Capital Soup

Florida News Straight From the Source

You are here: Home / Archives for james madison institute

james madison institute

New JMI and Goldwater Policy Brief on Common Sense Solutions for Better Government

Posted on

A new policy brief by The James Madison Institute and the Goldwater Institute finds three opportunities for Florida lawmakers to reduce the growth of the regulatory state.

Entitled, “Structural Reform for a More Prosperous Florida: Common Sense Solutions for Better Government,” the brief touts three main reforms including the Right to Earn a Living Act, a state-based REINS Act and the Congressional Review Act.

“Florida succeeds when we provide an environment for prosperity for all, and when we allow individuals to pursue their passions and create economic growth. While Florida does a tremendous job relative to other states, there is always more we can pursue. In many ways, the regulatory system of the 20th Century needs to adapt to the innovations present in the 21st. That requires ever-consistent vigilance on the part of our policy makers to remove barriers to prosperity,” said JMI Vice President of Policy and report co-author, Sal Nuzzo.

Examining just the past 20 years, the Sunshine State consistently has one of the best business climates in the United States and our state government has one of the most efficient and effective operations in the entire country.

Still, Florida has room for improvement.

“There has been a growing trend toward prohibiting people from working in the job of their choice or starting a business without first seeking government approval—even if they pose no health or safety threat to the public,” Goldwater Institute Director of National Litigation, and co-author of the report, Jon Riches said. “Today, about one in four jobs require government permission, and these unnecessarily high barriers to entry are keeping Floridians and Americans across the country from earning a living. That’s not how the Land of Opportunity should work.”

The policy brief, “Structural Reform for a More Prosperous Florida: Common Sense Solutions for Better Government,” is available here.

The James Madison Institute Highlights Importance of Fiscal Conservatism During Florida Thrift Week

Posted on

Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, along with Governor Rick Scott and members of the Florida Cabinet, signed a resolution declaring January 17-23, 2018 as “Florida Thrift Week.” Since 2012, when The James Madison Institute (JMI) first brought “Thrift Week” back to the state, this resolution has been signed to renew the teaching of thrift to all Floridians, with a focus on how to wisely earn, save, spend, and give one’s resources.
“Fifty percent of Americans lack a rainy-day fund and nearly 20 percent spend more than their income,” said CFO Jimmy Patronis. “The importance of saving money is deeply rooted in American history and I am proud to sponsor a resolution that renews this historic educational movement. I encourage Floridians to practice thrift each day and strive for financial success.”
The thrift education movement began in 1916 during World War I. National Thrift Week became an annual celebration in honor of the birthday of Benjamin Franklin, America’s foremost thrift advocate.
“It’s important for Floridians to embrace the founding principles and timeless wisdom that our forefathers wove into the tapestry of the American Dream,” said JMI President and CEO Dr. Bob McClure. “Benjamin Franklin recognized that it is just as important for citizens to have economic independence, from the burdens debt and financial uncertainty, as it is to have political freedom if they wish to experience the reality of our nation’s dream.”
Throughout January, JMI will be sharing Benjamin Franklin’s thrift-related wisdom. At the month in celebration of thrift, JMI will visit area schools in North Florida with Lloyd Wheeler, an accomplished Ben Franklin reenactor, who will educate students in Benjamin Franklin’s timeless principles of thrift and economic freedom.

The James Madison Institute: Repeal Heavy-Handed Legislation to Save Money, Create Opportunities for Florida’s Working Poor

Posted on

In a lean budget year, the best way for the state to save money and give an economic boost to Florida’s working poor is to repeal or amend heavy-handed legislation that blocks employment or access to health care and criminalizes addiction. That’s the conclusion of The James Madison Institute (JMI), as argued in a series of issue briefs in the conservative, free-market think tank’s latest edition of The Journal.
JMI Vice President of Policy Sal Nuzzo and JMI President Dr. Bob McClure urged the Legislature to take the following steps when it convenes next month in order to stimulate Florida’s economy, reduce the burden on taxpayers, and create growth opportunities for Florida’s working poor:

● Increase health care access by giving physical therapists direct access to patients, allowing nurse practitioners and physician assistants a broader scope of practice, and allowing pharmacists to prescribe medication.  Greater utilization of nonphysician health care professionals will help fill the gap expected as a result of Florida’s projected physician shortage – a gap of more than 4,500 doctors over the next 20 years – while increasing access to care. 

