UPDATE 6-2-2017, 11:15 a.m.
Governor Rick Scott has now signed the proposed 2017 budget.
Scott vetoed $410 million in legislative projects and the Florida Educational Finance Program funding portions of the budget. The Gov. is also vetoing HB 5501, which would decrease funding to Visit Florida by over 60 percent. A news release claims a full budget veto list will be released later Friday.
Gov. Scott led a special session Friday (viewable, below) to discuss the following:
- Funding for Florida’s K-12 students through the FEFP: Scott is calling for an additional $215 million to K-12 education to increase per-student funding by $100
- Florida Job Growth Grant Fund: Scott is calling on the Legislature to fund the grant at $85 million
- Increase VISIT FLORIDA Funding: In an effort to increase tourism, Scott is calling on the legislature to fund VISIT FLORIDA at a total of $76 million
Gov. Scott says “I am calling on the Florida Legislature to consider new legislation that funds Visit Florida at $76 million. Additionally, I am proposing to establish the new Florida Job Growth Grant Fund to be funded at $85 million to promote public infrastructure and individual job training which will encourage more businesses to choose Florida as a destination to grow jobs."
Scott says he has fought for jobs "since my very first day in office and I do not intend to stop and this new fund will give our state the tools we need to compete with other states and nations for jobs."
Scott is calling for a special session to discuss the following measures that will begin on June 7 and end June 9.
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Governor Rick Scott, the Florida Senate President and House Speaker are all in South Florida Friday to, as the Governor calls it , "Make a Major Announcement."
The Miami Herald is reporting that the announcement will be a three-day legislative Special Session to begin Wednesday, June 7.
Scott has supposedly agreed to sign the proposed budget as long as lawmakers agree to allocate $100 million more to his business development and tourism projects, plus $200 million more for public schools.
That money will come from vetoes to parts of the spending plan and withdrawals from the state's reserve fund.
Watch the press conference, live, here: