Gov. Rick Scott demands Legislature spend $250M for job incentives

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Rick Scott called on Florida legislators Thursday to set aside $250 million in the next state budget for economic incentive programs, an idea that could face resistance from some of his fellow Republicans in the Senate, although Scott’s plan includes more oversight of spending by legislative leaders.

Speaking at an Enterprise Florida board meeting in Orlando, Scott directly took on his critics in the Capitol, saying “it’s ridiculous” that the largest fund used to close deals with employers is “broken and nearly bankrupt” and will run out of money in a few weeks. He again called on Enterprise Florida board members, many of them well-connected business leaders, to lobby lawmakers for the money and to “make it personal.”

“These reforms are not going to happen because I give a speech. They’re not,” Scott said in a morning speech at the Hyatt at Orlando International Airport.