Issue Position: Economy

Issue Position

Florida faces economic challenges, maybe like never before. To help our economy rebound and stay strong into the future, our state must compete to attract and retain businesses and investment by creating an economic environment that is friendly to useful enterprises. As a state we should reduce or eliminate unfair taxes and paralyzing regulations. Such taxes tend to discourage the formation of small businesses and to drive aspiring entrepreneurs out of business. I work closely with such groups as the Florida Chamber of Commerce to combat these obstacles to our growth. I am honored to have twice been named a "Champion for Business" by Associated Industries of Florida.

This year, as a member of the Senate Select Committee on Florida's Economy, I traveled the state to speak to families and businesses about how to get our economy moving again. The committee's work has produced a bill called the Community Renewal Act which aims to make it easier for businesses to begin new projects and gives our communities the flexibility to address growth management issues without ignoring the realities of our current economic challenges.

Tort reform is an area of great concern to me. Many of the problems businesses experience today flow from abuses of our legal system. My goal is a system that penalizes frivolous lawsuits and moves towards a system of loser pays. We have already made great strides. In 2006 we put an end to joint-and-several liability, a scheme which unjustly placed the burden of large damage awards on the party with the greatest ability to pay-regardless of that party's degree of fault.

The Legislature can also contribute in a principled and meaningful way to local economic development. One example is enterprise zones. In an enterprise zone, businesses and residents are exempted from many state and local taxes and fees, providing incentives for businesses to relocate to or remain in distressed areas where economic development is most needed. Enterprise zones stimulate activity in underproductive regions of the state in an innovative way. Incentives such as these can encourage business activity in the disadvantaged areas of our state and open a door of hope and opportunity for present and future generations.

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