A look at what Florida has spent money on
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Associated Press has documented that since Gov. Rick Scott took office in 2011, agencies under his control as well as the Florida Legislature and Cabinet officials have spent more than $250 million on private attorneys. Here's a look at some of the spending on outside lawyering Florida taxpayers have had to pay for under Republican leadership:
• More than $100 million in fees paid to lawyers by state agencies, including an expensive water rights struggle with Georgia. The water wars have been waged for nearly 20 years, but costs soared after Scott pushed to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. This total also includes money billed by lawyers defending the actions of the Legislature and governor.
• Nearly $16 million paid to opposing lawyers after losing battles over voting rights, gay marriage, drug testing and other controversial policies. This includes $12 million to attorneys who represented pediatricians who contended Florida violated federal mandates by failing to deliver critical health services to 2 million children on Medicaid; more than $800,000 to lawyers working for the American Civil Liberties Union; and nearly $513,000 to lawyers who defeated a state law targeting businesses doing business in Cuba.
• Nearly $20 million spent by the Legislature defending budgets that advocates say shortchange public schools and Republican-drawn legislative and congressional districts. The state won the education lawsuit at its first turn, but the courts sided against them on districts and approved changes that upended the state's political landscape.
• About $111 million since 2011 through its risk management division on legal cases over auto accidents, employment disputes and worker's compensation claims against state government.
