Unemployment Compensation rates are set to drop for many Florida businesses which is good news for Florida’s job creators.

Thanks in part to Florida Chamber-backed legislation sponsored last session by new Florida Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, and new Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, the current reemployment minimum tax rate of $120.80 per employee will drop to $81.60 per employee on January 1, 2013. Both President Gaetz and Speaker Weatherford were endorsed by the Florida Chamber in their recent elections and received “A” grades on the Florida Chamber’s Legislative Report Card in 2012. 

The Florida Chamber worked closely with President Gaetz and Speaker Weatherford to avert a massive $817 million tax increase on Florida’s business community during the 2012 Legislative Session and passing legislation that reduced the UC tax by nearly $40 per employee –saving employers more than $500 million over two years! 

While Florida, like many other states, has resorted to loans from the federal government to deal with higher unemployment, those loans will be paid off by May 2013 due to the solutions put forward by President Gaetz, Speaker Weatherford and other leaders in the Legislature who share the Florida Chamber’s commitment to free market solutions.

This welcome UC news shows that Florida is on the right path and our leaders are putting the state on sound footing, taking a large step in securing Florida’s future. More information can be found in the attached document.

Take Action by contacting President Gaetz and Speaker Weatherford and thanking them for their work to reduce this massive tax burden on Florida’s business community!

Florida Chamber President and CEO Mark Wilson and Executive Vice President David Hart with Governor Rick Scott when he signed UC tax reform into law as part of his Jobs Package in March. 

To learn more about the Florida Chamber’s efforts to stop this massive tax increase and lower UC taxes on Florida’s job creators, visit our unemployment compensation page at www.FloridaChamber.com.  To sign-up for more alerts and updates from the Florida Chamber, visit www.FloridaChamber.com/grassroots.

ELECTION POLL:  Do You Plan to Vote Next Week?

For more than a year we’ve been talking to you about the impact of the upcoming election. Now we want to hear from you.

Will you help determine the course our country takes after November 6?

The elections, now less than a week away, will impact whether small businesses and job creators have the certainty they need to invest, hire and grow our economy, or if they continue to be sidelined by regulations, tax uncertainty, and mandated decisions made by the government about their business.

As the U.S. Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue said, “If we get the business people and those who support and believe in American enterprise and economic freedom out to vote, we’re going to be better off no matter what.”

With Election Day less than a week away, almost 2 million absentee or early votes have already been cast.  While candidates and the proposed constitutional amendments backed by the Florida Chamber of Commerce are gaining momentum, the future of the fight for free enterprise relies on you!  Now is the time to ensure that employees, friends, family, colleagues and neighbors have the information they need to make informed decisions that will help secure Florida’s future!

Along with our endorsement of pro-business, pro-jobs candidates, the Florida Chamber supports six of the eleven proposed constitutional amendments on the November ballot.  Those business friendly amendments include:

• Amendment 1
• Amendment 3
• Amendment 4
• Amendment 5
• Amendment 8
• Amendment 10

The Florida Chamber has several tools that serve as helpful resources to educate voters on many important legislative races and proposed constitutional amendments on the November ballot.  Over the next six days, we hope that you will take this opportunity to learn more about the pro-business candidates and constitutional amendments backed by the Florida Chamber.

• 2012 Florida Election Guide – A guide to candidates for state and federal offices and the proposed constitutional amendments.  Florida Chamber-endorsed state candidates and constitutional amendments are outlined in this guide.
• Yes on 3 to Keep Future Budget Growth in Check – An editorial written by Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff and published in the Sunshine State News.
• Yes on 4 to Help Lead to New Economic Growth – An editorial written by Florida Chamber Policy Director Leticia Adams and published in the Sunshine State News.
• Yes on 5 to Improve High Court Checks and Balances – An editorial written by Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon and published in the Orlando Sentinel.
• Yes on 10 Supported by Business Community – An editorial authored by Florida Chamber Executive Vice President David Hart published in the Orlando Sentinel.  Amendment 10 is targeted tax relief that will help small businesses and add as much as $21 million to the Florida economy each year if passed.

For more information on pro-business, pro-jobs candidates and proposed constitutional amendments on the November ballot, visit the Florida Chamber’s Election Center at www.FloridaChamber.com/2012Election.

Paid political advertisement paid for by Florida Chamber of Commerce, 136 South Bronough Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32301 independently of any committee.