Gov. Rick Scott's $615 million cut through line-item vetoes before signing the 2011-12 budget Thursday is drawing heat from Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike. But budget hawks and fiscal conservatives are praising the governor for his tough decisions.

Although $305 million of the cuts were gained through phantom savings -- Scott dropped Florida Forever funding that was to come from land sales that haven't yet happened -- another large chunk can be attributed to Florida TaxWatch.

Gov. Rick Scott signed HB 1355 into law Thursday afternoon -- an elections bill Democrats see as crucial to their 2012 get-out-the-vote efforts in Florida and one that has already been the subject of a lawsuit.

Democrats have derided HB 1355, which passed through the Legislature in party-line votes, as a naked partisan attack aimed at disenfranchising many voters throughout the state who historically lean Democratic.