DeSantis vetoes nearly $500 million from budget with $15 billion surplus

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed nearly $500 million dollars in the 2023-24 fiscal year budget.

The budget totaled to $116.5 billion and included $2.7 billion in tax cuts.

“Through this year’s budget, we have cemented an economic framework which supports Florida’s families, business owners, and students in the pursuit of a prosperous future,” DeSantis said.

Some of the top-dollar vetoes include allocations to colleges and universities.

Here is the full list of vetoed items

For example, $20 million to a University of South Florida nursing facility, $16 million for Polk State College, $14 million to Florida Gulf Coast University and about $28 million to Florida State University were vetoed.

$100 million for conservation and rural land protection easements and agreements was vetoed.

The governor vetoed $30 million that would have been used to acquire the Kirkland Ranch in Pasco County for the purposes of land and water conservation.

Other smaller line-item vetoes included local street and bridge projects, as well as community programs.

DeSantis signs Florida ‘Framework for Freedom’ budget, record education funding

The $116.5 billion budget includes record funding for education, such as $26.8 billion in funding for K-12 schooling and education. In addition, the budget includes a record $1.1 billion in teacher and “instructional personnel” pay raises.

DeSantis noted Florida as the state with “the second lowest debt per capita in the entire United States.”

It also included more environmental funding.

“You now have a lot more water flowing south to the Everglades, and to Florida Bay than anyone thought we would ever have this soon,” DeSantis said. “So we’re proud of that.”

The budget contains $130 million in targeted pay increases for state law enforcement officers and public safety agency employees.