Statement on Removal of Energy Dereg. from Ballot

Florida Chamber of Commerce Statement on Supreme Court Decision to Remove the Proposed Electricity Deregulation Ballot Initiative Off 2020 Ballot

Tallahassee, Fla. (January 9, 2020) – Today, the Florida Supreme Court ruled that the so-called electricity deregulation ballot proposal is misleading, therefore removing it from the 2020 ballot. Below is a statement from Mark Wilson, President and CEO, Florida Chamber of Commerce.

“This is a great win for Florida’s competitiveness. We cannot secure Florida’s future with regulatory policies that will make our state less competitive and electricity more expensive.

“The Florida Supreme Court made the right decision in finding the proposed electricity deregulation initiative misleading. The Florida Chamber will continue to protect our constitution, and we’ll remain vigilant should this issue try to reappear.”

The Florida Chamber has a long history of protecting Florida’s constitution. In 2019, the Florida Chamber filed a legal brief, agreeing with Attorney General Ashley Moody in opposing the ballot initiative as it could cause great harm to Florida’s economy.

Additionally, the Florida Chamber conducted a financial impact study and found that the proposed changes to Florida’s electricity market would have the very damaging financial impact on state and local governments of more than $1.2 billion per year in increased costs and reduced revenues.

Today’s Florida Supreme Court decision will ensure prices don’t rise for Florida families, and will ensure that Florida’s Constitution is protected.

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Established in 1916 as Florida’s first statewide business advocacy organization, the Florida Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business and the state’s largest federation of employers, chambers of commerce and associations aggressively representing small and large businesses from every industry and every region. The Florida Chamber works within all branches of government to affect those changes set forth in the annual Florida Business Agenda, and which are seen as critical to secure Florida’s future. The Florida Chamber works closely with its Florida Political Operations and the Florida Chamber Foundation. Visit www.FloridaChamber.com for more information.