On Wednesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spent over an hour discussing the details of the $116.5 billion state budget he signed into law. However, he left out the most important part: the nearly $1 billion in spending he vetoed.
The new budget is slightly smaller than the current one. It includes 3% raises for state employees and sets aside $1.5 billion that must be used for teacher pay increases.
“Overall, I believe this budget demonstrates that it is possible,” DeSantis said, noting that the state will fund major programs, provide tax relief, increase emergency savings, and still have a lower budget.
However, he did not provide specifics on the biggest question budget watchers were waiting for: the cuts. The Legislature passed the budget over three months ago, and DeSantis has been talking for weeks about what he would not veto. So, the only remaining mystery when he signed it was what would be cut.
“Even some of my Republican colleagues texted me, asking, ‘Did you get a list? Did you get a list?'” said Democratic Senator Jason Pizzo.
About four hours after DeSantis began his budget-signing ceremony in Tampa, which is about a four-hour drive from the Capitol, his office released the veto list.
The 16 pages of cuts primarily came from local projects and lawmaker requests, ranging from as little as $10,500 for a public works generator in Taylor County to $80 million for group insurance for the state college system.
Among the vetoes were denials of vehicles for many police and fire departments, $6.4 million to provide free menstrual products to public school students, funding for local museums and cultural events, and millions to private, non-profit organizations that assist the homeless, the hungry, drug addicts, and foster children.
The budget passed unanimously in the Senate and 105-3 in the House, where a Republican and two Democrats opposed the spending plan, demonstrating bipartisanship.
However, on late Wednesday afternoon, lawmakers were still analyzing the cuts. “I need to examine it more closely,” Pizzo said.
He did notice that many local infrastructure projects were cut.
“As I sit here stuck on a Brightline train due to flooding in my district, all those storm water projects he cut look pretty stupid right now,” Pizzo remarked.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.