TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida TaxWatch (FTW) today released two reports, Bringing The Sunshine State Back: The Impact of COVID-19 Across Florida’s Economy & Options for Recovery, and The Best Defense is a Good Offense: The Economic Impact of Protecting Responsible Floridians from COVID-Related Civil Liability, that address the impacts of a lack of a liability shield and the pandemic on Florida’s major economic sectors.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida TaxWatch (FTW) today released the recommendations of its COVID-19 Taxpayer Task Force which was established in May 2020 to discuss opportunities and options to ease the financial and administrative burdens on Florida taxpayers created by the pandemic and help Florida’s economic recovery. Made up of public policy professionals, tax and budget experts, and leaders of both small and large businesses, the Task Force was established to identify those areas of state tax policy that could be addressed both immediately and in the long term to provide Florida’s businesses—and their employees and customers—appropriate relief and assistance.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released its latest report, BRINGING FLORIDA’S BUDGET BACK FROM COVID-19 A Roadmap for a Responsible Recovery, outlining major budget and policy recommendations and options to reduce state spending and maximize existing revenue sources as Florida fights to recover from the significant fiscal impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The recommendations put forward today by FTW can conservatively produce a combined nearly $6 billion in annual positive impact on the budget and include proposed legislative actions for both short-term (FY 2020-21) and long-term consideration by Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature.

The pandemic is not over. The strain on Florida’s health care system has lessened but it is still significant. The appearance of COVID-19 variants further highlights the need for an extension. The potential still exists for runaway litigation would have a devastating impact on Floridians across the board but especially our health care providers. Safeguards are essential to ensure that healthcare providers that are working hard to comply with public health directives or protective measures are protected from civil liability.

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released Economic Commentary: State COVID-19 Restrictions & the Road Back to Economic Normal, which offers a cursory overview of the relationship between states’ COVID-19 restrictions and their respective economic recoveries. Using data obtained by CNN and Moody’s Analytics, as well as WalletHub, the analysis indicates that states implementing more stringent COVID-19 guidelines, such as face mask requirements and bans on large gatherings, have had slower economic recoveries compared to those that lifted restrictions sooner, a measure determined by the national index score, state-level employment, unemployment insurance claims, seated restaurants open, and more.

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released its latest Economic Commentary: The Backbone of the Economy: How Small Businesses in Florida Have Fared During the Pandemic. The briefing outlines how Florida’s 2.7 million small businesses – which employ 3.5 million employees or roughly 41.7 percent of the private workforce – have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.