Funding for Black History Month celebration in Orlando, gun violence programs and LBGTQ are Fla. Budget line items that Gov. Ron DeSantis rejected. PHOTOS COURTESY OF VISITORLANDO AND STOCK PHOTOS

MIAMI, Fla – The veto pen of Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis wiped out funding for several Black history programs and an initiative to tackle gun violence among other issues that mustered bipartisan support during the 2023 Legislative Session.

And DeSantis continued to target the LGBTQ community when the Florida Department of Education requested the College Board remove gender identity content from its Advanced Placement curriculum but the organization refused.

DeSantis, who’s running for the Republican nomination for the U.S. presidency, signed the state’s budget for fiscal year 2023-2024 with the vetoes reducing the spending plan to $116.5 billion.

In his letter to Secretary of State Cord Byrd, DeSantis said trimming $510.9 million from the budget will help Florida reserve funding for unforeseen emergencies to remain resilient and responsive, and provide more tax relief for working families.

He said Florida has made historic investments in education, public safety, infrastructure and the environment.

"This year, we provided $2.7 billion in tax relief to Florida families, the largest amount in our state’s history,"DeSantis said. "$4 billion is provided for the Moving Florida Forward Initiative to accelerate transportation projects across the state. The $510.9 million in line-item vetoes I am issuing, to ensure that our state remains resilient and responsive to unforeseen emergencies."

But critics suggested the vetoes are just the latest attack on the Black community and LGBTQ groups.

With Florida’s permitless concealed weapon carry law set to take effect on July 1, DeSantis vetoed St. Petersburg Democratic Sen. Darryl Rouson’s $5 million program to tackle gun violence statewide, as many people in the Black community fear the new law will increase gun violence.

"It makes sense to expand programs that are actually doing the work to prevent more gun violence," Rouson said in a statement.

A Black History Month Celebration in Orlando also couldn’t escape DeSantis’ veto pen which would have cost the state $160,000.

The event includes a 1619 Fest Rebel 5K run and culture arts program from Africans in the Diaspora.

And $200,000 was cut from the budget for Florida’s Black Music Legacy which highlights the state’s contributions to African American music.

Last year, DeSantis vetoed $1 million for Valencia College to create a film about the 1920 Ocoee Election Day Massacre in which white mob attacked and killed dozens of Black voters.

DeSantis also vetoed $20 million for a University of South Florida nursing campus represented by Sarasota Republican state Senator Joe Gruthers.

Gruthers, former chair of the Florida Republican Party, said DeSantis’ veto is in retaliation for his support for former President Donald Trump in the 2024 primary.

"It’s mean-spirited acts like this that are defining him and across the country," Gruthers said in a statement.

Miami State Rep. Ashley Gantt blasted DeSantis for vetoing $1.3 million for projects in her district which includes Opa-locka, Brownsville, Liberty City and Overtown.

DeSantis wiped out $500,000 for senior programs for the City of Opa-locka, $250,000 for Florida Green Jobs Youth Initiative, and $100,000 for the Betty Wright Community Underserved Leadership STEAM program.

He didn’t veto $500,00 for after school and weekend rehabilitative programs that Gantt sponsored during the session. "While serving in a super-majority legislature, I remained committed to being the voice of my community to fight for legislation to address pressing issues like gun safety, the state’s crippling thing from water improvements to law enforcement safety, from flood drainage to veterans’ assistance," Powell said.

"Approximately $500 million in total was cut from a budget of $117 billion, a small drop in the bucket to those wielding the budget axe, but an ocean of dollars to those dependent on the financial help. " For the LGBTQ community, the Florida Department of Education asked the College Board to remove gender identity content from its Advanced Placement psychology course because it conflicts with the state’s regulation for gender and sexual orientation.

In its refusal letter to the Department, the College Board notes that some Florida school districts have asked about how the AP Psychology unit touching on gender and sexual orientation comports with the new state law and regulations.

"That learning objective must remain a required topic, just as it has been in Florida since the launch of AP Psychology more than 30 years ago," the College Board states in the letter.