The 2012 Legislative Session began on January 10, and officially ended just before midnight on Friday, March 9, 2012. Redistricting dominated the first half of the Legislative Session, which began two months early to accommodate the process of drawing the new district maps and sending them to the Florida Supreme Court for review. As you receive this on March 14, the Florida Legislature has returned to Tallahassee for a special session to draw new maps for the Florida Senate districts, an action made necessary after the Florida Supreme Court on March 9 declared the initial redistricting plan unconstitutional.

The Session ended this year with some very good legislation for Florida businesses that most likely would not have happened if not for the work of the Florida Retail Federation and a coalition of business groups. State leaders began the Session resisting any change in the unemployment compensation tax rates, but we were able to pass legislation in the final week of Session to reduce unemployment compensation taxes by about $197 million in 2012, and another $350 million in 2013.

The FRF team worked countless hours this Session – right up until the final gavel -- on bills, amendments, and tough negotiations with legislators and other advocacy groups. While we are pleased overall with some of the things the Legislature accomplished, we are disappointed that e-fairness was once again left on the table. The Senate was supportive of the legislation to equalize online tax collection requirements, but the House resisted it at every turn. The Senate on two separate occasions passed language to help Main Street merchants, while the House leadership opposed the language. With new leadership coming into the Senate and House, it is clear we will have some work to do on this issue between now and the beginning of the 2013 Session to get bills passed by both chambers.

Following is a summary of the final disposition of all our bills in the 2012 Session:

Read more: 2012 Legislative Final Review

Team Retail 2012 Legislative Update – Sine Die

As you receive this email on Friday afternoon, the Florida Legislature is still working on the last day of its 60-day session, and is expected to finish up its work tonight. Our team will be hard at work at the Capitol until the final gavel, but we wanted to share an early assessment of how Florida businesses fared this year. We’re happy to report some good news, as you’ll see below, with unemployment compensation tax relief on its way to the governor to become law. Early next week the Florida Retail Federation advocacy team will send you a much longer and more detailed report on what passed – and what didn’t – during the 2012 Session.

Read more: FRF Legislative Update - Week Nine Sine Die

FRF General

Wage Protection

The House version of legislation dealing with wage protection, HB 609 by Representative Tom Goodson, was heard this week on the House floor, was approved on a 77-38 vote largely along party lines, and is now in the Senate. Our sponsor, Rep. Goodson, did an excellent job of managing the bill on the House floor. As you will recall, the Senate version of this bill, SB 862 by Senator David Simmons, was heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, but time ran out before it was voted on. We are still considering what options we have to move the bill. Sen. Simmons has been working with Senate leadership to keep the bill moving and we are continuing to work with him on that. (view bills)

Read more: FRF Legislative Update - Week Eight

FRF General

Wage Protection

The Senate version of this bill, SB 862 by Senator David Simmons, was set to be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday. Sen. Simmons had a “strike all” amendment to his bill. This new version was preferable to the Miami-Dade ordinance and it had statewide application. Unfortunately, time ran out before it could be considered. We are looking at options to move the bill as this was the last time that committee is to meet for this Session.

The House version, HB 609 by Representative Tom Goodson, was heard this week in its last committee. It was amended to include language similar to the language proposed in the Senate and the bill is ready to go to the House floor. (view bills)

Read more: FRF Legislative Update -Week Seven