Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, in response to Governor Ron DeSantis announcing his FY 2022-23 budget proposal, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried offered the following statement:
“Floridians need a budget that addresses real issues and puts resources directly into their pockets, starting with tackling the costs of everyday living. We need more affordable housing and healthcare. We need to invest in Bright Futures and find ways to reduce tuition costs as working families are overburdened by student loans. We need a leader focused on the issues right here at home, from fixing the state’s broken unemployment system to protecting our waterways from harmful algal blooms. This also includes getting available federal funds into the hands of Floridians, as we’ve seen too many delays by the state in disbursing COVID-19 funds for our schools, nutrition benefits for our children, and rental assistance for our families struggling to make ends meet. Instead of blasting the President, Governor DeSantis should be thanking the Biden Administration for stepping up and providing the support needed to address the state’s problems that the Governor has not only failed to fix but too often ignored.
“The state’s budget should prioritize the everyday challenges facing the people across our state and reflect a commitment to the important partnership between the state and federal government that is needed for Florida and Floridians to thrive, not more double talk from the Governor that only serves his political aspirations.”
