While Florida has the nation’s fifth-best overall Business Tax Climate according to the U.S. Chamber’s Enterprising States Study, our state also has the 42nd-worst legal climate. Creating a competitive business climate is paramount to our efforts to return Florida to the No. 1 job creator in the nation, and there is undoubtedly much work left to do.
Working with partners such as the Florida Justice Reform Institute, Personal Insurance Federation of Florida, the Florida Association of Insurance Agents, Florida Retail Federation, Florida United Business Association, Florida Insurance Council, National Federation of Independent Business and the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for Legal Reform during the last legislative session, lawmakers passed pro-job measures supported by the Florida Chamber that will improve the business climate by making Florida a more stable and predictable state for the business community to grow and prosper. We also made headway with much-needed legal reforms that provided product liability reform for certain manufacturers and sovereign immunity for teaching hospitals.
The Florida Chamber partners with the Florida Justice Reform Institute to improve Florida’s legal climate.
Bad Faith (SB 1224/HB427)
Eliminating Florida’s reputation as a haven for bad-faith insurance lawsuits would have improved on Florida’s 42nd worst legal climate ranking if passed this session. Consumers would have also benefited from more affordable liability insurance rates.
Currently, Florida does not have legal standards for how insurance companies handle potential bad faith causes of action. Trial attorney often create set-ups for bad faith lawsuits that result in million dollar settlements and payouts — passing cost for these actions along to Florida business and citizens.
The Florida Chamber remains committed to reforming Florida’s legal environment and to providing predictability in the insurance settlement process by allowing 60 days for an insurance company to cure before a bad faith suit can be filed. The Florida Chamber thanks bill sponsors Sen. Steve Oelrich (R-Gainesville) and Rep. Kathleen Passidomo (R-Naples).
Expert Testimony (SB 378/HB 243)
Strengthening the integrity of Florida’s courts, and empowering judges to serve as gatekeepers when considering expert testimony, was the intention of a Florida Chamber-backed legal reform bill that failed for the second year in a row.
Florida businesses have become an easy target for trial lawyers because of the ease in which they admit junk science into the court room. Under SB 378 and HB 243 by Sen. Garrett Richter (R-Naples) and Rep. Larry Metz (R-Eustis), judges could consider whether an expert’s testimony is reliable and based on sound science. The measure would have aligned Florida’s state court system with the federal courts when considering the admissibility of expert witness testimony and improved on Florida’s 42nd worst legal climate.
Truth in Damages (SB 1328/HB 1069)
Efforts to close the phantom damages loophole allowing plaintiff’s to inflate their health care services costs when pursuing damages for an injury did not pass during the 2012 Legislative Session. Passage of this bill would have contributed toward creating a more stable and predictable business climate by ensuring defendants only pay the actual amounts for medical expenses.
The Florida Chamber thanks Sen. Alan Hays (R-Umatilla) and Rep. Larry Metz (R-Eustis) for sponsoring this legal reform legislation.
As a follow-up to our prior call to action, we need your help! The Governor’s office has now allegedly received more than 1,000 emails asking him to veto HB 1013. It is extremely important for Governor Scott to hear from you in support of this bill!
Building on an aggressive multi-year jobs agenda, the Florida Legislature supported 25 Florida Chamber-backed pro-business, pro-jobs bills – further reducing the cost of doing business, the number of burdensome regulations for Florida’s job creators and reforming Florida’s fraudulent auto insurance (PIP) system.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Edie Ousley, 850-251-6261, 850-521-1231 eousley@flchamber.com Tallahassee, FL (March 2, 2012) – The latest edition of The Florida Chamber’s Bottom Line features Senate Majority Leader Andy Gardiner. In a brief interview with Florida Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Mark Wilson, Senator Gardiner discusses recent Florida Senate leadership events and provides details [...]
