Scott Proposes $79.3 Billion Budget

November 24, 2015

Gov. Rick Scott on Monday proposed boosting the state budget by more than $1 billion in the year that begins July 1, saying the additional spending would help Florida prepare to weather the next recession.

Despite calling for slashing $1 billion in taxes, the spending plan Scott outlined in Jacksonville would increase the total price tag for state government to $79.3 billion, an increase from $78.2 billion in the budget year that ends June 30. In a brief speech, Scott touted his plans to cut taxes and spend on education and services for Floridians with disabilities.

He also pushed again for a plan to plow $250 million into a new “Florida Enterprise Fund” to give the state another tool to draw economic development projects.

Without mentioning them specifically, Scott pushed back against criticism from some lawmakers who have questioned the need for the increased economic-development funding.

“We’re competing. These are all competitive projects. … If we don’t have the money to invest, we’re not going to win,” Scott said.

Legislative leaders have also raised question about whether Scott’s tax-cut package, which he had already outlined before Monday’s event, was too large given pressures on the budget from areas like health care.

In education, Scott would try to revive a campaign promise to set a new record for per-student spending in public schools. His budget would set aside $7,221 per student, for a total of $20.2 billion. It would break the previous record for per-student funding, set nine years earlier, by $95.

Education advocates and critics, though, are likely to note that the new figure doesn’t account for inflation.

Continuing his stance from recent years, Scott’s budget also doesn’t include tuition increases for colleges or universities.

Scott’s administration also highlighted funding for the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, saying the budget proposal would get rid of the waiting list for “critical needs” services, though that would still leave thousands of Floridians on a list for lower-priority services.

Lawmakers will begin considering Scott’s budget proposal during the legislative session that begins in January.

Comments

4 Responses to “Scott Proposes $79.3 Billion Budget”

  1. shilohc on November 25th, 2015 3:37 am

    I wonder if our representative, Evers, will support a raise for the correction officers or line up with scott to receive his mandated raise check? The Tallahassee crowd is sickening!

  2. Rufus Lowgun on November 24th, 2015 5:43 pm

    So Rick Scott is cutting taxes by a billion, and increasing spending by a billion. How many magic asterisks did it take to make that math work out? As far as raises for state corrections officers go, that’s by design. Rick Scott’s object is to privatize all the state prisons so the state is off the hook for the salaries, benefits, and pensions. Corrections officers better get used to the idea of $9.00 an hour and a 401K with no matching funds from their employer, because selling off the state prisons to CCA or GEO Group, Inc. is what Republicans have in mind for the DOC.

  3. CORRECTIONSLEFTOUTAGAIN on November 24th, 2015 12:41 pm

    Of course yet again, nothing for Corrections employees who have not had a raise in over 9 years. Corrections officers are quitting left and right and noone wants to work for the DOC anymore and Scott wonders why. Officers deserve a raise they are busting their butts to do a job noone else would want to do for a wage that is not worth the risk they face everyday. It sickens me to see that yet again Corrections officers fall to the bottom of the list when it comes to state funds. Maybe Scott should work at a prison for a week and see if he is still singing the same tune

  4. c.w. on November 24th, 2015 3:59 am

    The governor should provide a decent wage for the correction officers before he cut taxes to help his “friends”. A 20% raise is needed to make up for all the years the correction officers have been screwed over by the state.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News