The Hope Florida Foundation’s attorney said he likely won’t attend a high-profile House committee hearing. But Rep. Alex Andrade said that may delay his testimony for a day.

Attorney Jeff Aaron told the Orlando Sentinel he could attend on a Wednesday or Friday, but could not go this Thursday. He also stressed health issues within his family.

That’s the day the House Health Care Budget Subcommittee plans to question Amy Ronshausen, executive director of the Drug Free America Foundation, about money received from the Hope Florida Foundation. Lawmakers also want to ask Aaron about that.

“Rest assured that I am willing to testify,” Aaron wrote in an email to the House.

Andrade requested that time be allowed for an additional meeting on Friday to question only Aaron, and he said many statements already made public by the attorney appear to show conflicting direction and advice passed among the involved parties. Namely, the Committee has testimony that Aaron believed grants could be awarded to agencies without Board approval. Still, it advised that the Drug Free America Foundation must request grants from the Board.

Andrade said an ongoing House investigation of the matter requires representatives to get testimony from Aaron.

“If he doesn’t show up, we have got to subpoena him or accommodate his schedule,” Andrade said. “I’ve already requested we have time on Friday for an extra special meeting just for him.”

The controversy around the grants has escalated tensions between Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida House this year. Hope Florida has been an initiative driven by First Lady Casey DeSantis, who continues to mull a run for Governor, but the foundation has come under fire over the grants. After receiving $10 million from a Medicaid settlement, the Foundation awarded the money to two anti-drug foundations, which then donated it to a political committee that opposed last year’s marijuana decriminalization amendment.

James Uthmeier, then the Governor’s Chief of Staff, was Committee Chair. Since then, DeSantis appointed Uthmeier as Florida’s Attorney General; he has maintained that there was no wrongdoing surrounding the transfer of money.

Andrade has yet to question Uthmeier, but said he continues to find new revelations about the management of Hope Florida each day. And he said it will not surprise him if federal prosecutors open an investigation into the redirection of funding.

“Our Attorney cannot with a straight face go after anyone for wire fraud or money laundering,” Andrade said.

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House lawmakers are taking a years-long effort to abolish or defund VISIT FLORIDA, the state’s public-private tourism promotion apparatus, to the local level.

In the most recent iteration of the chamber’s tax package (HB 7033), the House Ways and Means Committee put all 62 tourist development councils in Florida on the chopping block.

Just a single sentence would effectuate the change: “Any tourist development council created pursuant to s. 125.0104 (4) (e), Florida Statutes, as it existed prior to July 1, 2025, shall be dissolved no later than Dec. 1, 2025.”

That targets every tourist development council from Florida’s southernmost county of Monroe to its northwesternmost county of Escambia.

All but five counties in Florida have tourist development councils, and in recent years, the GOP-controlled Legislature has taken aim at them.

In 2023, House leaders proposed cutting state funding for VISIT FLORIDA and filling in the gap with a cut of each county’s tourism tax revenue. Large counties would have contributed 5% of their tourism tax revenues, while smaller, rural counties would have chipped in 2%.

VISIT FLORIDA, in exchange, would have directed 75% of its spending to assist tourism industries in rural counties, state forests and state parks.

Cape Coral Republican Rep. Mike Giallombardo, who sponsored the 2023 proposal, told the Miami Herald at the time that Florida’s wide-open policies during and after COVID — not its tourism marketing — made the state among the hottest destinations in the country.

Jacksonville Democratic Rep. Angie Nixon said the change Giallombardo’s proposal contemplated amounted to “Robin Hooding” funds from large counties to smaller ones.

Lawmakers ultimately decided against the move, instead infusing VISIT FLORIDA with a $30 million funding boost.

Now tourist development councils are in legislators’ crosshairs.

So are county tourism promotion agencies such as the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, Visit Orlando and Visit St. Pete-Clearwater — though nowhere near as harshly.

HB 7033 also includes language that would abolish any existing tourism promotion agency, but only if it doesn’t receive approval by its County Commission by Dec. 31, and only for the purposes outlined in a related resolution.

