DeSantis spent $ 1 billion on fetuses before signing $ 92.3 billion in state budget in June this year. That saving, along with signs of improvement in state revenue tax revenue, could help bridge the budget gap of increased Medicaid costs.
Since the pandemic began, DeSantis has been able to authorize releases without legal interference under a state of emergency. Democrats have repeatedly called for a special legislative session to re-examine the budget. But even with tight budget gaps, DeSantis said a special session is not necessary.
“Even if nothing happened in DC, we would be able to arrive at the end of the calendar year without any problems,” DeSantis said Tuesday. “We’ll see what the revenue looks like.”
The state agency for health care administration estimated last week that the coronavirus’ response would lead to a $ 1.6 billion surplus from a $ 31.3 billion Medicaid spending plan that went into effect on July 1st. The Joint State Legislative Budget Committee must approve any increase in Medicaid spending.
On unemployment, the Trump administration has suggested that states apply to unspent federal aid money, a plan that DeSantis dismissed on Tuesday as unsustainable. The more than $ 4 billion sent to the state by Congress under the CARES Act to date is needed to balance the state budget and close a $ 2 billion gap in lost tax collections, he said.
DeSantis said it was investigating the possibility of a loan from the U.S. Department of Labor that could be used to extend unemployment benefits that were scrapped due to the Washington accident.
“If there’s a way to do it, we’ll go ahead and do it,” DeSantis said.
Florida has already paid out more than $ 13.4 billion in benefits to the state and federal unemployment since the pandemic forced the closure of the state’s economy in mid-March. The state might have to borrow from the U.S. DOL to cover its share of Trump’s new unemployment benefits, DeSantis said.
Under state law, such a move would likely trigger an automatic tax increase on employers in Florida.
“We do not want that to happen, but it is a realistic possibility,” DeSantis said.
