DeSantis talks school funding during news conference in Marco Island

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis visited Marco Island to host a press conference regarding the state budget with an emphasis on school funding.

The conference began just after 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Marco Island Charter Middle School.

Here are some of the highlights of the press conference:

• There is a $16.3 billion surplus in the state’s budget.
• He mentioned that the state of Florida has a higher credit rating than the U.S. government.
• The 2024 budget will provide close to 300,000 scholarships for kindergarten through grade 12 students.
• Six planned sales tax holidays are planned for 2024 to help Floridians prepare for the hurricane season.
• When discussing reports in the media of Florida professors leaving the state, DeSantis said, “If you have Marxist professors leaving, that’s a gain for Florida.”
• DeSantis announced reserving $1 million to fight a possible legal battle regarding Florida State’s exclusion from the playoffs despite being the first undefeated Power Five conference champion.
• DeSantis commented on the crime rate being at a 50-year low.
• Around $14.5 billion has been allocated for state transportation, noting prominent issues in Southwest Florida and Central Florida.
• $295 million will be put into behavior and mental health services.

During the conference, DeSantis remarked how 25% of the state’s debt had been paid off since he took office. The current state debt is roughly $15-$16 billion.

“We are doing what we need to do in a very fiscally responsible way: cut taxes every year since I have been governor and yet still manage to run big budget surpluses, and we have — since I became governor — paid off the state’s 25 percent of debt that has accumulated through all of its history,” he said. “That’s something you don’t see states doing.”

During the question-and-answer segment of the conference, DeSantis was asked about how he might break through in order to compete with former President Donald Trump.

DeSantis felt that a breakthrough was not needed, stating that if Trump is doing so well in the polls then why is he not participating in the upcoming Wednesday debate?

To read the full budget report, click here. For the budget FAQ, click here.