Fla. rep: Scott impeachment not likely

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., April 6 (UPI) -- Several hundred Floridians signed online impeachment petitions against Republican Gov. Rick Scott, but lawmakers say impeachment isn't likely under state law.

The petition cites Scott's rejection of federal money for high speed rail, opposition to seeking federal approval of two voter-approved fair-redistricting measures and support for drug-testing welfare recipients among reasons for impeachment. The Miami Herald reported.

However, state law dictates only the state House of Representatives can impeach a governor by a two-thirds vote followed by trial by the Senate -- and both are dominated by Republicans.

Republican Sen. Mike Fasano called the matter "silly," saying he has received several dozen letters.

"The governor hasn't broken any laws," Fasano told the Herald in an article published Tuesday. "Some of us disagree with him, but those are not impeachable offenses."

Scott's popularity among the voters is in the tank, with nearly half of registered voters saying they think he's doing a bad job, a Quinnipiac University poll indicated. Only 35 percent voters give Scott a positive job-approval rating while 48 percent said they disapproved of Scott's job performance

Reasons for his unpopularity are numerous: a moribund economy, power struggles within the GOP, a newly energized left and his proposed budget that calls for deep cuts and up to 6,000 layoffs.

"Today, Scott is a four-letter word to many Florida voters, but political popularity can change with time," Quinnipiac pollster Peter Brown said. "It is exceedingly rare for an unindicted governor or president to ever be seen as poorly by the electorate as his legislature or Congress."

Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,499 registered voters March 29-April 4. The margin of error is 2.5 percentage points. Live interviewers call land lines and cell phones.