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Senate President Negron Confident About Gov. Rick Scott's Support For Reservoir

LHatter
/
WFSU News

Florida senate president Joe Negron said he’s not concerned Governor Rick Scott’s budget doesn’t include money for his proposed $2.4 billion reservoir in South Florida.

Sen. Joe Negron speaks to reporters about HB 819. He's urging Gov. Rick Scott not to veto the bill.
Credit LHatter / WFSU News
/
The Florida Channel

The Republican from Stuart says legislation the governor approved last year gives preference to South Florida water projects.

“I have the burden of proof to convince him and convince my colleagues that, based on Amendment 1 and based on the current issue, that it is appropriate to spend money for additional water storage south of Lake Okeechobee.”

Negron resigned Monday from his law firm because it lobbies state government on behalf of U.S. Sugar. He wants to buy the company’s land for the reservoir, but U.S. Sugar doesn’t want to sell.

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Sarah Mueller is the first recipient of the WFSU Media Capitol Reporting Fellowship. She’ll be covering the 2017 Florida legislative session and recently earned her master’s degree in Public Affairs Reporting at the University of Illinois Springfield. Sarah was part of the Illinois Statehouse press corps as an intern for NPR Illinois in 2016. When not working, she enjoys playing her yellow lab, watching documentaries and reading memoirs.