January 5, 2011

“Associated Industries of Florida (AIF) commends Gov. Rick Scott on his decision to reappoint Kurt Browning as Secretary of the Department of State (DOS) and welcomes Sec. Browning back to state government. With his 26 years as the elected Pasco County Supervisor of Elections and more than three years previously served as the head of DOS, Kurt is an outstanding choice and absolutely the right man for the job. During his tenures as both the Secretary of State and Supervisor of Elections, elections ran smoothly, efficiently and accurately. He knows the business of running on election inside and out, having also served as a past president of the Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections and was appointed to Gov. Jeb Bush’s election reform task force. Sec. Browning’s hands-on style and collaborative approach have earned him the respect of officials on both sides of the aisle, as well as that of his fellow Supervisors of Elections.

As a presidential battleground state and with the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida will at the epicenter of the next election cycle. With the nation’s eyes closely trained on Florida, we cannot afford to have anyone other than a seasoned and steady hand at the helm of our statewide elections.

Additionally, AIF looks forward to again working closely with Sec. Browning to ensure the Division of Corporations remains within the DOS and does not reside under the Florida Department of Revenue, a move AIF has fought for the past three years. Florida incorporates more entities than any other state in the nation and the Division of Corporations is the first stop for any company looking to incorporate in Florida. The division’s extraordinarily high satisfaction rate – in the 90th percentile – speaks for itself and relocating it to what is essentially the state IRS would be a move that could impinge on Florida’s economic development and recovery efforts.”