Fla. Governor Vetoes $368 Million in Spending

State authorizes line-item vetoes

Gov. Rick Scott vetoed more than $368 million in spending from the Florida's 2013-14 budget, using his line-item authority to strike out scores of projects ranging from a $50 million coast-to-coast bike trail to tens of millions in college and university tuition.

Scott's extensive veto list is more than twice as large as his list last year, and his largest since his first year in office. It slashed state spending from $74.5 million to $74.1 million.

Repeatedly citing the need for a statewide impact and a return on investment for all spending decisions, Scott vetoed more than $25 million in local water projects, millions in spending for education programs and school construction, museums, re-entry programs and other social services. Many lawmakers hoping to include so-called "turkey" in the budget during the first year of a surplus in years will be disappointed as their hometown projects were axed by Scott.