RPOF CHAIRMAN JOE GRUTERS' MESSAGE
Governor's Budget Puts Freedom First
Governor DeSantis released his Freedom First Budget proposal last week, which totals $99.7 billion, with reserves exceeding $15 billion. That puts the budget at $2 billion less than last year’s budget.
The Freedom First Budget focuses on preserving freedom and prosperity for Floridians with record funding for education, environmental resources, and law enforcement. The budget also protects freedom and liberty by once again rejecting mandates and lockdowns.
“In Florida, we have put Freedom First – protecting Floridians’ freedom to earn a living, to operate businesses and to choose educational options tailored for their children,” Governor DeSantis said. “As a result of our commitment to freedom, Florida’s economy continues to thrive and Floridians are better able to provide for their families…This budget puts Floridians and their freedoms first, keeps taxes low, and addresses key priorities – all while maintaining record budget reserves.”
Economic Freedom
The Governor’s budget gives Floridians the freedom to use their incomes to provide for their families, not grow government. The Freedom First budget recommends tax holidays, including a Fuel Tax Holiday to provide a reprieve from increasing gas prices and save Florida Families over $1 billion.
Florida’s economy has grown faster than the nation as a result of smart investments and policies that kept Florida open and businesses operating. Investments in rural communities and the tourism industry give Florida communities the freedom to elevate their regions for decades to come.
Education Freedom and Teacher Support
The Governor believes that children have a right to learn in positive learning environments and parental rights need to be preserved in making educational decisions for their children. Governor DeSantis is proposing record funding for K-12 education and prioritizes teachers and students.
For Those Who Protect Our Freedom
Florida supports first responders and service members who protect our freedom. Due to the hard work of Florida’s law enforcement officers, our crime rate decreased last year, marking the 50th consecutive year the state has seen a drop in its crime rate. While other states want to defund the police, in Florida, our Freedom First Budget backs the blue.
Florida is also committed to supporting those who serve. Our National Guard has been called upon time and time again during times of emergency, and we must ensure they are ready to serve Floridians. Governor DeSantis is proposing more than $100 million for our National Guard.
The Freedom First Budget also includes $8 million to implement a program to protect against harms from illegal immigration, and $2.4 million in E-Verify enforcement.
Environmental Protection
Florida’s natural resources are the foundation of our state’s communities. The environment drives tourism, affects property values, anchors many local economies and is central to our quality of life. The Freedom First Budget reaffirms Governor DeSantis’ commitment by recommending more than $4.4 billion to protect our environment and natural resources.
The Freedom First Budget proposes more than $980 million to restore the Everglades, fight Red Tide and protect Florida’s water resources. This would bring Florida’s four-year investment to $3 billion, surpassing our goal of $2.5 billion and doubling the investment of the previous four years. The budget also invests over $550 million to increase the resiliency of Florida’s coastal and inland communities and more than $151.7 million to protect our prized properties and waters in Florida.
Health Care Support
The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to have unforeseen consequences for workers. Florida is placing freedom above heavy-handed vaccination mandates and Faucism. The budget supports health care freedom and protection for Floridians as they make their own health care choices.
Read full budget here:
Republicans Lead on Flood Resiliency
Governor DeSantis and Republican legislative leaders are proactively pursuing a bold agenda on sea-level rise with the creation of a first-ever statewide plan to protect Florida’s coastal and inland communities.
The Florida Statewide Flooding Resilience Plan announced this week consists of a range of projects that will enhance Florida’s efforts to protect inland waterways, coastlines, shores, and coral reefs — which are invaluable natural defenses against sea-level rise and flooding.
The plan is part of Senate Bill 1954, signed by Governor DeSantis earlier this year, which ensures a coordinated approach to the resiliency of Florida’s coastal and inland regions, and provides a structure for ongoing resilience following the best science and data.
This strategy will enhance the protection of inland and coastal resources that act as natural defenses against sea-level rise.
