Gov. DeSantis signs $116.5B state budget which is less than previous year, bolsters reserves

TAMPA – Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday held a news conference to sign the $116.5 billion state budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.

In a show of bipartisanship, the budget passed unanimously in the Senate and 105-3 in the House, where a Republican and two Democrats opposed the spending plan that gives all state workers a 3% raise.

The budget also includes a $17 billion surplus, DeSantis said, and is slightly less than the previous year’s budget.

“This budget delivers historic support for education, infrastructure, and conservation, yet spends less than the year before and includes major tax relief,” DeSantis said. “We have paid down 36% of the state’s entire tax-supported debt over the course of my term, and the state maintains a AAA credit rating, one of the lowest tax burdens in America, and more than $17 billion in reserve.”

DeSantis said the added reserves are thanks to nearly $1 billion in line-item vetoes, and the budget spends less than last year’s budget.

RELATED: $1.25 billion in upcoming state budget will go toward teacher raises, Gov. DeSantis says

Watch what he said below and read a breakdown of the budget here: