 and higher ed, to see what we’re doing to continue to modernize and improve our infrastructure, what we’re doing for water resources, the support that we’re providing for the men and women of law enforcement — this is a huge, huge budget, this is a huge deal,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis recommended that Florida subsidize the state gas tax in the new budget, a move that the governor said would cost the state $1 billion to potentially save the average household a couple hundred dollars at the pump every few months. The governor also announced his intent to bring back sales tax holidays unique to Florida, such as Freedom Week, as well as those for back to school and disaster preparedness.
DeSantis has traveled the state announcing millions in grants for environmental projects this year, many with the intent of improving water quality and tackling the issue of flooding. At the press conference Thursday, the governor called the state’s upcoming environmental budget “incredibly strong” and said that Florida has earmarked $980 million for Everglades restoration and targeted water quality improvements. The state will follow the instruction of its blue-green algae task force for some of these projects, DeSantis said, and an allotment of $35 million will go toward fighting blue-green algae and red tide. The governor said the new funding will boost Florida’s total investment into protecting its natural resources during his term above $3 billion by his fourth year in office.
The governor pledged $453 million to increase minimum pay for Florida law enforcement officers and state employees. LEOs’ base payrates would increase by 20%, including corrections and Department of Juvenile Justice officers, and veteran officers’ salaries would increase by 25%, DeSantis said. Experienced officers who move from out-of-state to work in Florida would also receive $5,000 signing bonuses, and all sworn LEOs, firefighters and EMTs are set to receive $1,000 retention payments in the new budget, DeSantis said.
DeSantis recommended $650 million to boost educators’ pay, intending to also hand $1,000 retention bonuses to teachers and principals of public schools. The governor spoke of Florida’s commitment to be No. 1 in workforce training by 2030, criticizing universities for being “way too expensive” while proposing $23.9 billion for K-12 schools, $530 million of which will be used to terminate the FSA and replace it with vocational workforce training programs.
“That’s a record for the state of Florida,” DeSantis said. “It’ll be $8,000 per pupil, which in terms of just state funds is also a record for the state of Florida.”
The governor echoed his wife, First Lady Casey DeSantis, in recommending that $100 million be put toward cancer research, as well as $15 million to study Alzheimer’s. With focus on assisted living facilities, the governor recommended $10 million to directly help and provide services for seniors suffering from Alzheimer’s, as well as $225 million to increase pay for the staff in such places.
The Sadowski Trust Fund for affordable housing is to be replenished, DeSantis said, and $100 million has been requested for Florida’s job growth grant funds, which the governor said he had to veto in June 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
DeSantis also announced pilot programs to use blockchains — the technology behind NFTs and Bitcoin — to digitally handle titles at the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and allow Florida businesses to pay state fees in cryptocurrency.
“We want to make sure that the state government is crypto-friendly,” DeSantis said.
Earlier this month, DeSantis announced recommendations to disburse more than $200 million to bolster the National Guard and to reestablish the Florida State Guard in order to improve quick response capabilities in Florida without reliance on the federal government, but the topic was never raised during the announcement.