Backing the blue with green: Gov. DeSantis wants a raise for law enforcement officers and firefighters

Gov. Ron DeSantis is pushing for nearly $120 million in pay increases for state-employed first responders.

During a press conference, DeSantis announced his proposal to give pay bumps to the state’s 4,700 sworn state law enforcement officers and more than 700 state firefighters.

The Governor is recommending a 20% pay increase for entry-level state law enforcement officers as well as 25% increases for both veteran officers and all state firefighters.

“We think these are important vocations. We want to make sure that we’re keeping good talent,” DeSantis said. “Now the reality is if you don’t do that, it’s not that they don’t want to serve, but if they have other opportunities, then you lose them.”

DeSantis’ recommendation comes in the weeks before the Legislature is scheduled to convene for its Regular Session starting March 4.

“This is not terribly a large amount of money in the context of the overall budget,” DeSantis added during Friday’s remarks, calling it a “small fraction” that could be “very meaningful” to employees.

Last week DeSantis announced the Florida Highway Patrol is going to be training to coordinate with the federal government in order to arrest and detain undocumented immigrants and help deport those who are incarcerated and have committed crimes.

DeSantis signed a package of immigration measures Thursday that made several changes from strengthening criminal penalties for undocumented immigrants convicted of crimes, appropriating $250 million for local law enforcement’s immigration efforts and setting up a statewide council to coordinate with the federal government.

Republicans have called Florida a leader in the country in working with President Donald Trump to help him with his mass deportation agenda and cracking down on illegal immigration.

Florida Democrats and advocates countered the new laws are creating an anti-immigration rhetoric in a state with 5 million immigrants. Democrats also pushed back and said the new laws don’t do enough to end illegal immigration by cracking down on employers hiring undocumented workers in the private sector.