Legislature Wraps Up Historic Session May 9, 2011 | WMFE - Florida's 2011 Legislative Session is over with freshman Republican Governor Rick Scott's agenda doing well. Lawmakers cut nearly $4 billion dollars in spending to balance the $69.7 billion dollar budget. Thousands of teachers, health care workers and government employees at all levels will be laid off as the largest budget cut in state history takes affect. As the session began in March, Governor Scott along with Senate President Mike Haridopolos of Merritt Island and House Speaker Dean Cannon of Winter Park laid out their conservative vision for the state. Republican Senator JD Alexander of Lake Wales led the Senate in writing a budget and in negotiations with the House. He said he believed closing a budget shortfall with spending cuts was a decision voters made last November. "All across this state, I think voters spoke and in most districts very conclusively, that they really didn’t want government to grow in size they wanted it to shrink in size.” Alexander said. “So I’m not afraid to do those things that I think it was pretty clear the voters wanted.” But Democratic Senator Bill Montford of Tallahassee disagreed with the final outcome. He calculates a negative $77 million dollar impact from the spending cuts and lay offs of state employees. “I can’t support this budget because of the impact it will have on my constituents right here in these eleven counties.” Montford’s district includes Tallahassee and he represents many state government workers. The Legislature also privatized state prisons in 18 south Florida counties and eliminated the Department of Community Affairs. |
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