- While tort reform is the top priority for Associated Industries of Florida (AIF) in the 2023 legislative session, the group also listed 133 other priorities broken down by industry.
- AIF will advocate for legislative changes through specific policy councils and coalitions in areas such as healthcare, technology, energy, and tourism.
- AIF’s priorities, driven by its member businesses, include a few traditionally contentious issues such as fully funding VISIT FLORIDA and legislative efforts to help the film and entertainment industry to name a few.
At a press conference with lawmakers earlier this month, one of the state’s largest business groups made it clear that tort reform ranked number one on their priorities list. But today, Associated Industries of Florida (AIF) released its full 2023 legislative session priorities, and though the list contains few surprises, there are a handful of notable issues the group intends to fight for.
In a press release accompanying AIF’s 2023 Session Priorities brochure, the group said it planned to advocate for key legislative changes through specific policy councils and coalitions, bringing together key industry leaders in a variety of policy areas, including healthcare, technology, energy, tourism, and more.
AIF uses the councils to release jointly developed policy positions which are used to inform and educate lawmakers and legislative staff. AIF President & CEO Brewster Bevis said that while there are many important issues to address, the single issue that stands out above all else is tort reform.
“Florida’s current tort climate negatively impacts every industry in every corner of the state and raises costs for both businesses and consumers,” Bevis said in the release accompanying the report. “AIF is committed to working with the governor and legislature to find solutions that will help Florida create a tort climate that supports both businesses and consumers.”
The group said the priority document released today summarizes the guiding principles that shape AIF’s legislative positions, and it is distributed to all 160 members of the Florida Legislature, the Florida Cabinet and agency secretaries, as well as AIF’s members. The publication can be viewed online on the AIF website.
While many of the group’s 133 priorities, such as targeted tax breaks and regulatory reforms are already well known or otherwise predictable, a handful were more intriguing than others. It’s not always entirely clear which specific Florida businesses are behind AIF’s priorities, quite a few can be traced back to specific or unique businesses in Florida.
Overall, AIF’s priorities are driven by its members, which include some of the largest and most powerful businesses in the state, and while some people might want to castigate them for that, those businesses are also some of the largest employers in the state, providing jobs and income for millions of Florida families, driving technology and innovation, and spurring economic investment and world-class entertainment for everyone.