Cut taxes. Support the troops. Make government more efficient. Improve schools. Protect the vulnerable.
But House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, and Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, left off the most obvious priority: protect Gov. Rick Scott, who faces a tough reelection fight.
It was part of the plan all along. A defeat in November would be a shattering blow to Florida Republicans.
When the session ended late Friday, legislative leaders shamelessly celebrated their success at bolstering Scott’s prospects as they put a punctuation mark on an election-year session that lays the groundwork for the upcoming campaign.
“Everything he wanted going into this session, he got,” Weatherford said. “I have every reason to believe this will jump-start him into the election cycle. It’s going to be a really successful year for him going forward.”
Scott’s abbreviated session agenda was designed to attract maximum popular appeal: a $400 million rollback of auto tag fees, more money for education and a freeze on college tuition.
He got all three, and more.
With Weatherford taking the lead, and over Gaetz’s strong opposition, the Legislature approved in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants at Florida colleges and universities.
Scott, who opposed the idea in the past, never pushed for it. He did not mention it in his March State of the State address, but he came awfully close, saying: “Our people are dreamers,” and by calling three times for lower tuition fees.
In keeping with the plan, as lawmakers celebrated passage of the tuition bill Friday, Weatherford gave Scott all the credit for breaking a Senate logjam and for getting former Republican Govs. Bob Martinez and Jeb Bush to lobby for its passage.
