Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Beshear: Florida Governor's Recruitment Trip is Political

Office of Florida Governor Rick Scott

The Governor of Florida is visiting the commonwealth this week, but his Kentucky counterpart isn’t rolling out the welcome mat. Rick Scott is trying to convince Kentucky business to expand or relocate to the Sunshine State.

In visits to Lexington and Louisville, Governor Scott touted Florida as a right-to-work state with no personal income tax.  Scott is using a familiar tactic.  As CEO of Columbia\HCA, he relocated the company’s headquarters from Louisville to Nashville in the 1990s after criticizing Kentucky’s tax code. 

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear says Scott’s recruitment trip is a waste of time.

"What Governor Scott needs to realize is that last year Kentucky placed first in the nation for job creation per capita, not Florida, Kentucky," Beshear told WKU Public Radio.  "That tells us all we need to know about our business climate."

In Lexington Tuesday, Scott announced that an aerospace company in Hebron is expanding to create 40 jobs in Florida. 

Beshear calls the trip political, noting that Scott is on the Republican Governor’s Association executive committee and is trying to influence Kentucky’s gubernatorial election. 

Besides Kentucky, Scott has visited four other states this year, all with Democratic governors.

Lisa is a Scottsville native and WKU alum. She has worked in radio as a news reporter and anchor for 18 years. Prior to joining WKU Public Radio, she most recently worked at WHAS in Louisville and WLAC in Nashville. She has received numerous awards from the Associated Press, including Best Reporter in Kentucky. Many of her stories have been heard on NPR.