By IN reporter Sean Boone
According to Florida State Rep. Greg Evers, the Republican state lawmakers that met in Destin two weeks ago for a four-day retreat, focused primarily on the budget of the state.
“There was a lot of concern and talk about the budget as far as where we are,” he says. “There was some talk of strategies as far as the Republican caucus, but as far as the budget being discussed, each member would tell you what his issues were, why he got elected, and what his platform was.”
Evers says one of the biggest concerns with the state of the Florida economy outside of the $1.5 billion projected budget shortfall for next year, is the difficult permit process that businesses are facing that are keeping them away.
“It’s time the agencies in Florida become a helping hand in Florida,” he says. “Where they are not hurting folks and try to be assisting hands instead of a hindrance.
“In the past three weeks we’ve had three businesses close in Escambia county–close to 250 jobs. We’ve got to look at the regulations and what these folks are going through to energize the economy. It’s time Florida stopped losing businesses to other states because of the regulations.”
The retreat was sponsored by the Republican Party of Florida, which paid for each Rep. and his or her family to stay in the beachside community of Watercolor. The retreat is held every election year to introduce newly elected Republican members of congress to the rest of the party.