Ron DeSantis will have final say over how much the state spends in the 2022-23 fiscal year. . Ron DeSantis ' proposed nearly $100 billion spending plan would provide an average 4% pay increase for state employees and. The health care budget funds two of those programs to the tune of more than $36 million. In total, lawmakers are setting aside $800 million for teacher pay, a nearly 50 percent increase from the current years budget. For my tax form from the State the Health Insurance Subsidy was excluded from my gross income with the notation The purpose of the HIS is to provide assistance with the cost of health insurance coverage. Ron DeSantis proposed nearly $100 billion spending plan would provide an average 4% pay increase for state employees and ensure their health insurance benefits remain the same through 2023. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed a $109.9 billion state budget bill that includes pay raises for state workers and law enforcement, as well as tax suspensions on gas, diapers and school supplies. And other hospitals including Jackson will continue to benefit from a program begun in 2021 that brought more than $1 billion in new federal funding during its first year. The legislature must increase pay to in order to retain a qualified workforce. A recruitment plan, providing teachers with the support they need, and increased compensation leads to a bright future for our teachers and a bright future for our students., Over my career, I have seen many changes in the education system and several administrations in Tallahassee. <>/Metadata 242 0 R/ViewerPreferences 243 0 R>> Committee Prison Construction - Two New Facilities: One 250 bed hospital facility - $200 million, Offender Based Information System (OBIS) replacement - $10.2 million, Statewide Prosecutor Workload - $1.8 million and 12 positions, Solicitor General Workload - $1.7 million and 10 positions, Election Crimes Investigations - $1.5 million and 10 positions, Cyberfraud Analysis and Education - $0.5 million and 6 positions, Increase DJJ Provider Pay to Minimum Wage - $5.3 million, Salary Increases for Deputy Sheriffs and County Correctional Officers in Fiscally Constrained Counties - $15.0 million, Appellate Court Operational Increases - $9.7 million and 62 positions, Construction of one 4,500 Bed Prison - $650.0 million, Construction of one 250 Bed Prison Hospital - $200.0 million, Price Level Increase for Correctional Officers in Private Prisons - $33.9 million, Offender Based Information System (OBIS) Replacement - $10.2 million, Information Technology Infrastructure Improvements - $5.1 million, Critical Security Equipment - $3.0 million, Statewide Recruitment Staffing - $1.9 million and 12 positions, Critical Legal Positions - $1.2 million and 13 positions, Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Program Compliance - $1.2 million and 11 positions, Pensacola Regional Operations Center Facility - $6.3 million, Sexual Assault Kit Tracking System - $0.9 million and 2 positions, Increase Federal Grants Trust Fund Authority - COPS Anti-Methamphetamine Program (CAMP) Grant - $0.8 million, Criminal Justice Data Technical Assistance Grant - $5.0 million, Biometric Identification Solution (BIS) Modernization - $3.5 million, Criminal Justice Data Transparency - $3.0 million, Statewide Behavioral Threat Assessment Management Strategy - $1.3 million and 3 positions, Increase Provider Pay to Minimum Wage - $5.3 million, Expansion of Vocational and Educational Services - $3.7 million, Continuation and Expansion of Prevention and Early Intervention Programs - $1.6 million, Electronic Monitoring Enhancements - $1.0 million, Establishment of an Electronic Health Record - $0.7 million and 3 positions, Child Representation Pilot Program - $2.4 million and 3 positions, Staffing Support for the Justice Administrative Commission - $0.5 million and 4 positions, Clerks of Court Pandemic Recovery Plan - $6.3 million, Guardian ad Litem Trust Fund Authority - $4.4 million and 67.5 positions, State Attorney and Public Defender Motor Vehicle Replacement - $2.5 million, Appellate Case Management Solution - $4.5 million, Maintain Early Childhood Courts - $1.0 million and 9 positions, Trial Courts Pandemic Recovery Plan - $10.0 million, Support for Post-Pandemic Proceedings - $1.9 million, Supreme Court Fellows Program - $0.6 million, Transportation Work Program - $11.6 billion, Affordable Housing Programs - $362.7 million, Library, Cultural, and Historical Grants, Initiatives, and Facilities - $175.3 million, Urban Search and Rescue Teams Training and Equipment Grants - $10 million, Florida National Guard Tuition Assistance - $5.2 million, Reemployment Assistance Program Operations and Tax Services Provider - $33.4 million, State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) - $209.5 million (allocated to local governments), Affordable Housing Programs - $153.3 million, including the State Apartment Incentive Loan (SAIL) and $100 million for a Florida Hometown Hero Housing Program, Noncustodial Parent Employment Program - $7.0 million, Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Program - $20 million, First Responders Recognition Payments - $125 million SFRF, Broadband Opportunity Grant Program - $400 million SFRF, Consumer-First Workforce Information System - $150 million SFRF, Rural Infrastructure Fund - $30 million ($25 million SFRF), Economic Development Projects - $6.0 million, Housing and Community Development Projects - $107.9 million, Florida Highway Patrol Taser Replacement - $1.5 million, Florida Highway Patrol Academy Driving Track - $10 million, Increased Authority for Work Zone Traffic Enforcement - $5.8 million, Additional Commercial Driver License Third Party Testing - $570,119; 6.0 positions, Motorist Modernization Project - Phase II - $10 million, Florida National Guard Tuition Assistance - $5.2 million for FYs 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, Florida State Guard - $10 million; 6.0 positions, New Counterdrug Program Headquarters Building - $2.2 million, Libraries Maintenance of Effort - $23.9 million; and Additional Aid - $2 million, Cultural and Museum Programs and Initiatives - $73.2 million, General Program Support Grants - $46.0 million (fully funds all 556 projects), Culture Builds Florida Ranked List - $3.1 million (funds all 131 projects), Cultural Facilities Grants Ranked List - $10 million SFRF (funds 24 projects), Cultural and Museum Projects - $14.1 million, Historical Preservation Programs