Democrats Take Aim at Republicans over Governor's Education Budget Proposal

By Lynn Hatter

Tallahassee, FL – The House Pre-K through 12 Committee heard a report on Governor Charlie Crist's education budget Thursday, and the proposed increases in funding are already drawing a partisan divide. Democrats are lining up in support of the budget.

Republicans say the money the governor is counting on to fund his increases isn't guaranteed, while Democrats like Broward Representative Martin Kair are trying to paint the opposite party as being anti-education. Take this exchange between Kair and Pre-K-12 Committee Chair Anitere Flores.

Kair: "Is the governor then recommending to the Legislature that it figure out a way to provide more money to education rather than just cut it like it's done in the past years?"
Flores: "Let's keep questions to questions and debate to debate. Come on."
Kair: "That was a question."
Flores: "Nope, that was not a question."
Kair: "May I restate my question?"
Flores: "You can restate the question."

There is already a three-billion dollar budget hole lawmakers have to fill, and it has left many of them trying to figure out how to fund an increase when the state is in a shortfall.