Friends,
The 2020 Legislative Session will have soon reached a conclusion, maybe even before this article makes it to publishing and we’re very much looking forward to being back home in the district. Once we return, we’ll be ready to tour the district to give a full report on all that we’ve accomplished these last few months. Until that time, however, we will keep providing a few updates on some of the highlights.
For this column, we should address the budget.
The Florida Senate passed Senate Bill 2500: Appropriations, a proposed state budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. This proposed budget invests in Florida’s teachers, state employees, and environment while maintaining $3.5 billion in total reserves. With $500 million for a new Teacher Salary Increase Allocation and $325 million in increased flexible funding through the Base Student Allocation, the state budget provides funding for schools districts to increase the starting salary for classroom teachers while also investing in other members of school district personnel who serve our children. This has been a big priority for Governor DeSantis and President Galvano. I’m excited to be a part of this great team, working to improve education in the State of Florida.
Also, the budget appropriated $643.6 million to address Everglades Restoration and protection of our water resources and $125 million is dedicated to Florida Forever for water and land conservation efforts. The Senate budget also invests in hardworking state employees with $403 million to fund across-the-board salary increases for state employees, as well as health insurance and retirement benefits.
The Florida Senate remains committed to keeping taxes low and providing breaks whenever possible. Legislation coming out of our Committee on Finance and Tax, creates more tax free holidays, including the 10-day back-to-school sales tax holiday beginning July 31, 2020. The legislation would eliminate taxes on clothing, footwear, and backpacks costing $60 or less, school supplies costing $15 or less, and personal computers or personal computer-related accessories costing $1,000 or less per item during the designated holiday. Also, in preparation for Hurricane Season, an 18-day sales tax holiday on disaster supplies is created. Some examples of tax-free items include: flashlights and lanterns costing $20 or less; radios and tarps costing $50 or less; coolers and batteries costing $30 or less; generators costing $750 or less; and impact-resistant windows and doors.
The Florida Senate and the Florida House budgets remain about $1.4 Billion apart, so we’ll see some numbers change by the time we are finished with budget conference, but priorities remain similar and collaboration between the two chambers has been well-organized. We’re confident that we’ll reach an agreement without too many disagreements or debate.
As always, thank you for letting me serve you in the Florida Senate. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Onward & Upward,
Senator Dennis Baxley
