Governor Rick Scott vetoed $368 million in spending when he signed the appropriations bill on May 20th. His “Families First” budget focused on job creation and continued economic growth. Outlined below some of his vetoed projects, organized by budget area.
Criminal Justice
$1,000,000 for the Pasco County Drug Initiative Program
$450,000 to the Palm Beach County Sheriff
$1,000,000 for a statewide Civil Legal Assistance to benefit low income Floridians
$500,000 for the Palm Beach County Violence Prevention Unit
$700,000 for various Sheriff administrative buildings
$185,000 for Tampa Crossroads inmate re-entry program
$300,000 for a Public Defender shared case management system
Education
$32,250,000 in funding for the construction of new State College buildings throughout the state
$7,500,000 for the Renewable Energy Institute at Florida Gulf Coast University
$5,000,000 in maintenance funds for Florida State University
$3,000,000 to develop an abuse prevention curriculum to be used in elementary schools
$3,000,000 to fund a Pinellas County technology-based education program
$24,602,572 in technology-related programs located throughout the state
Health & Human Services
$50,000,000 to fund completion of a walking/bicycle path connecting the east coast to the west
$9,384,984 for private duty nursing services rate increases for licensed practical nurses
$3,629,325 in extra Medicaid funding for Bethesda Hospital in Palm Beach County
$4,353,039 for inclusive care programs for the elderly in Lee, Hillsborough and Broward counties
$2,511,493 for nursing home ventilators
$7,027,893 in funding for various county crisis centers
$1,725,000 to develop a mobile medical unit program in Okaloosa County
$2,000,000 for a Polk County behavioral and substance abuse center
Natural Resources/Environmental/Growth Management
$1,000,000 dedicated to the management of Florida’s submerged lands
$22,708,500 in funding for water and sanitation improvement projects
$2,000,000 for coastal dune reclamation projects
$2,000,000 for an Indian River Lagoon Observatory
$50,000,000 to complete the Coast to Coast Connector
$1,000,000 to the Wildlife Foundation of Florida
$34 million in funding to cover the Department of Corrections’ budget shortfall
General Government
$2,000,000 for loans to the Port St. Joe Port Authority
$2,500,000 in funding to benefit the Florida Conservation & Technology Park
$2,000,000 to further develop a broadband network in Hernando County
$2,500,000 earmarked for Florida’s Regional Planning Councils
$1,816,434 for a Displaced Homemakers job training program
$1,000,000 to the University of Central Florida for a statewide economic gardening program
$1,800,000 in infrastructure improvements to a Walton County industrial park