Tough work ahead for 2016

Although 2016 is still three months away, state legislators are already back to work in Tallahassee setting their priorities for next year. They should be applauded for their efforts this year to cut taxes, fight corporate welfare, and keep Medicaid on a more affordable path, but now is no time to rest on their laurels. There is still much work.

The central objective of the next legislative session should be making our state the best place to raise a family or open a new business. Through our Five for Florida initiative, a plan that over 40 elected officials have already endorsed, Americans for Prosperity has laid out five specific reforms that will make Florida exactly that.

The first step is making our state tax system more fair and efficient. Lawmakers must eliminate the labyrinth of taxpayer handouts politically connected lobbyists have won for themselves and their clients over the years. This is especially true with regard to renewable energy mandates and tax credits, which unfairly give wind and solar providers a leg up over their opponents. In 2012 alone, these and other handouts cost state taxpayers a staggering $3.24 billion.

That money would be better devoted to lowering the overall corporate tax rate for all of our state’s job creators. States with lower corporate tax rates have more jobs, higher take-home pay, and healthier economies overall—and Florida should be one of them.

Second, we must not make promises we cannot keep. Medicaid expansion was a perfect example of that. It would have left Florida taxpayers holding the bill for unlimited spending down the road that would have crowded out critical needs like roads, bridges, and schools.

Instead, we should make health care promises we can keep to bring down the cost of health care. That means repealing our byzantine certificates of need laws, which restrict the number of health care facilities and services. This drives up the price of health care by limiting the options available to patients.

It also means increasing access to Direct Primary Care (DPC). By removing insurers and other middlemen from the health care equation, DPC has been proven to dramatically lower costs and improve patient outcomes. Combined with other free market policies, these reforms can go a long way toward making health care affordable in our state.

Third, we must free entrepreneurs from unnecessary restrictions making it harder to open a business. Chief among these are our state’s outdated professional licensing laws, which require government permission before setting up shop. They currently apply to 29 professions—from barbers to real estate agents—making Florida’s licensing system the fourth most restrictive in the nation, according to the Institute for Justice.

Fourth, we need more transparency in state spending and government contracts. This element of accountability will help ensure our hard-earned tax dollars are serving the interests of our entire state. Especially with up to $13 billion worth of poorly written and managed contracts at stake, transparency is critically important.

And lastly, we must create an education system that gives our children the best opportunity to succeed. That means expanding access to Florida’s thriving charter schools. Students at these innovative institutions consistently outperform traditional public school students in the subjects of reading, math, and science.

Charters have also been a lifeline for students stuck in failing schools, particularly minorities, who make up over half of all charter students.

Yet despite their obvious success, charter schools only receive around 70 percent of the funding allocated to other public schools. Putting charters on a level playing field would enable them to serve more students—and give our children a better shot to get ahead.

These five common sense reforms are the surest ways to keep the sun shining on our state. In 2016 it will be up to our elected representatives to make these reforms a reality.

Chris Hudson is the Florida state director of Americans for Prosperity.