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Legislative Blog

June 25th COVID-19 Update

By growthzone | June 25, 2020

  GrayRobinson Hosts Schools Reopening 101 Webinar with State & Local Education Officials GrayRobinson, joined by Office of Governor Ron DeSantis Director of Policy Chris Spencer, Florida Department of Education (DOE) Chief of Staff J. Alex Kelly, and Hillsborough County Schools Superintendent Addison Davis,  hosted its first-ever virtual pop-up forum on the reopening of Florida…

June 24th COVID-19 Update

By growthzone | June 24, 2020

Take a Deeper Dive into Florida’s Economic Data with Dr. Jerry Parrish Florida Chamber Foundation Chief Economist Dr. Jerry Parrish has released his latest By The Numbers video providing a deeper dive into the econometrics of the COVID-19 virus. View the video here   Connex 101: Live Demo Sign up for a one-hour overview of…

June 23rd COVID-19 Update

By growthzone | June 23, 2020

SBDC Webinar this Wednesday Business Consultant Ayesha Haider will be teaching how to create a disaster plan and demonstrating the value of having one before disaster strikes. This no-cost online webinar can help ensure your business is thinking ahead and prepared to tackle any challenges before they occur. For more information and to REGISTER click…

June 22nd COVID-19 Update

By growthzone | June 22, 2020

UWF Unveils Plan to Reopen During COVID-19, Plans Campus-Wide Masks, Screenings This fall, in response to COVID-19, the University of West Florida plans to institute campus-wide face masking, daily pre-screening for students, staff and visitors, and continue to offer remote learning options for most courses. Read more about UWF’s reopening plans here.   Escambia County…

June 18th COVID-19 Update

By growthzone | June 18, 2020

Florida Department of Education Announces CARES Act Funding for Early Learning Last week, Florida’s Department of Education announced how it will use the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Child Care funds. A total of $223 million is coming to our state for early learning. Here is how the money will be…

June 17th COVID-19 Update

By growthzone | June 17, 2020

Join us Friday for a Virtual Meeting with Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis Join the Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce Friday, June 19th as we hear from Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis. He will be outlining the reopening plans for Florida’s economy as well as the state budget and how it has been impacted by Covid-19. There…

June 16th COVID-19 Update

By growthzone | June 16, 2020

Florida Chamber Launches Statewide Safety Council To foster safety, health and sustainability among Florida businesses, the Florida Chamber of Commerce is launching a new statewide Safety Council. To learn more click here.     Survey Reveals COVID-19’s Impact on Small Business, Nonprofits A survey of small businesses by Florida State University researchers has found that…

June 15th COVID-19 Update

By growthzone | June 15, 2020

Downtown COVID-19 Walk-In Testing Schedule for This Week Where: FDOH-Escambia Downtown Center 300 West Gregory Street Pensacola, FL 32502 When: Monday, June 15-Friday, June 19 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. CT Who: All Florida residents with or without symptoms How: Walk-in, no appointment needed. Bring your Florida driver’s license. Only Florida residents will be…

June 11th COVID-19 Update

By growthzone | June 11, 2020

Reopening Escarosa Updated with Phase Two Information Last week, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Florida has moved into Phase Two of reopening businesses.  To find out what that means for your business and the public, see the updated Reopening Escarosa document.   How Florida Businesses are Responding to Employees During the COVID-19 Crisis Many employers…

June 10th COVID-19 Update

By growthzone | June 10, 2020

Florida SBDC Virtual Outreach Location Office Hours Beginning Friday, June 12th, the Florida SBDC at UWF will begin their outreach hours with the Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce each week through virtual consulting hours specifically for business owners in our area. Florida SBDC at UWF Business Consultant Kyle Polhlopek will be available by email for…

Don Gaetz Believes the Gulf Coast Can Triumph

"But it’s not enough for Triumph and its private and public sector partners to produce thousands of new jobs if there aren’t thousands of Northwest Floridians qualified to fill them. That’s why Triumph is working with school districts and higher education institutions to reshape what is taught and how it’s taught in our schools. Triumph already is funding projects in six of our eight counties that will prepare 9,000 students to earn national industry certifications for the very jobs most needed in our region over the next decade." -Don Gaetz

The Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce was honored to support the University of West Florida in their appeal to Triumph to support their efforts to equip over 3,000 students to earn top-level certifications in cyber security and advanced manufacturing and supply chain logistics industry certifications. Through the Center for Cybersecurity, the Sea3D Additive Manufacturing Laboratory and the Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering UWF proposes to produce a minimum of 3,220 industry certifications that would provide career pathways to high paying jobs across the region.

Read more here...

Department Of Labor Issues Final Ruling on Overtime

Conversations begin in the Florida House Regarding Teacher pay increases

Effective January 1, 2020, the minimum salary threshold established by the Department of Labor for overtime eligibility will be set at $684 per week / $35, 568 annually.

More information about the final rule is available here..

