Majority Office Highlights Success of Financial Efforts Moving in Senate

The Senate majority office on Thursday issued a release praising Senate Republicans' work "to lessen tax burdens on Floridians and foster a healthy atmosphere for businesses and the careers they bring. The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Finance and Tax yesterday took up several bills which provide tax relief to businesses and families."

We set out early on to bolster Florida as a place of opportunity and as the best place in the nation to call home, Senate Majority Leader Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, said in the statement. Our budget reflects that, and so do the many bills we saw passed from the Budget Subcommittee on Finance and Tax this week. These policies are part of the effort to help get Florida back on track.

Senate Republican-sponsored bills making their way through the legislative process include an omnibus economic development package, passed from committee today as House Bill 7087, which includes language supported by several Republican members:

Sen. Garrett Richter, R-Naples, contributed language to the package regarding new markets, increasing tax credits from $97.5 million to $195 million, and also increasing the number of years that a qualified community development entity is prohibited from making cash interest payments in excess of their operating income.

Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, contributed language that lowers the weight requirement of aircraft for sales tax exemption purposes.

Sen. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, and Sen. Bennett contributed language that authorizes Charlotte and Citrus counties to apply for enterprise-zone designations to encourage economic development and restoration in high-need communities.

Sen. Jim Norman, R-Tampa, carried language that promotes competitive bidding for printing services and gives preference to Florida companies.

To help Florida grow increasingly competitive in attracting businesses, we must look at polices that foster free-market ideals and make sure jobs are not only coming to Florida but staying in Florida, added Gardiner in the statement. Small businesses are the engines that drive our economy and create jobs. We should offer them a stable environment with fewer burdens and more incentives to call the Sunshine State home base.

In addition to the economic development package, several individual tax exemptions and credits passed from the Senate Budget Subcommittee on Finance and Tax Committee. All have moved through the process with broad, bipartisan support.

A bill by Sen. Hays provides exemptions from local business taxes. SB 770 assists an individual who is operating as a broker/sales real estate associate by exempting him or her from a local business tax -- he or she would not be required to file for an exemption. The bill further protects the individual citizen by not holding him or her liable for failure of the employer/principal to comply with tax filings.

Sen. Thad Altman, R-Rockledge, also introduced SB 1110, which lifts the level of maximum tax credits that a qualified defense contractor or Spaceflight Business Tax Refund program can obtain. It also allows three additional counties (Holmes, Jackson and Washington) to qualify for reduced local financial support requirements in the Qualified Targeted Industry Tax Refund program.

SB 1184 by Norman returns fuel sales taxes paid by county sheriffs offices for use in sheriffs vehicles -- proceeds could be used to offset fuel costs and, under certain circumstances, for a tax credit on the monthly diesel fuel tax return.

Finally, members of the Budget Subcommittee on Finance and Tax Committee also passed a bill that provides tax relief to spouses of those who died protecting Floridians. SJR 1056 and its partner bill, SB 1058, both by the Committee on Military Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security, would give voters the chance to provide ad valorem property tax relief to the surviving spouse of a military veteran or first responder who died in the line of duty.