Service. Along with these other television providers, giving you a front row seat to democracy. South now to florida for the state of the state address from republican governor ron desantis. He speaks to the legislature in tallahassee. Governor desantis is currently in the middle of his second term, having first been elected in 2018. This is 35 minutes. All righty. Thank you thank you so much great to see you all. You all seem a little restless to start the year. Well thank you so much, mr. Speaker, madam president , members of the legislature and our fellow citizens. 2024 is going to be a banner year for the free state of florida. [applause] now this is somewhat of a unique start to the legislative session, because every government building except this one is closed in tallahassee, because of the weather, and weve had a lot of weather move through northwest florida. Weve issued an executive order to declare a state of emergency, and we just do what we do in florida. We respond when these things happen. So these folks that have been impacted, just know the state of florida stands with you, and well handle whatever fallout there is from these dangerous tornadoes. We are, as a country, in the midst of a great upheaval, and we see this throughout the land. Under the Current Administration in washington, homelessness is at record levels. 62 of americans are living paycheck to paycheck and the federal deficit is expected to hit 2 trillion this year. Of course, more than 8 million illegal aliens have entered the u. S. Across the southern border in the last three years alone. And deaths due to fentanyl that have crossed that border have reached record levels. Cities throughout the land have decayed. Washington, d. C. Has experienced its deadliest year in more than two decades, and San Francisco has fallen into a doom loop, whereby homelessness and drug abuse have eviscerated the quality of life in the city. In illinois, residents are saddled with high taxes, while spend thrift politicians to spend at levels that will require even higher taxes in the future. Of course, soft on crime policies have devastated safety in major cities like chicago. Californias per capita spend has tripped that of florida, yet their Violent Crime is up, and a recent study shows businesses are leaving in droves. Florida now has millions more residents than new york state, yet new yorks budget is twice the size of ours here in florida. They have a 4. 3 billion deficit. We now have more manufacturing jobs than new york and about twice as many jobs as new york in the past year and our Unemployment Rate is close to 50 lower than that of new york. Its not a surprise that weve continued to witness a great migration of americans away from cities and states pursuing these failed policies with florida serving as a refuge of freedom and sanity. [applause] these failures are not the result of chance. They are the result of choices made by elected officials to put ideology over sound policy. In this time for choosing, the state of florida has chosen well. We have chosen facts over fear. We have chosen education over indoctrination. We have chosen law and order over rioting and disorder. We have chosen fiscal responsibility over debt and prove la caycy. Our choices have produced results that are second to none in this country. We are we have earned rankings of number 1 for education, number 1 for education freedom. Number 1 for parental involvement in education. Number 1 for talent development. Number 1 for public Higher Education. Number 1 for domestic inmigration for the third consecutive year. Number 1 in gdp amongst all states and were number 1 for entrepreneurship, and we have set the standard for government. Florida has the fewest employees per capita and the lowest State Government cost per capita in the entire United States. Our crime rate is at a 50 year low. And we have the lowest Unemployment Rate of all large states. [applause] the 2023 legislative session was monday monumental, and its incumbent upon us to build on those accomplishments as we continue to deliver results for the people that elected us. My message is simple. Stay the course. The state of our state is strong. Lets keep doing what works. Lets continue to make florida the envy of the nation. [applause] florida is the education state. We lead the nation in School Choice. Last legislative session under the leadership of speaker renner, we enacted the largest expansion of School Choice in all of american history. Florida has close to 1. 5 Million Students enrolled full time in various choice programs from private scholarships to charter schools, to choice options within individual school districts. Through these programs we have delivered for people like harra varma who is here with us today. Please stand. Harra has 11 brothers and sisters. Making education somewhat difficult to afford for their parents. But because of our School Choice scholarships, she and her siblings have been able to attend high quality schools. Shes a college graduate. Two of her younger sisters are in college and the rest are on track to follow in her footsteps. As she likes to say in her own words, quote, when people say School Choice doesnt work, quote, i simply show them my family. Thank you, great job. [applause] florida also leads the nation in protecting the rights of parents. School systems are important. But they exist to serve the students. Parentsin the community. Not to supersede the rights of parents to direct the education and upbringing of their own children. We were one of the first states in the country to enact a bill of rights. We protected womens sports. As a father of two daughters, i think its important our girls have the right to compete with fairness and integrity. [applause] thanks to the legislature, we have protected our children from indoctrination and sexualization of the curriculum and we stood up for parents against the woke mob. This includes parents like tia bess, who is here with us today. From the jacksonville area. Thats a mom of three. She fought for her children to be educated without having an agenda imposed on them. And tia is prove that what parents in this state want, is exactly what weve done. We must always protect the innocence of our children. Let kids be kids. Thank you. [applause] and as we deliver his tore toric historic wins for our parents, weve also delivered historic wins for our teachers. Weve invested a record 3 billion solely for teacher pay. My budget for this year includes another 1. 