NFIB State Executive Director Bill Herrle says tax relief and shoring up Florida’s unemployment trust fund are among the small business community’s top priorities in this year’s regular session of the state legislature.
“It’s been a difficult couple of years for small businesses, beginning with the pandemic and continuing with Omicron as well as the ongoing labor and supply chain issues,” Herrle said. “We need the legislature to help Florida’s job creators get through this economic crisis and recover quickly and completely.”
One of the ways lawmakers can do that is by easing the state tax burden on small businesses, he said. NFIB’s priorities this session will include:
- Ramp up business rent tax cuts
- Decreasing corporate filing fees
- Lowering the state gasoline tax
- Replenishing the unemployment trust fund
“COVID-19 decimated the state’s unemployment trust fund,” Herrle said. “Unless the legislature votes to replenish it, small businesses and other employers could see a big increase in their tax bills, and that would make it even harder for them to keep the lights on and keep people employed.”
In addition, the National Federation of Independent Business will continue to press for lawsuit reform. Herrle said small business owners need lawmakers to address critical issues such as inflated medical damages, bad faith reform, litigation financing, and attorneys’ fees multipliers.
“The cost of defending itself against even one frivolous claim can destroy a small business, even if the case is ultimately thrown out of court,” Herrle said. “We need commonsense legal reforms that treat both sides fairly.”
This year’s legislative session begins on Tuesday, Jan. 11. By law, session must end no later than March 11.
