A divided appeals court upheld the constitutionality of a 2015 decision by Gov. Rick Scott to veto $2,000 pay raises that lawmakers had included in the state budget for firefighters.

Rejecting arguments that the veto violated collective-bargaining rights, the majority of a three-member panel of the First District Court of Appeal said Scott acted within his authority to veto spending items in the state budget. It said lawmakers could have overridden the veto but did not.