Lawmakers approve the state’s budget during a special session, and Gov. Ron DeSantis reacted to questions on a possible closure of Alligator Alcatraz.
Lawmakers approve Florida budget of $114.5 billion
Florida lawmakers in the House and the Senate passed the state budget Friday.
The overall budget included provisions for spending $114.5 billion, which is less than the previous year’s budget.
It’s also less than what the Senate wanted to spend, but more than what the House asked for during the regular session deliberations.
If that number holds, it would mark the second straight year the state has scaled back spending.
Speaker of the House Daniel Perez announced that the budget maintained $14 billion in reserves for as-needed state spending. That includes $8.6 billion in unallocated General Revenue reserves and $5.7 billion in the Budget Stabilization Fund.
“Floridians expect their government to spend responsibly and prioritize the issues that matter most to families across our state,” said Perez. “For the second year in a row, the Florida House has led the charge in passing a budget that reduces spending while continuing to invest in public safety, education, environmental protection, health care, and infrastructure. We’ve maintained strong reserves, protected taxpayers, and ensured Florida remains in a strong financial position for the future.”
Education spending was one of the issues that lawmakers disagreed on.
During the regular session, the Senate tried to change the state voucher program after a state audit showed major problems accounting for millions of dollars.
The House would not go along with reforms to how the state handles school choice vouchers.
Both chambers agreed to keep the $4.5 billion for homeschool and private school scholarships.
DeSantis reacts to reports of Alligator Alcatraz’s closure
There have been recent reports that the migrant detention center, dubbed Alligator Alcatraz, will close.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has not confirmed the closure, but he has said that the facility was always supposed to be temporary.
He was asked about it again on Friday.
“I have not put in that order. Kevin Guthrie has not said that. But again, if DHS told us tomorrow that we are no longer going to send people because we have other places to go, well obviously, am I just going to keep it? There are people there now, but once they get processed out and deported, if they are not sending people then we will flex appropriately and change our footprint. But I have not been told that that’s the case,” DeSantis said.
Alligator Alcatraz opened last July to help with President Donald Trump’s federal immigration efforts.
Director of the Florida Department of Emergency Management Kevin Guthrie says it costs about $1 million a day to operate, and he expects reimbursement from the federal government soon.
Another environmental advocacy group is suing the Florida Division of Emergency Management over Alligator Alcatraz.
The group, called the Center for Biological Diversity, filed the lawsuit in Miami federal court this week.
They’re alleging that the facility violates federal pollution laws by using bright lights and diesel-fueled generators to power the facility.
The group also alleges that the state did not get the proper permits or conduct air quality tests.
The Division of Emergency Management has not commented on the lawsuit so far.
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