Florida Legislature Reigning in Governor's Power

DeSantis’ Warns Florida House Budget Would Defund the Police

The Florida House Budget defunds critical resources and pay for the Florida Highway Patrol

By Tracy Caruso On Apr 23, 2025

In the latest craziness from Tallahassee, Governor DeSantis has had to warn voters that the House wants to defund the police by cutting the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) budget. Additionally, they want to slash almost half a billion dollars from Everglades restoration.

”Stop playing your petty games. Stand up and do what’s right.” That was Governor DeSantis’ latest message to Florida House leadership, whom he says are “sick of seeing him get his way.”

Meanwhile, the legislature created statutes in 2021,(HB 1), that made it illegal for counties and municipalities to defund the police, holding commissioners and city officials personally responsible should their citizens incur damages from riots, yet the one police force that the state is responsible for and has control over is now facing defunding by the Florida House.

The state itself is doing this. DeSantis says, ”They don’t want to see me have any more wins.” The result of all of this is a budget that may not pass.

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The Legislature, controlled by Republicans, fiercely defends their own constitutional duty to craft the state’s budget. It takes a supermajority to veto and the Legislature has that.