Initial budget proposals rolled out Tuesday include the House boosting money for the recently revived Florida State Guard and the Senate increasing money for tourism marketing.

The House and Senate both would match a request by Gov. Ron DeSantis to increase the transportation work plan for such things as roads and bridges to $13.4 billion next fiscal year, up from $12.6 billion in the current year.

"I've done my best," Rep. Alex Andrade, a Pensacola Republican who chairs the House Infrastructure & Tourism Appropriations Subcommittee, said.

House and Senate budget panels Tuesday began releasing initial proposals for the 2023-2024 fiscal year, which will start July 1. In the coming weeks, the House and Senate will pass budget plans and then enter negotiations on a final version.

As an example of the initial differences, the House infrastructure & Tourism Appropriations Subcommittee released a $19.8 billion plan. Its counterpart, the Senate Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development Appropriations Committee, offered a $21 billion proposal.

The House plan includes $107.6 million for the Florida State Guard, which DeSantis reactivated last year to assist the Florida National Guard during emergencies. The state guard was set up during World War II to replace Florida National Guard members who were deployed abroad. It went inactive in 1947 but remained in state law.

DeSantis has requested that funding for the state guard go from $10 million in the current year to more than $95 million in 2023-2024, with a goal of increasing the size of the mostly volunteer organization from 400 to 1,500 members.

The Senate proposal did not include the state guard. Katie Betta, a spokeswoman for Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, said a House bill on the state guard (HB 1285) would be referred to a Senate committee for consideration after it comes over from the House.

Meanwhile, the Senate has proposed $80 million for tourism marketing by Visit Florida. That would be up from $50 million in the current year but below $100 million requested by DeSantis.

House leaders have long questioned agencies such as Visit Florida and the job-recruitment organization Enterprise Florida. A House bill (HB 5) targets Enterprise Florida for closure.

That legislation would allow Visit Florida and the Florida Sports Foundation to enter agreements to continue operations under the guidance of the Department of Economic Opportunity.

Both budget proposals include $1.3 million so the Sports Foundation could award local grants to attract sports tourism events.

Visit Florida announced last month that the state attracted a record 137.6 million visitors in 2022. Also, Visit Florida is conducting a $5 million campaign to counter views that Florida was destroyed by Hurricane Ian in September.

The Senate proposal would provide $75 million for the Job Growth Grant Fund, which provides money for regional infrastructure projects and workforce-training programs. The House proposal stands at $25 million.

DeSantis, who has the authority to determine how money in the fund is spent, requested $100 million, up from $50 million in the current year.

The Senate committee also included $250 million in local spending initiatives, with Chairman Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater, saying the majority involve transportation projects. Examples include $51.67 million for permanent repairs to Lee County's Sanibel Causeway and its McGregor Boulevard approach road, which were damaged in Hurricane Ian.

Another $6 million would go to a study on the Big Hickory, Little Carlos Pass and New Pass bridges in Lee County, where the Category 4 Ian made initial landfall. Repairs for the Matlacha Corridor also in Lee County, are slated to get $12.4 million.

More than 220 House member requests made the Infrastructure & Tourism Appropriations Subcommittee package, including $3 million for bridge and road repairs in Lee County and $1.5 million for repairs to traffic signs and roadway lighting in Lee County. Another $750,000 is included for the East Periwinkle Bridge replacement design in Sanibel.

Jim Turner reports for the News Service of Florida.

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