Friends:
It is my pleasure to present to you our annual Florida Retail Legislative Outlook. Each year before the start of Florida's sixty-day regular Legislative Session, our government affairs team compiles an overview of issues that we believe will be active during the session. This summary is the result of interim projects and committee meetings that occur in the months leading up to the actual session, as well as meetings with members and allied groups.
This year's Legislative Session convenes March 2. As you will see from the summaries, 2004 will be another busy year for the Florida Retail Federation (FRF). In addition to several general business issues that would impact all of our members, we have the usual long list of retail-specific issues. Some of these affect all retailers, while others affect only particular retail segments.
Of key concern to the entire state are efforts to protect the Florida Constitution from special interest groups using the citizen's initiative process as a method of circumventing the legislative process. And, while the pregnant pig amendment is the poster child for constitutional initiative reform, one needs only to review the list of over fifty proposed amendments to understand the threat to our State's future. We must protect and preserve the Constitution for its intended purpose: protecting individual rights and establishing our forms of government.
Another systemic issue is court funding. Effective July 1, 2004, funding responsibilities for Florida's judicial system, which is currently split between counties and the state, will become the sole responsibility of the state due to a previously passed constitutional amendment. It is imperative that we not under fund this basic government service. If we do, business litigation will take a back seat that will harm our economy and send investment dollars elsewhere.
Healthcare costs are out of control and need serious attention. We will always oppose government healthcare, but we find ourselves needing government assistance to get this cost back in the range that allows employers to provide healthcare for their employees without bankrupting the company.
As you read the many retail-specific issues on the following pages, you will get some idea of how focused we will be this year on protecting our members. We may need your help at some point, so please respond when contacted.
Thank you for allowing us to serve you. Together, we are a powerful force for good public policy and a healthy Florida economy!
Sincerely,
Richard A. McAllister
FRF President and CEO
Friends:
Here is Team Retail’s view of the 2005 Florida Legislative Session. I hope you will spend a few minutes reading through the issues that we expect to work on your behalf. Of course, many more will surface during the Session that will require our attention to ensure that no bad bills become statutes. You can always stay up-to-date during the Session by visiting our website, www.frf.org, reading the weekly McAllister Report or adding your name to one of our specialized Council mailing lists.
I hope that you are currently one of our retail champions who stay abreast of important issues and lend a hand when we need hometown help. On the off chance that you are one of those who have not yet exercised your role in the legislative process, let me share with you how simple it can be and how powerful your voice can become.
Every year, thousands of individuals register as professional lobbyists in our state. These are honest, hard working people whose mission is to help our elected officials evaluate ideas by supplying them with expertise and knowledge on literally thousands of very complicated subjects. It is an important role that lobbyists fill — so much so that we have four registered lobbyists on our staff and we contract with a dozen others who have expertise in specific areas of concern.
Despite the valuable service that we professionals provide the members of the Legislature and the Executive branch, not one of us has as much influence with your House and Senate member as you do. You see, there are always two sides to every issue. At the end of the day what really matters to elected officials is this: how will my vote affect the people who entrusted me to make these decisions? Each elected member knows they have a sacred trust with the folks back home and each wants to do the right thing.
The only way they know how an issue affects you…is if you tell them. You can be sure that when we talk to members of the Legislature we tell them we represent you, but nothing beats your phone call. And nothing makes a bigger impression than an invitation from you to your House and Senate member to visit your business to gain an understanding of who you and your employees really are and what is important to you.
One way to start your legislative engine is to understand the hot topics of this Session and use your very powerful voice to weigh in on them. We want to help you do that and will jump at the chance if you simply call us. We can help with visits, phone calls, letters, faxes, or emails.
So…read on, and then call us toll-free at 1.888.FL.RETAIL (357.3824) to join the team. Working together, the Voice of Florida Retailing will be heard!
Sincerely,
Richard A. McAllister
FRF President and CEO
Friends:
The 2006 Florida Legislative Session will begin March 7. Your Team Retail professional lobbyists have been working diligently over the past 10 months preparing for these 60 days of annual regular Session. We are well-positioned to ensure that Florida’s retail interests are represented on the array of issues listed in this Legislative Outlook, and the multitude of others sure to come up during the process. By signing up to participate in Florida Retail Federation’s (FRF) Team Retail Action Network, you can make a valuable contribution in these efforts.
The Team Retail Action Network, introduced in 2005, is FRF’s grassroots member network designed to help you be an active advocate at the state and federal levels and make a difference on critical issues that impact your business. At www. TeamRetail.org you’ll find information about legislative activities plus the advocacy tools needed to partner with us in affecting change and ensuring that Florida’s economic future remains strong. If you are already involved in the process, that’s great! However, we’d still like to have you participate in the Team Retail Action Network, as it unites our industry’s political activities under a cohesive brand, creating synergy and strength.
Regardless of your business type or size, you have a vested interest in making your voice heard. Rest assured – there is a great group of professional FRF staff, contract and member lobbyists working on your behalf every day. We are proud of the job we do and take our role of uniting Florida’s business voice very seriously. But when all is said and done, what impresses legislators the most is hearing directly from their constituents and learning first hand about how issues affect you, your business and your employees.
With billions of dollars at stake to our industry each year, I wanted to share with you the guiding principles we use in structuring FRF’s Government Affairs activities. Evaluating issues using these parameters helps us determine which are critical to our industry and assists us in developing strategies and actions. FRF’s Government Affairs program is committed to:
- Protecting the economic well-being of Florida retailers and other businesses by opposing passage of any constitutional amendment, state statute or local ordinance which negatively impacts the operation of the marketplace;
- Opposing attempts to expand the presence of unnecessary government oversight and regulation of the daily operations of Florida retailers and other businesses;
- Seeking changes in the Florida Civil Justice System to promote fairness, responsibility and accountability in the application of laws and legal procedures related to tort actions;
- Supporting a fair and just state tax system which generates sufficient funds to provide the appropriate level of funding for the provision of services related to the health, safety and welfare of all citizens of the state, both individuals and businesses;
- Advocating and intervening on member-specific issues.
Please take a few minutes to read through these issues. Then, if you haven’t already done so, join the Team Retail Action Network at www.TeamRetail.org or call us, tollfree, at 1.888.FL.RETAIL (357.3824). It could prove to be one of the best business investments you make this year!
As always, you can contact me if you have any questions about these issues or other aspects of FRF. We consider it a privilege to serve you and an honor to unite The Voice of Florida Retailing.
Sincerely,
Richard A. McAllister
FRF President and CEO
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