by Bay News 9’s Troy Kinsey

May 30, 2017

The Florida Legislature’s $82.4 billion budget was delivered to Gov. Rick Scott Tuesday, Capitol sources say, thus beginning a 15-day period during which the governor can choose to veto all or part of the spending plan.

While it appears unlikely Scott would reject the entire budget, he may be unsparing in using his line-item veto pen for at least one reason: the legislature’s Republican leaders all but rejected his top priorities.

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Scott could also choose to veto HB 7069, a bill containing surplus K-12 education funding. That funding includes $200 million for Corcoran’s signature ‘Schools of Hope’ program to build charter schools in areas served by failing public schools. Beyond serving as a way for Scott to get back at the speaker for defunding incentives, a veto could also ingratiate Scott to a growing chorus of critics of the bill.

“According to all reports, major education policy decisions included in HB 7069 were largely decided in secret by a small number of legislators,” First Amendment Foundation President Barbara Petersen wrote to Scott in a Tuesday letter urging him to veto the legislation. [READ MORE]