Florida House’s committee on preK-12 education budgeting has begun conversations around the Governor's proposed salary increase for teachers of $47,500 - a total price tag of $603 million, annually. The committee is moving forward with caution, as raising taxes does not seem to be a viable option, however, they are hopeful they can find the funds in existing budgets.

Read more here...

 

The Board of Education prioritized its Public Education Capital Outlay plan, unanimously approving seven projects that are now in line to receive a combined $86.4 million in construction funding over the next three years - Pensacola state college made that list.

The Board of Education prioritized its Public Education Capital Outlay plan on Friday, September 20th, unanimously approving seven projects  which are in line to receive a combined $86.4 million in construction funding over the next three years.

Read more here...

 

NATIONAL ECONOMIC PROGRESS CONTINUES, HOWEVER, CONCERNS ARE IN THE AIR

Recent Progress in the Economy:

  • There were 2.3 million more workers in 2018 than 2017!
  • Workers are earning higher wages with increases by 3.4% from 2017 to 2018.
  • Poverty has declined by 0.5 percentage points to 11.8% which is 1.4 million fewer people in poverty.
  • Economic growth driven by tax reform and recent efforts of the current administration to reduce regulatory burdens are having a positive effect.

Positive outcomes from these results:

  • Workers are better able to support their families.
  • There are more available jobs; however, there are still more jobs than people, so workforce remains a major concern.

Gaps in The Economy That Must be Addressed

“The first is a skills gap – too many people lack the skills or credentials they need to compete for 21st century jobs. The second is a people gap – too many businesses can’t find the workers they need, when and where they need them. Businesses must be part of the solution. No single entity has a greater stake in the strength of our talent pool than the business community. We have the ideas, the innovations, and the incentive to drive change and create solutions.”, said U.S. Chamber CEO Donohue at the Talent Forward event earlier this year.

The Gaps

  1. Solutions for the Skills Gap
    1. Improving education and mandating increased school accountability, more choices for families, and improved collaboration among key stakeholders.
    2. Ensuring the annual $400 billion dollars of taxpayer money being invested in higher education will result into credentials and a return on investment back into the economy.
    3. The business community must ensure that local education institutions teach in-demand skills by implementing similar programs such as the Foundation Talent Pipeline Management Initiative https://www.uschamberfoundation.org/talent-pipeline-management
    4. Better access to quality childcare, as it is the foundation for basic skills and ability.
  2. Solutions for People Gap
    1. The opioid epidemic is a large contributor to the decline in working-age men in the workforce. We need to support public and private sectors working to address the issue in addition to supporting good public policy.

but fair process for the millions of undocumented people living in the U.S. to have the opportunity to earn a legal status.” This includes the “Dreamers” who came to the U.S. as children and Temporary Protected Status recipients.

  1. We must have good policy to produce good results!

Signs of Policy Uncertainty Is Negatively Affecting the Economy

“Amid all the talk of a possible recession, it’s important for everyone to remember this: Economic expansions do not die of natural causes. They often die because of missteps and policy mistakes. And the biggest mistake our leaders could make right now — putting our economy at greater risk of a downturn — is to stoke further uncertainty We’re calling on our leaders to eliminate the uncertainty, rebuild business confidence and keep this economy working for all Americans.” U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO Donohue writes.

  1. “When leaders make decisions that foster certainty, businesses invest, hire, grow and better drive the economy in a positive direction.”
  2. Examples of the Effect of Fostering Certainty
    1. Unemployment rate has reached a generational low
    2. Employee compensation has risen 3.4% in the first half of 2019
    3. Inflammation remains near record lows
    4. Consumer spending is strong, and retail sales have beat the calculated expectations for the first half of the year.
  3. Examples of the Negative Effect from Not Fostering Certainty
    1. Increased trade tensions and softening of global economy

“The business community shares the administration’s concern over China’s trade and industrial practices, and the U.S. Chamber strongly supports efforts to secure a deal that addresses forced technology transfer, industrial subsidies, data privacy and intellectual-property protection, and market access. The initial tariffs have brought China to the negotiating table, but the current path of constant escalation doesn’t increase the likelihood of a deal; it risks a recession here at home.” – U.S. Chamber of Commerce

  1. Business investment has experienced its first decline in three years
  2. Manufacturing sector has been in a downturn for nine months
  3. Famers’ income has plummeted
  4. Investors have begun to panic over “inverted yield curves” in the bond market and wild swings in the stock market – typically key indicators a recession is coming. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/08/14/recession-watch-what-is-an-inverted-yield-curve-why-does-it-matter/

The Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce Commitment

We know that neither growth nor a recession are guaranteed; however, both result from choices we make as a country. The Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce will be calling on our leaders to eliminate as much uncertainty in the economy’s future as possible by encouraging the introducing and supporting of logical tax reform and an increase in educational and workforce development resources. Together we can close these gaps and increase the business community’s confidence in the future, both near and long.

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Sean Hackbarth, A Strong Economy Improves American’s Lives,” First Things First, (September 2019): https://page.uschamber.com/index.php/email/emailWebview