25 billion for even more pay increases. These initiatives are important, because they help us recute and retain great teachers, including who is with us, our teacher of the year, adriana, swearengen. Please stand up and be recognized. Job well done. Congratulations. [applause] and it is thanks to teachers like adriana, that our fourth graders are first in the nation on their nape scores. Now on october 7th, israel suffered one of the worst terrorist attacks in modern history. We knew the effects would reverberate here in the state of florida. Many floridians were stranded in israel after the war broke out, and were not receiving adequate response from the embassy, so the state of florida stepped up, and we rescued more than 700 americans and brought them back home to the state of florida. That includes [applause] that threws includes alison zur and her husband and two children. They were able to join us today. They were able to come back safe and sound, and were glad we were able to help you get back home. [applause] but we didnt stop there. Thanks to the help of the legislature, we were able to sign legislation during after a special session where we passed expanded sanctions on the country responsible, ultimately, for these heinous attacks. The state of iran. The state of florida has recognized were going can to do everything we can to stop having money flow into the coffers of that regime. As threats of violence continued here at home, we stepped up to protect our jewish day schools, our synagogs, and jewish students on university campuses. But we realize that many universities outside of florida have simply failed. This week, jewish students across the couldnt are returning to campuses that have outright condoned anti semitism. Over the coming months, theyll have a decision to make. Do they pack up and leave, or to can they stay and continue to endure a hostile environment . If they do decide to come to florida, ill tell you this. We will welcome them with open arms. This includes encouraging colleges and universities to provide instate institution for students with a financial hardship. [applause] the prohamas activities and rampant antisemitism that weve experienced throughout the country on these campuseses that exposed the intellectual rot that has developed on so Many University campuses over the years. In florida, our universities must be dedicated to the pursuit of truth and the dedication of students to be citizens of our republic. We reject the modern trend of universities that support high academic standards in favor of supporting an agenda. To this end, we have supported dei from our universities. Dei is a highly idealogical agenda. In practice, it stands for. That has no place in our universities. We have also overhauled faculty hiring to avoid ideallogical litmus tests and require all tenured professors to undergo review every five years, so poor performers can be terminated. Jt lianos is here. Hes a freshman baseball player at new college in sarasota. Take a stand. Which is well on its way [applause] new college is well on its way to being one of the premiere Classical Liberal arts colleges in america. They have transformed the college from an outpost of ideallogical information to an institution rooted in truth. We have ensured that Higher Education in florida is affordable, freezing tuition for the past decade. Our out of state tuition is less than instate tuition across many states in this country, and weve also supported Bright Future scholarships that make it even more affordable for our top students in florida to attend school. Now while Higher Education is important, a degree from a four year brick and Ivy University is not the only path to success. And for many, it is not the best pathway to success. When i took office in 2019, i set the goal to make florida number one in workforce education by the year 2030. And with the support of legislature, we are well on our way. Since 2019, florida students have earned more than 365,000 rapid credentials. And just last year, more than 235,000 students earned an industry certificate before they graduated high school. We have more than tripled our states capacity to train Truck Drivers with cdl licenses. And this year, set a record for cdl program completion. And we have now set a record of 229,000 students enrolled in career and Technical Education at florida colleges. There is no question that on this trajectory and with your continued support, florida will soon be number one in the nation for workforce education. [applause] florida is the state for fiscal responsibility and for economic freedom. The recklessness of spending, borrowing, and printing of money over the past four years by the federal government has driven up the cost of everything from groceries to housing, and saddled the nation with debt. The National Debt now stands at an astounding 34 trillion. In new york city, theres a debt clock that shows the National Debt go up in realtime. Id like to see one of those for floridas National Debt, only a florida clock would be going down, not counting up. Because we have paid down 40 over the past four years. How about that. Indeed, if you took the share of the National Debt and apportioned that to every individual american, it would be 100,000 a pop that each american would owe. Florida . The average individual floridian share of our state debt isnt 100,000. Its 661. The Lowest Per Capita debt in all of these United States. That is the way you do this. [applause] now were able to reduce debt because weve been fiscally responsible, but also because we have embraced smaller government. Florida has the lowest number of state employees per capita, and the lowest cost per state resident for State Government in the entire United States. And yet we deliver Services Better than most states. In fact, when people move from places like new york, the first thing they tell me is that our roads are better, our services are better, and we know now our schools perform better as well. This year, my Budget Proposal, reduces the budget by 4 billion from the previous year, placing 16. 