As Florida’s August 28th primary election approaches, both leading Republican candidates for Governor have signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge stating that they will not raise taxes on Floridians if elected in November.
In signing The Pledge, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and Rep. Ron DeSantis have made a written commitment to Florida voters that they will oppose and veto any tax hikes.
The Pledge is a project of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR).
“I applaud Ron DeSantis and Adam Putnam for making this important commitment to Florida taxpayers. Florida Republican primary voters can go to the polls confident that the winner of the Republican primary will be a candidate who has committed to protecting taxpayers,” said Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform.
“Following passage of federal tax reform, the United States has become an even more attractive destination for investment. Avoiding tax increases will ensure Florida remains at the top of the list of attractive destinations in the U.S. for the expected influx of global capital. By signing the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, the leading Republicans running for governor have made clear that they recognize the importance of keeping Florida a low tax state,” added Norquist.
Florida is one of nine states with no income tax. The Sunshine State’s friendly tax climate has been at the heart of an economic boom that has the state economy on-track to be worth $1 trillion in 2018. It has sparked population growth over 11 percent since 2010, which has brought in tens of billions of dollars from people and businesses fleeing higher tax states.
As a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), Florida is estimated to see over 12,000 new jobs created. Nationally, companies have repatriated $300 billion since the tax reform went into effect.
Americans for Tax Reform offers the Pledge to all candidates for state and federal office. In the 115th Congress, 46 U.S. Senators and 209 members of the U.S. House of Representatives are pledge signers. Pledge signers include Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, and GOP Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady are also pledge signers.
On the state level, this commitment is shared by 11 incumbent governors including Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wis.), Gov. Rick Scott (Fla.), and Gov. Paul LePage (M.E.), and nearly 1,000 state legislators across the country.