Gov. Rick Scott is asking the Florida Legislature to keep its knife away from the state’s public education institutions. His budget recommendations for the 2012-2013 fiscal year exempt FAMU and the ten other State University System of Florida (SUS) schools from any further cuts.The governor also strongly discouraged the legislature and SUS boards of trustees from dumping additional tuition hikes on students.
“With level funding of the universities, they shouldn’t be increasing tuition,” Scott said.
K-12 schools would receive a $1 billion increase under Scott’s plan. The governor warned lawmakers that: “I will not sign the budget if it does not significantly increase the funding for education.”
Scott’s budget totals $66.4 billion, down $2.7 billion from this year. His boost in education dollars is financed mainly through cuts to Medicaid, which he wants to pare down by $1.9 billion.
"Medicaid growth is at 180 percent," Scott said. "General revenue growth is 30. You can’t do that."
The governor also proposes closing a number of state prisons now that Florida’s crime rate is currently at its lowest level in 40 years. Additionally, he is calling for another round of state job cuts.
Scott has not commented on whether he will support full funding of Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO) projects for the next fiscal year. In May, he used his line item veto power to slash much of the money that lawmakers appropriated for PECO-funded building upgrades across the SUS.