Using his line-item veto power, Florida Governor Rick Scott cut the $400,000 set aside for a study of Florida’s Supreme Court out of the state’s budget. The $400,000 would have gone to the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability to examine the court’s workload, staff and quality of work. The veto was part of Governor Scott’s record $615 million slashing from Florida’s budget.
Criticized as wasteful, the study found its way into the budget during the late hours of the legislative session. A similar measure to expand the state Supreme Court previously failed in the state Senate. Opponents of the study called it a partisan attempt to “split-and-stack” the court. After his veto, Scott recognized support for the study by some, but said harsh economic times prevented spending $400,000 to study the efficiency and structure of the Supreme Court.
The Florida legislature passed other controversial court reform measures that allow for Senate confirmation of Florida Supreme Court justices appointed by the governor. The legislature also has authority over court administrative rulemaking under the newly passed measures.
Florida’s laws and court system may seem confusing to some people. An experienced Florida attorney can help you at any level of legal representation. Contact a Florida lawyer for a consultation about your legal matter.
