Watch for Gov. Rick Scott to charge hard at Florida's education needs when he outlines his vision for the state during his State of the State address Tuesday morning in the Capitol.
Scott, who made job creation the primary focus during his first year in office, will continue the call he made last month in his budget proposal to lower the cost of living by reducing insurance costs and improving primary and university education.
In his weekly address released Friday, Scott said he will continue to pursue the removal of impediments to new and growing businesses, while preparing the state transportation infrastructure for the growth of international shipping when the Panama Canal expansion is completed in 2014.
With these changes, we can continue on the path we began last year and bring more jobs to Florida, Scott stated in the release. Prioritizing vital transportation projects, like preparing our ports for increased trade, will help facilitate important economic development opportunities.
In the field of insurance costs, he continued to stress efforts by his office and the office of Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater to reform personal injury protection auto insurance, because, he said, premiums have jumped due to a growth in fraud.
As for education, he repeated his assertion that he wont sign a budget that fails to provide a bump in education funding.
It is essential Florida becomes a long-term resource for companies to find the best educated employees, Scott said.
Last year, I traveled the state meeting with educators, parents and students, and they told me that in spite of the education shortfall we face, our top priority in this budget should be state funding for K-12 education.
It is unknown how much attention legislators will be able to give the governor's education requests. House and Senate leaders, who will have to guide their chambers through the once-a-decade redistricting process, have said their goal will be at least to hold the line on school funding.
On Dec. 7, Scott outlined his $66.4 billion education and jobs budget for the next fiscal year that would be $4.6 billion lower than the current fiscal year that ends June 30, 2012.
Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.
