Gov. Scott undecided on budget but criticizes legislative secrecy

via @learyreports

WASHINGTON - Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday provided little insight into his thinking on the budget but took a shot at how it was crafted behind closed doors.

"I haven’t decided," he said of his range of options, which include a total veto or striking things by line. "I’m going through the budget now. As you know, this budget was done at the last (minute) by a few people. We’re learning what’s in the budget right now. I’m getting briefed on a daily basis what’s in the budget and I’ll make the right decision."

Scott is in Washington and met with EPA Secretary Scott Pruitt, which he described as part of his goal of partnering with the Trump administration. Earlier he did an event with the RGA.

Asked how seriously he was considering a veto, Scott said: “I’ll do what I’ve done the last six years. I’ll look at what’s good for the state and I’ll make the decisions. You have to remember I’m a business guy that ran to run around the state. So this political process is not what I’m worried about. I’m worried about the people I represent. I represent 21 million people almost and they care about jobs, they care about a good education systems, things like that."

Will he sign the charter school bill? "I’m going to review it."

On Trump's firing of James Comey: "He clearly became a lightning rod, to both the right and the left. It gives President Trump the opportunity for a fresh start." Scott noted that he's had good relations with the FBI, citing the Pulse nightclub massacre.

--ALEX LEARY, Tampa Bay Times