Even though his Retiree annual statement says that the HIS benefit is not a part of his Florida Retirement System pension, it is counted as such on his 1099. Employees in Florida paid more for their health insurance in 2020 than workers in nearly every other state, a new study from The Commonwealth Fund found. Just as in state agencies, adequate salaries are needed to recruit and retain qualified staff to meet the educational needs of our state. Nursing homes got more than $200 million that must be spent on raising staff wages to $15 per hour. The bill, relating tothe General Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2022-2023, provides for a total budget of $112.1 billion, including: Other Pay Issues - All in addition to 5.38 percent across-the-board increase, Total: $1.9 billion [$470.8 million State Funds, $1.46 billion State Fiscal Recovery Funds], Total Appropriations: $25.7 billion [$18.7 billion GR; $7 billion TF, excludes tuition], Total Funding - Including Local Revenues: $39.2 billion [$25.7 billion state/federal funds; $13.5 billion local funds][1], Total: $1.7 billion [$610.9 million GR; $1.1 Billion TF], Total Funding: $24.3 billion [$13.5 billion state funds; $10.7 billion local funds], Total: $574.1 million [$565.7 million GR; $8.3 million TF], Total: $301 million [$132.1 million GR; $168.9 million TF], Total: $619.7 million [$328.9 million GR; $253.8 million TF; $37 million tuition/fees], Total: $246.9 million [$59.1 million GR; $187.8 million TF], Total: $2.2 billion [$1.3 billion GR; $241 million TF; $715.6 million tuition/fees], Total: $5.6 billion [$3.0 billion GR; $620.8 million TF; $1.97 billion tuition/fees], Total: $994 billion [$268 million GR, $726 million TF], Total Budget: $48.9 billion [$14.7 billion GR; $34.2 billion TF]; 31,191.26 positions, Total: $38.6 billion [$10.2 billion GR; $28.4 billion TF]; 1,539.5 positions, Total: $2.1 billion [$912.2 million GR; $1.2 billion TF]; 2,698.5 positions, Total: $4.2 billion [$2.5 billion GR; $1.7 billion TF]; 12,231.75 positions, Total: $349.9 million [$208 million GR; $141.9 million TF]; 407 positions, Total: $3.4 billion [$750.6 million GR; $2.7 billion TF]; 12,832 positions, Total: $186 million [$71.5 million GR; $101 million TF]; 1,482.5 positions, Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations, Total Budget: $6.9 billion [$6 billion GR; $938 million TF]; 45,211.5 positions, Total: $3.8 billion [$3.75 billion GR; $63.9 million TF]; 23,380 positions, Total: $345.7 million [$77.3 million GR; $268.4 million TF]; 1,293.5 positions, Total: $387.6 million [$226.0 million GR; $161.6 million TF]; 1,954 positions, Total: $607.4 million [$457.7 million GR; $149.6 million TF]; 3,247.5 positions, Total: $1.07 billion [$885.1 million GR; $182.9 million TF]; 10,684 positions, Total: $702.8 million [$591.3 million GR; $111.4 million TF]; 4,506.5 positions, Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development Appropriations, Total Budget: $16.5 billion [$1.0 billion GR; $15.5 billion TF]; 13,126 positions, Total: $1.3 billion [$236.9 million GR; $1.1 billion TF]; 1,510 positions, Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Total: $529.2 million [$10 million GR; $519.2 million TF]; 4,340 positions, Total: $75.3 million [$31.8 million GR; $43.5 million TF]; 459 positions, Total: $193.7 million [$163.6 million GR; $30.1 million TF]; 444 positions, Total: $12.7 billion [$498.6 million GR; $12.3 billion TF]; 6,175 positions, SmallCounty Road Resurface Assistance Program (SCRAP)-$47.7million($20millionSFRF), Small County Outreach Program (SCOP) - $115.2 million ($30 million SFRF), County TransportationPrograms - $49.6million, Total: $1.6 billion [$63.4 million GR; $1.6 billion TF]; 198 positions, Agriculture, Environment, and General Government Appropriations, Total Budget: $9.3 billion [$2.5 billion GR; $1.6 billion LATF; $5.2 billion Other TF]; 20,385 positions, Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Total: $2 billion [$271 million GR; $209.4 million LATF; $1.5 billion TF]; 3,876 positions, Total: $41.8 million [$20.6 million GR; $21.2 million TF]; 28 positions, Total: $4.2 billion [$1.4 billion GR; $1.3 billion LATF; $1.5 billion TF]; 3,088 positions, Department of Business & Professional Regulation, Total: $160.2 million [$1.8 million GR; $158.5 million TF]; 1,545 positions, Total: $477.2 million [$55.4 million GR; $421.8 million TF]; 2,568.5 positions, Total: $481.2 million [$108.6 million GR; $107.6 million LATF; $265 million TF]; 2,149 positions, Total Budget: $1 billion [$421.2 million GR; $623.4 million TF]; 1,025.5 positions, Total Budget: $29.2 million TF; 216 positions, Total: $637.8 million [$230 million GR; $407.8 million TF]; 5,012 positions. 