Overview

Each year members of the Florida Senate and House of Representatives gather in Tallahassee for a 60-day Legislative Session to determine and debate issues important to Floridians. On behalf of the Florida Chamber’s Board of Directors, 139,000 grassroots members and the more than three million jobs they represent, we urge the Florida Legislature to support our pro-business solutions to transition our economy and help create jobs.

For the past decade, and in collaboration with our members and elected leaders, the Florida Chamber has created the state’s annual agenda for jobs, commonly referred to as the Florida Business Agenda. This agenda serves as a blueprint for private-sector job creation and a guide for the legislature and Governor to leverage as they focus on getting Floridians back to work and securing Florida’s future.

Florida Legislature Lowers Cost of Doing Business & Supports 25 Florida Chamber Bills

Despite a $2 billion budget gap, the challenges of redistricting, election year politics and the distraction of the attempted expansion of Las Vegas-style casino gambling, lawmakers furthered the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s goal of securing Florida’s future by ending the 2012 Legislative Session without a single new tax, higher fee, new regulation or union-backed mandate. Building on a multi-year jobs agenda, the Florida Legislature supported 25 Florida Chamber-backed pro-business, pro-jobs bills – further reducing the cost of doing business and the number of burdensome regulations for Florida’s job creators and reforming Florida’s fraudulent auto insurance reform (PIP) system.

Victories You Helped Us Achieve

Passed 21st Century Digital Learning (HB 7063, 2012)
Aligned Higher Education for a Knowledge-based Economy (SB 1366, 2012)
Strengthened Florida’s Aviation and Aerospace Industries (SB 634, 2012)
Streamlined Florida’s Regulatory Process while Protecting the Environment (HB 503, 2012)
Reduced Regulations and Streamlined Florida’s Permitting Process (HB 5501, 2012)
Passed Water Quality Measures that Protect Florida’s Natural Resources (HB 7051, 2012)
Reformed Florida’s Fraudulent Auto Insurance (PIP) System (HB 119, 2012)
Reduced Unemployment Compensation Tax, Saving Employers $579 Million (HB 7027, 2012)
Repealed More Than 270 Rules and Regulations (HB 7029, 2012)
Defeated Expansion of Las Vegas-style Casino Gambling (HB 487 & SB 710, 2012)