Economy: Education and tourism are key drivers for Florida

Influencer Chairman: Leigh-Ann Buchanan.

Influencer Members: Yolanda Cash Jackson, Nancy Lawther, Melissa Medina, Victoria Rogers.

The Question: How should Florida’s elected leaders ensure that Florida’s economy keeps growing and that we attract the kinds of industries important for the state’s future?

Summary of the broader survey findings:

More than half of the Florida Influencers this year said vocational education is a top accomplishment of the Legislature when it comes to spurring job growth and boosting the state’s economy.

Gov. Ron DeSantis made workforce and technical training programs a priority after his inauguration in January, challenging Florida to go from No. 24 to No. 1 in the nation for its workforce and technical training programs by 2030.

The issue Influencers ranked as second-most important to the state economy was the continued funding of Visit Florida, the state’s tourism marketing arm. It will be funded for one more year, with just two-thirds of its previous budget. The amount was a compromise between the Senate and the House, where Speaker José Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, said he wanted to get rid of Visit Florida altogether.

The third most important piece of economy-centered legislation to Influencers was the hemp bill, which gives the state’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services the authority to create a state hemp program.

When it comes to other economy-boosting legislation, the Influencers were not so keen on bills that eliminate certificate of need programs to encourage more hospital competition and limiting local governments’ ability to set affordable housing rules. Influencers also did not approve of the bill signed by DeSantis Friday that gave a green light for new toll roads in mostly rural parts of the state.

Statement summarizing the views of the working group regarding the issue:

Our economy does not thrive in silos. Instead, it requires the acknowledgement that equitable educational opportunities, lack of integrated transportation infrastructure, affordable housing and environmental threats impact the economic viability of our state. The Florida of the future will not resemble the Florida of today. To achieve a vision of an inclusive, dynamic, sustainable and resilient economic landscape, the governor and the legislature must articulate by the end of the legislative session a measurable, transparent, achievable and inspiring plan of action.

Potential solutions:

▪ Research demonstrates that firms in operation for five years or less are the largest creator of net new jobs in the country. We recommend the legislature prioritize the recruitment startups or mid-sized companies by adapting best practices for incentive packages from other jurisdictions; involving more innovation stakeholders; and re-designing the implementation of workforce initiatives to respond to smaller firm needs.

▪ To amplify the economic imperative of diversity, equity and inclusion and to enhance public trust and transparency relating to economic policies, we recommend the adoption of an annual, mandatory, externally conducted audit of all policy making bodies -- the result of which would be an equitable representation scorecard that measures the inclusiveness and composition and will be published on all externally facing State of Florida digital channels and printed medium.

▪ Recognizing that Florida is at existential inflection point — one which presents an opportunity for exemplary leadership and necessitates a pivot, we recommend the legislature leverage the current economic strength to prioritize investment in the new/ 21st century economic drivers rooted in affordability, sustainability, environmental health and innovation.

▪ To reduce structural and actual barriers, we recommend the governor create an Office of Entrepreneurship Access and Equity, reporting to him, to allocate resources towardscohesive infrastructure of policy, funding, resources, and education to enable entrepreneurship as a driver of economic development and individual economic mobility for all.

What questions will the governor and legislature need to answer to make progress on this issue?:

▪ Given the current structural limitations of our government, how might we as a state create a long-term strategy for sustainable economic growth?

▪ How might policymakers adopt a collaborative process of co-creating policies with those constituents that are directly impacted?

▪ How might we ensure that both the output and outcome of future economic policies close the widening economic disparities?