Last week, the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce announced the release of its 2014 State Legislative Agenda, highlighting eight key legislative policy areas including the continued funding for the University of Florida, renewed and additional state funding for innovation in the region, and state incentives for economic development, to name a few.
Gainesville Chamber Vice President of Public Policy Kamal Latham and 2013 Chamber Chairman Mitch Glaeser shared details of the agenda before the state legislative delegation hearing on Wednesday, November 20 at the Santa Fe Kirkpatrick Center.
“The Gainesville Chamber represents the interests of our nearly 1,200 member businesses, which employ approximately 70,000 Gainesville area residents,” said Glaeser, who recently was elected by the Chamber Board of Directors to serve another term as chairman for 2014. “We look forward to continuing to work with business leaders and elected officials to make Gainesville and the surrounding region a great place to work, live, and play for all of our residents.”
“The Gainesville Chamber is pleased to represent the issues and interests of our regional business community on local, regional, state and federal levels,” Latham said. “Our policy agenda represents key aspects of advocacy to not only advance the rights and interests of our businesses, but to enable growth of existing business and successful attraction of new business.”
The Gainesville Chamber State Legislative Policy Agenda covers:
- University of Florida (UF): Support UF funding requests and preeminent status.
- Innovation: Support renewed and additional state funding for the Florida Technology Seed Capital Fund.
- Transportation: Support additional resources to fund vital transportation infrastructure needs in the Gainesville region.
- Economic Development: Support state incentive programs that encourage the continued development of local economies and the attraction, retention/expansion and creation of companies in the Gainesville Region.
- Wage Theft: Support state-level wage theft measures – while discouraging local ordinances – to ensure both employer and employee protection, prevent double jeopardy, and prevent frivolous claims.
- E-Fairness: Support protecting brick and mortar businesses by closing the Internet sales tax loophole, while not creating a new tax.
- Santa Fe College: Support Kirkpatrick Center Institute of Public Safety expansion funding request.
- Water: Support sound water regulation and resource policy.
Click here to download the 2014 Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce State Legislative Policy Agenda
