Governor Crist & State of the State

For the first time, our Governor presented his State of the State address during prime time. Governor Crist, before a joint session of Florida’s Senate and House of Representatives, presented his agenda for the legislative session. The speech was interspersed with 4 videos of Floridians expressing their support of the Governor’s programs in energy & economic development, health care, restoration of civil rights, and property taxes.

The address was optimistic, upbeat and forward thinking. It will be interesting to see how the Governor’s, House Speaker’s and Senate President’s agendas are maneuvered over the next 60 days. No one argues that the budget process will be a contentious debate. Revenue shortfalls will require budget reductions. The Governor favors using Trust Fund deposits to balance the budget. The Senate President is generally supportive of the Governor. The Speaker rejects using Trust Fund assets. The Democrats are looking at new revenue sources, primarily through closing existing “loop-holes”. The Republicans are taking a “no-new-taxes” position. The State Constitution requires a balanced budget.

In 60 days, we’ll see how this drama plays out.

Governor Crist’s 2008 State of the State Address