● Eliminate unnecessary occupational licensing that creates barriers to employment in certain jobs such as cosmetologists, massage therapists, aestheticians, athletic trainers, manicurists, pest control workers, private detectives, and veterinary technicians. Florida is the fourth-most burdensome state in imposing occupational regulations, with licensing costs that impose the equivalent of a tax on service workers attempting to pursue new career opportunities.

● Restore judicial discretion for drug sentencing, ending minimum mandatory sentences for low-level, nonviolent offenses; raise Florida’s felony theft threshold; and reduce the number of offenses for which a driver’s license can be suspended. These reforms would produce substantial savings for the state – corrections spending is the third-largest portion of Florida’s budget, and minimum mandatory sentencing of drug offenders drives $106 million in spending. Florida’s felony theft threshold, which hasn’t been changed in more than 30 years, is just $300, compared with $2,500 in Texas. Additionally, Florida statutes are filled with non-driving offenses that result in driver’s license suspensions. Someone could be convicted of a felony for stealing a cell phone or incarcerated for failing to pay fines or fees or driving with a suspended license.

“Especially in a year when dollars are scarce the Florida Legislature should take commonsense steps to reduce regulations that create barriers to employment or health care,” said Nuzzo. “And smart-on-crime criminal justice reforms will reduce incarcerations in Florida, thereby reducing associated costs and preserving families in the process.”

The Journal is available HERE.  

The James Madison Institute is Florida’s premier free-market think tank. JMI conducts research on such issues as health care, taxes, and regulatory environments. Founded in 1987, JMI is one of the nation’s oldest and largest 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational organizations.

The James Madison Institute Calls for End of Taxpayer Subsidies of Unions Through Release Time

Posted on

JMI notes taxpayer funds help public employees push against taxpayer interest

Local governments in Florida are allowing a “blatant misuse of taxpayer money” by paying employees to perform union tasks unrelated to their public duties, essentially giving away scarce tax resources to private entities for private benefit, The James Madison Institute says in a new policy brief. Released just four days before Labor Day, the analysis concludes that Florida should put an end to “union release time,” a taxpayer-funded subsidy that allows members of public employee unions to conduct union business during working hours without loss of pay.
Even though Florida is a right-to-work state – meaning no employee can be forced to join a union in order to get a job – Florida municipalities give public employee unions access to millions of taxpayer dollars each year in the form of release time, according to the JMI policy brief.
“The business conducted on release time has no public benefit – it exclusively serves the interests of government unions. At a time of increasing scrutiny at all levels of taxpayer funding in Florida, organized labor, not taxpayers, should incur those costs. Yet, release time sticks taxpayers with the tab for private union activity,” according to the policy brief authored by Trey Kovacs, JMI adjunct scholar and policy analyst with the Competitive Enterprise Institute, and Sal Nuzzo, JMI’s vice president of policy.
The policy brief assails unions for release time practices that use tax dollars to promote the unions’ interests and notes that Florida governments do not effectively track their employees’ release time activities. In some places, employees are involved in activities that support union efforts that conflict with taxpayers’ interests.
“Government employees have a special responsibility to the public, and they should honor those responsibilities,” said Dr. Bob McClure, president and CEO of The James Madison Institute. “Labor Day was conceived to honor the many contributions of working men and women, and hard working taxpayers shouldn’t be expected to subsidize private unions that, in furthering their own agendas, often work against the interests of the taxpayer.”
Working in conjunction with JMI, researchers from the Competitive Enterprise Institute compiled public records from Miami-Dade County and the cities of Tampa and Jacksonville to examine the number of hours of union release time, activities paid for with release time, and the cost.
“As a right-to-work state, Floridians are not forced to pay union dues, yet release time amounts to a multi-million dollar taxpayer-funded subsidy,” said Nuzzo. “The so-called public unions are not required to return anything to the public, and local governments exercise little control over the use of release time. This glaring issue erodes the trust that taxpayers place in their government and should be addressed.”
Miami-Dade, Florida’s most populous county, allowed nearly 100,000 hours of release time in 2016. The same year, the City of Tampa spent $366,771 for unionized employees to conduct various union-related activities, while the City of Jacksonville used $314,677 for similar release time.
In reviewing the release time data, CEI’s Kovacs said it was particularly concerning that some county officials do not track or record what activities are taking place on union release time. “This practice is unsettling as it demonstrates a complete lack of transparency and accountability,” he said. “Public unions exist across the country as some of the most powerful and well-funded political machines, and it is wrong for taxpayers to be held accountable to provide these employees compensation when they are performing non-public work.”
JMI recommends that Florida eliminate union release time, citing several ways this can be accomplished including via specific policy or through an elimination of release time provisions in collective bargaining agreements. The government should focus on ways to cut taxpayer funds to private organizations that do not benefit the public, JMI said, and government employees should not perform duties unrelated to their public duties while on the clock at their government jobs.
“The Sunshine State has the tools at its disposal to put an end to the practice of giving away scarce taxpayer resources to private entities for private benefit. It is now time to use those tools,” the policy brief concludes.
The policy brief is available at: bitly.com/releasetime.
The James Madison Institute is Florida’s premier free-market think tank. JMI conducts research on such issues as health care, taxes, and regulatory environments. Founded in 1987, JMI is one of the nation’s oldest and largest 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational organizations.