3 billion in reserves, and paying down another 355 million in state debt ahead of schedule. Weve run budget surpluses and paid down debt, while also enacting record saving tax d deductions. We have still brought in 1. 3 billion over the projection. Last year, i asked for a way to reduce taxes on families as a way to mitigate the use of government inflation, and you have delivered. We have made it tax free to raise a child in florida by permanently removing taxes on all baby items. Diapers, childrens clothing, shoes, among other items. We say were family friendly. We didnt just talk the talk, we walk the walk, and families are benefiting in light of what you did last budget session. [ cheers and applause ]we also provided very timely relief for commuters in the state of florida. In 2023, the Toll Relief Program reduced commuter costs by almost half a billion dollars, helping nearly 1. 2 million floridians save hundreds of dollars each on tolls. Mike honeycutt is here with us today. Hes the founder and owner of jet icu, and air Ambulance Company that recently located to tampa from hernando. Their business moved, mike and his employees are still relocating to tampa while in the process. And hes taken on the burden of paying not only his tolls, but also the tolls of his staff. He and his staff were able to save almost 4,000 in toll savings. So congratulations on that, and keep doing a great job. [applause] in the governors budget recommendations, im proposing that we return another 1. 1 billion to the people through additional tax cuts that will provide even more relief to families, individuals, and retirees that are just trying to get by during these uncertain times. Lets reduce the cost of Homeowners Insurance through tax relief. Lets continue our record setting sales tax holiday, and lets provide permanent tax relief for floridas small business. In d. C. , theyre failing to get inflation under control. While we cannot control federal monetary, or fiscal policy here in the state of florida, we can take what is already one of the Lowest Per Capita tax burdens in the entire country, and make taxes even lower. Now our low tax burden aaa Credit Rating and great Business Environment has attracted families, businesses, and retirees alike. But so too has the fact that in florida, we are probably the law and order state. Our policies [applause] our policies to support Law Enforcement personnel to combat riots to keep criminals off the street, and to remove lawless prosecutors from office have kept florida at a 50 year low in the crime rate, and have brought new Law Enforcement recruits to florida from all of the over 49 states. Law enforcement officers like rachel richardson, who is here with us today. [applause] now officer richardson left her home and her job in illinois to come to florida for a new career with the Venice Police department. She wanted to work for a state that valued the difficult work that Police Officers do every day to protect and serve. Officer richardson, we welcome you to the great state of florida. Thank you for your service. [ cheers and applause ] and i havent met any Police Officer thats regretted relocating to florida yet. So we must be doing something right. This years Budget Proposal includes an additional 20 million to provide signing bonus, so we can recruit even more officers to the sunshine state. Now to help our Police Officers and others achieve their dreams of Home Ownership while he we also created the hometown heroes program. Recipients of this program include detective frank jones, who is here with us today. Where are you at . Stand up, frank. [applause] in 2020, when you saw a lot of places trying to defund the police, detective jones moved from chicago to Collier County to work in a state where he knew his efforts would be respected and supported. Thanks to our hometown heros program, detective jones was able to achieve his dream of Home Ownership. Thanks to the leadership of president pasadoma through the live local act, countless Police Officers as well as other staples of the Community Like teachers and nurses will now be able to live in the communities in which they serve. Good job, senator. And were proud of our successful efforts to provide law and order, but we still see the impacts of the local southern border that thats made its way all the way to the state of florida. Here today is brian ramos, who is the victim of a hit and run that tragically also took the life of his friend, anigo at the age of 28. Where are you . Stand up. Okay. The driver [applause] the driver who ran over brian anigo was here illegally. When the suspect was arrested by the florida highway patrol, they found that he had been previously deported three times and had no right at all to be in this country. If the federal government had simply done its job, this would not have happened in the first place. Also, here today is paula frederick. The mother of amy frederick, who was killed by fentanyl at just 25 years old. Fentanyl that has undoubtably been trafficked across our southern border. Were sorry for your loss, and unfortunately, this is a loss that is all too common throughout these United States of america. Every community has become a border community. The fentanyl is laced in pills that people dont even realize would be in that, and they take one pill with the fentanyl laced, and that could be enough to poison somebody to death. Were on your side, and were doing everything we can to combat this scourge of the fentanyl epidemic. So god bless you. [applause] we cant just sit idly by, while we will continue to see a massive invasion