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Chairman’s MessageOutstanding leadership leads to outstanding resultsFlorida’s unemployment rate continues to plummet, now down to 4.7 percent, well below the national average of 6.2 percent, according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. Further, Florida has had 10 consecutive months of job growth, gaining more than 19,000 private sector jobs in the month of February. And from April 2020 to February 2021, Florida has gained a total of 735,500 private sector jobs. As with our COVID-19 numbers, these employment figures don’t lie. Governor DeSantis has done an outstanding job leading the state through challenging times. Dane Eagle, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, points out that Floridians have taken full advantage of this strong leadership: “Floridians are resilient, and it is impressive to see Florida’s unemployment rate plummet as they return to work and more jobs are created.” Here are some core data points for February 2021:
All of this was the direct result of Governor DeSantis hewing to the conservative American principles of personal freedom and accountability and keeping the state open since last Spring. By standing strong in the face of constant, intense criticism, the Governor has made Florida a shining spot for a rapidly recovered quality of life. See the stats here:
COVID-19 Update
Governor DeSantis said he will take emergency executive action to block vaccine passports to be able to travel domestically and internationally. “We’re not supportive of that. I think it’s something that people have certain freedoms and individual liberties to make decisions for themselves,” the Governor said. “It’s completely unacceptable for either the government or the private sector to impose upon you the requirement that you show proof of vaccine to just simply be able to participate in normal society.” DeSantis said that people shouldn’t need to show proof of inoculation against the virus to go to a game, movie, theme parks, or other social events. Read more here:
Florida UpdateGovernor DeSantis signed CS/SB 72 that will provide crucial liability protection to individuals, businesses, educational institutions, religious organizations and health care providers for liability claims related to COVID-19. Governor DeSantis was joined at the bill signing by Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, Senate President Wilton Simpson, Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls and members of the respective chambers. Also in attendance at the event was Highway 85, a Tallahassee-based band whose presence was to highlight an industry that has been damaged due to liability concerns from COVID-19. “Over the course of the past year, our state’s businesses, health care providers and other organizations have been forced to operate in fear of frivolous lawsuits with no merit threatening their livelihoods,” Governor DeSantis said. “Thanks to the hard work of President Simpson, Speaker Sprowls, and quick passage by the House and Senate, that fear ends today with my signing of SB 72, which provides much-needed liability protections against COVID-19 related litigation. ––––– Governor DeSantis announced critical Everglades restoration work to remove over five miles of roadbed from Old Tamiami Trail, which will improve the volume of water flowing south through the Everglades and reduce harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee to the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie Estuaries. This crucial project is a component of the larger Central Everglades Planning Project, which will deliver additional clean water from Lake Okeechobee south to Water Conservation Area 3, Everglades National Park and Florida Bay. “Protecting Florida’s natural resources for future generations has been a priority of my administration since day one,” Governor DeSantis said. “At my direction, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the South Florida Water Management District continue to prioritize expediting crucial Everglades and water quality projects including the removal of roadbed from the Old Tamiami Trail. Read more here: ––––– Reducing Florida’s business rental tax by half is part of an update announced by House Speaker Chris Sprowls and Senate President Wilton Simpson to the proposed e-fairness online tax collection plan. Under HB 15 by Representative Chuck Clemons and SB 50 by Senator Joe Gruters about $1 billion of uncollected sales tax due from out-of-state retailers will be collected and deposited into Florida’s Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund annually until the Trust Fund is replenished to pre-pandemic levels. Under the newly announced update, additional funds collected from out-of-state retailers will not go to General Revenue but instead toward reducing Florida’s business rent tax rate from the current 5.5% to 2%. Florida is the only state to charge sales tax on commercial rentals of real property. Replenishing the unemployment trust fund will prevent an automatic increase in unemployment taxes facing businesses, while ensuring that the fund remains solvent for employees when they need to claim their benefits. Combined with the sharp cut in the business rent tax, this plan will continue to keep Florida’s economy strong. Read more here: https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?DocumentType=Press%20Release&FileName=749
Governor DeSantis announced the appointment of Dr. Mark Rains as the state of Florida’s next Chief Science Officer. Immediately upon taking office in 2019, Governor DeSantis announced major water policy reforms for the state by signing Executive Order 19-12 (Achieving More Now for Florida’s Environment). Among many other initiatives, the executive order called for the appointment of a Chief Science Officer to coordinate and prioritize scientific data, research, monitoring and analysis needs to ensure alignment with current and emerging environmental concerns most pressing to Floridians. “Science must be at the heart of environmental policy for it to be effective and successful,” Governor DeSantis said. Read more here: https://www.flgov.com/2021/03/30/governor-ron-desantis-appoints-dr-mark-rains-as-floridas-next-chief-science-officer/ ––––– A strong guest column by Carson Good, Kudos to DeSantis for avoiding long lockdown, ran in the Orlando Sentinel. Good, who is President of Good Capital Group, also serves as chairman of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, which operates Florida’s largest airport. Good looks back on the past year as we all witnessed the world shutting down, reflecting on the halt to commerce, and specifically travel and the impact it had on our daily lives and the economy. In his column he attributes the recovery of our economy to policies implemented by Governor DeSantis, stating that, “He followed true principles and good data. He was bold when others were not, which is why the state of Florida continues to flourish.” This is a must read.
Attorney General Ashley Moody has joined 12 other Republican Attorneys General in suing the Joe Biden administration to strike down a provision in the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act that would stop states from using the funding to offset tax cuts. The lawsuit argues federal treasury officials cannot force states to relinquish control of their taxing authority in return for much-needed economic aid related to COVID-19. The states take specific issue with a stimulus bill provision that the coalition refers to as one of the most egregious power grabs by the federal government in the nation’s history. “The federal government is trying to tell Florida we cannot lower your taxes. This is simply outrageous and a gross power grab by our federal government,” Attorney General Moody said. “We do not need Washington, D.C. politicians further meddling in Florida’s tax policy and prohibiting our leaders from taking action in the best interest of our citizens. As Florida’s Attorney General, it is my duty to stand up for our state’s rights and the sovereignty of the Florida legislature. That is why I am joining attorneys general from across the country in taking legal action against the Biden administration to end this heavy-handed federal overreach.” Read more:
Social Media Highlights
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