Governor's 'State of the State' Speech to Focus on Education
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
By: Matthew Peddie

March 4, 2014 | WMFE, Orlando - Governor Rick Scott will deliver his 'State of the State' address in Tallahassee this morning.

Excerpts of the speech provided by the governor’s office show he’ll focus on jobs, the economy and education.

90.7 political commentator Dick Batchelor, a former Democratic State House Representative, says the focus on education is something of a re-invention for the governor.

“In his first year in office they cut education by $1.3 billion, K-12, then they re-instituted $1.1 billion but we’re still below the 2007 per student funding levels but he’ll try to take credit for that. He’ll get out front on some of these children’s issues, which I applaud him for that,” says Batchelor.  

90.7’s political commentator Lou Frey, a former Republican Congressman, says he’s not expecting too many changes in Scott’s message from the past few months.

“That’s the one thing [to] watch. Watch if there’s any real major change in what the governor says. If there is he’s got problems, if there isn’t he’s probably in his own mind, pretty good shape and depending on the economy has at least a 50-50 chance,” Frey says.  

Excerpts of Scott’s speech provided by his office refer to an $80 million recommendation in the budget for “colleges and universities who graduate students best positioned to get a job.”

The speech is also expected to focus on tax cuts and jobs.