House Majority Leader Adam Hasner
addresses AIF members on the dangers of the
Employee Free Choice Act also known as “Card Check.”
AIF’s Chief Lobbyist Keyna Cory welcomes
Senate President Atwater to the Pre-Legislative
Briefing.
LOOKING AHEAD:
SUMMARY OF AIF'S KEY BUSINESS POSITIONS
The following is a listing of all the issues that AIF will be involved in (as of February 1, 2010) for the upcoming 2010 Session. These issues and our positions can change based on amendments. When our position does
change, it will be noted in both the Daily Brief and Weekly Update Reports that AIF provides to members and
legislators throughout the session.
Support
legislation
to
ensure
consistent,
streamlined
and
fair
contract
elements
for
entities
providing
health
and
human
services
to
the
State
of
Florida
by
incorporating
national
accreditation
standards
into
the
existing
health
and
human
services
framework;
allowing
the
use
of
a
centralized
document
vault,
and
allowing
agencies
to
designate
a
lead
agency
to
ensure
that
monitoring
is
coordinated.
Economic
Development
Supporteffortstoreduceregulatoryburdensthatinhibitbusinessesability
to
establish
and
expend
in
Florida
Support
efforts
to
further
expedite
permitting
processes
within
state
agencies
Support
reestablishing
funding
levels
of
Enterprise
Florida’s
economic
development
“Tool
Kit,”
including
the
Innovation
Incentive
program
de
signed
to
entice
world
class
research
centers
like
Scripps,
Torrey
Pines,
Burnham,
SRI
and
Marx
Planck
Society
as
well
as
hi-tech
companies
to
the
state
Support
legislation
aimed
at
providing
tax
credits
for
venture
capitalists
that
invest
in
Florida’s
emerging
businesses
Support
efforts
to
broaden
the
reach
of
Florida’s
Growth
Fund
to
reach
more
emerging
businesses
Support
efforts
to
expand
the
film
and
entertainment
tax
credit
program
Education
Support
increasing
access
to
rigorous
coursework
and
increased
high
school
graduation
standards,
particularly
in
STEM
subject
areas:
Science,
Technology,Engineering,andMath;sothatstudentscancompeteglobally
in
the
21st
century
Support
efforts
to
increase
education
in
the
arts,
multilingualism,
multi
culturalism, and technology literacy to assure the work force is prepared for
the
creative
economy
Advocate
flexibility
in
plans
to
fulfill
the
mandates
of
the
class-size
constitutional
amendment
Support
the
continuation
of
the
Banner
Centers
for
Workforce
Development
and
Ready-to-Work
programs
Elections
Support
efforts
to
re-establish
Florida’s
signature
revocation
process
Support
reforms
to
the
process
for
amending
the
state
constitution
by
citizen
initiative
Support
efforts
to
change
the
life
span
of
petition
signatures
for
citizen
initiatives
from
the
current
4
years
to
2
years
Support
legislation
designed
to
protect
the
secret
ballot
process
in
Florida.
Energy
Encourage
the
exploration,
production
and
storage
of
petroleum
and
natural
gas
in
an
environmentally
safe
manner
while
ensuring
a
continuous
supply
and
reasonable
cost
of
fuel
for
all
of
Florida’s
needs
Support
incentives
for
the
use
of
hydrogen
fuel
and
the
future
expansion
of
alternative
fuels
and
clean
coal
technologies
Support
environmental
and
economic
regulatory
policies
that
create
a
stable
investment
climate
so
that
electric
utilities
can
build
more
fuel
diverse
generation
systems
to
meet
Florida’s
growing
energy
needs,
and
continue
to
maintain
and
enhance
the
transmission
and
distribution
system
Oppose
government
mandates
that
will
unnecessarily
drive
up
the
cost
of
essential
energy
services
for
businesses
in
order
to
reduce
greenhouse
gas
emissions
Support
the
expansion
and
building
of
future
nuclear
facilities
in
Florida
Environmental
Support
“Incentive
Based
Permitting”
for
those
companies
who
are
good
stewards
of
Florida’s
natural
resources
Support
the
environmental
self-audit
privilege
Support
the
expansion
of
the
Environmental
Litigation
Reform
Act
(ELRA)
General
Business
Support
legislation
providing
for
personal
identity-theft
protection
and
for
protection
of
personal
and
business
data
held
by
state
and
local
governments
while
at
the
same
time
balancing
the
needs
of
commercial
entities
to
have
access
to
such
information
to
service
their
customers
and
promote
commerce
Oppose
legislation
that
requires
businesses
to
rely
on
flawed
federal
verification
systems
for
immigration
status
of
employees
Support
efforts
to
create
statewide
regulation
of
fertilizer
sales
Support
constitutional
amendment
protecting
Floridians’
right
to
a
secret
ballot
Support
efforts
to
require
important
corporate
information
to
be
published
in
our
newspapers
and
not
just
on
the
internet
Growth
Management
Support
legislation
to
streamline
the
plan
amendment
process
at
the
DCA
level
during
the
“sunset”
review
of
the
agency
by
the
Legislature
Provide
for
a
“savings
clause”
for
Developers
making
use
of
SB
360
provisions,
should
current
litigation
hold
the
bill
unconstitutional
due
to
drafting
problems.
