FLORIDA:Gov. Rick Scott’s office to tone down how it has publicly pushed for more economic-development money, as lawmakers seek to revamp the state’s business-incentives program.Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, got an apology from Bill Johnson, Scott’s top business recruiter, as a committee overview of Enterprise Florida led to discussions that focused heavily on a growing debate about funding for the economic-development agency.
Latvala made a point that he was addressing people watching the meeting on TV and that the governor’s office is “working the wrong way.”The rhetoric needs to be lowered, and let’s find out a solution that keeps economic development going in the state of Florida,” Latvala said, noting that Johnson, who was appointed by Scott earlier this year as president and CEO of Enterprise Florida, is simply “the messenger.”Senate Commerce and Tourism Chairwoman Sen. Nancy Detert, whose committee held the discussion, also criticized an effort to apply outside pressure on lawmakers to increase funding at Enterprise Florida.
“You don’t need to behave like everybody else, where you have to gin up your supporters and tell them to lobby us,” Detert said to Johnson. “You already know us personally. You can call us. You can walk in our office. Just do it that way.”The Senate and Scott have been engaged in a growing spat over funding for Enterprise Florida, which received about $78 million this year from the state for incentives, marketing and other operations.
The agency also receives another $2.5 million to $4 million annually from its private members, which include many of the largest businesses in Florida.Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, sent out a memo Monday reaffirming his chamber’s stance that the current business-incentives program needs to be revamped and that lawmakers have adequately funded Enterprise Florida, which Scott says is running short of recruitment dollars.
