Florida Chamber of Commerce Celebrates Legislative Session Wins for Business
The Florida Chamber of Commerce has celebrated a series of victories for businesses in the recently concluded legislative session. The group counted expansions on school choice and limits on lawsuits among the highlights of the session. The Chamber believes these developments will enhance Florida’s economic competitiveness, driving growth, creating private-sector jobs, and offering more opportunities for businesses and residents. Mark Wilson, the Chamber’s President and CEO, highlighted that the state had become a national model for economic growth and competitiveness, ranking first in the nation in income migration with $4.48 million coming in every hour.
The Chamber engaged with lawmakers, testifying 181 times on bills affecting businesses, and plans to grade lawmakers’ votes for its anticipated Legislative report card. The group considers the passing of the record $116 billion-plus budget and a lawsuit abuse bill a success. Business officials hope the legal changes will ease the average household’s $5,000 lawsuit abuse tax to live in the state. The new expansion of universal school vouchers, workforce education training, affordable housing bill, and rural development efforts all found a place in policies and the budget passed by lawmakers, backed by the Chamber.
The Chamber also prioritized support for autonomous vehicles and forward-looking transportation policy. It cheered the support for the Implementing Solutions from Transportation Research and Evaluating Emerging Technologies (I-Street) lab at the University of Florida, which will grade Florida’s highways for futureproofing. The organization backed accessibility to KidCare, ensuring parents don’t face a fiscal cliff and impossible choices on insuring children. It also supported the so-called paycheck protection legislation, ending automatic pay deductions to support unions, which passed this year after collapsing at the end of prior Sessions.
The Chamber expressed satisfaction with the session’s outcome, emphasizing that a unified business community can make Florida the most competitive state in the country to run a business, raise a family and enjoy its quality of life. Florida’s strong economic performance has attracted businesses and residents alike, making it an ideal destination for investment and economic growth.