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Despite nearly daily warnings from Gov. Rick Scott that the Legislature is on the brink of damaging the state economy, the House and Senate appeared ready to move forward with an $83 billion budget deal that would severely cut his two biggest priorities, Visit Florida and Enterprise Florida.
“We have reached an agreement on allocations,” Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, told senators during the Senate’s morning session.
There are still more details to be hammered out over the next four days, but the framework of the deal is expected to include the House’s insistence on cutting Visit Florida’s $76 million annual budget to $25 million and rejects Scott’s demand for $85 million for Enterprise Florida. Scott’s stated top priorities.
Scott started his day in West Palm Beach on Thursday where he met with economic development groups and later held a press conference about his frustration that the Legislature also refused to set aside $200 million he had request to strengthen the Herbert Hoover dike around Lake Okeechobee.
"The politicians in Tallahassee are not including the $200 million in the state budget," Scott said.
Returning to Tallahassee after four days in Argentina for a trade mission, Scott scheduled 10 meetings with state Senators, including key allies who have supported his calls for funding Enterprise Florida and Visit Florida, like Senate Appropriations chairman Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater.
If Scott cannot convince them to restore funding to Visit Florida and better fund Enterprise Florida, Scott will be left with the potential of signing the budget when it gets to him, or vetoing it completely and requiring the Legislature to return to Tallahassee to pass a new budget.
“That’s a possibility,” said State Rep. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill who is also the Republican Party of Florida chairman.
State Rep. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, said he thinks Scott should consider vetoing the whole budget.
“The most important thing for the governor is jobs,” said Gruters, a longtime ally of Scott's. "That’s the one thing that he wants. And they’re not giving it to him. What other options does he have. I don’t know what the Governor will do, but I hope somehow, the House and Senate will come together and fully fund the Governor’s wishes.”
If Scott does veto the state budget, Republican leaders in the Legislature would need the support of at least a few Democrats to override him.
House Democratic Leader Janet Cruz of Tampa says her members might be willing to go along with a veto override, but they want a seat at the table in negotiations on the budget and other issues, including Medicaid expansion, legislation targeting undocumented immigrants and looser restrictions on gun rights.
"I'm not interested in giving the governor what he wants on EFI, but I'm also interested in taking care of core values that are important to the Democrats," Cruz said. "Something has to give somewhere. If you need us, you have to listen to us for a change."
Democrats in the Senate are bracing for a veto.
"The governor has been very clear that this is the most important thing to him," said Sen. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth, the next leader of the Senate Democrats. "If that's what matters to him, and the Legislature doesn't respect the governor's role in this process, why wouldn't he veto the budget?"
If Scott vetoes the entire budget, it would antagonize many of his fellow Republicans, throw state government into chaos and force the Legislature back in a special session. If the state has no budget in place by July 1, some state services would cease.
For example, state parks likely would be closed over the Fourth of July weekend.
Clemens said he doubted that the Senate could muster the 26 votes needed to override Scott's veto of the entire state budget. The Senate has 15 Democrats and 23 Republicans, with one senator ill and absent and one seat vacant. If all 15 Democrats voted against Scott's veto -- which is unlikely -- the Senate would still need 12 Republicans to fight their own party's governor.
"I can't see the Legislature overriding a budget veto when the governor hasn't asked for a whole lot," Clemens said.
Times/Herald Reporters Steve Bousquet and Michael Auslen contributed to this report.
PHOTO CREDIT: AP
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