“We have done a lot to support Florida water resources and we know infrastructure for clean and strong waterways is important,” Governor DeSantis said. “We also want to fortify infrastructure to make communities across Florida more resilient. We are a low-lying state, a storm prone state, and a flood prone state.”
In the previous legislative session, Governor DeSantis worked with Speaker Chris Sprowls, President Wilton Simpson and the rest of the Legislature to create a pathway to protect Florida communities and the state’s economic livelihood. Under that legislation, Governor
DeSantis is now proposing 76 projects totaling more than $270 million across Florida, which will be matched by local investments as part of a three-year plan to strengthen community-identified vulnerabilities.
Governor DeSantis Blasts Businesses with Double Standard on Masking
Governor DeSantis criticized businesses earlier this week for requiring staff to wear masks while patrons move about mask-free, saying that it created a symbolic “two-tiered society” where the “servant class” goes around with their faces covered while the served class does not.
“Let these folks breathe,” Governor DeSantis said. “Let them make their own decisions on this because I think it’s terribly uncomfortable that they’re in this for so many hours a day and I don’t think it’s proven to make a difference.”
The Governor has been consistent in opposing mask mandates, including those that are not equally applied, along with vaccine mandates.
“I think it’s like a two-tiered society,” DeSantis said. “They’re trying to have a servant class that has to always do all this. But yet the other class, they can lecture you about wearing masks, but then they don’t wear masks themselves. That’s wrong.”
Governor Proposes Creation of Florida State Guard
Governor DeSantis announced more than $100 million in funding proposals last week to support the Florida’s National Guard and establish the Florida State Guard, a civilian volunteer force that will assist the National Guard in state emergencies.
The Governor’s budget proposal includes:
- $87.5 million to expand the existing readiness center in Miramar and to establish three new armories in Homestead, Gainesville and Malabar.
- $8.9 million for existing armory maintenance.
- $2.2 million for a new headquarters for the National Guard Counter Drug Program.
- $5.1 million to support Florida National Guardsmen seeking higher-education degrees.
- $3.5 million to establish the Florida State Guard.
“We are proud of our veterans and active-duty military members and proud of what our communities do to support them,” Governor DeSantis said. “Florida is one of the most veteran friendly states and I think there are very few places that you would rather be on duty than in the state of Florida. As a veteran, I really appreciate what everyone who wears the uniform does in our state and am excited about these proposals – they will go a long way and have a meaningful impact.”
The establishment of the Florida State Guard will support emergency responses from hurricanes, natural disasters and other state emergencies. The $3.5 million to establish the Florida State Guard will enable civilians to be trained in the best emergency response techniques. Florida will now become the 23rd state with a state guard recognized by the federal government.
Senator Marco Rubio
Marco Rubio Takes Stand Against Chinese Slavery
Spectator World recently ran an article on Senator Marco Rubio’s unflinching stand against the Chinese Communist Party’s slave labor and genocide against the Uighurs. It came to a head when Senator Rubio wanted to amend a bill to include banning imports from Xinjiang, where the genocide is taking place. It has unanimous support in the Senate, but Majority Leader Schumer took it out on a ginned-up technicality. So, Rubio scotched a vote on the broader bill.
Here’s an excerpt:
Rubio notes that the Xinjiang proposal has unanimous support in the Senate and suggests that the revenue-raising complaint, the so-called blue slip objection, is applied unevenly. “It cannot mean it applies when I’m not for the policy and it doesn’t apply when I’m for it,” said Rubio last night.
Schumer has been caught flatfooted yet again — and handled it badly. Rubio is taking a stand against slave labor and genocide. The Senate majority leader would be wise not to call that “sad” or “absurd.”
Unity - We need to stand together.
As we approach the 2022 mid-term elections and the 2024 presidential election, and in light of the abject failure of the Biden administration, we know that the very survival of our republic depends on the outcome of those elections. Therefore, we must stay unified. Never lose sight of who our political opponents are… the progressive left Democrats who are taking our country off a cliff with the active help of Big Tech and the old-line national news media. Our fellow Republicans are not the enemy!
HAPPENINGS
