by John Gramlich, Stateline Staff Writer

State of the states 2012 – Part 1: Overview

From the moment he took office last year, Florida Governor Rick Scott made clear that a new and unabashedly conservative administration had taken power in Tallahassee — just as it had in state capitals around the country following an historic election haul for Republicans in 2010.Scott, a Tea Party-backed Republican, stood before a cheering crowd and introduced a state budget that contained more than $4 billion in tax cuts for corporations and property owners, even as it slashed funding for K-12 education. “Critics have said we can’t afford to cut taxes now,” Scott said. “I say they are wrong. I say we must cut taxes now.”But the plan didn’t sit well with Scott’s fellow Republicans, who control both chambers of the Florida legislature. They largely ignored the governor’s budget and sent him their own — one with more money for schools and just a fraction of the tax cuts Scott demanded. Continue reading →