A.G. Gancarski
The office of Florida Gov. Rick Scott released some excerpts from the State of the State address that the governor will deliver Tuesday.
Expect the governor to discuss his bread and butter themes (tax cuts and the “Fighting for Florida’s Future” budget), while also discussing an eventful year for the Sunshine State that saw Florida wrestle with myriad tragedies.
“Since I last stood here to address you, Florida has endured many heartbreaks. I have prayed for families around our state who have been impacted by tragedy, and my own heart has been broken for their losses,” reads the excerpts.
“Our state has been rocked by the gruesome terrorist attack at the Pulse Nightclub, in Orlando. We endured two hurricanes, fought against the rapid spread of the Zika Virus, and were devastated by the deadly Ft. Lauderdale Airport shooting,” Scott will say.
The governor will focus especially on the Pulse “terrorist attack”, describing “the horror we saw on June 12, 2016 when a terrorist inspired by ISIS stormed into Pulse and senselessly killed 49 innocent people.”
“The days I spent in Orlando following the shooting will always be with me,” Scott will say.
Scott spent many days in Orlando after the mass shooting, meeting with representatives from myriad community groups. One policy initiative emerging from the tragedy: a budget line item to invest $5.8 million into 48 counterterrorism agents.
On the economic front, look for Scott to discuss his proposal to “cut taxes by $618 million to cut costs for small businesses, students, veterans, teachers and families.”
“Our Fighting for Florida’s Future tax cut package will boost our economy and encourage businesses of all sizes to create jobs,” Scott will say.
The governor will call attention to the “commercial lease tax,” which Scott would like to eliminate, as it “unfairly targets small businesses.”
The commercial lease tax cut could save businesses $454 million a year, claims the governor’s office.
In his remaining months in office, Gov. Scott wants to find a way to make it harder for future legislatures to raise taxes, he will say Tuesday.
“Even more important than continuing to cut taxes in our state is that we prevent against unfair tax increases in the future so our progress is not undone. My goal before I leave office is that we work together on a solution to make it harder for any future legislature – even one not as conservative as we have here today – to raise taxes,” Scott will say.
