Governor Rick Scott met with black lawmakers Tuesday in a wide-ranging discussion that sometimes grew contentious.
He also said he "didn't have anything to do with passing" the 2011 election bill that cut voting days in Florida, although Scott signed the bill and his administration successfully defended it in court.
State Senator Arthenia Joyner, a Tampa Democrat, was frustrated by the meeting.
"He is hard and fast on his core beliefs and he won't move off of them", said Joyner. "He wants to run Florida like it's Florida, Inc. And this is not a corporation. This is state government."
Scott parried most of the lawmakers' requests, including one to recommend more African Americans for judgeships.