While it's still not known what the governor will do as far as the budget is concerned, Rick Scott signed 11 bills into law on Tuesday, including the one that funds the building of a reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee. It was one of the top priorities of the Senate President.
Joe Negron says the bill will go a long way in avoiding future toxic algae crises, which are blamed in part on discharges from the lake into the St. Lucie River and other bodies of water.
Other bills signed into law yesterday include the "Therapy Dog for Children Bill", which allows kids, victims and people with intellectual disabilities to use therapy animals in legal proceedings, and one that allows police officers using body cameras to review the recorded footage before writing a report or providing a statement. The new laws take effect July first.
Meanwhile, the governor has said he will go through the legislature-approved budget line-by-line before he takes the next step. The nearly $83 billion spending plan ignored Scott's top priorities of fully funding Visit Florida and Enterprise Florida.
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