Expand / Collapse search
☰

DeSantis calls out Florida House budget aimed at cutting law enforcement positions

By
Published  April 16, 2025 9:48am EDT
Ron DeSantis
FOX 13 News

DeSantis holds press conference in Fort Myers

Governor Ron DeSantis held a press conference in Fort Myers on Wednesday morning.

The Brief

    • Governor Ron DeSantis called out the Florida House as recent budget cuts are taking aim at law enforcement positions and salary increases.
    • Those cuts include 84 Florida Highway Patrol positions as well as ballistic armor used by troopers.

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Governor Ron DeSantis continued to voice his disapproval of the Florida House of Representatives on Wednesday morning during a press conference in Fort Myers.

The governor has always advocated for law enforcement and Wednesday's message was directed at proposed budget cuts.

Those cuts, brought forth by the Florida House, include 84 Florida Highway Patrol positions as well as ballistic armor used by troopers.

What they're saying:

"What's going on right now in Tallahassee with the Florida House of Representatives is really treacherous," DeSantis said. "They all ran on this agenda, they never ran against law enforcement. I'll tell you that because they would've been shown the door by the voters."

READ: Governor DeSantis signs Gulf of America bills into law

Low pay for troopers has been an issue when it comes to how long troopers continue to serve, according to Dave Kerner, Executive Director of Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

"The reality is, this budget will keep the Florida Highway Patrol as the second-lowest starting pay in the country, out of 49 states," Kerner said. "That's not acceptable, the governor knows that's not acceptable."

Kerner said that in 2020, the average time was around 9.8 years. But now, the average length of time that troopers stay with FHP is 6.8 years.

With immigration reforms circulating the country, DeSantis also pointed to a larger workload for law enforcement to help with deportation efforts.

CLICK HERE:>>> Follow FOX 13 on YouTube

The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Joey Swanson.

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:

Ron DeSantisFlorida