Politics
Florida Chamber’s free-enterprise roadshow rolls into Illinois
The Florida Chamber of Commerce called its shot.
When the organization launched its “Free Enterprise Florida” campaign with a Times Square billboard in August, Chamber President and CEO Mark Wilson told Florida Politics that Illinois was among the states that could be targeted next.
Now, the campaign is heading to Chicago.
The Chamber is rolling out billboards comparing Florida’s economy with Illinois’ and naming Gov. JB Pritzker the runner-up for “Florida Economic Developer of the Year.” The tongue-in-cheek title went to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani when the campaign debuted.
The Chicago-area billboards direct viewers to the Chamber’s website, where the organization compares the two states on population growth, business relocations, taxable income migration, taxes and other measures.
According to the Chamber’s analysis, Florida ranks No. 1 for business relocations while Illinois ranks No. 48. It also says Florida gained nearly 1.9 million residents over five years as Illinois lost about 76,000.
The Chamber further reports that Florida gained $20.6 billion through taxable income migration while Illinois posted a $5.9 billion net loss. Illinois alone accounted for a net $2.4 billion in federally taxable income moving to Florida, according to the organization.
“Competition is good for everyone because it forces us to keep improving,” Wilson said. “Florida has to continue making the choices that attract investment, encourage entrepreneurship and give job creators the confidence to grow.”
The expansion makes good on the broader national campaign Wilson previewed to Florida Politics in August. At the time, he also identified Washington and California as possible future targets.
The Chamber says its goal is not simply to watch businesses and wealth leave other states, but to persuade those states to adopt policies it credits for Florida’s growth.
“Our goal isn’t to have Illinois fail,” the organization said. “It’s to have America win.”
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