JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Governor Ron DeSantis made history, signing a record-high budget for the state of Florida. Some lawmakers are calling this a win for the big development projects, while others said they were pushed out because of opposing political viewpoints.
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Governor DeSantis touted tax breaks, teacher raises and his promise to send migrants from borders to blue states.
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In Jacksonville, $75 million was granted for the new University of Florida campus in downtown Jacksonville. Additionally, $33 million was granted to re-model University of North Florida’s Brooks College of Health building and completion of the Coggin College building.
Jacksonville Mayor, Lenny Curry, sent Action News Jax this statement in response:
“Today, Jacksonville secured some serious wins in the upcoming State Budget. My team has worked extremely hard to secure local and state dollars to keep Jacksonville on the rise. Thank you, Governor DeSantis, for supporting our growth and funding these important projects. With this strong support from the state, these projects will continue to impact Jacksonville citizens for decades to come.”
Watch: Duval’s share of state budget
Not everyone felt victorious.
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“It’s atrocious what happened,” Jacksonville Representative Angie Nixon said. “It’s all about who doesn’t speak out against his harmful policies.”
Nixon was included in some of the projects that were vetoed. In total, seven total local projects were not entered into the Governor’s budget. That includes
- A seawall construction project in Fernandina Beach
- Representative Clay Yarborough’s ‘Family Support Services’ project
- New complex at St. Johns River State College in Palatka
- Northeast Florida 21st Century Workforce Development
- Jacksonville Music History Museum
- Representative Angie Nixon’s Wayman Academy of the Arts funding projects
“This is going to negatively impact students over in the Westside area who may be struggling in a public school setting, who really need to be in smaller classrooms,” Nixon said.
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In total, DeSantis slashed half a million from the original proposal.