2022. Please see the attached memorandum regarding the 2022-2023 Salary Increase and Minimum Wage Pay Adjustment for In-Unit & Out-of-Unit Staff. The other half is meant to boost the pay for veteran educators who already make above the base salary. 5 min read Despite failing to meet a late Tuesday deadline to finalize a 2022-23 state budget, House and Senate negotiators did manage to approve a 5.38% pay. The raises are are in addition to previously approved pay increases set to take effect next year, which would bring all employee pay to at least $13 an hour. Ron DeSantis spends big in $99.7 billion budget proposal, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Ron DeSantis signed Thursday is a qualified success for Tallahassee and Leon County.. All 2022 Bill Summaries for Appropriations Committee, $43.7 billion from the General Revenue Fund (GR), $2.8 billion from the Education Enhancement Trust Fund, $ 1.2 billion from the Public Education Capital Outlay Trust Fund (PECO TF), $64.3 billion from other trust funds (TF), 112,472.26 full time equivalent positions (FTE), An additional $1 billion for Inflation Fund was reserved for budget amendments necessary to counter increased costs due to inflation, which is not included in the $8.9 billion in reserves, FEFP (funding provided in overall BSA increase), Agency for Health Care Administration - Medicaid Services, Agency for Persons with Disabilities - Medicaid Waiver Services, Department of Juvenile Justice - Contracted services, Department of Veterans Affairs - Contracted services, 5.38 percent State Employee across-the-board increase to address inflation, State Law Enforcement Officers/Troopers - Increase minimum salary to $50,000 or an additional 5 percent pay increase, whichever is greater, Correctional and Probation Officers - Increase minimum salary to $41,600 ($20 per hour), and other position classifications ranging from $45,760 to $57,886, State Firefighters - Increase minimum salary to $41,600 ($20 per hour), Juvenile Justice Detention Officers - Increase minimum salary to $39,520 ($19 per hour), Juvenile Justice Probation Officers - Increase minimum salary to $41,600 ($20 per hour), Veterans Homes Nurses - $5.6 million for salary and recruitment incentives, Assistant State Attorneys and Public Defenders - $5,000 - $10,000 pay increase, Charter School Repairs and Maintenance - $195.8 million, Public School Maintenance - $11.4 million, College and University Maintenance - $843.7 million, Developmental Research School Repairs and Maintenance - $8.1 million, Small School District Special Facilities - $64.4 million, District Tech Center Projects - $13.9 million, Florida College System Projects - $216.2 million, State University System Projects - $563.9 million, School for the Deaf and Blind Maintenance and Renovation Projects - $8.5 million, Public Broadcasting - Health and Safety Issues - $5 million, Authorization for State University System (SUS) Capital Improvement Student Fee Projects - $44.7 million, Partnerships for School Readiness - $53.2 million, Early Learning Standards & Accountability - $4.9 million, Voluntary Prekindergarten Program - $553.4 million, Decrease of 2,645 fewer students ($6.4 million), Voluntary Prekindergarten Program Additional Base Student Allocation (BSA) Payments - $151.3 million; these additional payments are provided to ensure all VPK instructors are paid a minimum wage of at least $15 per hour, FEFP Total Funds increase is $1.69 billion or 7.5 percent, FEFP increases in Total Funds per Student is $384.55, a 4.96 percent increase [from $7,758.3 to $8,142.8], Base Student Allocation (BSA) increase by $214.49 or 4.9 percent, FEFP Base Funds (flexible $) increase of $1 billion or 7.15 percent, Required Local Effort (RLE) increase of $633.2 million; RLE millage maintained at prior year level of 3.606 mills, Teacher Salary Increase Allocation - $250 million increase for a total of $800 million that school districts must use to increase the minimum salaries of classroom teachers to at least $47,500, Safe Schools Allocation - $30 million increase for a total of $210 million for School Safety Officers and school safety initiatives, Mental Health Assistance Allocation - $20 million increase for a total of $140 million to help school districts and charter schools address youth mental health issues, Reading Instruction Allocation - $40 million increase for a total of $170 million to provide comprehensive reading instruction, Turnaround School Supplemental Services Allocation - $24.4 million - funds for services designed to improve the overall academic and community welfare of students and their families at designated lower performing schools, Funding Compression & Hold Harmless Allocation - $68.2 million - compression funds for districts with total funds per FTE that are less than the statewide average and hold harmless funds for districts that have a reduction in the District Cost