Governor Rick Scott signed a $74.1 billion state budget for the fiscal year that starts July first on Monday. This was the first budget surplus in years, but the governor's vetoes totaled $368 million – the most since his first year in office.
Topping the list, he vetoed a 3% tuition increase for universities and state colleges.
"I don't anticipate a challenge, but if there is, we're going to fight it. I mean, this is the wrong thing, to be raising tuition on Florida families", Scott said. "Tuition has gone up significantly in the last five years. We've got to stop this. We've got to focus on keeping the cost of higher education as low as we can and make sure these students get jobs."
Legislative leaders had said the cost of tuition in Florida is among the nation's lowest, and students should have more skin in the game.
Scott also vetoed $50 million for the Coast-to-Coast Connector, a bike trail from Saint Petersburg to Titusville, and a slew of local projects.
He vetoed $14 million sought by Senate President Don Gaetz for a project at Gulf Coast State College in Panama City.
Scott touted the $480 million he fought for to give K-12 teachers a pay raise.