Legislators in the Florida House supporting the Fair Economy Act highlighted the potential impact of an additional $500 million in revenue today during the budget debate. The Fair Economy Act (HB 1335, SB 1590/1592) would provide additional revenue by ensuring multi-state corporations pay their fair share, just like middle class families and small business owners do everyday.
Here are just a few of the examples of what $500 million could do in this year’s budget:
- Eliminate the 27,000 person waiting list for seniors and persons with disabilities who are eligible for the nursing home diversion program
- Hire 8,610 more teachers and lower average classroom size
- Ensure that the more than 600,000 uninsured children in Florida would be eligible to be covered under KidCare
- Eliminate waiting list for families who have children with disabilities
- Ensure a 5 year freeze on tuition and fee increases for Colleges and Universities
- Restore cuts to student financial aid, including Bright Futures Scholarships
- Provide more than 66,000 Floridians the opportunity to advance to home ownership through the First Time Home Buyer Program
- Fund Everglades Restoration, restore Florida Forever program, and provide funding for alternative water supply projects
- Restore proposed reductions to Hospital Inpatient and Outpatient rates, and restore adult Podiatric services
The funding for any one of these initiatives could be covered by the additional $500 million in revenue that would be collected with the passage of the Fair Economy Act, which would make wealthy multi-state corporations that dodge state taxes through loopholes and exemptions pay their fair share. Instead the majority chose to continue this corporate favoritism rather than putting the needs of Floridians first.