Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly issued the following statement in support of Governor DeSantis’ Floridians First Budget, which invests in Florida’s economic competitiveness and quality of life through new and existing programs:

“Florida’s continued economic success is no accident—it’s the result of deliberate, forward-thinking policy and Governor DeSantis’ unwavering commitment to equip communities across the Free State of Florida, attract job creators, support workforce development, and support strong communities for our families, retirees and visitors alike.

Recognizing this, the Floridians First Budget invests in those who matter most—the Floridians who call our state home—who work every day to power our growth and strengthen the pillars of our economy. Thank you, Governor DeSantis, for continually working to ensure Florida remains the best place in the nation to start and grow a family and a business—attracting new industries, creating high-wage jobs, supporting high-quality education and securing Florida’s position as the strongest economy in the country for years to come.”

Supporting Florida’s Economic Competitiveness & Quality of Life
The Floridians First Budget builds on the Governor’s seven years of initiatives that have positioned Florida as a national leader in economic growth, which wouldn’t be possible without laser-focused leadership committed to protecting Florida’s future. To maintain the momentum, the budget includes targeted investments that will solidify Florida as the best place in the world to live, work, and visit for the next generation.

Maintaining Florida’s Status as the Nation’s Leader in New Business Formations
The budget invests $50 million for the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund, which supports additional economic growth in Florida by providing local areas with funding for proposed public infrastructure and workforce training projects.

Maintaining Florida’s Status as the Space State
In addition to providing over $93 million through the FDOT Spaceport Improvement Program, the budget recommends $10 million for the Space Florida Aerospace Investment Fund in maximizing growth in Florida’s statewide space strategy alongside commercial investments and $5 million in startup funding to Space Florida to work alongside state agencies to establish additional wastewater capacity for Florida’s commercial launch providers.

Continuing Tourism’s Record-Breaking Economic Impact
The budget provides $80 million for VISIT FLORIDA, the state’s official tourism marketing corporation, and a source of travel planning for visitors across the globe supports Florida’s status as a leading international destination.

Prioritizing Florida’s Rural Communities
In addition to committing $300 million to support property tax relief in fiscally constrained counties, the budget continues the DeSantis Administration’s commitment to rural communities, including:

• $200,000,000 – for broadband programs, with an emphasis on delivering internet access in rural communities.
• $30,000,000 – for the Rural Infrastructure Fund (RIF) Grant Program to continue to support infrastructure projects in rural communities.
• $2,000,000 – to support workforce development in rural areas through Local Workforce Development Boards, strengthening talent pipelines, improving training outcomes and promoting economic growth.
• $1,000,000 – to support small and rural businesses to participate in SelectFlorida Trade missions, to ensure that all businesses, no matter their size or location, can compete globally.

A Commitment to Florida’s Defense Interests
The budget prioritizes Florida’s military readiness by providing $6 million for the Defense Support Commission and $1.5 million for the Defense Reinvestment Grant Program. This investment is especially critical as Florida works to oppose proposed oil and gas developments along our shorelines and within the Gulf Testing Range.

The budget also recommends $1,500,000 for workforce training for Veteran and Military Spouses.

Supporting Our Hometown Heroes
The budget includes $50 million for the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program, designed to reduce the upfront costs for homeownership to qualified homebuyers who serve their communities through downpayment assistance funds.

Further, the budget includes $25 million to support the relocation of law enforcement and first responders who relocate to a community through the law enforcement recruitment bonus program, with $5 million included for EMT or paramedic certified firefighters.

Fully-Funding Affordable Housing, including the Sadowski Trust Fund
The budget reinforces the Governor’s unwavering commitment to supporting affordable housing through continued investments that fully fund the core Sadowski Housing Trust Fund programs, including $170.8 million for the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) Program and $72.9 million for the State Apartment Incentive Loan (SAIL) Program.

Investing in Strong Communities
The budget includes $73 million to support community disaster recovery and $50 million for the Utility Relocation Reimbursement Grant Program to support infrastructure relocation efforts by communications providers across the state.

Strong communities are only as strong as the workforce within it, which is reinforced by the Governor’s recommended investment of $800 million to support workforce education programs to ensure Florida students are prepared to fill high-demand, high-wage jobs.

Recommended Conforming Provisions
In addition to recommended provisions to prevent economic incentives for hyperscale data centers, the budget recommends conforming legislation to protect Florida’s small businesses, manufacturing interests, and taxpayers from being forced to pay taxes that are not aligned with state policy, including globalist carbon taxes for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and net-zero climate goals, ensuring the state continues its status as the nation’s economic leader in business formations and manufacturing growth.

Further, the budget ensures integrity in the spending of our local communities, ensuring their workforce, policies, and procedures give every Floridian a chance to succeed, rather than providing incentives for workers based on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Together, these investments and policy goals will ensure Florida’s economic momentum remains unmatched, which today includes:

• A manufacturing real GDP growth of 30% since 2019.
• More than 3.8 million new businesses formed since 2019.
• A record-breaking 143 million visitors delivering $133.6 billion in economic impact.
• A state GDP approaching $1.8 trillion—making Florida the 15^th largest economy in the world if it were standalone country.