-
Editorials
- Bradenton Herald
- Daytona Beach News-Journal
- Florida Times-Union
- Florida Today
- Ft. Myers News-Press
- Gainesville Sun
- Lakeland Ledger
- Miami Herald
- Naples Daily News
- NWF Daily News
- Ocala Star-Banner
- Orlando Sentinel
- Palm Beach Post
- Pensacola News Journal
- Sarasota Herald-Tribune
- TCPalm
- Sun-Sentinel
- Tallahassee Democrat
- Tampa Bay Times
- Columnists
- Cartoons
-
Press Releases
- Sayfie Review
- Jose Oliva
- Nikki Fried
- Bill Galvano
- Ron DeSantis
- Marco Rubio
- Ashley Moody
- Rick Scott
- Jimmy Patronis
- Congressional Delegation ≻
- Matt Gaetz
- Neal Dunn
- Kat Cammack
- Aaron Bean
- John Rutherford
- Michael Waltz
- Cory Mills
- Bill Posey
- Darren Soto
- Maxwell Frost
- Daniel Webster
- Gus Bilirakis
- Anna Paulina Luna
- Kathy Castor
- Laurel Lee
- Vern Buchanan
- Greg Steube
- Scott Franklin
- Byron Donalds
- Sheila Cherfilus McCormick
- Brian Mast
- Lois Frankel
- Jared Moskowitz
- Frederica Wilson
- Debbie Wasserman Schultz
- Mario Diaz-Balart
- Maria Elvira Salazar
- Carlos Gimenez
- Political Links
-
News Links
- Drudge Report
- NewsMax.com
- AP Florida News
- ABC News' The Note
- NBC News' First Read
- Florida Channel
- Florida TV Stations
- Florida Radio Stations
- Capitol Update
- Florida Newspapers
- Florida Trend
- South Florida Business Journal
- Tampa Bay Business Journal
- Orlando Business Journal
- Jacksonville Business Journal
- News Service of Florida
- Politico Playbook
- Washington Post The Daily 202
-
Research
- Florida Fiscal Portal
- Search Florida Laws
- Search House Bills
- Search Senate Bills
- Search County, City Laws
- Search County Clerks' Records
- Cabinet Agendas, Transcripts
- Search Executive Orders
- Search Atty. General Opinions
- Search Supreme Court Docket
- Florida Supreme Court Rulings
- Search Florida Corporations
- Search Administrative Rules
- Proposed Administrative Rules
- View Advertised Contracts
- Refdesk.com
- Government Services Guide
- Electoral Vote Map
-
Reference
- Florida House
- Florida Senate
- Find Your Congressman
- Find Your State Legislator
- Find Your Local Officials
- Find Government Phone #'s
- Florida Agencies
- Florida Cities
- Florida Counties
- Florida Universities
- County Tax Collectors
- County Property Appraisers
- County Clerks of Court
- County Elections Supervisors
- MyFlorida.com
- OPPAGA
- Advertise with us
Times: What we keep getting wrong about campus protests
Sun-Sentinel: DeSantis kisses Trump's ring, and it might pay off | Editorial
Times: The irony of arresting Gaza protestors at USF's MLK Plaza | Letters
Sun-Sentinel: A frightening tyranny over Florida women | Editorial
Times: Retirement is a growing luxury in the US | Editorial
Herald: DeSantis kisses the ring in Miami meeting with Trump and it might just pay off | Opinion
Times: Goodbye to ThunderBug's confusingly hot playoff beard
Scott renews push for incentives amid House opposition
By JIM TURNER
THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
ORLANDO, September 29, 2016.......... Gov. Rick Scott plans to ask lawmakers in 2017 to provide $85 million for economic incentives, after the Legislature rejected his request this year for $250 million for the state's business-recruitment agency.
But he may have to twist arms to win support from the House, where incoming Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O' Lakes, remains openly critical of using public dollars to try to attract businesses.
"The House's position on this issue has been clear," Corcoran said in a prepared statement Thursday. "The government engaging in social engineering to pick winners and losers that benefit the 1 percent is a bad deal for Florida taxpayers. There will not be any corporate welfare in the House budget."
Scott announced his proposal Thursday at a board meeting of the public-private agency Enterprise Florida. Scott is chairman of the board.
After appearing at the Florida Chamber Foundation's "Future of Florida Forum" --- being held in Orlando alongside the Enterprise Florida board meeting --- Scott said the incentive money is needed so Florida can compete for jobs against other states.
"We have to get a good return for taxpayers, but we have to be part of the game," Scott said. "If we're not, we're not going to get the corporate office moves, the regional offices, things like that."
Asked how he will get reluctant lawmakers to approve the funding request, Scott replied, "I just can't imagine anybody's going to vote against it."
When asked if he had discussed the proposal with Corcoran, Scott added that he talks to state senators and representatives "all the time."
The Senate is expected to again be more open to considering the proposal.
Incoming Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, said he looks forward to learning more about the request and Scott's other priorities.
"The Senate takes every priority of the governor very seriously," Negron said in a prepared statement. "In the coming months, our Senate committees will have the chance to review his proposed budget in its entirety."
During this year's session, the Senate initially supported Scott's $250 million request. But with the House opposed, the funding dissolved as the chambers hammered out a budget.
The $250 million request was one of Scott's priorities for 2016. The rejection of the money resulted in Bill Johnson, who had lobbied lawmakers for the money, stepping down as president of Enterprise Florida and the agency being downsized.
Scott also requested $85 million for incentives in 2015. The final budget for that year included $53 million for Enterprise Florida, of which $43 million was for incentives and $10 million was for marketing.
Scott also plans to request that lawmakers narrow the focus of Enterprise Florida. The focus would be on efforts to attract corporate headquarters, along with businesses in the aviation, aerospace, defense, financial services, information technology and advanced manufacturing industries.
"We need to refocus EFI on one job, the one job is getting more people jobs," Scott said during the Enterprise Florida Board of Directors meeting.