His Last Chance: What Floridians Are Hoping Rick Scott Will Say Today

Today, Rick Scott will deliver his fourth state of the state address — and unless he changes the deeply misguided priorities he’s held for three years, it will be his last.

For three years, Rick Scott’s priorities have consistently put the wealthy special interests and biggest corporations first. Middle class Floridians are struggling, and Scott cut funding for education and families, raised college tuition, and pointed fingers instead of acting on rising flood insurance and electric rates. 

Running for reelection, Scott has tried to mislead Floridians about his real record — but he isn’t fooling anybody about his real priorities. To win reelection, Rick Scott would have to put aside those misguided priorities.

If Rick Scott is ready, here’s the real leadership Floridians are waiting for today:

• Expand access to affordable health care. Rick Scott hasn’t just failed to lift a finger to make it easier for working Floridians to afford health care — this year, he refuses to even consider it.

• Invest in the middle class. Instead of rejecting job-creating investment in the middle class in favor of big handouts to the special interests, Rick Scott should work to create well-paying Florida jobs.

• Pass in-state tuition for Dreamers. All of Florida’s children deserve the same chance to earn an affordable college education, and win a foothold in the middle class.

• Restore his cuts to Bright Futures merit scholarships. It’s time for Rick Scott to restore the money he cut from the scholarships that give Florida’s brightest and hardest working students a path to college.

• Pass women’s pay equity. There is no specific law in Florida protecting women from being paid less than a man, and Florida families know this must change.

• Make voting easier, not harder. Rick Scott must end his discredited voter purge and make it easier for Floridians to vote — including restoring the full 14 days of early voting.

These are the priorities that Florida middle class families will be waiting for. This is the leadership the voters are demanding.

Today, they will be watching to see if Rick Scott can reverse course on his failed policies and show this leadership.