The hot-button issue where DeSantis is not out in front — How Biden's cash paid for Florida GOP's pet education priorities — President extends TPS for Haitians Presented by Facebook Where we stand — It’s no secret that Florida’s unemployment benefits are among the lowest in the nation. And state lawmakers — due to opposition from House Speaker Chris Sprowls and Gov. Ron DeSantis — refused to consider raising them. Staying put — But DeSantis has so far left intact the extra federal benefits that are responsible for pouring in more than $22 billion into the state’s economy since the start of the pandemic. Governors in 22 other states — including the neighboring states in Alabama and Georgia — have moved to opt out of these extra benefits before they expire on Sept. 6.