advertisement

SSN on Facebook SSN on Twitter SSN on YouTube RSS Feed

5 Comments
Politics

Florida Chamber Announces Its 2016 Best Legislators for Business

March 31, 2016 - 7:00pm
Florida Chamber of Commerce Building
Florida Chamber of Commerce Building

Fourteen of the Legislature's 160 members earned the Florida Chamber of Commerce's Distinguished Advocate award for efforts they put in during the session just ended to champion  pro-jobs, pro-business legislation.

The chamber announces its list annually as a kind of "Legislative Report Card" based on how well they did making Florida more competitive through private-sector job creation, and putting that above special-interest attempts to protect the status quo.

After tabulating more than 5,400 votes cast during the 2016 Legislative Session, nearly 69 percent of state lawmakers earned an “A” (90-100) on the priority pro-jobs issues outlined in the Florida Chamber’s 2016 Business Agenda.

“The Florida Chamber’s Legislative Report Card lets Florida’s families, small businesses, taxpayers and voters know if legislators voted in favor of job creation and a stronger economy, and provides them with valuable information as they begin to consider the 2016 election cycle,” said David Hart, executive vice president of the Florida Chamber.

The 14 members of the Florida Legislature honored with a 2016 Distinguished Advocate award include --

  • SENATORS: Aaron Bean, Dorothy Hukill, Garrett Richter, Wilton Simpson and Kelli Stargel;
  • REPRESENTATIVES: Jim Boyd, Matt Caldwell, Manny Diaz, Jr., Jay Fant, Erik Fresen, Matt Gaetz, Ed Narain, Kathleen Passidomo and Lake Ray

The Florida Chamber’s 2016 Legislative Report Card is an online tool that illuminates grades legislators earned based on their actual votes in support of pro-jobs, pro-business issues during the annual legislative session.

Building on what the Florida Chamber calls its multi-year competitiveness agenda, this year the Florida Legislature and Gov. Rick Scott approved more than $400 million in targeted tax relief, established comprehensive, science-based water policy, championed education reforms to help build a globally competitive workforce, and invested in infrastructure and transportation.

Here's analysis the chamber provided from its 2016 Legislative Report Card:

  • 30 senators earned an “A” –- up from 20 in 2015
  • 80 representatives earned an “A” –- up from 61 in 2015, and
  • Grade Point Average for representatives was 90 percent and 91 percent for senators –- up from 83 percent and 89 percent respectively last year.

The Florida Chamber entered the 2016 legislative session by encouraging lawmakers to focus on making Florida’s business climate more competitive and lowering the cost of living for Florida’s families and small businesses. The Florida Chamber’s agenda for jobs, Where We Stand, served as an important roadmap to educate lawmakers on the business community’s priorities.

Unique to the Florida Chamber’s Report Card, lawmakers were also notified prior to each vote impacting the Florida Chamber’s agenda for jobs that their vote would be counted. The tabulated results of each of those votes result in the Florida Chamber’s Legislative Report Card.

While 1,814 bills were filed, and 279 of them passed both chambers, the Florida Chamber has a focused agenda and the actual votes used to calculate the report card are those votes that tie directly to the Florida Chamber’s agenda for jobs. In the past five years, Governor Scott has had a perfect batting average in signing all 122 Florida Chamber-backed bills into law.

“I’m extremely proud of the great work of the Florida Chamber’s Board of Directors, local chambers and the more than 30 lobbyists who have worked aggressively in support of free enterprise and job creation,” Hart said.

Moving forward, the Florida Chamber said it is already developing its 2017 Business Agenda, and its Political Operations team, under the direction of Senior Vice President of Political Operations Marian Johnson, is actively enlisting pro-jobs, pro-business candidates to run in the 2016 election cycle.

The chamber said it will soon release "How They Voted 2016," a detailed publication summarizing the priorities of the recent legislative sessions and incorporating the 2016 Legislative Report Card.

Comments

Carlous, you owe Paul an apology. No need for rudeness here, especially when in the holy sanctimony of Tallahassee politics!

Yet they didn't help make the 100k jobs we'd have if one could sell the low cost clean electricity they make but these only like a free market when it isn't theirs.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Since it really is Obama that is the cause of the recovery, jobs, why isn't he on the list? ----------------------------------- As for the tax cuts they just increases everyone else's taxes. I'd take this list and use it to show how in the pocket, bought and paid for they are.

13 "Republicans", one "Democrat", Carlos. Ignorance abides. Paul called it.

I bet $10.00 that not one democrat got any recognition. Long live the Koch brothers.

Yeah, Paul, I will take your bet. Since you don't know the Democrats from the Republicans on that list, long live ignorance. YOURS.

Comments are now closed.

politics
advertisement
advertisement
Live streaming of WBOB Talk Radio, a Sunshine State News Radio Partner.

advertisement