Florida's Latest News

Gov. DeSantis slashes $1 billion from state budget amid coronavirus outbreak

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the state’s $92.2 billion state budget on Monday after cutting $1 billion from programs for affordable housing, education and social services.

His vetoes to what had been a $93.2 billion budget came because of the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic and included $550 million in measures that he said he had supported.

“We had big achievements and big gains,” DeSantis said. “My goal was to try to safeguard the historic achievements that we were able to do while also realizing historic savings, so that we could [move] forward on a more solid fiscal foundation.”

Future Florida Republican House leader attacked by PAC funded by current House Speaker

A political committee that has received hundreds of thousands of dollars raised by outgoing Republican Florida House Speaker Jose Oliva is attacking future House Republican leader Daniel Anthony Perez over a trip he took several years ago to Cuba.

Mailers and social media ads calling Perez “a Disgrace to Republicans and Our Exile Community” hit mailboxes in Miami and Facebook news feeds in recent days. The ads were produced by Citizens for Ethical and Effective Leadership, which has $400,000 since May from Conservative Principles for Florida, a political committee chaired by Oliva.

Perez and Oliva declined to comment.

Gov. DeSantis signs bill allowing drones to target invasive wildlife species

Gov. Ron DeSantis added another tool to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission’s tool-belt Monday, signing a bill that would expand use of drones by state agencies.

The bill (HB 659,) sponsored by Jacksonville Republican Rep. Jason Fischer, would allow state agencies, such as FWC, to use the aircraft over swamps and other people-free places where invasive species like pythons and other nuisances have proved problematic.

The bill would also allow wildlife and forestry officials to use drones to track pythons, lygodium and other invasive species inhabiting Florida’s forests, wetlands, and wilderness spaces, often to the detriment of native wildlife.

State worker pay raise survives Florida governor's veto; other local projects get budget ax

Florida's 90,000 state workers gained a big win Monday as Gov. Ron DeSantis signed next year's state budget into law two days before the mandatory deadline, sparing their 3% pay raise from his veto pen.

"We were able to make the numbers work," DeSantis told reporters at a Capitol news conference about the now $92.2 billion budget. "I wouldn't have done it if the numbers didn’t work."

The $249 million pay-raise package covers all state workers, including nearly 23,000 in Leon, Gadsden, and Wakulla counties. The funding also covers a 7% increase in health insurance premiums and pension contributions.