Provide
for
the
“fast
track”
of
any
project
deemed
to
be
economic
development
Health
Care
Support
proposals
that
encourage
employers
to
provide
health
insurance
benefits
to
their
employees.
Continue
to
support
proposals
to
inject
market-based
solutions
into
the
Medicaid
Program
to
ensure
appropriate
high
quality
and
cost
effective
care
is
provided
to
our
state’s
elderly,
poor
and
disabled.
Support
proposals
that
allow
insurers
more
flexibility
to
ensure
the
health
care
products
they
offer
to
employers
and
individuals
are
tailored
to
their
needs
and
resources
Oppose
proposals
that
would
inject
the
government
into
the
private
contracting
process
between
insurers
and
providers
Insurance
Continue efforts to bring about affordability and availability of commercial
and
residential
property
insurance
utilizing
sound
business
principles
Support
legislation
requiring
a
10
percent
rate
increase
for
all
Citizens
policyholders
each
year
until
its
rates
are
actuarially
sound
Support
continued
funding
of
the
My
Safe
Florida
Home
mitigation
grants
as
well
as
home
inspection
programs
Oppose
burdensome
restrictions
on
health
insurers,
such
as
“any
willing
provider”
and
provider
contract
restraints,
that
drive
up
the
cost
of
health
care
Support
proposals
to
expand
access
to
uninsured
Floridians
using
market-based
solutions
which
allow
health
plans
to
offer
benefits
tailored
to
consumers’
needs
and
allow
them
to
reduce
the
number
of
mandates
they
must
provide
Oppose
legislation
that
would
place
additional
mandates
on
health
insurance
policies
Support
the
Insurance
Commissioner’s
efforts
to
pass
legislation
to
eliminate
abuses
associated
with
stranger
originated
life
insurance
(STOLI)
arrangements.
Legal
&
Judicial
Oppose
the
weakening
or
repeal
of
any
of
the
2005-06
legal
reform
law
Support
the
right
of
parents
to
waive
liability
on
behalf
of
their
minor
children
Support
adequate
funding
of
judicial
branch
Preserve
the
rights
of
parties
to
settle
cases
independently
without
interference
from
their
attorneys
Continue
support
for
existing
caps
on
non-economic
damages
arising
from
medical
malpractice
lawsuits
Support legislation that offers basic protection from unnecessary litigation
to
business
owners
who
offer
their
services
to
first
responders
during
natural
disasters
Space
Support
giving
Space
Florida
the
flexibility
to
allocate
any
of
the
unobligated
Launch
Complex
(LC)
36
funds
for
any
purpose
determined
to
have
the
greatest
benefit
to
the
commercial
space
industry
in
Florida
Support
the
creation
of
a
Commercial
Launch
Zone
or
CLZ
Support
enhanced
funding
for
space
workforce
training
Support
legislation
to
reorganize
the
board
structure
of
Space
Florida
—
the
state’s
aerospace
development
organization
Taxation
Support
legislation
to
adopt
the
2010
version
of
the
IRS
code
so
that
Florida
businesses
do
not
have
to
keep
two
sets
of
records
Support
legislative
ideas
that
would
help
to
lower
the
rising
cost
of
property
tax
for
both
homeowners
and
businesses
across
the
state
Support
legislation
to
reduce
the
communications
services
tax
currently
on
all
communications
devices
(except
residential
lines)
Support
a
resolution
to
Congress
that
would
place
Florida
alongside
other
states
in
implementing
the
Streamlined
Sales
and
Use
Tax
Agreement
Fight
the
efforts
to
divert
money
from
trust-fund
revenue
streams
to
general
revenue
Support
sales
tax
holidays,
such
as
exemptions
from
sales
tax
on
items
to
be
used
for
hurricanes
supplies,
school
readiness,
and
energy
efficient
products
Support
statutory
efforts
to
review
Florida’s
sales
tax
exemption,
but
oppose
any
mandated
review
or
sunset
provision
associated
with
this
review
Support
passage
of
Amendment
6
implementing
bill
Oppose
the
enactment
of
combined
reporting
or
an
“Unitary
