Gov. DeSantis Approves $800 Million From Budget To Increase Teacher Salaries

TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) - A $112.1 billion budget that lawmakers passed last week covers more than the state's basics for education, health care and law enforcement.

The budget and a series of accompanying bills include spending on everything from new state planes to zoos.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has line-item veto power, so it's too early to know everything that will be in the budget when the fiscal year starts July 1.

On Monday, speaking at Renaissance Charter School in Wellington, DeSantis announced he's approving $800 million to increase the average minimum salary of teachers to at least $47,500.

The funding will also raise the pay of veteran teachers.

"It's just something that I think is really, really important," DeSantis said. "We do appreciate the folks who are working with these kids, particularly during difficult circumstances."

Here is a sample of some of the items in the budget package that may or may not be approved:

AIR FLORIDA
Lawmakers approved buying and replacing several aircraft, including two new jets for state leaders. DeSantis already has at his disposal a $15.5 million Cessna Citation Latitude that lawmakers agreed to buy in 2019. Other planes and helicopters would go to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

CANCER FIGHT FUNDED
The budget would provide a major boost to efforts to build an H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute campus in Pasco County. The budget includes $20 million as a first annual installment to help Moffitt secure bonds for construction. Another $106 million would cover initial infrastructure.

CITRUS RECOVERY SOUGHT
Citrus recovery efforts drew $13 million, with most of the money slated for consumer awareness campaigns and $1 million to increase "production of trees that show tolerance or resistance to citrus greening, and to commercialize technologies that produce tolerance or resistance to citrus greening in trees."

COURT CASH
Lawmakers approved adding a 6th District Court of Appeal and providing $50 million to build a courthouse in Lakeland. The state has had five district courts of appeal for decades, but the Florida Supreme Court recommended adding a sixth district.

EMERGENCY DIGS
The budget includes $80 million to build a new State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee.

FAIR AMOUNTS OF FUNDING
Lawmakers earmarked a total of $31.8 million to help various county fairs, agricultural museums, livestock expos and a rodeo.

MEDICAL MARIJUANA MONEY
The budget would provide $9.3 million to Florida A&M University's Division of Research to educate minorities on medical marijuana and "the impact of the unlawful use of marijuana on minority communities."

OYSTER AID ON MENU
Oyster restoration efforts are slated to draw $500,000 for Choctawhatchee Bay in Walton County and $495,000 for the Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program. Also, $950,000 would go for "native oysters and clams restoration" in Manatee County

SNAKE HUNTING
The budget includes $2 million from what is known as the Land Acquisition Trust Fund to continue efforts to remove Burmese pythons and other non-native wildlife from the Everglades. The budget says the money can "be used to purchase and utilize emerging devices and techniques for the removal of Burmese pythons as approved by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission."

STATE ARTIFACTS EYED
The Florida Department of State is slated to get $13.8 million to design and build an artifact curation facility in Tallahassee.

STATE GUARD REVIVED
The state plans to spend $10.7 million to reactivate the Florida State Guard, which hasn't been active since 1947. DeSantis proposed reviving the guard to help the Florida National Guard during emergencies.

TOOTING THE HORN
The Department of Transportation would get $1 million to market work in road and bridge construction. "The marketing strategy must include components that bring attention to career opportunities that exist at the beginning, middle, and later stages of a person's career and the availability of these careers to diverse peoples," the budget said.

ZOOS GET AID
The budget would provide $18.32 million for zoos and aquariums across the state, including money that would go to manatee rescue and rehabilitation.

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