Rick Scott Will Focus on Tax Cuts and Higher Ed on Tuesday

With the 2014 legislative session starting on Tuesday, Gov. Rick Scott will double down on cutting taxes and not raising tuition in Florida colleges and universities.

Scott is scheduled to give the State of the State address on Tuesday morning. The governors team unveiled parts of the speech on Monday which highlight Scotts call to reduce taxes and fees. Scotts proposal includes rolling back $400 million in state vehicle registration fees and cutting business rental taxes by $100 million.

We have added almost a half a million jobs, Scott will say in the speech. Together, we have cut taxes 24 times already. ... And my hope is that we are about to cut them again ... by another $500 million this year.

As I tell the hard-working people of Florida as I travel our state: We want you to keep more of the money you earn ... because its your money! Scott will add.

Scott will showcase Florida as a destination for opportunity and will play up that theme in his address.

Today, we are moving the bar even higher, Scott will say, noting his budget proposal will reduce the state debt by $170 million. Scott plans to add that lowering the state debt and reducing taxes will greatly improve Floridas economy. If we do all this, we can make Florida not just the Land of 700,000 New Jobs. We will make Florida the Land of Opportunity.

Scott also plans to focus on higher education, showcasing his call for increased funding of Florida colleges and universities while promising to resist tuition increases.

Every parent wants their child to get a great education and for many that doesnt end at high school, Scott says in the speech. Thats why we are recommending $80 million in our budget this year for those colleges and universities who graduate students best positioned to get a job. We are changing how we fund higher education ... but if we want to make higher education more accessible to low- and middle-income families ... we have to make it more affordable. Last year, I vetoed a tuition increase that would have taken a total of more than $42 million from Florida families.

And, this year, with your help, we want to get rid of the 15 percent annual increase and inflationary increase on tuition, Scott plans to add. Undoing these 2007 and 2009 laws is another way we can keep higher education affordable and accessible. My commitment to every family dreaming to send their children to college is simple: We will hold the line on tuition.