Tax”
in
Florida
or
increases
in
excise
taxes
Technology
Encourage
the
enhanced
government
spending
on
IT
in
order
to
provide
better
services
to
citizens
and
businesses
and
to
ensure
that
Florida’s
state
government
remains
at
the
cutting
edge
of
IT
Support
funding
for
redesign
of
legacy
or
outdated
agency
IT
systems
Support
increasing
compensation
and
competency
requirements
for
state
CIOs
Support
the
creation
of
an
“Innovation
Fund”
in
order
to
incentivize
state
agencies
to
be
more
novel
in
their
service
delivery
Monitor
and
influence
any
bill
filed
on
the
Agency
for
Enterprise
Information
Technology
(AEIT),
or
data
consolidation
efforts
Codify
IT
definitions
in
statute
pursuant
to
AEIT
direction
Transportation
Support
the
transfer
of
new
revenues
from
tag
and
title
fee
increases
to
the
Transportation
Trust
Fund
Strongly
support
legislation
that
allows
for
aggregate
rock
materials
to
be
mined
without
obstruction
from
irresponsible
interest
groups
or
ill
intended
county/municipal
moratorium
Support
raising
the
weight
limit
on
commercial
truck
using
state
and
local
roadways
to
weight
limits
that
equal
those
of
our
surrounding
states
Support
legislation
exempting
Auxiliary
Power
Units
(APUs)
from
commercial
truck
weight
restrictions
Unemployment
Compensation
For
2010
and
2011,
establish
a
quarterly
payment
plan
that
lets
employers
spread
out
their
unemployment
compensation
payments
over
the
whole
year
without
penalties
or
interest
Reduce
the
amount
of
each
employee’s
taxable
wages
–
from
$8,500
back
down
to
$7,000
for
2010
and
2011
For
2010
and
2011,
eliminate
all
provisions
in
last
year’s
legislation
that
would
have
allowed
the
state
to
replenish
the
Unemployment
Compensation
Trust
Fund
balance
more
quickly
Oppose
extending
number
of
weeks
unemployment
benefits
are
paid
with
no
additional
funding
or
other
incentives
to
employers
to
cover
such
expenses
Oppose
any
uniform
or
arbitrary
benefit
amount
increases
Oppose
enactment
of
permanent
benefit
expansion
provisions
Oppose
funding
ancillary
programs
unrelated
to
unemployment
compensation
programs,
since
this
increases
the
cost
of
doing
business
while
undermining
the
purpose
for
which
the
unemployment
benefits
program
was
created
Oppose
any
increases
to
costs,
including
but
not
limited
to
defining
additional
beneficiaries
Support
strengthening
program
restrictions
prohibiting
benefits
receipt
by
individuals
voluntarily
abandoning
available
employment
Oppose
expansion
of
mandatory
leave
benefits
for
non-work
related
activities
Oppose
any
new
reporting
requirements
that
employers
provide
certain
data or information to employees or governmental agencies regarding use
of
or
eligibility
for
accrued
leave
time
Workers’
Compensation
Oppose
any
efforts
to
erode
the
savings
experienced
by
all
Florida
employers
as
a
result
of
the
AIF-supported
2003
Workers’
Compensation
Reform
Act
which
resulted
in
savings
now
of
over
50%
Oppose
the
creation
of
a
state
fund
or
other
state
risk
bearing
entity
Continue
support
for
increased
funding
for
state
fraud
investigations
Oppose
any
efforts
to
statutorily
establish
procedures,
guidelines
or
other
provisions
that
are
currently
available
through
administrative
action
for
which
statutory
authority
already
exists
Oppose
any
raid
on
the
Workers’
Compensation
Trust
Fund
without
first
giving
back
money
to
employers
Workforce
Development
Support the
establishment
of
career
academies
in
Florida’s
schools
that
will
prepare
Florida’s
students
with
industry
certifications
to
compete
with
students
from
around
the
world,
not
just
other
states
Continue
support
for
Florida’s
Banner
Centers
for
Workforce
Development
Support
the
“Ready
to
Work”
program
Workforce
Housing
Support
full
funding
of
Florida’s
housing
trust
monies
solely
on
housing
