News

Statement from Mark Wilson, President & CEO, Florida Chamber of Commerce on Governor Signing Florida’s Historic Universal School Choice Legislation, Empowering All Florida Parents to Set the Best Educational Path for their Children

“Universal School Choice means every Florida student can achieve their unique educational goals, regardless of their family’s income or their zip code. With only 53 percent Florida third graders reading at or above grade level, it is clear Florida families and students need support and flexibility, and this bill empowers them to have tailored educational experiences rather than the current one-size fits all approach. The Florida Chamber has actively supported this legislation, as it supports…

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Statement from Mark Wilson, President & CEO, Florida Chamber of Commerce re: House Passage of SB 102, Game-Changing Legislation to Address Florida’s Affordable Workforce Housing Crisis

“One of the top four issues Florida Chamber members are concerned about is Florida’s affordable workforce housing crisis and we applaud the Florida Legislature for passing game-changing legislation to address the clear and present housing challenges facing Floridians. The passage of this important legislation will help meet the needs of our growing population and ensure Florida’s workforce can ‘live local’ in the communities where they work. We thank Senate President Kathleen Passidomo for her leadership…

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Statement from Mark Wilson, President & CEO, Florida Chamber of Commerce re: Governor Ron DeSantis’ Signing of Florida’s Most Significant Lawsuit Abuse Reform in Modern History into Law

“Today, Governor Ron DeSantis put Florida consumers and local businesses above special interests by signing historic, Florida Chamber-backed lawsuit abuse reform legislation into law. This will begin to reverse the damage done by personal injury billboard trial lawyers, redirecting the billions of dollars spent annually on frivolous litigation and pulling Florida up from its bottom-five legal climate, setting us on the path to reaching our Florida 2030 Blueprint goal of being one of the top…

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Florida Chamber-Backed, Historic Lawsuit Abuse Reform Bill Passes the Florida Senate and Heads to Governor DeSantis’ Desk

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (March 23, 2023)— Today, the Florida Senate passed HB 837 by a bipartisan 23 to 15 vote, a comprehensive and meaningful lawsuit abuse reform package supported by the Florida Chamber of Commerce and many of our key partners. The bill is now in route to Governor Ron DeSantis’ desk for his signature. “This is a great day for Florida families, consumers, and local businesses,” said Mark Wilson, President and CEO of the Florida…

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Florida House Passes Florida Chamber of Commerce Backed, Much Needed Historic Lawsuit Abuse Reform Bill

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (March 17, 2023)— Today, the Florida House of Representatives passed HB 837 by an 80 to 31 vote, a comprehensive and meaningful lawsuit abuse reform package supported by the Florida Chamber of Commerce. According to Florida Chamber President and CEO, Mark Wilson: “Billboard and personal injury trial lawyers who advertise on TV for too long have taken advantage of Florida’s bottom-five legal climate to line their own pockets, and today was a significant…

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Path to Prosperity Spotlight – The A.D. Henderson Foundation

Tell us a little bit about The A.D. Henderson Foundation. The A.D. Henderson Foundation is a family foundation that is dedicated to improving the lives of young children and their families in Broward County, Florida and the State of Vermont. Founders, Alexander D. and Lucy E. Henderson started the Foundation in 1959 to help improve the education and support systems for children to ensure that all children reach their full potential. Since 1993, over $69…

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FL 2030 Trailblazer Spotlight – Mark Pritchett, Gulf Coast Community Foundation

Tell us a little about Gulf Coast Community Foundation. Gulf Coast Community Foundation is headquartered in Venice, Florida and has a second office in downtown Sarasota. Since 1995, Gulf Coast has transformed it’s four-county region by granting more than $500 million in the areas of health and human services, civic and economic development, education, arts and culture, and the environment. Gulf Coast was named one of the “Best Nonprofits to Work For” nationally by The…

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The Florida Chamber of Commerce Stands in Support of Florida’s Game-Changing Lawsuit Abuse Reform Package – HB 837

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (February 24, 2023)— Today, Florida Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Mark Wilson stood with Speaker of the House Paul Renner and bill sponsors Representative Tommy Gregory and Representative Tom Fabricio and other key partners after passage of HB 837 out of the Civil Justice Subcommittee. The final committee stop for the bill is in the Judiciary Committee before the measure heads to the House floor. “The Florida Chamber has been unifying the…

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New Florida Chamber Statewide Poll Shows Local Businesses and Free Enterprise Supported by Voters

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (February 23, 2023) – The latest Florida Chamber statewide poll finds more than 9 out of 10 (92%) of Florida voters have a favorable opinion of local businesses, which are the foundation of our economy, and 80% of voters have a favorable opinion of free enterprise. More than half of likely Florida voters believe Florida is headed in the right direction (51:42), while at the same time a majority of Florida voters (65:23), nearly…

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Florida Chamber of Commerce Unveils 2023 Legislative Agenda Where We Stand Outlines Competitive Priorities

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (February 21, 2023)— Today, the Florida Chamber of Commerce launched its 2023 Florida Business Agenda, during the 2023 Florida Chamber Legislative Fly-In, highlighting where it stands on key business priorities for the upcoming legislative session. The Florida Chamber’s annual Where We Stand business agenda outlines key issues facing Florida’s job creators and impacting Florida’s competitiveness, along with policy recommendations to keep moving Florida in the right direction. “Free enterprise isn’t free. The Florida…

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Chief Economist Corner: The Coming Global Economic Slowdown and Its Impact on Florida

By: Dr. Ben Tabatabaei, Chief Economist & Executive Director of the International Center of Economic Development, Florida Chamber of Commerce Alphabet, Microsoft, Goldman Sachs, and Salesforce are all examples of well-known industry giants cutting their workforce amid concerns over a global slowdown in the tech sector. Amazon recently notified its workforce that it will be laying off 18,000 of its employees; concentrated among those who hold administrative and corporate positions. This is mainly due to…

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A statement from Mark Wilson, Florida Chamber of Commerce President & CEO regarding Florida’s affordable housing:

“Florida needs more affordable employee housing and we applaud President Passidomo for her leadership. Florida’s ability to attract and retain the talent necessary to grow from the 16th to 10th largest global economy relies on the availability of affordable and attainable housing. Senate President Kathleen Passidomo’s important legislation will help meet the needs of our growing state and ensure Florida’s workforce can continue to ‘live local’ in the communities where they work. As Florida welcomes…

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Florida Chamber Foundation Predicts Another Positive Year of Population and Economic Growth in 2023

The Florida Chamber Foundation unveiled its 2023 economic and demographic predictions during its 2023 Florida Economic Outlook & Jobs Solution Summit today. During today’s state of Florida business and forecasting event, the Florida Chamber Foundation team, leading economists, and industry experts shared a glimpse into the opportunities and challenges Florida’s economy is facing on the road to 2030, in addition to an exclusive 2023 Florida economic forecast, a national economic outlook, and valuable insight into…

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A statement from Mark Wilson, Florida Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Regarding Historic, Consumer-Focused Property Insurance Reforms Pass During Special Session

“The Florida Chamber applauds Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida’s House and Senate leaders for their continued efforts to stabilize Florida’s property insurance market and protect Florida’s consumers from hurricane taxes, diminishing coverage options and increasing affordability challenges. The passage of Florida Chamber-backed Senate Bill 2A protects Floridians by making significant strides towards long standing Florida Chamber priorities, specifically reining in Florida’s lawsuit abuse problems, eliminating cost drivers ripe for fraud such as assignment of benefits,…

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Florida’s Childhood Poverty Numbers Trending in the Right Direction

Brand new childhood poverty data shows the number of Florida children living in poverty has dropped to 763,527 – down more than 10,000 from last year. This marks the sixth consecutive year that childhood poverty in Florida has decreased from over 900,000 when the Florida 2030 Blueprint was launched in 2018. While the Florida Chamber Foundation’s Florida Prosperity Project, a full-time effort led by Florida’s job creators, aims to cut childhood poverty in half by…

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