Class IV of The James Madison Institute Leaders Fellowship Announced

Posted on

Incoming class adds more than 80 top professionals
to growing liberty network across the state

The James Madison Institute (JMI) today announced the fourth class of the Leaders Fellowship, selecting more than 80 top young professionals from across Florida. This component of the Institute’s growing liberty network now consists of hundreds of accomplished leaders from a variety of different fields – who are all making great strides toward improving Florida’s communities. The JMI Leaders Fellowship is a yearlong endeavor designed to encourage and promote the growth, development, knowledge and networks of professionals under the age of 40 who live and work in the Sunshine State. The program has representation in five key regions of the state: Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando, and South Florida.
“Every year, we continue to be impressed by these dedicated individuals. They have already achieved so much in their careers and have taken time to give back through involvement with other charitable organizations and board leadership. We learn a lot from the unique expertise and diverse experience represented in each class. We value the productive discussions that take place and the ideas that are shared throughout this program,” said Dr. Bob McClure, JMI president and CEO. “This immersive fellowship experience provides each participant with the opportunity to become more well-rounded in their knowledge of the public policy decisions that impact their daily lives and the lives of their friends and families.”
Through this program, the Leaders Fellows will have the opportunity to hear from various industry experts and attend networking events in their area and in other regions of Florida. After graduating from the JMI Leaders Fellowship, each class is placed into an alumni network of other peers and professionals, which helps support the promotion of the program and seeks to provide speaker and topic suggestions for future classes. Past Leaders Fellows class lists can be found here. The current JMI Leaders Fellows Class IV includes:
JMI Leaders Fellows Class IV (2017-2018)
Statewide Executive Board (At-Large)

  • Harout Samra (Chair), DLA Piper
  • Vance Aloupis, Children’s Movement of Florida
  • Sara Clements, Step Up For Students
  • Glen Gilzean, Central Florida Urban League
  • Keith Sonderling, Gunster
  • Robert Gidel Jr., Attorney
  • Alexis Flowers, Step Up for Students

Jacksonville:
– Co-Chair: John Barnes, Veritec Solutions
– Co-Chair: Randall Richardson, 5th DCA Regional Conflict Counsel

  • Jamie Siegmeister, Graduate Student
  • Adam Brandon, Rodgers Towers, P.A.
  • Justin Hoover, Barron’s Wholesale Tire
  • Clayton Levins, Jacksonville University
  • Alexander Pantinakis, Majority Strategies
  • Elizabeth Feustel, Jacksonville Civic Council
  • Eric Roberson, Fourth Judicial Circuit
  • Jonas Cummings, Judicial Law Clerk
  • Daniel Caudy, Jacksonville Jaguars

Orlando:
– Chair: Brittany Corfman, Office of U.S. Senator Marco Rubio

  • London Rotundo, Office of U.S. Senator Marco Rubio
  • Andrew Metante, Office of U.S. Senator Marco Rubio
  • Alex Newman, Liberty Sentinel Media
  • Raychel Garcia, Wicker Smith O’Hara McCoy and Ford
  • Sydnie Tiseo, Florida House of Representatives
  • Jeremy Waller, Goodwill Industries of Central Florida
  • Dylan Fisher, Florida House of Representatives
  • Lawrence Lyman, Tactical Electronics Corporation
  • Lydia Walsh, Office of U.S. Senator Marco Rubio
  • Caroline Nickerson, University of Florida Psychiatry Department
  • David Hoyt, America’s Future Foundation

