FLORIDA DEMOCRATS RESPOND TO DESANTIS’S VETO LIST
Chair Nikki Fried decries partisan attacks, cuts to agriculture, education, and healthcare
Tallahassee, FL — After Governor DeSantis announced $511 million in line-item vetoes in the 2023 budget, the Florida Democratic Party has issued the following statement:
“After holding the state budget hostage for weeks and failing to immediately disclose line-item vetoes, the governor finally took a break from running for president to do his actual job,” said FDP Chair Nikki Fried. “Unfortunately, he’s not good at it. His veto list cuts half a billion dollars from farmers, teachers, and nurses, with Florida’s farmers taking the biggest hit — $100 million for rural land protection gone with the stroke of a pen, with no explanation.
“In Sarasota County alone, Ron’s revenge tactics cost Floridians nearly $30 million, slashing funding for new nurses, new roads, and clean water — all because Joe Gruters chose to endorse Trump instead of Ron.
“Floridians are also suffering from Ron’s obsession with partisan politics. The way your district votes in November shouldn’t dictate what kind of support you get from state government, but under Ron’s regime, areas that elected Democrats were more than twice as likely to have funding cut as areas that elected Republicans. Even items with broad, non-partisan popularity — such as hurricane protection, fire stations, and flood prevention — were cut in areas that elected Democrats.
“The legislature turned in the largest budget in state history, and the programs Ron cut made up less than half a percent of the total. Each of the vetoed items represent a drop in the bucket for overall state spending, but they make a difference at the local level for millions of Floridians. He has a lot of explaining to do.”
Source: FDP