In keeping his pledge to add $1 billion to the K-12 education budget, Governor Rick Scott signed the 2012-13 state budget today while visiting Cunningham Creek Elementary School in St. Johns County. Governor Scott made $1 billion in additional education funding the centerpiece of his legislative agenda this year.

“Over the last year I have traveled the state to hear from Floridians what issues they care about most. That’s why this budget should be known as an education budget,” Governor Scott said. “The two issues that Floridians care most about are jobs and education, and the two go hand-in-hand since a good education is critical to getting a good job.” Read More…

Job statistics released today by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity show Florida’s unemployment rate for March 2012 declined from 9.4 to 9.0 – the largest monthly unemployment rate drop in 20 years, since 1992. Florida added 10,800 jobs in March and more than 100,000 private sector jobs have been created since Governor Scott took office. Read More…

Governor Rick Scott signed legislation today intended to prevent taxpayer dollars from ending up in the hands of companies with business ties to the dictatorships of Cuba or Syria. House Bill 959 lays the groundwork to prevent state and local governments from entering contracts worth $1 million or more with businesses operating in Cuba and [...]

Continuing his focus on job creation and promoting Florida’s world famous citrus industry, Governor Rick Scott picked and processed oranges at IMG Citrus in Indian River County for his ninth ‘Let’s Get to Work!’ Day. He took part in every step of getting oranges to market, including picking, sorting and packing the fruit. Florida’s citrus industry has an economic Impact of $9.3 billion annually and accounts for nearly 80,000 Florida jobs.

“Florida’s citrus industry represents about two-thirds of the U.S. citrus market,” Governor Scott said. “That’s why people think of oranges when they think of Florida, in addition to our great beaches and sunshine.”

Governor Scott spent the morning in the orange grove, picking citrus that was loaded onto a truck and taken to the packinghouse. He also used a tractor to mow the grass between the citrus trees.

Later, Governor Scott arrived at the packing plant with the citrus he and the other citrus workers picked during the morning. After lunch with packinghouse employees, he assisted with sorting the fruit by color, size and quality. After the oranges have passed the rigorous grading process, he packed them into either boxes or bags for shipping to markets throughout the United States and around the world.Read More…

In order to further the goal of government transparency, Governor Rick Scott announced Project Sunburst. E-mails to and from the Governor will be accessible to the public through an online, read-only e-mail viewer. In addition, e-mails to and from 11 members of the Governor’s Office leadership team, who currently constitute more than 80 percent of the public records requests for e-mails, will be available. This unprecedented step gives the citizens of Florida and members of the media an open and transparent window into how their state government works.

“Since my first day in office, I have committed to making sure the citizens of our state have access to the information they need to hold their state government accountable,” Governor Scott said. “I invite Floridians to view my e-mails, as well as those of my leadership team, to learn more about how we are working to make Florida the best state for businesses to grow and expand and create jobs.” Read More…

~Lowers the Cost of Living for Florida Families~

Flanked by local law enforcement today, Governor Rick Scott signed legislation to reform auto accident fraud in Florida, this year’s number one consumer protection issue. This meaningful legislation will lower the cost of auto insurance premiums for Florida drivers by limiting fraud in Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance. Accident fraud would have cost average Floridians over $1 billion this year if PIP reform was not passed.

“Growing up in a family without a lot of money, I truly understand the value of the hard-earned dollar for Florida families,” Governor Scott said. “By helping reduce fraudulent auto accident claims, this legislation will benefit the pocketbooks of every Florida family who drives an automobile. I am glad to do my part in keeping the cost of living low in Florida, and I will continue to work to find ways to do so.” Read More…