The tourism-marketing agency Visit Florida would get $50 million, the same as in the current fiscal year, Gov. Ron DeSantis would get $26 million for his Job Growth Grant Fund and $3 million would go to election security under an initial budget proposal released Wednesday in the Senate.The Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee outlined $13.1 billion in proposed spending for the upcoming fiscal year in areas involving economic development, transportation, emergency management, elections, highway safety, museums, libraries and military affairs.
The biggest chunk of the proposal is $9.1 billion for the Department of Transportation’s work program. The proposal is expected to change in the coming weeks as the Senate and House negotiate a final spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1.
The proposal also does not include portions of Florida’s roughly $10 billion share of the $1.9 trillion federal American Rescue Plan Act. Subcommittee staff director Jennifer Hrdlicka said the Legislature is waiting for guidance on the use of the federal stimulus money.
