Register for Capitol Days Legal Reform International Trade
Bob Grammig, a partner at Holland and Knight and newly-elected Chair of the Florida Chamber Board of Directors, talks about Florida’s bottom-five legal climate and the importance of international trade in this episode of the Florida Chamber’s Bottom Line.
“One thing that is really a potential huge impediment to the improvement of the Florida economy is the legal climate. In fact, many of our problems stem from this issue,” Grammig said. “We see it in the problems in workers’ compensation, we see it in assignment of benefits (AOB), where the insurance companies are bearing a huge burden that is passed along to the consumers of the state of Florida. It is a tax that essentially falls upon every Florida family and lines the pockets of the trial lawyers.”
International trade makes up approximately 17 percent of Florida’s economy. Grammig explains how leveraging Florida’s global position in international trade can drive both job growth and improvement of life in Florida.
“We have roughly two million jobs that are dependent on Florida trade. That is about one-fifth of all the jobs in the state,” Grammig said. “Those jobs are spread across the state in rural areas, urban areas and in relatively even fashion. In some of our smaller rural markets, those jobs are absolutely vital to the economies in those areas. The Florida Chamber is aggressively involved in driving international trade.”
Register for the Florida Chamber’s 2018 Capitol Days to help continue the conversation with Florida’s top businesses, executives and state leaders.