Top Florida government officials will soon be flying the friendly skies in luxury planes and without having to go through the annoying TSA protocols the rest of us ordinary folk has to go through.
A proposal that would add two state airplanes is headed for budget negotiations between the Senate and House. The Senate voted 30-9 on Thursday to approve a budget-related bill (SB 2512) that includes a $31.3 million plan to add planes that would transport state leaders other than Gov. Ron DeSantis, who already has access to a plane.
“If you like to recall, before the Great Recession the state of Florida had several airplanes that allowed folks that operate in leadership positions, to travel the state and be in closer contact with Floridians,” said Sen. Ben Albritton, a Wauchula Republican who chairs the Agriculture, Environment and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee.
“What this bill does is recreates that aircraft fleet.” Under the proposal, a $15.5 million Cessna Citation Latitude, approved during the 2019 legislative session, would continue to be reserved for DeSantis.
The state bought that plane because DeSantis’ wealthy predecessor, former Gov. Rick Scott, sold the state’s fleet and used his own jet. One of the new planes would be available to the lieutenant governor (pictured), Cabinet officers and members of the Florida Supreme Court.
The other new plane could be used by the House speaker, Senate president and chairs of legislative standing committees, along with secretaries and executive directors of executive branch departments and chairs of the Florida Gaming Control Commission, the Public Service Commission and the Florida Commission on Offender Review.
Javier Manjarres contributed to this News Service of Florida story
