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Florida Chamber Action Alert: Urge Legislators to Oppose the Expansion of Gambling!

February 02, 2012 | Print Print

Please contact members of the House Business and Consumer Affairs Committee BY 5:00 p.m. TODAY and urge them to OPPOSE the massive expansion of Las Vegas-style casino gambling by voting NO on HB 487!

HB 487, which is sponsored by Representative Fresen, is scheduled to be heard tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. in the House Business and Consumer Affairs Committee and does nothing to help secure Florida’s future. The Florida Chamber of Commerce urges you contact the legislators below and urge them to oppose HB 487.

As the leading voice of business in Florida, the Florida Chamber strongly opposes this bill because it will cause an unprecedented expansion of gambling in Florida. For more than two decades, the Florida Chamber has opposed the expansion of gambling in Florida. Specifically, this legislation is a bad bet for Florida because it enables mega-casinos to forever change the future of Florida’s economic and world-wide brand. The Florida Chamber considers this legislation to be a major distraction to the Florida Chamber’s 2012 priorities that include improving Florida’s business climate, eliminating overburdensome regulations and reducing the cost of doing business for employers.

This legislation is a bad bet for Florida because it:

  • Harms Florida businesses, kills jobs, rather than creating them;
  • Will change Florida’s worldwide brand forever;
  • Cannibalizes existing businesses in Florida; and
  • Diverts ongoing smart economic development strategies.

On this issue, the Attorney General, the Chief Financial Officer and the Commissioner of Agriculture are standing with the Florida Chamber of Commerce as are Florida’s leading business associations including the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association and the Florida Retail Federation. In addition, nearly every major newspaper in the state of Florida has sided with the Florida Chamber of Commerce on this issue.

Call or email members of the House Business and Consumer Affairs below by 1:00 p.m. TODAY and ask them to oppose HB487!

  • Doug Holder, Chair (R-70), 850-488-1171, Doug.holder@myfloridahouse.gov
  • Jason Brodeur (R-33,) 850-488-0468, Jason.brodeur@myfloridahouse.gov
  • Joseph Abruzzo (D-85), 850-488-4791, Joseph.abbruzzo@myfloridahouse.gov
  • Larry Ahern (R-51), 850-488-6197, Larry.ahern@myfloridahouse.gov
  • Mack Bernard (D-84), 850-488-8632, Mack.bernard@myfloridahouse.gov
  • Ana Rivas Logan (R-114), 850-488-2831, Ana.logan@myfloridahouse.gov
  • Charles McBurney (R-16), 850-488-4171, Charles.mcburney@myfloridahouse.gov
  • Jeanette Nunez (R-112), 850-488-7897, Jeanette.nunez@myfloridahouse.gov
  • Keith Perry (R-22), 850-488-0887, Keith.perry@myfloridahouse.gov
  • Scott Plakon (R-37), 850-488-2231, Scott.plakon@myfloridahouse.gov
  • Ken Robertson (R-71), 850-488-0060, Ken.roberson@myfloridahouse.gov
  • Darry Rouson (D-55), 850-488-0925, Darryl.rouson@myfloridahouse.gov
  • Cynthia Stafford (D-109), 850-488-0625, Cynthia.stafford@myfloridahouse.gov
  • Geraldine Thompson (D-39), 850-488-0760, Geraldine.thompson@myfloridahouse.gov
  • Carlos Trujillo (R-116), 850-488-5047, Carlos.trujillo@myfloridahouse.gov
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