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DeSantis Announces $99.7 Billion ‘Freedom First’ Budget
December 10, 2021
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has released his “Freedom First Budget” proposal with recommendations for fiscal year 2022-2023.
The budget totals $99.7 billion, with total reserves exceeding $15 billion.
“In Florida, we have put Freedom First – protecting Floridians’ freedom to earn a living, to operate businesses and to choose educational options tailored for their children,” DeSantis said. “As a result of our commitment to freedom, Florida’s economy continues to thrive and Floridians are better able to provide for their families. Today, I am proud to announce my budget proposals that will build on our foundation of freedom by investing in priorities that matter to our residents. This budget puts Floridians and their freedoms first, keeps taxes low, and addresses key priorities – all while maintaining record budget reserves.”
Among the budget highlights, according to the Governor’s Office:
- The Freedom First budget includes a Fuel Tax Holiday to provide a reprieve from increasing gas prices and save Florida Families over $1 billion.
- It proposes the elimination of fees charged for the issuance of a Florida Identification Card to save Florida families $14.7 million.
- A second round of $1,000 bonus checks for approximately 179,000 teachers and principals in Florida.
- $600 million – a $50 million budget increase over the past year – for teacher pay, continuing Florida’s efforts to reach a minimum teacher salary of $47,500.
- An increase in per-student funding to raise this year’s budget to $8,000 per student. This will represent the highest amount of per-student funding in Florida’s history.
- The Base Student Allocation increase is $124 per student.
- $421 million for school safety and mental health initiatives. That funding includes $210 million for the safe schools program – an increase of $30 million over the previous year, $140 million for mental health – a $20 million increase over the previous year, $42 million for school hardening grants, and $4 million for safety initiatives at Jewish Day Schools.
- To fully eliminate the Florida Standards Assessment and implement progress monitoring in its place, DeSantis is proposing $15.5 million in recurring funding to provide progress monitoring tools to schools.
- $500,000 to expand access to the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative into every school district in the 2022-2023 school year.
- $534 million in funding to support workforce education programs
- 226.7 million to provide salary increases for those working in public safety – including 25% raises for all veteran state sworn law enforcement; 20% salary increases for entry-level state sworn law enforcement.
- A $5,000 signing bonus for every recruit who is new to the law enforcement profession in Florida once they complete their training and they officially become a law enforcement officer.
- Providing the State Officer Certification Exam free of charge to law enforcement officers relocating to Florida and covering the cost of any necessary equivalent training programs for relocating officers, up to $1,000 per officer.
- Creating a law enforcement academy scholarship program to cover the cost of enrollment for men and women seeking to serve their state and communities through police work.
- More than $200 million in funding to support direct care workers with pay raises.
- $100 million – a $37 million increase – for cancer research.
- $15 million, an increase of $10 million over current year, in funding for Alzheimer’s Disease research to enhance diagnosis and prevention strategies for those Floridians impacted by this disease.
- $188.6 million in behavioral health initiatives including mental health and substance abuse services to ensure Floridians get the help that they need.
- $133 million to provide services to those served by the child welfare system, including foster parent support and adoption subsidies
Comments
16 Responses to “DeSantis Announces $99.7 Billion ‘Freedom First’ Budget”
I am concerned about our schools. It is important to pay teachers well and to focus on the reading, writing and arithmetic! Back to Basic schooling.
“37 million for cancer. Come on. We all know what that means”. No..I’m afraid you lost me there. You say it like that’s a bad thing. And I agree. It could be better. Like 50 million… Or more! But what exactly did u mean by that??
I wish he would open the SS office !!!! Can’t get anything done ove the phone !!!!!!
Don’t get me wrong, I believe DeSantis will make a great president one day, but…even HE has said, a year ago NURSES WERE HEROES, however, as a nurse who stood strong , even now, working same place, We have received absolutely NOTHING for risking our lives throughout the Covid surges, and I work in a COVID UNIT, no hazard pay, no raises, not even good advice when some of my coworkers caught covid-19. We all have PTSD, I assure u of that.. I still dream of my patients, ALL OF THEM DYING, sometimes 2 or 4 per day, only for the bed to be filled with another one as soon as their body was out of it, and room cleaned. Code after code, all the tortuous things we did to them TRYING SO VERY HARD to save their lives…for NOTHING. The few who lived will take years of recovery, if they ever do. So, my point is this…it’s great to thank you, and what not, but in reality, what we really NEED, is to get a raise, a bonus, SOMETHING to help our financial situation. Just because you’re a nurse, does not mean u make a ton of money. Trust me, we don’t. If teachers deserve it, and they never got traumatized by more death that ANYONE except a veteran of war saw, then WHY ARE NURSES NOW FORGOTTEN FOR ALL WE DID? Putting OUR OWN FAMILY AT RISK,because it was , in our heart, our duty. Not just any nurse can roll up in the ICU and do a thing like this. All of us didn’t make it out. And it seems as though nobody really cares. Just saying…
We are so lucky the other candidate didn’t win. We were close, friends! So close! Don’t be afraid to talk politics so long as you love what you’re talking about! That’s what ppl want to hear! Not what you hate, but rather, what you love! Winning feels good!
I wonder if I can smoke pot with my newfound freedom
More spending sprees? Get ready for more Inflation in the State of Florida, we’re already running 7% Inflation for Escambia County!
His flock loves being fleeced. Well done Ron!
Gov Desantis ROCKS!!! He fights for the citizens of this state. A couple of my friends flipped from democrat to Republican because of Trump and Desantis.
THANK YOU, Governor!!!!
Never believe what he says, just watch what he does…
Oh the Democrats and RINOs can sure spur the Hate. Be thankful you are not still in lockdown. Governor DeSantis is making an real effort to stand for freedom.
If a Democrat offered all this the right will call him a socialist!!! Funny!
Is there any money in Gov Desantis budget to purchase the Garçon Point Bridge and reduce or eliminate the tolls. This was announced months ago in a press conference. It has not happened
With all these money giveaways you’d think DeSantis was a Democrat. Could he be offering these goodies for a reason other than the welfare of the citizens of Florida?
Fuel Tax Holiday? “save Florida Families over $1 billion”? I don’t think that is accurate. Everyone who drives through Florida and buys gas or diesel, including people who don’t live here, pays that tax. That is money from out of state coming in to Florida and that helps Florida Families. Stopping that revenue source, even for a holiday, does not change the budget it only means that revenue has to come from some other tax source that will likely be paid for 100% by Florida Families and won’t be offset by any tourist dollars. Or, it makes for a hole in the budget with a debt that will have to be covered by a future administration’s budget.
The fact that this budget is being marketed as “The Freedom First budget” should be a giant red flag for everyone to want to know all the details about this budget.
i dont like the the dude but the proposal is nice i think it would do alot of help but the 37 million for cancer come on. we all know what that means. but yeah good job