Differential, FEFP increases are provided to school districts to ensure all employees are paid a minimum wage of at least $15 per hour beginning in the 2022-23 school year, Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program - $6.5 million, School Recognition Program - $200 million, Community School Grant Program - $7.6 million, Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources Centers - $8.7 million, Transition Support Funding for Jefferson County School District - $5 million, Computer Science and Teacher Bonuses - $10 million, School District Foundation Matching Grants - $6 million, Florida Association of District School Superintendents Training - $750,000, School and Instructional Enhancement Grants - $46.4 million, Florida School for the Deaf & Blind - $53.2 million, Assessment and Evaluation - $134.7 million, VPK and Student Literacy Program Monitoring Systems - $15.5 million, Just Read Florida Early Literacy Professional Development - $1 million, ACT and SAT Exam Administration - $8 million, Workforce Development for career and technical education and adult education - $390.4 million, Perkins Career and Technical Education grants and Adult Education and Literacy funds - $123.3 million, CAPE Incentive Funds for students who earn Industry Certifications - $6.5 million, School and Instructional Enhancement Grants - $4.4 million, Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant Program for apprenticeships - $15 million, Workers Compensation Insurance Premiums for apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship students - $2 million, Nursing Education Initiatives - $20 million, Adults with Disability Funds - $11.6 million, Inclusive Transition and Employment Management Program - $1.5 million, CAPE Incentive Funds for students who earn Industry Certifications - $14 million GR, Nursing Education Initiatives - $59 million, System Wide Base Funding Increases - $55 million, Student Open Access Resources (SOAR) - $5.4 million, Student Success Incentive Funds - $30 million GR, 2+2 Student Success Incentive Funds - $20 million GR, Work Florida Incentive Funds - $10 million GR, Moffitt Cancer Center Workload - $10 million in additional funds, Johnson Matching Grant Program Workload - $20,000 in additional funds, Nursing Education Initiatives - $46 million, Cybersecurity Resiliency - $20.5 million, HBCUs - $680 thousand in additional funds, Nursing and Health related education initiatives - $2 million, Engineering and Technology initiatives - $29 million, Benacquisto Scholarship Program - $36.4 million, Children/Spouses of Deceased or Disabled Veterans - $13.5 million, Dual Enrollment Scholarship - $18.05 million, Law Enforcement Academy Scholarship - $5 million, Medicaid Price Level and Workload - $2,207.5 billion, KidCare Workload (Due to Caseload Shift to Medicaid) - ($58.8) million, Minimum Wage for Medicaid Providers - $273.6 million, Minimum Wage for Nursing Homes - $212.8 million, Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID) Reimbursement Rates - $29.6 million, Maternal Fetal Medicine Provider Rate Increase - $2.5 million, Organ Transplant Rate Increase - $6.3 million, Specialty Childrens Hospitals - $84.9 million, Hospital Outlier Payments - $50.2 million, Florida Cancer Hospitals - $156.2 million, Florida Medicaid Management Information System (FMMIS) - $112 million, Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) - $82.7 million, Establish Recurring Dental Services Program for the Developmentally Disabled - $8.5 million, Direct Service Provider Rate Increases to Address Minimum Wage - $403 million, Waiver Rates for Behavior Services - $14.2 million, Home and Community Based Services Waiver Waitlist - $59.6 million, Community Based Care Funding Increase - $158.4 million, Mitigate Title IV-E Earnings Shortfall - $32.6 million, Foster Care Child Daycare Subsidy - $24.9 million, Foster Care Board Rate Parity - $19.1 million, Fatherhood Engagement and Family Involvement Programs - $31.8 million, Increased Subsidy for Foster Youth Attending Postsecondary Education - $16.9 million, Maintenance Adoption Subsidies - $10.1 million, Guardianship Assistance Program - $8.7 million, Foster Care Board Rate Adjustment - $3.3 million, Expand Adoption Incentive Benefits to Law Enforcement Officers - $4 million, Community Based Behavioral Health Services - $211.1 million, State Mental Health Treatment Facilities Forensic Beds - $20 million, Legal Settlement Funds for Opioid Epidemic Abatement - $11.3 million, Florida Assertive Community Treatment (FACT) Team Funding - $7 million, Florida System and Florida Safe Families Network Technology Modernization - $31.5 million, Alzheimers Disease Initiative - $12 million, Community Care for the Elderly - $9 million, Casey DeSantis Cancer Research Program - $37.7 million, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute - $20 million, Leon Haley, Jr., MD Trauma Center - $80 million, Fatherhood Grants - Home Visiting Program - $4.4 million, Primary Care Health Professional Loan Repayment Program - $6.6 million and 3 positions, Dental Student Loan Repayment Program - $1.8 million, Hormonal Long-acting Reversible Contraception Program - $2 million, State Veterans Nursing Homes - Nurses Salary and Recruitment Incentives - $5.6 million, State Veterans Nursing Homes - Contracted Services Increase to Increase Wages to $15 per hour - $6.9 million, Nonrecurring Trust Fund Shift to General Revenue Due to Trust Fund Deficit as a result of the New Homes Delayed Opening, and Decreased Occupancy Rates Due to COVID-19 - $41.3 million, Florida is For Veterans Increase for Administration and Programs - $2.06 million. House budget chair Jay Trumbull, R-Panama City, and his Senate counterpart, Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, agreed to the pay raise before getting bogged down amida host of big ticket items still unsettled across a proposed budget topping $100 billion for only the second time in state history. So was $12 million (from interest incurred from federal funds) to transport undocumented immigrants out of the state, and $10 million to reactivate the Florida State Guard to supplement the states National Guard. The project will restore wildlife habitat, rehydrate wetlands, and improve discharge into the Floridan Aquifer and directly benefit the Wakulla Springs. And other hospitals including Jackson will continue to benefit from a program begun in 2021 that brought more than $1 billion in new federal funding during its first year. The journals or printed bills of the respective chambers should be consulted for official purposes. The other two aircraft would be available to the lieutenant governor, Cabinet members, Supreme Court justices, the House Speaker, Senate president and chairs of legislative committees and agency officials. The cost of groceries rose 8.5 percent over the past year. Lawmakers proposal for school spending is one of the largest ever, and the Florida Education Association, which represents teachers, called it a real step forward. Prosecutors and public defenders will see raises between $5,000 and $10,000. The total cost of the plan is $1 . This will help Florida to recruit and retain great teachers., Governor DeSantis is unquestionably the most pro-teacher governor in the nation. This message has been approved by Renisha Gibbs, Associate Vice President for Human Resources and Finance & Administration Chief of Staff, for distribution to all Deans, Directors, and Department Heads. Contributors & reporters: Phil Ammann, Roseanne Dunkelberger, A.G. Gancarski, Anne Geggis, Kelly Hayes, Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, Gray Rohrer, Jesse Scheckner, Christine Sexton, Andrew Wilson, Wes Wolfe, and Mike Wright. According to the Department of Management services, the average pay among Career Services employees is $37,668, while the statewideaverage is $51,000. On average, employees opting for family coverage had to pay 37 percent of their overall premiums, or $7,674. DeSantis budget proposes $255 million for career service state employee raises but includes agency discretion in determining who gets a pay bump. In total, lawmakers are setting aside $800 million for teacher pay, a nearly 50 percent increase from the current years budget. In the 2015 Legislative Session- the last time state workers saw an across-the-board raise- lawmakers approved a 2.5% raise for state employees. More: What was cut from Florida's budget? (In December, he proposed a $99.7 billion budget, but in reality, it was at least $2 billion higher.). Search Gov. No state workers will make less than $15 per hour. A $13 minimum wage generates $27,144 annual salary, just above what the federal government considers a poverty income for a family of four, $26,500. That could prove a big boost for many nursing home caregivers who make the states minimum wage of $10 per hour. Were working hard to bring you the latest news from the states legislative session. Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. Twitter:@PeterSchorschFL We have saved the livelihoods of so many people who are hardworking, who dont have the luxury of working from home, and we stood up for them time and time again, he said. The record spending plan is thanks to the states booming tax rolls coming out of the pandemic and billions of dollars handed down from Congress. I truly love my students. He previously reported for Fresh Take Florida, a news service that covers the Florida Legislature and state political stories operating out of UFs College of Journalism and Communications. