Florida Lieutenant Gov. Jay Collins—now a candidate for the Republican nomination for governor—traveled to the Panhandle Monday to promote Gov. Ron DeSantis’ budget request to raise starting pay for correctional officers and staff.
“Like many states around the country, Florida has faced serious staffing challenges in recent years, but what makes us different is, when we have these challenges, when they arise, we step up and solve a problem and we lead,” Collins said during a press conference at Santa Rosa Correctional Institution in Milton.
Overall, the governor and the Florida Department of Corrections are requesting $374 million to raise base pay for corrections officers, probation officers, inspectors, and non-uniformed staff from $22 an hour to $28 an hour…