Scott added that the tourism industry, which is tied to one in every six Florida jobs, could also be on shaky ground.
“If you have a job in tourism, your job is at risk,” Scott said.
“You’re going to see job loss,” he added a few moments later.
Scott noted he has the option to veto the entire budget or take out individual budget lines. But both legislative chambers approved the fiscal plan with veto-proof majorities: 98-14 in the House and 34-4 in the Senate.
Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, told reporters late Monday that there is enough in the budget for Scott to approve the overall package, including numerous educational components that the governor has supported.
“I think it’s our job, over the next couple of weeks, for us to make our case,” Negron said.
Scott dismissed any notion that the Legislature’s rejection of his priorities — the budget also doesn’t include his requests for money to speed repairs to the Herbert Hoover Dike around Lake Okeechobee or to help residents convert from septic systems to sewers — is a personal slight.
