Michael Moline
A history of alcoholism in Gov. Rick Scott’s family will inform his decision about whether to sign the “whiskey & Wheaties” bill, which would tear down the wall of separation between hard liquor and other goods.
“I’ve gotten a lot of feedback on that bill,” Scott told reporters.
“I’ve had family members who have had the challenge of alcoholism,” he said when asked about that history. “It concerns me. As I review the bill — I think I have to be finished sometime tomorrow on it — I take all those things into consideration.”
Scott said he was scheduled to talk to representatives of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. — one of the big-box stores supporting the bill — and ABC Fine Wines & Spirits — which is opposed.
Scott still wasn’t prepared to say whether he would veto the state budget approved by the Legislature during an extended session this month. “I’m going to review my options,” he said.
“One thing the governor doesn’t have the opportunity to do is put more money into the budget,” he said.
“I’m going to continue to fight for making sure that we do everything we can to fully fund Visit Florida and fully fund Enterprise Florida. If we don’t, it’s more difficult to believe we’re going to continue to see the job growth rate that we’ve seen.”
The Legislature took away Enterprise Florida’s economic incentives budget, and gave Visit Florida about one-quarter of the $100 million Scott requested.
Meanwhile, Scott took at least some of the credit for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s six-month extension of temporary protected status for Haitian refugees, announced Monday.
Scott said he’d pleaded their case to Secretary John Kelly.
“I brought up the issue that our Haitian community is dealing with,” Scott said. “He was receptive.”
