From the Capitol

Florida’s economy remains strong. The Senate and House Appropriations committees heard a presentation from state economist Amy Baker in mid-October. The upcoming year’s budget will be even larger than the current year’s $101 billion budget due to the influx of federal coronavirus relief program dollars and increased tax collections. For example, July’s general revenue collections exceeded the monthly estimate by 24 percent. And, more tourists are visiting the Sunshine State. There were 31.7 million visitors from April 1st – June 30th, a 223.4 percent increase over the second quarter of 2020.