Rick Scott in 2018 FL Senate race


On Abortion: Abortion is wrong & Roe versus Wade should be overturned

Abortion: Highly restrict abortion?

Nelson: No. Supports a women's right to choose.

Scott: Yes. "Abortion is wrong & Roe versus Wade should be overturned."

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Florida Senate race Nov 1, 2018

On Government Reform: Political donations exercise the right to free speech

Campaign Finance: Require political ads to disclose their largest funders?

Nelson: Yes. Backed 2017 DISCLOSE ACT requiring ads to disclose funders & major funders to reveal donations.

Scott: No position found.

Support Citizens United decision, allowing unlimited political donations from corporations & unions?

Nelson: No. The decision "opened the floodgates to dark money in campaigns."

Scott: Probable yes. Considers political donations part of exercising the right to free speech.

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Florida Senate race Nov 1, 2018

On Environment: OpEd: Protestors blame Scott for red tide algae bloom

With the noxious odor of red tide hanging in the air and a fresh wave of dead fish washing up on nearby Gulf beaches, a large crowd of people incensed about the devastating algae bloom that has plagued the region for months directed their anger at Gov. Rick Scott during a campaign event in Venice.

Protesters took aim at Scott for cutting funding for environmental agencies early in his first term, arguing Scott's cost-cutting and deregulation have kept the state from implementing measures that could have helped minimize naturally occurring red tide blooms.

Scott supporters who came out to see the candidate said it's unfair to blame the governor for the algae bloom when red tide has been documented going back centuries. But Scott's critics say his policies have exacerbated the problem. Red tide blooms start offshore but can feed on nutrients found in nearshore waters. Leaky septic tanks, lawn fertilizer found in stormwater runoff & other factors can add to nutrient levels in nearshore waters.

Source: Herald-Tribune on 2018 Florida Senate race Sep 17, 2018

On Environment: Repealed mandatory septic tank inspection & cut state DEP

Scott's critics say his policies have exacerbated the problem of red tide blooms, which feed on nutrients found in nearshore waters. Leaky septic tanks, lawn fertilizer found in stormwater runoff and other factors can add to those nutrient levels. Scott signed off on legislation that repealed a mandatory septic tank inspection program. The inspections were intended to identify failing septic tanks that are leaching pollutants.

The governor also cut $700 million from the state's water management districts, which help implement a range of water quality programs. And Scott reduced staffing at the state Department of Environmental Protection and pushed to speed up and streamline environmental permitting, leading some to accuse the state of cutting corners in protecting the environment.

Source: Herald-Tribune on 2018 Florida Senate race Sep 17, 2018

On Environment: Emergency $9M to cope with red tide algae bloom

In recent years Scott has moderated his approach to environmental issues and supported increased funding for some environmental programs, but the policies from his early years as governor are the source of frequent criticism from environmental advocates.

Scott declared a state of emergency last month covering seven counties impacted by the red tide bloom. The governor also has directed $9 million in grant funding to help communities cope with the bloom.

"While red tide is a naturally occurring algae that has been documented along Florida's Gulf Coast since the 1840's, Gov. Scott is fighting to use all available resources to help impacted communities, including declaring a state of emergency and providing millions of dollars in grant funding to Southwest Florida counties for cleanup and recovery efforts," a spokesperson said.

Source: Herald-Tribune on 2018 Florida Senate race Sep 17, 2018

On Environment: Lake Okeechobee water is murky, but it's a federal issue

The Democratic incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson and his GOP challenger, Florida Gov. Rick Scott, have blamed each other for the state's environmental crisis.

Scott has run a TV ad accusing Nelson of having done nothing during his time in Congress to improve the situation with Lake Okeechobee. Seasonal discharges from the lake have fueled toxic algae blooms along the Treasure Coast and in Southwest Florida.

Whenever heavy rains raise Lake O's water level, the Army Corps of Engineers releases billions of gallons of water from the lake through canals. Since the federal government controls those discharges, Scott blames Nelson for not doing more to stop it.

But the Army Corps doesn't control the quality of the water in the lake. Environmental groups across the state have been harshly critical of Scott's tenure in Tallahassee, saying his administration's budgets cuts for environmental programs helped lead to the water problems now plaguing the state.

Source: Florida Today AdWatch on 2018 Florida Senate race Aug 17, 2018

On Gun Control: Don't ban AR-15s; fully automatic weapons already illegal

Q: The NRA is suing the state of Florida to block a new law that would raise the legal age to buy all guns to 21 years old, the NRA saying that it violates the constitutional rights of 18-to-21-year-old people. Do you feel like that this law violates the Second Amendment?

Sen. Ron JOHNSON (R-WI): I would not support the law. You know, we send our sons and daughters over to Afghanistan, in Iraq. They defend our freedoms. If they do that, they ought to be able to buy a hunting rifle.

Q: What about an AR-15? 18-year-olds with AR-15s, that's OK?

JOHNSON: We ought to really detail what the operational characteristics are of weapons, rather than just a scary name or a gun that looks a little bit scarier. There are plenty of hunting weapons that basically have the same operational characteristics. And it's already illegal to have a fully automatic weapon. It's illegal to convert a legal weapon into an automatic weapon.

Source: CNN interviews for 2018 Florida Senate race Mar 11, 2018

The above quotations are from 2018 Florida Senate race: debates and news coverage.
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Rick Scott on other issues:
Abortion
Budget/Economy
Civil Rights
Corporations
Crime
Drugs
Education
Energy/Oil
Environment
Families
Foreign Policy
Free Trade
Govt. Reform
Gun Control
Health Care
Homeland Security
Immigration
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Principles
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Tax Reform
Technology
War/Peace
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Page last updated: May 11, 2020