Press Releases

Prepared remarks for Florida TaxWatch Chairman George S. LeMieux, Florida TaxWatch State of the Taxpayer, 2022 – AC Hotel Tallahassee Universities at the Capitol, January 12, 2022

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch released a list of taxpayer priorities for the 2022 Legislative Session, which begins next Tuesday, January 11 and adjourns on Friday, March 11. The list reflects a range of issues that the independent, nonpartisan research institute dedicated to serving as “the eyes and ears of Florida’s taxpayers” has examined and will continue to closely monitor during the upcoming session.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released 2022 Economic Preview: Settling into a New Normal, the taxpayer research institute’s latest economic commentary. It cautions that, while several estimates seem to signal robust economic growth in the year ahead, Floridians must be prepared to adapt to nuances in the labor market’s recovery, such as rising inflation rates resulting from supply chain issues and other workforce-related complications.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released 2021 How Florida Compares: Taxes, which includes an analysis of Florida’s state and local tax rates, tax collections, and other government revenues and compares the data to the 49 other states and the national average. The report is part of the taxpayer research institute’s larger How Florida Compares series, providing neutral, nonpartisan information intended to help Floridians better understand their state. 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released A Rising Tide Sinks All Homes: The Effects of Climate Change on Florida’s Economy, a comprehensive report

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released Beyond the Pandemic: Long-Term Changes and Challenges for Housing in Florida, the sixth installment in the taxpayer research institute’s COVID-19 Legacy Series. The report explains the record price growth the housing market experienced in the past year and presents considerations for the long-term impact in Florida.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released Navigating Federal Pandemic Relief: Following Billions in Stimulus Dollars, Where Do We Go From Here? The report presents an analysis of the dollars allocated to Florida for the six stimulus packages Congress has passed since March 2020 and offers recommendations to help the state take full advantage of the federal funding that has not yet been spent or the additional funds that it will receive in the near future.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released Who Knows What? An Independent Analysis of the Potential Effects of Consumer Data Privacy Legislation in Florida. Building on a previous FTW briefing, the report examines experience data from existing consumer data privacy laws across the country to generate an estimate of compliance and litigation costs businesses would face with the implementation of consumer data privacy legislation in Florida.

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released Beyond the Pandemic: Long-Term Changes and Challenges for Leisure and Hospitality in Florida, the fifth installment in the taxpayer research institute’s COVID-19 Legacy Series. The report outlines the Leisure and Hospitality sector’s significant contributions to Florida’s economy prior to the onset of the pandemic and explains how COVID-19 has exposed lingering vulnerability within the service and tourism industries, while also presenting several considerations and opportunities to help prepare for inevitable disruptions in the future.

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released 2022 Legislature Should Reauthorize the Qualified Target Industry (QTI) Tax Refund Program, a report wherein the government watchdog contends the Qualified Target Industry (QTI) tax refund program – which expired on June 30, 2020 – should be reauthorized by the Florida Legislature in 2022, enabling the state to directly compete with Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, and others to attract companies in high value-added industries that are considering settling or expanding their operations.

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released Red Tide Mitigation Using Southern Hard Clams, a report analyzing the reintroduction of southern hard clam beds as an innovative and environmentally sustainable approach to mitigating the harmful impacts of red tides along the western Gulf Coast of Florida.

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released Beyond the Pandemic: Long-Term Changes and Challenges for Postsecondary Training in Florida, the fourth installment in the taxpayer research institute’s COVID-19 Legacy Series. The report introduces the distinctly new workforce that is emerging from the pandemic and explains how postsecondary training and education, a proven driver of economic mobility, is also evolving in order to be responsive and adaptable to inevitable, sudden change.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The statement below regarding the Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday, which begins Sat., July 31 and ends Mon., Aug. 9, is to be attributed to Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic M. Calabro.

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released Beyond the Pandemic: Long-Term Changes and Challenges for Florida’s Workforce, the third installment in the taxpayer research institute’s COVID-19 Legacy Series. The report highlights current workforce trends and the long-term ramifications for Florida’s future talent pipeline and workforce development, as well as the state’s economic growth and fiscal sustainability.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released Supply Chain Resiliency in the Face of Economic Disruption: Connex Florida as a Platform for Resilience, which analyzes the importance and influence of supply chains in today’s economy, highlighting the impact that major disruptions – like the unprecedented global pandemic – can have, while also presenting Connex Florida as a practical solution to supply chain resiliency going forward.

Tallahassee, Fla – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released its latest report, Addressing the Medicaid Funding Gap Through a Directed Payment Program (DPP), which evaluates the impact of COVID-19 on Florida’s Medicaid program and explores the use of Medicaid DPP as an option to minimize the gap between a hospital’s cost of care for Medicaid patients and the reimbursement the hospital actually receives.