Orlando, FL: Today Governor Ron DeSantis has unveiled a $115.6 billion budget proposal for Florida’s 2025-2026 fiscal year. Below is Representative Eskamani’s statement in response:
“While I appreciate bipartisan investments in teacher pay and environmental restoration, this budget fails to address the real issues facing everyday Floridians. State agencies that directly serve our constituents—such as unemployment services and food assistance programs—remain underfunded and understaffed, leaving vulnerable families without the support they need. Even the suggested increase of $222 per pupil spending is short of what Florida needs in delivering strong teacher salary increases across the board.
Instead of prioritizing the people of Florida, this budget is riddled with wasteful spending on Governor DeSantis’ pet projects. It continues his culture war agenda by funding tools to ban books, politicizing arts funding, funneling public money into partisan anti-abortion campaigns, and allowing political appointees to wield more veto power. It even finances bogus ‘return on investment’ surveys designed to target universities and academic freedom. He wants to create a tax break for firearms and lower the cap for public transit investments — again!
Floridians deserve a budget that focuses on real solutions—not a nanny state that dictates personal freedoms while failing to deliver basic government services. We should be investing in affordable housing, healthcare, and the essential public programs that keep our state running—not more political stunts.”
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