ORLANDO, Fla. – Governor Rick Scott joined the Local 6 Morning News on Friday to discuss a range of topics, including school cuts in Central Florida, the Stand Your Ground law and choosing a new lieutenant governor.
Local 6 viewers wanted Scott to address why their children's schools were forced to make major cuts such as fewer teaching positions, cutting bus routes and closing schools.
Recommended Videos
Scott noted lawmakers have been working on increasing funding for Florida's schools and pointed to individual school districts to sort out their spending.
"You have to go to the local school districts," Scott told Local 6. "We're increasing funding two years in a row, but a school district decides how they're going to allocate the dollars."
Local 6 viewers also pressed the governor about the state's school grading system and the so-called "safety net" for underperforming schools. A Local 6 investigation revealed schools that should have received an F actually received higher grades. In some cases, failing schools were given a B grade.
[RELATED: Points reveal schools' actual grades]
Scott told Local 6 a special committee will meet next week in Clearwater to address issues with the state's education, including the grading system.
"We want to constantly raise our standard globally," Scott said. "But what's the right way of doing it? So that's what they'll do next week."
The governor defended the state's Stand Your Ground law during his visit to the Local 6 Morning News.
Protesters held a sit-in at the governor's office for a month to push him to work with lawmakers to make changes or repeal the controversial law.
"I believe in our self-defense laws," the governor said. "I"m not going to call a special session."
Scott also noted state legislators voted down a special session to discuss the law as well.
When asked about the time it has taken to choose a lieutenant governor, Scott asked for patience.
"We're working on the criteria, making sure we find somebody who is going to do exactly what I'm doing," Scott told Local 6.