Florida Governor To Visit CT, Try To Convince Local Businesses To Move

HARTFORD, CT - Florida Governor Rick Scott will be traveling from the sunshine state to the state where a hazardous weather outlook has already been issued for Monday, according to media reports. The governor will visit Connecticut next week on a mission to convince local businesses to move to his state.

Scott will be making an effort during his visit to convince Connecticut businesses to move their operations to Florida, according to NBC Connecticut. The trip has been lunched in response to a recent $85 million Florida Job Growth Grant meant to attract businesses to set up shop in the state. (To sign up for free, local breaking news alerts from more than 100 Connecticut communities click here.)

Scott said Florida has cut more than $6.7 billion in taxes, as well as 4,800 burdensome regulations, NBC Connecticut reported. Scott had previously met with Connecticut business owners in 2015 after they threatened to leave the state due to proposed tax increases.

In fact nearly 14,900 Connecticut residents made Florida their new home in 2015, the CT Post reported. Among those who headed south were two Greenwich billionaires, Thomas Peterffy and Dean Metropoulos.

Scott recently referred to Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy and other officials as out of touch with business leaders, according to the CT Post. He also noted how state officials are struggling to complete a budget that has received a fair amount of criticism.

Malloy issued a press release to Fox 61 on Thursday after learning of Scott's plan, referring to the Florida governor as envious of what Connecticut has, Fox 61 reported. Malloy also said he was happy to host Scott, but does not expect anyone in the state to buy what he is selling.

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