JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Governor Ron DeSantis was in Jacksonville Monday handing out checks to first responders, part of statewide bonuses for fire, police, and EMT personnel.
It’s the third year in a row that the governor has authorized the $1,000 bonuses for first responders. Members with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and the Jacksonville Fire & Rescue Department received the first 40 of those checks from the governor in-person Monday afternoon.
The governor also touched on JSO’s response to the Dollar General mass shooting on Augst 26th, where three people were killed in a racist attack. He praised Sheriff’s TK Waters’ response and called the attack an act of evil.
“You know when things like this happen, we should be rallying together, and we should all be unified to say this is wrong, this is evil, and it doesn’t matter your party it doesn’t matter any of that nonsense we have to all come together and get on the same page and I think this community by and large did that," Governor DeSantis said.
The governor also responded to recent comments made on a national level by House of Representative Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
McCarthy said he predicts Donald Trump will win the 2024 Republican presidential primary race and that DeSantis is “not at the same level." DeSantis laughed before explaining that he would bring changes that Trump wasn’t able to, like reduce the nation’s debt.
“I am not somebody who the D.C. establishment wants to see up there, there’s no question about that because they know a lot of things will be changing if I’m there," DeSantis said.
The governor said that in the upcoming legislative session, affordable healthcare will be one of his priorities, with more announcements to come.