and Initiatives - $31.1 million, Historic Preservation Small Matching Grants Ranked List - $1.6million (funds all58projects), Historic Preservation Special Category Ranked List - $21.5 million (funds all 77 projects), Historic Preservation Projects - $9.4 million, African-American Cultural and Historical Grants Ranked List - $30.3 million (SFRF). Ron DeSantis ban on school mask mandates last year. The proposal was praised by Vicki Hall, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Florida, the largest union representing state workers. FICA contributions are shared between the employee and the employer. All rights reserved. I am happy to say that Governor DeSantis, the Legislature, and the Department of Education are making education a priority in Florida, said Kristen Geiger,Teacher, Fleming Island Elementary School. Sign up for our newsletter: Get Capitol Buzz, a special bonus edition of The Buzz with Emily L. Mahoney, each Saturday while the Legislature is meeting. According to the Department of Management services, the average pay among Career Services employees is $37,668, while the statewide average is $51,000. He should be pleased. State employees are the driving force behind critical services to all Texans especially to some of the most vulnerable. Statutes, Video Broadcast It was the first such pay bump in 12 years for Florida's state workers, . But lawmakers have reduced that amount, targeting $209.5 million for housing initiatives, but limiting rental assistance efforts to about $100 million, with another $100 million establishing a hometown heroes program helping first responders, teachers and nurses with down payment assistance. <> While lawmakers have been mired in grueling, emotional fights over abortion and other hot-button topics during this years legislative session, their proposed budget received little criticism. Annual salary includes applicable employee pay additives (i.e., competitive area differential, trainer, hazardous duty, temporary special duty, legislative approved, critical market pay, and leadworker), but does not include overtime or other incentive payments. Employees can choose a standard option or a high-deductible policy. The cost of groceries rose 8.5 percent over the past year. Spoiler alert: Trouble ensued, DeSantis says he will approve teacher pay increases as part of Florida's budget, A 15-week abortion ban is set for its first hearing in the Florida Senate, Florida gets another bump in tax revenues, to the tune of $442.2 million, State Wants To Expedite Piney Point's Closure As Summer Rains Threaten, Adrienne Kennedy akennedy@wlrn.org (305)-995-2256, FRIENDS OF WLRN, INC. AS MEDIA MANAGER OF WLRN PUBLIC MEDIA. Copyright, 2022-2023 Salary Increase and Minimum Wage Pay Adjustment for In-Unit & Out-of-Unit Staff, : State University System Free Expression Statement, Florida Board of Governors Statement of Free Expression. If you havent already subscribed, please consider buying a print or digital subscription. The other two aircraft would be available to the lieutenant governor, Cabinet members, Supreme Court justices, the House Speaker, Senate president and chairs of legislative committees and agency officials. About 9 p.m.Tuesday, Trumbull and Stargel sent a memo to fellow lawmakersacknowledging that they wouldn't make a midnight deadline in time fora constitutionally required 72-hour waiting period before lawmakerscanvote on the budget by Friday'slast scheduled day of the 2022 session. However, the pay increase was completely wiped out by a 2.6% increase in state employees contribution to the ERS pension fund. Local projects funded in the 2022 2023 state budget: Tallahassee Lighthouse at-risk mentorship program: $250,000, Leon County Sheriff Office Behavioral Health Program:$250,000, Tallahassee TEMPOWorkforce Training program:$500,000, Gadsden County Emergency Operation Center:$10 million, the $109 billion state budget Gov. For maybe the first time in Floridas history, we have a Governor and administration that goes above and beyond to recognize and empower educators by listening and giving us a voice., Executive Office of Governor Ron DeSantis. Various sections of the budget proposal have already garnered media attention including suggested pay increases for Florida's teachers and law enforcement officers, and several tax-reducing measures. To ensure that Texas is able to provide high quality services to its citizens, the legislature needs to appropriate a real across-the-board pay raise for state employees and university workers. Please contact Shelley Lopez at (850) 644-6602 or s.lopez@fsu.edu. The increases in teacher pay will provide critical help to teachers in Florida during a critical time where inflation is rising rapidly across the country: What is nice about this for teachers is that you made a commitment for our teachers that you would raise base pay to sustain a living, said Christopher Glinton, Principal, Renaissance Charter School at Wellington. Im excited for Floridas teachers and am grateful for Governor DeSantis vision and his relentless pursuit to improve the teaching profession.. The two things that get vetoesare food and jobs, said Jeff Sharkey of the Capitol Alliance Group, Leon Countys lobbyist at the state capitol. Fighting for higher starter teacher salaries and compensation for veteran teachers is what will not only attract the best teachers to Florida but, retain them as well., I think we can all agree that the last two years has presented many challenges but the one thing that remained constant and we could always count on was the support of our Superintendent and administration here in Clay County, saidJennifer Sherman,Teacher, Fleming Island Elementary School. Under the budget agreement, the money must be held in reserve until Jan. 1, 2023, halfway through the fiscal year. The study suggested solutions to the national problems, such as expanding Medicaid eligibility and providing more subsidies for insurance plans on the Affordable Care Acts marketplace. How distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine exposes inequities in Floridas health care system. Florida Gov. Questions or Comments, Privacy Policy John Kennedy is a reporter in the USA TODAY Networks Florida Capital Bureau. All state workers will see across-the-board 5.38 percent pay raises. All hospitals are facing a serious staffing crunch and significant inflation in the cost of everything they do, said Justin Senior, CEO of the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida.