May 12, 2011 – Saintpetersblog

Associated Industries of Florida (AIF) today released its annual “Session Wrap-up Report,” which outlines the business community’s major legislative victories for the year.  The publication provides a detailed analysis of the top issues affecting Florida’s business community and AIF’s efforts to advocate for beneficial legislation and against damaging policies that would have the greatest impact on the state’s overall business climate. 
“Thanks to the tone set by Gov. Scott and strong leadership in the Senate and House, the pro-business legislation passed this year will continue to send the right message that Florida is open for business,” said Jose L. Gonzalez, AIF Vice-President, Governmental Affairs.  “For our members and the business community at large, we championed and were able to help deliver the passage of meaningful tort reform, creation of a streamlined agency responsible for the state’s economic development efforts, elimination of duplicative port security requirements and a change in Florida’s corporate income tax formula which will entice capital investment in our state.”
More than 90 percent of AIF’s priorities were passed this session, including:

• • Unemployment Compensation Reforms (HB 7005)

• • Defeat of the ant-business immigration legislation and mandatory E-Verify for all employers (SB 2040)

• • Meaningful tort reform – Crashworthiness (SB 142) and the Postdisaster Relief Assistance Act (SB 450)

• • Passage of corporate income tax reform – Single Sales Factor (HB 143)

• • Repeal of Duplicative Seaport Security Standards (HB 283)

• • Deregulation of Commercial Insurance Rates (HB 99)

• • Property Insurance Reform (SB 408)

• • Medical Malpractice Reform (HB 479)

• • Medicaid Reform (HB 7107)

“While a significant amount of business-friendly legislation was passed this year, we should also measure our success based on the anti-business bills we were able to stop, such as the defeat of the immigration reform proposal that would have forced Florida businesses to use a flawed E-Verify system,” added Gonzalez.  “This controversial proposal would have not only hurt Florida’s trade and tourism industries, but it would have exposed Florida businesses to stiff financial penalties assessed through the error-prone federal system.”