For Immediate Release
Contact: Kristen Butler, [email protected], 850-681-0416
Small Business Announces 2015 Legislative Agenda
February 13, 2015, Tallahassee – NFIB/Florida today announced its 2015 Legislative Priorities for Small Business Owners with a focus on cutting taxes on businesses and stopping threats to burden entrepreneurs. NFIB is taking a position on legislation that falls under several traditional areas of concern for small business owners: Taxes, Healthcare, Tort Reform, Regulatory Reform, Government Intrusions and Fiscal Policy.
“We’re focused this year on making a difference in the lives of small business owners, and showing business owners outside the state that Florida is the best place to own, operate and grow a small business,” said Bill Herrle, NFIB/Florida Executive Director. “While we have many opportunities to do that this year, through business tax cuts and tort reform, we also face some legislative challenges that threaten business owners’ abilities to make the decisions that keep them competitive and growing.”
NFIB/Florida’s Small Business Priorities include:
Taxes
Reducing Sales Tax on Commercial Leases
NFIB/Florida supports efforts to reduce and eliminate sales tax on commercial rents in a manner that assures small business owners benefit from the tax reduction.
Manufacturing Sales Tax Exemptions
NFIB/Florida supports making the manufacturing equipment sales tax exemption permanent.
Small Business Saturday Sales Tax Holiday
NFIB/Florida supports making Small Business Saturday a sales tax holiday.
Increasing Corporate Income Tax Exemptions
NFIB/Florida supports efforts to eliminate the corporate income tax.
Reducing Communications Services Taxes
NFIB/Florida supports reducing communications services taxes on small businesses and consumers.
Healthcare
Medicaid Expansion
NFIB/Florida opposes any plan that relies on federal funds to expand Medicaid in Florida.
Direct Primary Care
NFIB/Florida supports legislation to clarify that direct primary care arrangements are not classified as health insurance to allow more physicians to offer these discounted services to business owners.
Tort Reform
Bad Faith
NFIB/Florida supports legislation to limit the practice of suing for “bad faith” where the intent of the plaintiff’s attorney is to cancel policy limits.
Accuracy in Medical Damages
NFIB/Florida supports legislation that allows juries to see medical expenses actually paid by plaintiffs and their insurers when awarding compensation in medical damages cases.
NFIB/Florida supports reforms that allow defendants in medical damages tort cases to challenge the need for unnecessary medical treatments without a de-facto admission of guilt for medical malpractice.
Regulatory Reform
Craft Breweries
NFIB/Florida supports allowing the craft brew industry to bottle their product in industry standard sized bottles.
Ride-Sharing Services
NFIB/Florida supports state preemption of local regulations that only serve as barriers to entry for new business owners in ride-sharing services.
Independent Liquor Stores
NFIB/Florida opposes efforts to give mega retailers a competitive advantage over small, independent liquor retailers.
Government Intrusions into Private Sector Employment Contracts
Minimum Wage
NFIB/Florida opposes efforts to artificially raise the minimum wage.
Prohibiting Employers from Inquiring about Applicant’s Criminal History
NFIB/Florida opposes efforts to shield an applicant’s violent criminal history from a prospective employer prior to a face-to-face interview.
Social Media Privacy
NFIB/Florida opposes efforts to increase small business liability exposure to frivolous lawsuits by imposing prohibitions on employers relating to employees’ or prospective employees’ social media accounts.
Creating a New Protected Class for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
NFIB/Florida opposes the creation of a new protected class for sexual orientation and gender identity where there are no protections for employers from frivolous lawsuits.
Sound Fiscal Policy
Local Pension Reforms
NFIB/Florida supports a comprehensive approach to police and fire pension reform that controls the costs of municipal pension plans while ensuring the long-term sustainability and financial security of taxpayers and the public safety employees.
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