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright by Extensive-Enterprises 2023. Collins said it's especially burdensome to people who make less money. One reason the states health insurance costs are so high is because Floridas employers are not covering as much of the costs as employers in other parts of the country, said Sara Collins, the studys lead author and a vice president for Commonwealth. On top of that, employees saw big cost increases in dependent health care coverage, meaning state employees actually saw their take home pay decrease. This effort takes a lot of resources to gather and update. Florida Gov. PAY RAISE 2019: Dont leave out university workers appropriate funds for a university employees pay raise! "Our members came to the bargaining table to eloquently and passionately talk . Watch the Florida Legislature live: The Florida Channel, a public affairs programming service funded by the Legislature, livestreams coverage at thefloridachannel.org. Certainly, we were not advised about this Catch 22 when he was added to my retiree health plan. I am proud to be an educator and we have certainly come a long way. Spoiler alert: Trouble ensued, DeSantis says he will approve teacher pay increases as part of Florida's budget, A 15-week abortion ban is set for its first hearing in the Florida Senate, Florida gets another bump in tax revenues, to the tune of $442.2 million, State Wants To Expedite Piney Point's Closure As Summer Rains Threaten, Adrienne Kennedy akennedy@wlrn.org (305)-995-2256, FRIENDS OF WLRN, INC. AS MEDIA MANAGER OF WLRN PUBLIC MEDIA. Publications, Help Searching - Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced $800 million in this year's budget to raise minimum teacher pay and increase veteran teacher salaries in Florida. But it also addresses critical worker shortages. Included in the budgets many provisions is a 5.38% raise for all state employees, increases in teacher salaries and funding to boost the minimum wage for state workers to $15. While lawmakers have been mired in grueling, emotional fights over abortion and other hot-button topics during this years legislative session, their proposed budget received little criticism. And funding for streetlights in Midway, a police station in Chattahoochee and a maternal health program in Havana.. All state workers will see across-the-board 5.38 percent pay raises. Under the plan, DeSantis would exclusively use the Citation. With more money spent on insurance theres less room for workers to spend on other necessities, Collins said. Lawmakers in the GOP-controlled statehouse approved the budget in March on a largely bipartisan basis after a legislative session dominated by bitter partisan fights over bills involving race, sex, gender and abortion. AFSCME, the labor union representing. Florida Politics is a statewide, new media platform covering campaigns, elections, government, policy, and lobbying in Florida. Email: [emailprotected] Lawmakers have assigned $3.5 billion in federal dollars for various projects in the next fiscal year, with the biggest piece about $1.4 billion going to construction and maintenance for the states colleges and universities. Ron DeSantis ' proposed nearly $100 billion spending plan would provide an average 4% pay increase for state employees and. Now, its over 16%. He can be reached at jcall@tallahassee.com. All state workers will see across-the-board 5.38 percent pay raises. James Call in the Tallahassee Democrat reports on the "historic" raises in the state budget, thanks to AFSCME advocacy and member activism. . Two Broward Health hospitals lost a combined $22 million or so. Jim Justice has proposed 5% pay raises for state employees and public school teachers. No state workers will make less than $15 per hour. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing. 4 things to know. Phone: (727) 642-3162 Florida lawmakers agreed to the pay raises on Wednesday as they finalized negotiations on a more than $100 billion state budget. DeSantis budget also allocates $75.4 million to increase the base rate of more than 4,500 sworn law enforcement officers, $124.2 million to increase the base rate pay for correctional probation officers and inspectors who work for the Department of Corrections, and another $15.9 million to the department to implement an employee retention plan. With the 2022 legislative session coming to an end, lawmakers still haven't come to an agreement on pay hikes for state workers and certain health care and school personnel. Sharkey said the Leon delegation did secure money for the countys top priority, $400,000 to improve grading around Fred George Sink and capture debris to protect Wakulla Springs. increases, based on specific criteria outlined in the GAA, outside of the 5.38% pay increase, $15 minimum wage and sworn law enforcement officers' pay increase. To ensure that Texas is able to provide high