Final debate turns focus to Florida

October 21, 2012, New York Times, Herald Tribuen – In Florida, which wrote the book on battleground states in 2000, “it’s going to be hand-to-hand combat all the way down,” a senior adviser to the Romney campaign, Brett Doster, said over the weekend. When Vice President Joe Biden visited Orlando on Saturday, he skipped a public rally in favor of dropping in on a campaign office, where he urged volunteers to canvass their neighborhoods — “the thing that matters the most.”

‘Wage theft’ law passes Broward commission

October 23, 2012, Written by: Brittany Wallman, Sun Sentinel – A controversial law that would empower workers to easily go after their employers for pay was approved Tuesday after two hours of debate by the Broward County Commission. The law was denounced by the business community, who over the course of months called it hostile, insulting and unnecessary. They won a consolation — the law’s terminology was changed from “wage theft” to “non-payment of earned wages.”

Florida early voting starts Saturday, with wide variations in hours across the state

October 23, 2012, Written by: Steve Bousquet, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau – TALLAHASSEE — Early voting in Florida begins Saturday, nearly a week later than past years — and with wide variations in hours from county to county. The majority of voters will have access to the maximum possible hours of 96, spread over eight straight 12-hour days. That’s because supervisors of elections in all large counties chose that schedule, seeking to maximize turnout and reduce chances of long lines on Election Day and confusion from the change in early voting days.

BP urges U.S. judge to approve US$7.8-billion oil-spill settlement

October 23, 2012, Laurel Brubaker Calkins and Margaret Cronin Fisk, Bloomberg News – BP PLC urged a U.S. federal judge to approve a proposed US$7.8-billion settlement of thousands of claims by coastal businesses and property owners who sued over economic damages from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. “The settlement will bring full compensation to all class members, including those on the Gulf Coast, while resolving a major component of the Deepwater Horizon litigation,” BP lawyers said Monday in an after-hours filing in New Orleans. “The alternative is all-out litigation that would last many years and have an uncertain outcome for class members.”

Topline Concerns for Mandatory ‘Paid Leave’ Legislation for Miami-Dade

Introduced by Comm. Barbara Jordan and placed on the Commission agenda for Nov. 20.
Paid leave would be a compliance nightmare. Mandating such a costly and onerous provision on their Miami-Dade business would create an untenable HR and bookkeeping situation while inhibiting the incentive to grow in Miami-Dade.
Mandating paid leave kills small business jobs and increases prices for consumers.If this proposal passes, businesses will have to either reduce staff, and reduce pay and benefits, or pass along those costs to the consumer by increasing prices. Based On results from a study of similar legislation in Colorado, Miami-Dade could lose over 7,000 jobs.
Paid leave is a one-size-fits-all government mandate that does not recognize the various business models that make up our economy. A blanket paid leave mandate will have disproportionate effects on businesses, with those least able to afford this mandate bearing the brunt of its weight.
The Miami-Dade County economy cannot bear an untimely and costly burden onthe thousands of private sector businesses that are only recently creating the jobsour local economy so desperately needs. Mandatory paid leave is bad for business,and it will have negative results for our economy. It’s simply bad public policy.

Unemployment Compensation tax reduced by nearly $50 in 2013

The 2012 Legislature made two changes that affect the amount of reemployment tax businesses will have to pay in 2013. Heavily supported by FRLA, the Legislature reduced the increase in tax rates by extending the recoupment period for the trust fund from three years to five years. The Legislature also reduced the taxable wage base to $8,000 effective January 1, 2012 through 2014. On January 1, 2013, this taxation policy change will reduce the unemployment compensation tax increase by nearly $50 per employee, saving employers $549 million over two years.

Click HERE to read more.

2010 health care law: Next steps for restaurateurs

NRA) – Employers should not wait until 2014 to determine the impact on their business. Now is the time to understand the law’s requirements and what it will take to comply. For the 10 steps to take now to prepare for the health care law click here.

Gov. Scott agrees to expand Florida Medicaid program

February 20,2013 , Associated Press – TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Rick Scott announced plans Wednesday to expand Medicaid coverage to roughly 900,000 more people under the federal health overhaul, a surprise decision from the vocal critic of President Barack Obama’s plan. Scott said he will ask the Legislature to expand the program under a bill that would expire in three years, after which it would require renewed legislative support. He’s the seventh Republican governor so far to propose expanding the taxpayer-funded health insurance program.

Preemption of Paid Leave Clears First Committee

MANDATORY PAID LEAVE CLEARS FIRST COMMITTEE
The Florida House’s Local and Federal Affairs Committee met this evening to debate State Representative Steven Precourt’s (R-Orlando) paid leave preemptive measure, House Bill 655. The 18-member committee, by a vote of 10 to 7 and 1 excused, passed the bill allowing it to be sent onto the next stop, the House State Affairs Committee. The FRLA is actively engaged in this legislation and will continue to provide updates as the bill is scheduled to be heard in committee in both the House and the Senate.

For more information on HB 655, please click here.

Thank you for your support of this paid leave preemptive measure. Please continue to check the FRLA’s “Government Relations” website link for Session updates.

If you have any questions, please contact FRLA headquarters in Tallahassee, Florida, at 888.372.9119 or [email protected]

Rep. Darryl Rouson to be next House Democratic leader

February 20, 2013, Steve Bousquet, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau – TALLAHASSEE — In dramatic fashion, Rep. Darryl Rouson of St. Petersburg narrowly won a caucus vote Wednesday night to be leader of House Democrats in 2014. Rouson defeated Rep. Mia Jones of Jacksonville, 23-21, after the two deadlocked on a 22-22 vote and a second round of balloting was held. Lawmakers voted by secret ballot, so who switched sides and why remains a mystery.