Those purposes must be in accordance with Section 125.012 (25) of Florida Statutes, which state that the objective of such an organization is to “publicize, advertise, and promote the activities and projects herein authorized; to make known the advantages, facilities, resources, products, attractions, and attributes of the activities and projects authorized; to create a favorable climate of opinion concerning the activities and projects authorized; to cooperate with other agencies, public and private, in accomplishing these purposes; and in furtherance thereof, to authorize expenditures for the purposes here enumerated, including meals, hospitality, and entertainment of persons in the interest of promoting and engendering good will towards the activities and projects authorized.”

HB 7033 contemplates several other notable changes, including new considerations for tourism development taxes, affordable housing and how taxes can be levied on parking spaces at RV parks, among other things.

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Florida is the land of the free, thanks to our commitment to free market principles.

Florida has accomplished a great deal in recent years under the leadership of Gov. Ron DeSantis and as a result of the meaningful efforts by conservatives in the Florida Legislature. Their relentless pursuit of policies that protect and defend the free market is what made our state a beacon of opportunity, a destination for businesses that want to compete on a level playing field – and win.

We must not grow complacent. We cannot rest on our laurels. Taking the right to prosper for granted would be detrimental.

In fact, the stakes are higher than ever before.

The nation’s eyes are on Florida. Leaders in Washington and state Capitols across the United States look to us to set the agenda for a future that is thriving, prosperous and free from harmful governmental interference and political motives.

To do that, we must continue to cut taxes. Here in Florida, we have long enjoyed the benefits of no state income tax. That’s a far cry from other states like New York and Connecticut and California that tax their residents up to 15% of their hard-earned income.

But there’s more we can do. Cutting taxes enables businesses to grow their presence, invest in their teams and support their communities. This year, Gov. DeSantis has proposed eliminating the business rent tax. Florida is the only remaining state with a tax on businesses that rent their workspace. Eliminating the tax will save Florida businesses approximately $1.6 billion, which will grow our economy and create new jobs for Florida families.

We also must cut overreaching and burdensome regulations further. Inconsistent regulations on the state and local level create a patchwork of rules, requirements and penalties in which businesses are forced to operate. As a result, businesses are forced to divert resources to invest more in compliance. The complicated regulatory structures imposed by state and local governments often result in reduced services or higher costs for citizens.

For example, President Donald Trump called for efforts to address debanking concerns earlier this year, following passage of state-level legislation in Florida and other states last Session. To provide clarity and avoid a patchwork of state laws that could increase costs and confusion for consumers, congressional lawmakers are advancing a bill that would offer clarity and consistency while scaling back regulatory overreach.

Overregulation is increasingly frustrating when it’s not backed by sound science. Oftentimes, these policies have little – if any – measurable benefit for the communities they are intended to protect.

Historically, excessive litigation and exorbitant trial attorney fees have haunted our state. Once named the nation’s #1 judicial hellhole, Florida was home to an unbalanced civil justice system that encouraged frivolous lawsuits and drove up costs for businesses and consumers alike. Recognizing this threat, lawmakers passed meaningful tort reforms in 2022 and 2023 to deter billboard attorneys from gaming the system for their own personal benefit.

These reforms, including the Civil Remedies legislation (HB 837/SB 236), have helped level the playing field for Florida businesses, curbing lawsuit abuse and reducing unnecessary costs. As a result of these efforts, Florida’s property insurance market is finding balance. More insurers are coming to Florida, giving more homeowners a choice for their coverage. Florida’s rates remain steady, with just an average increase of 1% last year, a stark contrast to other states where premiums have surged more than 20%.

Florida’s efforts to protect, defend and enhance the free market have made our state the envy of the nation.

When we pursue and advance free market policies, we are rolling out the welcome mat for innovation. We are inviting young entrepreneurs to establish, build and grow their businesses here in Florida. These actions lead to economic impact, job growth and a brighter future for all Floridians.

As we move forward, free market principles must be our guide. They’ve led us well so far.

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Brewster Bevis is president and CEO of Associated Industries of Florida; John Wittman is executive director of Americans for Free Markets.

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