Is Florida Free(r)?

The covid crisis—real or manufactured—accelerated the existing trend of Americans migrating from blue states to red. California, New York, New Jersey, and Illinois all appear to be losing population and influence, while the South, Southwest, and Mountain West all have housing booms and growing economies.

No part of the country enjoys more hype, and more net migration, than the Sunshine State. Weather aside, Florida has attracted new residents by resisting lockdowns, masks, and vaccine mandates perhaps more than any other state. Is this real federalism in action? Will Florida become more free and more prosperous as a result of its relatively open approach to covid? Will it become a haven for liberty-minded people from across the country, with a friendly business and tax environment? Or will all the new arrivals turn it politcally blue, as Democrats have predicted for years?

We'll meet at The Tampa Club (the Bank of America building), 101 East Kennedy Boulevard on Saturday, February 19. Member registration is $45 and nonmember registration is $60. Both tickets will include a catered lunch.

The dress code for The Tampa Club is business casual. Nice denim is permitted, but no t-shirts, shorts, or athletic attire.

The meetup is from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The lineup will include:

• Patrick Newman, Mises Fellow and professor of economics at Florida Southern College: Can Florida Survive the Inflationary Bubble?
• Jordan Schachtel, journalist: Why Florida Covid Policies Matter
• Tho Bishop, mises.org editor: The Outlook of Florida Politics
• Mike Maharrey, 10th Amendment Center and Schiffgold managing editor: Real-Time Federalism in Florida