South Florida:
– Co-Chair: Antonio Lopez, Access Global, LLC
– Co-Chair: Ryan Hnatiuk, Republican Party of Palm Beach County

  • Dr. Jorge Rice, Quadrant Mediation Inc.
  • Christopher Lebrun, Hertz Corporation
  • Dominique Whiting, Ros-Lehtinen for Congress
  • Jeremiah Schwarz, K&L Gates LLP
  • Katrina Castillo, Children’s Legal Services
  • Christine Shaw, Palm Beach County Legislative Delegation
  • Scott Singer, Attorney
  • Christina Martin, Pacific Legal Foundation
  • Amy Bisceglia, The Ruben Group
  • Meredith Biggs, Gunster
  • Gloria Kelly, Village of Wellington
  • Luis Delgado, Circuit Judge
  • Aramis Perez, Independent Consultant

​Tallahassee:
– Co-Chairs: Tara Reid, Strategos Group
– Co-Chairs: Jason Borger, Hancock Bank

  • Charles Withers, Florida House of Representatives
  • Logan Lewkow, LobbyTools, Inc.
  • Ivey Rooney, Republican Party of Florida
  • Andrew Kalel, Shutts & Bowen LLP
  • Brandon Miller, Florida House of Representatives
  • Ryan Salazar, Department of Children and Families (Tallahassee Headquarters)
  • Elizabeth Blair Hancock, University of Florida – Office of Government Relations
  • Jeff Williams, Earl Bacon Agency, Inc.
  • Benjamin Glen Bishop, GBE, LLC
  • Jake Farmer, Florida House of Representatives
  • Nathan Harvey, Executive Office of the Governor
  • Alejandro Blair, Florida Senate
  • Denise Harle, Office of the Florida Attorney General
  • John Kotyk, Florida Senate
  • Cody Farrill, Florida Department of Transportation
  • Cody Short, Florida First District Court of Appeal
  • Kevin Brown, Florida Senate
  • Rebecca Weaver, United Way of the Big Bend
  • Alexia Dawes, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity
  • Brittney Prahlow, ContributionLink, LLCS.
  • Chase Williams, RMDC, Inc.

Tampa:
– Co-Chair: Brian Reeves, Fantastic Sam’s Village Systems, Inc.
– Co-Chair: Janine Kiray, Florida House of Representatives

  • Mark Matos, HBKS™ Wealth Advisors
  • Andrew Peluso, Hill Ward Henderson
  • Eliot B. Peace, Bradley Arant Boult & Cummings, LLP
  • Michael Maguire, True Partners Consulting, LLC
  • Regeline Sabbat, Human Development Center, INC
  • Derick Tabertshofer, Florida House of Representatives
  • Justin Brandt, Risk Management Foundation
  • Kaitlyn McCoy, Florida Leadership Committee

The James Madison Institute is Florida’s premier free-market think tank. JMI conducts research on such issues as health care, taxes, and regulatory environments. Founded in 1987, JMI is one of the nation’s oldest and largest 501(c)3 nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational organizations.

James Madison Institute praises Gov. Scott, legislative leaders for passing policies that position Florida for continued growth

Posted on

Floridians have a brighter future thanks to tireless work from Governor Rick Scott, Senate President Joe Negron, House Speaker Richard Corcoran, and other legislative leaders. Over the 2017 legislative session, a wide range of policy priorities of The James Madison Institute (JMI) were passed by the Legislature and signed into law by the Governor in the key areas of education, economic prosperity, and private property rights.
“The 2017 Florida Legislative Session was an important session for Florida’s future,” said JMI President and CEO Dr. Bob McClure. “The entire team at JMI worked hard to educate and inform state legislators on policies that significantly advance limited government, personal liberty, and economic freedom.”
One of the policy areas most positively influenced by legislation enacted during the 2017 legislative sessions is school choice. JMI’s J. Stanley Marshall Center for Educational Options weighed in on a number of education proposals that were adopted into law, including:

  •  Expansion of the Gardiner Scholarship for students with unique abilities
  • Expansion of the Tax Credit Scholarship
  • Digital education access
  • Schools of Hope
  • Summer use of Bright Futures Scholarships

JMI’s Centers for Economic Prosperity and Property Rights were also active during the legislative session promoting the principles of limited government and advocating for an environment that encourages growth and innovation. Significant victories in those areas included:

