Florida House Leader Says “We Share the Governor’s Goal” on Education Budget

The Florida House

House Speaker Dean Cannon said the House shares Gov. Rick Scott's goal of boosting education budgets.

House Speaker Dean Cannon says he shares Gov. Rick Scott’s goal of adding $1 billion for Florida schools, but stopped short of committing to the money in next year’s budget.

Cannon, R-Winter Park, spoke with Mark Simpson of Orlando’s WMFE.

“It’s too soon to tell,” Cannon said. “That’s one of those areas where we share the governor’s goal in the House…as far as increasing K-12 education funding. The method which we get there probably won’t be identical to the governor’s approach. We hopefully will take some of his ideas, hopefully add our ideas to it, maybe approach it in a different way.”

Scott has asked lawmakers to add $1 billion to school funding in a year the state faces an estimated $2 billion shortfall. Scott said lawmakers should cut $2 billion from what the state pays hospitals for services for the state-run insurance program for the poor or disabled.

Scott said the additional education money is non-negotiable: He will veto any budget which does not increase funding.

The money would replace some of the $1.35 billion cut from schools in the current year. In total, Florida has cut more than 18 percent from school budgets since the Great Recession began in 2008.

Scott’s proposed budget would not all be new money. Much of it would cover the rising costs of current services. For a breakdown of where the money would go, click here.