TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) Gov. Rick Scott will focus on jobs and education when he makes his third State of the State address.
The speech comes Tuesday as lawmakers begin their 60-day legislative session.
Scott will make a push for the $2,500 across the board raise for teachers, saying steps he took his first year to eliminate tenure and base raises on performance makes it easier to move bad teachers out of classrooms.
He also plans to point out job growth, and he has an answer for critics who question who to credit for new jobs.
In speech excerpts released Monday, Scott says, "Maybe it is because I am not a politician, but I think this is a great debate to have. It celebrates the fact that our economy is once again creating jobs."
