Gov. Rick Scott’s $74 billion proposed budget includes lowering the corporate tax rate to exempt another 2,000 businesses and getting rid of sales taxes on manufacturing equipment. He also wants to increase education spending by $1.2 billion, which includes a $2,500 pay raise for full time teachers. State employees would get a $1,200 bonus.
“On top of that, we have a variable pay component. So 15 percent of workers can get $5,000, and another 20 percent can get $2,000 in variable pay annually, going forward. I want to reward the most effective employees," Scott said Thursday.
The governor's budget includes some spending reductions, including the elimination of some state jobs, as well as money to cover tax cuts the governor wants lawmakers to adopt.
It's been more than six years since state workers had a raise. Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, has said he plans to introduce language into the budget for state worker pay raises. Montford says he's been in talks with Senate President Don Gaetz, but those payments could have a hard time in the Republican-dominated legislature.
