Associated
Industries of Florida is pleased to announce the 2004 Mid-Session "Champion for Business" awards. This service lets the business community, the media, and government
leaders know about those lawmakers who have provided leadership
in support of free-market principles on behalf of the Florida business
community.
AIF will continue to publish its Annual
Vote Record & Ranking to inform the business community
about each legislator's performance on bills that are important to
the business community. However, "Champion
for Business" will
recognize the other ways in which a legislator promotes the interests
of the business community, such as by sponsoring a bill or amendment,
or supporting the business position during debates and engaging in
behind-the-scenes activities in a leadership role which benefits the
business community.
This e-mail service is made
available to over 11,000 business people across the state.
FLORIDA
SENATE
Sen. J.D. Alexander
(R-Lake Wales)
|
Senator
J.D. Alexander (R-Lake Wales) is once again
demonstrating his true commitment to making Florida a
better place for doing business. He has shouldered a
significant leadership role in filing legislation that
would correct the current state of Florida's Workers'
Compensation Joint Underwriting Association. Without this legislation, Florida's good employers will
be stuck paying the tab for workers' compensation
coverage to some of the most dangerous and
risky businesses in the state. AIF applauds
Senator Alexander's efforts on this issue and is
proud to recognize him as a "Champion for Business." |
Sen. Mike Haridopolos
(R-Melbourne)
|
Senator
Mike Haridopolos (R-Melbourne) filed the repeal of
the substitute communications tax bill (SB 2302). Without this effort, the Florida business community could
face thousands of dollars of "new taxes" by allowing
the Department of Revenue to adopt rules to tax items
never considered under its original intent. Senator
Haridopolos is courageously pushing this repeal even
though the state still has financial problems. He
sees the importance of repealing this tax especially since
it is the only one of its kind in the country. Not only would the passage of this bill
hinder the growth of companies currently in Florida,
but new companies would want to come to Florida with
this type of tax on its books. AIF salutes Senator
Haridopolos for his leadership on this issue. |
Sen. Mike Bennett
(R-Bradenton)
|
Senator
Mike Bennett (R-Bradenton) is a shining bright star in the
Florida Senate and is worthy of AIF's "Champion for
Business" Award. He has taken on the task of filing
legislation (SB 1174) to change the development of
regional impact (DRI) statutes to make the process more
streamlined and less costly to the business community.
This is a difficult task to undertake since he has
to balance the wants and needs of both the business and
environmental communities and come out with a law based on
good public policy. Senator Bennett has moved this
issue into the forefront making the public see how
duplicative and costly the DRI process is and how it needs
to be changed. AIF thanks Senator Bennett for all of
the time and effort he has put into this legislation. |
HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES
Rep. Jeff Kottkamp
(R-Cape Coral)
|
Representative Jeff Kottkamp (R-Cape Coral) is
well known in the Capitol for his leadership, and it is
evident with his support of the premise liability
legislation. Rep. Kottkamp filed HB
575 which will help businesses with legal actions against
them for what happens to individuals on their property.
A true negotiator, he then got the Florida Academy of Trial
Lawyers and the business community together to work out the
issue. HB 573 received unanimous approval from the
House Committee on Judiciary and now the proposed
legislation is on its way to the House Calendar.
Rep. Kottkamp deserves thanks from the business
community for this effort. |
|
Rep. Bruce Kyle
(R- Ft. Myers)
Rep. Joe Negron
(R-Stuart) |
Representatives Bruce
Kyle (R-Ft. Myers) and Joe Negron (R-Stuart) are
recognized as "Champions For Business" for their
work on Article V funding as the Chairs of the House
Appropriations Committee and the House Appropriations
Subcommittee on Judicial, respectively. As the two
chambers begin their budget conference negotiations, the
House under the leadership of these two individuals has
provided much of the necessary funding for the Court system
in
Florida
. With civil litigation being a critical part of our
state's justice system, and with business-to-business
lawsuits comprising the bulk of the civil side of the
system, the necessity for appropriate funding for Article V
is absolutely critical if the Courts are to operate
efficiently and effectively in the future. Thankfully,
these two lawyers understand the need for a state Court
system that is properly funded, from the need for current
information technology to the need for law clerks so that
judges can increase their workload to the need for more
judges concomitant with the rising number of lawsuits.
While neither chamber has funded the Courts at the level
requested, with additional allocations expected in budget
conference, hopefully both chambers will work to put more
monies into Article V. The business community stands
ready to support the increased funding. Both Rep. Kyle
and Negron deserve our thanks for their efforts on this
important issue. Remember that "justice delayed is justice
denied."
|
|
Rep. John Stargel
(R-Lakeland)
|
Representative
John Stargel (R-Lakeland) is showing true leadership as a
freshman. As an example, he filed HB 735, the repeal
of the substitute communications tax. As an attorney
he knows that the Department of Revenue could propose rules
to the current law that would cost individuals and
businesses thousands of dollars in "new taxes." Rep. Stargel knows that repeal is the only way to get this
bad law off the books, and he is working hard to pass the
repeal. Congratulations to Rep. Stargel for his efforts on
this issue. |
|
Rep. Mike Davis
(R-Naples)
|
As
a freshman, Representative Mike Davis (R-Naples) decided to
file legislation to change how businesses work with local
governments, state agencies and environmental groups in the
land use permitting process, also known a DRI (development of
regional impact). He saw how much duplication was in the
process, which was one of the reasons why the process was
getting to be so expensive. So Rep. Davis filed HB 1205,
which is the first step in changing this overly burdensome
process. He has brought this issue into the spotlight
and will continue to work on the issue in the interim. AIF salutes Rep. Davis as a "Champion for Business." |
|
