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.”
DeSantis said that because of the vetoes, along with about $800 million reverted back to the state by agencies, the budget stabilization fund and trust fund balances, he believed Florida would have a $6.3 billion buffer to absorb revenue losses and “weather any storm that the economic recovery may throw our way going forward.”
In addition, federal CARES Act funds also would be available, he said.
Florida Democratic Party chair Terrie Rizzo said the vetoes are “the results of DeSantis’ failures to lead.”
“Without consulting the Legislature or any elected Democratic leaders, Ron DeSantis made massive budget cuts that will impact the lives of all Floridians,” Rizzo said. “DeSantis must own the consequences of these cuts, which will inevitably hurt our schools, our children, and our families.”
While DeSantis went into detail during a Tallahassee news conference about what remained in the budget, he did not offer specifics about what was vetoed.
Veto list unveiled
But a list released shortly afterward showed $225 million vetoed from the State Housing Initiative Partnership, designed to help low- to moderate-income families afford houses ? the largest single cut.
The governor’s decision essentially moves the money back into the Sadowski fund, a pot of money that’s supposed to be used for affordable housing. But now it’s possible the money could be used to pay for expenses from the pandemic.
DeSantis also decided to reappropriate $41.5 million in unused funds from the school “guardian” program, which pays for training school employees to carry guns on campuses.
The vetoes also included $15 million for the Universities of Distinction that would’ve offered incentive money to UCF and the eight other state institutions not deemed pre-eminent. UCF sought funding for the College of Engineering and Computer Science, spokesman Chad Binette said.
A half-million dollars earmarked for the Florida Center for Nursing also was cut.
But UCF is grateful that DeSantis left intact performance-based funding that is “critical” to UCF and other universities, Binette said. UCF is line to receive $35.1 million this year.
In Orlando, two programs that support counseling for survivors of the Pulse nightclub attack – The LGBT+ Center and the Orlando United Assistance Center – lost out on a combined $90,000 in funding.
Also axed were programs that help abused and neglected children who become wards of the state. The Heart Gallery, which photographs and interviews children for parents interested in adopting, had a $1 million request rejected, and Forever Family adoption awareness lost $200,000. A Fostering Success pilot project had $250,000 cut.
Project Opioid, which brought Florida’s First Lady Casey DeSantis to Orlando to speak in support of the mission, lost $200,000 in requested funds.
“I hate getting vetoed on an important issue, but the governor had the worst job in the world – to balance the budget during a once-in-a-hundred-year pandemic,” said Andrae Bailey, the founder of Project Opioid. “If we’re not fiscally smart, we’ll end up with another disaster on our hands.”
But the biggest vetoes were to long-awaited provider rate increases for those who care for people with disabilities. Workers who serve as personal support and companion providers had a cut of $36.8 million, and those who provide adult day training lost another $16 million.
The governor also vetoed $150,000 for discounted bear-resistant trash cans to Seminole County residents, $450,000 that would have completed the Lake Monroe Trail Loop for cyclists and walkers and $750,000 for the Green Mountain connector trail that would link Lake Apopka to other areas in Lake County and the Florida Coast-to-Coast Connector Trail.
DeSantis said the “historic” vetoes, combined with reserves, will allow him to make up for any shortfalls and avoid bringing back the Legislature for a special session.
DeSantis said the budget still includes $500 million to increase teacher salaries and more than $625 million for Everglades and other water-related projects, two of his top priorities. Also, it includes pay raises for state employees.
Disney event stays in
DeSantis also didn’t touch state funding for a big event at Walt Disney World next year.
The 2022 Special Olympics USA Games, at which most of the events will happen at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex and televised on the Disney-owned ABC and ESPN networks, will still receive $500,000.
The massive amount of vetoes might not be enough to make up for falling revenues. On Thursday, state revenue estimators reported that the state’s net tax revenue during May fell $779.6 million below an earlier forecast.
That followed April revenue being off $878.1 million, as Florida businesses shut down or dramatically scaled back to slow the spread of COVID-19.
It was still unclear, however, whether his spending of federal CARES Act money without legislative approval could violate the state constitution that states “no money shall be drawn from the treasury except in pursuance of appropriation made by law.”
But DeSantis has said the coronavirus state of emergency gives him that ability. The Legislature would normally reconvene to work on any budget shortfalls, as they did in 2009 amid the Great Recession.
Senate President Bill Galvano said he would wait until the revenue estimates come out in August to determine if legislative action is needed to balance the budget, a requirement under the Florida Constitution.
Staff writers Caroline Glenn, Annie Martin and Jason Garcia and News Service of Florida contributed to this report. slemongello@orlandosentinel.com