across this countries. Federal government is not doing anything to stop this. We in florida are picking up the slack. Weve now sent over 100 Florida State troopers and dozens of fish and wildlife officers to help texas. Through your support, we have banned sake shear sanctuary cities, and deture immigration into our start. The biden policy has made every state a border state, and thanks to your fighting back florida has. Florida is also the preparation state. Last year, hundreds of floridians had their homes destroyed, or rendered uninhabitable due to florida idalia. In my direction, nearly 30,000 utility linemen were staged for preparation for the storm, and among thousands of First Responders and National Guard who prepared to respond. They were members of our newly reformed Florida State guard that reformed for the First Time Since 1987. As a result of our preparations, in less than one week, 96 of power was restored. A record for such a rural part of the state. We have with us today, Citrus County sheriff, mike pendergrass. If you can stand up back there. We stood side by side with the sheriff in the immediate aftermath of the storm, and well continue to stand by Citrus County and the big bend as communities rebuild over these next weeks, months, and years. And as the big bend recovers from this past years storm, we still remain focused on the long term recovery that is still going on in southwest florida after hurricane ian. While the news cameras have long since left, we were still there to support residents like rachel pierce, whose art gallery was destroyed by the storm. Rachel, thank you for coming here. [applause] after receiving a grant from the Florida Disaster Fund just a few months ago, rachel was able to reopen her art gallery in november. Congratulations, rachel. [applause] florida is also the conservation state. With your support, we have made good on our promise to leave florida to god better than we found it, as the fishing capital of the world, and home to more than 1300 miles of world renouned coastline, floridas economic success is tied to a healthy environment. Since 2019, weve invested 5 billion to support everglades restoration, and Water Quality efforts. And im calling for another 1. 1 billion to continue these great efforts. And much of our state, the Great Outdoors is a way of life. We must preserve that way of life for generations to come, which is why im calling for 125 million to protect floridas conservation lands and water ways. Across the nation, activists have attempted to take away our godgiven rights to hunt, fish, and enjoy our Great Outdoors. In florida, we will continue to protect and honor those important traditions. [applause] now before i close, its worth pointing out some more accomplishments that weve been able to deliver, and ive got to run through these pretty quickly, otherwise well be here all day. We have protected floridians against covid authoritarianism. You have a right to breathe without having someone put a mask on your face, and you can always count on that in the free state of florida. [applause] we have expanded Second Amendment rights with the constitutional carry bill from last session. We have knee capped socalled esg environment social governance, were not going to let these low corporations impose radical policies on our citizenry. Together, we worked and passed legislation to protect the sanctity of life. We have banned china from buying land in the state of florida. No farmland, no inland near military bases, nothing. [applause] we have provided hundreds of millions of dollars in relief for florida homeowners, and instituted long needed reforms that have, against all odds, attracted new Insurance Companies into the state of florida. We have enacted a digital bill of rights to protect floridians online privacy. We passed the best Election Integrity measures in all of the United States of america. We created a program to accelerate repayment of our state debt. We have protected floridians against the imposition of a Central Bank Digital currency. We authorized the Death Penalty for pedophiles. [applause] we have brought accountability and transparency to pharmacy middlemen to lower drug costs for consumers. We won the fight after years and years with the federal government to be able to purchase less expensive drugs from canada and we will save 100 million a year by doing that. Recognizing that we are a growing state and we pass them moving Florida Forward Initiative to dedicate 4 billion to accelerate road projects, so we can alleviate traffic throughout the state of florida, which is just scratching the surface of what we have accomplished. Lets see some other state match that list of achievements. I think you did very well. Just outside of this Capitol Building there it just outside of the capital building, there is a replica of the liberty bell that rain in what is now known as independence all for our Founding Fathers signed the declaration of independence and later crafted the u. S. Constitution. On that bell is inscribed a verse from leviticus. Proclaim liberty throughout all the land onto all of the inhabitants thereof. The replica sits here in tallahassee , 1000 miles away from philadelphia reminding us of our tasks, to proclaim liberty. We deliver Good Government that protects liberty and maintains public order. We have won the backing of a populist reflective of the country at large. We have put forward a blueprint for americas revival that is into the hearts of millions that a new birth of freedom can emanate from this land once more. We are the heirs to the spirit of 1776 represented by the liberty bell. Over the next two months, lets enact policies that focus on floridas future and keep faith with our nations founding ideals. Together, we will keep florida for you and provide hope for a revival of the american spirit throughout the United States. Thank you. God bless you and best of luck in this legislative session. Thank you so much. Cspan is your unfiltered view of government. 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