DeSantis Pitches $91.3 Billion Spending Plan

February 2, 2019

In what would be the largest budget in state history, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday released a proposed $91.3 billion spending plan that would increase school funding, pump money into water-quality projects and trim taxes.

DeSantis’ proposal is a starting point for lawmakers, who will negotiate a 2019-2020 budget during the legislative session that starts March 5. The Legislature typically makes significant changes to spending proposals offered by governors.

But DeSantis, who took office Jan. 8, touted his “bold vision for a brighter future budget.” He touted issues such as cutting taxes, with his proposal including a move to hold down property taxes that otherwise would go to schools and offering popular sales-tax “holidays.”

“I said throughout the campaign, Florida being a low tax state, I think, has been integral to our success and our growth,” DeSantis said during a news conference in the Capitol. “We want people who are working hard here to be able to live without being taxed excessively, and then we want to send a signal to the rest of the country that Florida is a good place to invest and move to because you’re going to be treated fairly.”

The budget proposal includes:

— $21.7 billion for the main public-school funding formula, known as the Florida Education Finance Program, with an increase of $224 in per-student funding.

— No tuition or fee increases for students at state universities and state colleges and $582.8 million for the Bright Futures scholarship program.

— $625 million for Everglades restoration and water-quality efforts to address issues such as red tide and toxic algae.

— $50 million for beach-restoration projects and $100 million for the Florida Forever land-conservation program.

— $85 million to continue the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund, an economic-development program, and $76 million for the Visit Florida tourism-marketing agency.

— Making permanent a $98 million cut in the Medicaid program through eliminating a longstanding policy about paying health-care bills that accumulate while people prepare to apply for coverage — a concept known as “retroactivity.”

— Elimination of the Agency for State Technology, with its responsibilities shifted to the Department of Management Services.

— No across-the-board pay raises for state employees.

— $335 million in tax savings, with $289.7 million in the “required local effort,” which are property taxes that go to schools, and $45.3 million in sales-tax holidays for back-to-school shoppers and purchases of disaster-preparedness supplies.

The proposed budget, which outlines potential spending for the fiscal year that starts July 1, would be an increase from the current year’s $89.3 billion budget.

DeSantis said the state is projected to have an additional $1 billion in general-revenue taxes, which are a key source of money for schools, health programs and prisons. Also, the proposed budget is larger because it includes federal and state money for responding to disasters such as Hurricane Michael and Hurricane Irma.

“I think that, all told, this is not a budget that is spending money unnecessarily,” DeSantis said.

House and Senate committees have scheduled a series of meetings next week to receive presentations on DeSantis’ proposal and to begin drilling into the details. It likely will not be clear until late April how much of DeSantis’ proposals will wind up in the final spending plan.

Senate President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, issued a statement Friday saying he appreciated DeSantis’ recommendations, which he indicated “reflect many of our shared priorities.” Also, Galvano said senators are looking forward to receiving a new estimate of general-revenue taxes. That revised estimate, which state analysts are expected to issue later this month, could affect the amount of money lawmakers will have available when they negotiate the budget.

“Developing a comprehensive budget recommendation within the limited time following the election was certainly not an easy task, and I commend the governor and his staff for completing this critical component of our state budget process,” Galvano said.

by Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida

Comments

9 Responses to “DeSantis Pitches $91.3 Billion Spending Plan”

  1. gmp on February 3rd, 2019 12:51 am

    I should have voted for the socialist, maybe a raise would be considered free stuff to give me.

  2. David Huie Green on February 2nd, 2019 11:32 pm

    I used the wrong report for most current funding.

    “For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2018:
     Transfers to the EETF were approximately $1.76 billion this fiscal year compared to
    $1.66 billion in the prior fiscal year.
     The Lottery’s ticket sales increased by 8.84 percent over the prior fiscal year from
    approximately $6.16 billion to $6.70 billion.”

    http://www.flalottery.com/exptkt/financialreport18.pdf

    Still way below what was spent or is proposed to be spent.
    People spent $6.70 billion for hope.
    Education got $1.76 billion of that money.

    David for better lessons
    (and right years)

  3. David Huie Green on February 2nd, 2019 11:03 pm

    REGARDING:
    “I was under the impression that all money generated by the lottery was supposed to go to education only.”

    Florida voters stipulated that 50% go to prizes, 38% to education, and the remaining 12% for lottery administration and promotion (all those ads teaching everybody to buy hope by gambling away their earnings). Legislators began to use lottery money to pay for education operating costs and salaries while shifting the tax dollars from educational spending to non-educational spending.

    Still, they have not diverted lottery proceeds from education until they spend less than they take in from the lottery. From above, we are told they will be spending “$21.7 billion for the main public-school funding formula, known as the Florida Education Finance Program,…and $582.8 million for the Bright Futures scholarship program.” So about $22.3 billion per year versus the $1.5 billion the lottery pulls in.

    (in http://www.flalottery.com/exptkt/annualreport13-14.pdf )

    They have met the letter of the law.

    David for better lessons

  4. Kane on February 2nd, 2019 1:06 pm

    The budget states “no across the board raises” not “no raises”. Give this guy a chance he hasn’t even been in office that long.

  5. Wondering on February 2nd, 2019 11:23 am

    Why are the bright future scholarships coming from the state budget. Where is all the lottery money going. I was under the impression that all money generator by the lottery was supposed to go to education only.

  6. chillywilly on February 2nd, 2019 10:22 am

    Thank You Mr DeSantis for trying to restore the State of Florida after eight years of Rick Scott Gutting and Cutting and trying to destroy our State .
    .Finally a Governor with a vision.

  7. Mark on February 2nd, 2019 10:17 am

    I did not vote for him, but I am getting a very good impression of our new governor.

  8. Agreed on February 2nd, 2019 2:02 am

    We use words like honor, code, loyalty, we use these words as the backbone spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time or inclination to explain myself to a man that rises and sleeps under the blanket of freedom that I provide then questions the matter in which I provide it. I would rather you say thank you and go on your way otherwise I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand a post, either way i don’t give a damn what think you are entitled to. This is a quote from a few good men but appropriate, law enforcement raises are needed.

  9. Mr. Nobody on February 2nd, 2019 1:29 am

    I voted for you and you have no raises for the state employees who represent you. Your a piece of crap. Good luck next election because state employees will not have your back. I understand that it’s not just about state law enforcement but what happens when the law enforcement of the state leaves and there is shortages as it is.Who is going to watch our backs and keep criminals behind the gates.You? I don’t think so.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News