The Florida Legislature overrode a veto by Gov. Ron DeSantis, reversing the decision to kill funding for certain legislative operations. This marks the first time the Legislature has ever overrode DeSantis in his two terms as Governor.
DeSantis, in issuing nearly $1 billion in budget vetoes last year, nixed nearly $28.3 million in legislative support services in the Senate and about $28.4 million in similar support to the House.
House Speaker Daniel Perez said the cuts came even as the Legislature “generously” increased funding to the Executive Office of the Governor by 70% over the first six years of DeSantis’ term in office.
“This veto was at best a misunderstanding of the importance of the appropriation, or, at worst, an attempt to threaten the independence of our separate branch of government. Whatever the rationale, this Special Session represents the first opportunity to correct this veto,” Perez said.
The veto override passed in the House by a vote of 111-0, and then in the Senate by a vote of 35-1. The only lawmaker to vote against the override in either chamber was Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, a Spring Hill Republican and close ally to the Governor. Ingoglia is currently under consideration for an appointment as Chief Financial Officer, to replace Jimmy Patronis who is running for Congress.
“I’m a staunch fiscal conservative,” Ingoglia later posted on social media. “I’m not going to vote to veto override a budget item and spend more of your hard earned tax dollars and make government bigger.”
Senate President Ben Albritton said the money DeSantis had vetoed was intended to cover essential services to the Legislature’s work.
“The Governor vetoed funding for transparency programs like the Lobbyist Registration and Financial Disclosure Database, and other joint IT systems that allow Floridians to view and track legislation,” Albritton said. “The Governor vetoed the IT budgets of both the House and the Senate, which maintain each chamber’s website, bill drafting amendment and tracking capabilities, among others. The Governor vetoed funding for critical economic estimating we use to put together a balanced budget, as well as the research arm of the Legislature that measures outcomes of the legislation we pass and the success of implementation.
“The Governor vetoed the funds used for government accountability functions like oversight of the executive branch rule making, and the Governor vetoed funds for joint contracted services like The Florida Channel, which allows millions of Floridians as well as people across the country and around the world, to view Florida government in real time.”
Senate Minority Leader Jason Pizzo, a Miami-Dade Democrat, said the entire minority caucus was ready to “high-five” colleagues over an override, but suggested there was other critical funding with bipartisan support that the Governor vetoed. He noted outrage around the state after DeSantis killed $32 million in funding for arts grants.
“I will sit down and shut up, if I have assurances that that will actually consider an override to really important services that the Governor just went and vetoed,” Pizzo said.
Sen. Kathleen Passidomo, a Naples Republican, noted any Senator can file requests to consider a further override of DeSantis’ vetoes.
But more than any particular item, the action marked the most significant defiance of the Governor since before the COVID-19 pandemic gave DeSantis national prominence.
“Separation of powers exists for a reason,” Albritton said. “We have the opportunity today to override the Governor’s veto and restore the funding for these key functions of our independent, co-equal branch of government.”
4 comments
Along for the Ride
January 27, 2025 at 4:50 pm
I think it’s great that there are checks happening on the governor. While I wish we had a more balanced purple state government to represent more of the state and have a more diverse makeup of laws, this is a step in the right direction
William Burr
January 28, 2025 at 12:18 pm
More purple–you want to see half the State on fire, like lovely California? You want to see the disaster response budget spent on giving children pornography? You can take your purple Northward, perhaps to New York, pleaseandthankyou. “Diverse makeup of laws” means commie garbage that robs taxpayers and lines the pockets of plutocrats. How about instead we keep what laws actually work and let people keep their own money.
William Burr
January 28, 2025 at 11:06 am
Government votes themselves more taxpayer money to faff about. How very surprising.
Craig Mowrey
January 28, 2025 at 10:18 pm
Did DeSantis actually “veto the funding for…” as Albritton claims, or did he veto the INCREASE in the budget for…? Big difference!
Comments are closed.