Gov. Rick Scott urges job creation, tax cuts on first day of Florida Legislature's session

Florida had such a busy day Tuesday with the news that the U.S. Supreme Court declared the state's death penalty system unconstitutional that it overshadowed Gov. Rick Scott's State of the State address to the Florida Legislature. For those who missed it, it sounded a lot like this: jobs, jobs, jobs, please pass my tax cuts and did I mention, jobs?

“I believe that the best way to help the weakest, the poorest and the most disadvantaged to live their dreams is to get them a job,” Scott said in his remarks. “A job is the No. 1 way to change any person’s life for the better.”

On the first day of the Legislature's session, Scott asked representatives to pass a $1 billion tax cut package for manufacturers and create a $250 million Florida Enterprise Fund to attract more jobs and small businesses to the state. You can read the rest of his remarks here. 

In response to Scott's speech, activists gathered at "Awake the State" rallies across the state that involved multiple organizations.

In Orlando, Yulissa Arce, of Organize Now, rallied protesters from Mi Familia Vota, SEIU, Farmworkers Association of Florida and other groups in front of Florida Rep. Mike Miller's, R-Winter Park, office in downtown Orlando. Organize Now says in an email the rallies serve as a counterpoint to "Scott and his allies' extremist agenda" that rewards "corporate backers while ignoring the needs of everyday Floridians."  

"Today is the first day of the 60 most dangerous days in Florida," Arce tells the crowd. “Today, legislators begin passing laws that gravely affect Floridians and seemingly only benefit the wealthy and corporations."