Gov. Rick Scott on Friday signed a state budget into law, but used his line item veto power to eliminate $410 million in local spending projects, including millions in funding for projects in Sarasota and Manatee. He also vetoed a bill that would have put severe budgetary and oversight restrictions on Visit Florida. When he announced his actions on the budget, the governor also called a special session for this Wednesday through Friday. 

“I am calling on the Florida Legislature to consider new legislation that funds Visit Florida at $76 million,” Scott said. “Additionally, I am proposing to establish the new Florida Job Growth Grant Fund to be funded at $85 million to promote public infrastructure and individual job training which will encourage more businesses to choose Florida as a destination to grow jobs. I have fought for jobs since my very first day in office and I do not intend to stop and this new fund will give our state the tools we need to compete with other states and nations for jobs.” 

Local vetoes included: more than $3.25 million in funding for STEM program efforts at University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee and Mote Marine Laboratory; $3 million for improvements to River Road; $1 million for emergency room diversion in Manatee County; $500,000 for a Venice water main replacement project; $1 million for road improvements in the City of Venice; $3 million for infrastructure improvements near Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport; and $2.5 million for improvements to the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Lakewood Ranch campus.

But the region did see $2.5 million for the All Star Children’s foster home protect, $2.5 million for improvements to Nathan Benderson Park and $1 million for Circus Sarasota, the latter of which has been vetoed by the governor before.