Gov. Rick Scott's $618 million tax cut package encountered bipartisan resistance in a Florida House panel Tuesday.

It underscores the challenging political environment the governor finds himself in just three weeks before the start of the 2017 legislative session.

  • $618 million tax cut package from Gov. Rick Scott
  • Three-quarters benefit corporations, other cuts are sales tax holidays
  • Lawmakers concerned plan too expensive, nothing for homeowners

As one of Scott's economic policy aides detailed the governor's plan before the House Ways and Means Committee, members took aim at the size and scope of the cuts, three-quarters of which would benefit corporations.

"I understand that a lot of these are smaller businesses, but nonetheless, it's an overall economic theory, and it's overt at this point, when you look at these numbers," remarked Rep. Evan Jenne (D-Hollywood). "Right now in the state of Florida, we have the fourth-largest wealth gap in the entire nation, and continuing percentages like these across the board, not just in this package but overall, in what we've moved to over the course of the last few years, only exacerbates that."

The package also wouldn't slow increases in property taxes stemming from climbing valuations, an omission some of the governor's fellow Republicans find unacceptable.

"I don't see anything here for homeowners," Rep. Bob Cortes (R-Altamonte Springs) said.

For members who didn't take issue with the targeting of the cuts, there was another issue: affordability. State economists are projecting a slight budget deficit that House Speaker Richard Corcoran (R-Land O'Lakes) believes will be much more dire as the springtime legislative session hits its stride.

"In my estimation, we are probably more between a half and a billion dollars in the hole," Corcoran told reporters in November.

A deficit that large could crowd out funding for all but the state's most essential priorities, but Scott is continuing to insist that the gloomy budget outlook is out of step with the strength of Florida's economy.

"There are always people who say we cannot afford to cut taxes," Scott said in January, "but they are absolutely wrong."

Democratic leaders have charged that the state's slashing of billions of dollars in corporate taxes under Scott's leadership has failed to result in the kind of business expansion the governor promised would lead to increased state tax revenue, instead leaving behind looming deficits.

But if the news from the House Office Building was disheartening Tuesday, Scott enjoyed a pep talk on another of his priorities -- saving Florida's economic development programs from extinction -- from two strange bedfellows: the Democratic mayors of Tampa and Orlando.

"We support whoever helps our cities, and in this case, we happen to think the governor is right," said Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, who visited Scott's office with Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. "We've seen the benefit because we're on the ground."

Compared to the tax cuts, House Republicans are considerably more opposed to the incentive programs, with Corcoran leading a trailblazing effort to dismantle what he dismissively calls "corporate welfare."