  • Ridesharing legislation
  • Cottage food expansion
  • Economic development
  • Everglades restoration

“Protecting property rights in the Everglades, allowing free markets to flourish in the transportation industry, and increasing educational opportunities for Florida’s children are just a few of the ways the Florida Legislature stepped forward and showed the nation that freedom and liberty work,” added Dr. McClure.
While there were still a number of important issues left undone during the legislative session, JMI will continue to advocate for the tried and tested principles of free markets and limited government as we look toward the 2018 legislative session and beyond.
To review the James Madison Institute’s complete 2017 Legislative Summary report, click here.
The James Madison Institute
Founded in 1987, The James Madison Institute (JMI) is Florida’s oldest and largest nonpartisan, nonprofit research and educational organization. JMI is dedicated to advancing such ideals as economic freedom, limited government, federalism, traditional values, the rule of law, and individual liberty coupled with individual responsibility. All JMI publications are available online at www.jamesmadison.org.

JMI Applauds Governor Scott and the Legislature for Championing School Choice

Posted on

 Statement from The James Madison Institute

Florida Governor Rick Scott’s signing of the omnibus education bill is a win for Florida students, parents, and teachers. Florida continues to lead the nation in school choice efforts and to serve as a model for other states that strive to give parents and students the choice of different educational styles and curricula that meet each child’s unique needs.
“For 30 years, The James Madison Institute has been on the front lines of the battle of ideas and principles in Florida. We thank Governor Rick Scott, Senate President Joe Negron, and House Speaker Richard Corcoran for their support of this legislation. They have been steadfast in their efforts to match students with educational opportunities that provide the greatest chance for success in life, and this commitment is reflected in legislation that expands school choice for economically-disadvantaged students and those with unique abilities, while providing more digital education access and allowing successful charter schools to open new schools in areas with chronically failing public schools.”

– Dr. J. Robert McClure, President and CEO, The James Madison Institute

“Education choice is an idea that ought to unite liberals and conservatives because it acknowledges that students are diverse and that they are often ill-served by one-size-fits-all schooling policies that fail to account for each child’s unique learning needs.  We commend the legislators in both parties who voted to expand student options in 2017, and we hope legislators will work together in 2018 to move us even closer to the goal of universal education choice for all Florida students.”

– William Mattox, Director of JMI’s Marshall Center for Educational Options

Sachs Media Group Named Agency of Record for The James Madison Institute

Posted on

Sachs Media Group, Florida’s dominant public affairs communications firm, has been named Agency of Record for The James Madison Institute (JMI), Florida’s premier free-market think tank. The Sachs firm’s work will be targeted to elevate JMI’s profile in Florida and nationally by providing public affairs, public relations, digital media, targeted advertising, and strategic communications services in support of JMI’s initiatives.
Founded in 1987, JMI is one of the nation’s oldest and largest 501(c)3 nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational organizations. Hailed as a “heavy hitter” by Florida Trend, JMI has produced work appearing in every Florida media market, as well as in such national outlets as USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Hill, Bloomberg, POLITICO, Newsmax, and others. President and CEO Dr. Bob McClure is a highly regarded political thought leader and was named one of INFLUENCE Magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential People in Florida Politics.
“The James Madison Institute is one of the most influential centers for public policy thought leadership in Florida and beyond,” said Michelle Ubben, president and partner of Sachs Media Group. “We deeply respect the commitment to core values and strong principles that guide all of its important work and we’re excited to collaborate with JMI’s talented staff, dedicated board, and loyal supporters.”
JMI’s already-successful media presence will be reinforced through the guidance of Sachs Media Group’s expertise in public affairs communications. Last year, leading industry publication O’Dwyer’s ranked Sachs Media Group as the Southeast’s and Florida’s top public affairs firm. The addition of JMI to Sachs Media Group’s extensive client list will further underscore the firm’s stature in public affairs communications.
Sachs Media Group provides exceptional results in public affairs, branding, digital, and crisis communications. The firm combines unparalleled relationships, news judgment, messaging, and storytelling ability with cutting-edge strategies to engage audiences with content they seek and share. Sachs Media Group is home to the team best known for smart, strong, and strategic counsel across the diverse and ever-changing media landscape.
For more information about The James Madison Institute, visit https://www.jamesmadison.org/.