quality services to its citizens, the legislature needs to appropriate a real across-the-board pay raise for state employees and university workers. But thats not the only upside for state employees in the Governors proposed spending plan for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. Its video library also archives coverage for later viewing. The state has also set aside money to provide for up to $5,000 signing bonuses for new or out-of-state law enforcement officers who join policing agencies in Florida. The Governor doesnt like to mention this, but Floridas budget includes nearly $40 billion in federal money this year. Florida Gov. This summary is provided for information only and does not represent the opinion of any Senator, Senate Officer, or Senate Office. But lawmakers have reduced that amount, targeting $209.5 million for housing initiatives, but limiting rental assistance efforts to about $100 million, with another $100 million establishing a hometown heroes program helping first responders, teachers and nurses with down payment assistance. Floridas Republican-led Legislature has historically proved stingy with pay raises to public employees, many years doling out no annual hikes and keeping salaries low. This platform and all of its content are owned by Extensive Enterprises Media. Under the budget agreement, the money must be held in reserve until Jan. 1, 2023, halfway through the fiscal year. Javascript must be enabled for site search. Butstill to be settled is more than $300 million in environmental spending earmarked by the Senate for the states rural and family lands program under the Agriculture Department. Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees . Never miss a story: Subscribe to the Tallahassee Democrat using the link at the top of the page. Tristan Wood graduated from the University of Florida in 2021 with a degree in Journalism. Please contact Shelley Lopez at (850) 644-6602 or s.lopez@fsu.edu. Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami appears to have lost out on more than $71 million with that decision. However, the 6.2% that you pay only applies to income up to the Social Security tax cap, which for 2022 is $147,000 ($160,200 for 2023). While pay raises look settled, Trumbull and Stargel held a later Tuesday meeting to address dozens of other spending issues. <> Letsgetstarted. But with inflation rising and many state agencies struggling to hire and keep employees, lawmakers have adapted to a new political reality. Existing Florida law enforcement officers will also receive a 5% pay raise or have their salary increased to $50,000. Ron DeSantis proposed nearly $100 billion spending plan would provide an average 4% pay increase for state employees and ensure their health insurance benefits remain the same through 2023. They apparently succeeded Tuesday,but still unclear in negotiations was whether teachers and staff in these districts would be eligible for the new school recognition awards. 4 0 obj And the problem has gotten worse over the past decade. ATallahassee initiative that provides scholarships to acquire GEDs, high school diplomas and to attend college or technical and vocational schools. Thecelebration over a historic 5.3% across-the-board pay raise for state employees and a new $15 minimum wage for state workers was partlyovershadowed Friday morning by the vetoes of $1 million earmarked to the Second Harvest of the Big Bend and a $50,000 appropriation for the Leon Works Expo and Junior Apprenticeship Program. Florida Gov. Read More February 16, 2023 Safer drinking water in Philadelphia, the nation thanks to the Biden infrastructure law . The 5.3% pay raise and $15 minimum wage starting July 1 will boost the area's payroll by at least an additional $40 million annually. Lawmakers directed an additional $1 billion towards salaries andincrease the pay to state workers, first responders, corrections officers and teachers. Florida lawmakers approved the state's biggest-ever budget, a $112 billion plan that includes a gas-tax holiday, pay raises for workers and more spending than the governor's proposal. Workers in Florida pay a greater percentage of that premium one of the highest in the country, Collins said. Weve put words into action by replacing Common Core, eliminating the Florida Standards Assessment, and working with our close friends in the Florida Legislature to secure $800 million in state funding to provide teachers a well-deserved pay increase. The $800 million is a $250 million increase over last years funding, and brings Floridas investments in teacher pay to greater than $2 billion since the 2020 Legislative Session. Along with the across-the-board pay raises, other agreements were reached to finance $20-an-hour minimum salaries for state firefighters and correctional officers.