Court wants quick response from Gov. Scott on citrus veto

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (The News Service of Florida) Gov. Rick Scott has until noon Monday to respond to a lawsuit challenging his veto of $37.4 million that would have gone to some homeowners in Lee and Broward counties.

The money was intended to go to residents whose healthy citrus trees were cut down as the state tried to eradicate citrus-canker disease.

The Supreme Court set the deadline after the lawsuit was filed Tuesday on behalf of the homeowners and their attorneys.

Lawmakers included the money in the 2017-2018 budget after years of litigation about the state’s removal of trees in those counties and other parts of the state.

The money would satisfy judgments against the state, which destroyed healthy trees from 2000 to 2006 as officials fought citrus canker.

The filing Tuesday at the Supreme Court contended that Scott’s veto of the money was unconstitutional and asked justices to address the issue before the July 1 start of the fiscal year.

In vetoing the money June 2, Scott cited “ongoing litigation” as the reason.