Florida watchdog group skeptical of state budget, looks for governor to veto

Florida TaxWatch, a business-backed nonprofit, says $136 million dollars should be cut from the state’s budget.

The watchdog group highlighted 180 member projects on the budget that were not properly checked by lawmakers and is asking the governor to veto those.

TaxWatch says these oversights are just the beginning of what needs to be looked at.

“It becomes an even greater focus when you’ve got this kind of economic downturn,” said Dominic Calabro, the president of Florida TaxWatch. “We’ve got two things. We have got a clear health pandemic with the coronavirus, and we now have an astonishing economic pandemic.”

Most of the spending items targeted were transportation projects, including extending roads and highway landscaping.

The state spending plan has not yet been sent to the governor.

The new budget is set to take effect July 1.

Florida TaxWatch 2020 Budget Turkey Watch Report

• 2020 Budget Turkey Watch Report

https://winknews.com/wp-content/uploads/Turkeys2020-FINAL.pdf