“This is a breath tax,” said Eisnaugle. “If you’re breathing, you’re paying. You may not want the product, you may not need the product, but the only opt out is leaving the country and it’s a violation of individual rights.”

Legal scholars question the constitutionality of federally-mandated healthcare while budget analysts worry that millions in additional Medicaid costs would bankrupt the state. According to a recent Pew Center of the States report, Medicaid already costs states $335 billion or 21 percent of all state expenditures.

“A federal health insurance mandate not only violates our basic concepts of personal freedom but it could hamstring Florida to unsustainable spending,” said Eisnaugle. “Floridians are outraged that Washington would even consider using our state to hide the crushing cost of their programs through unfunded mandate.”

State legislatures and attorneys general in 14 other states have already voiced support for resolutions similar to Eisnaugle’s. Recent proposals in Congress have scaled back the original Medicaid price tag for states, but the question of individual mandates still looms.

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“Getting Florida’s economy back on track is my number one priority, and local small businesses play an important role in providing jobs for Central Floridians,” said Eisnaugle, who serves as the Vice-Chair of the House Economic Development Policy Committee.  “If we want more jobs in Florida, we must develop better strategies for growing small business.”

The Small Business Administration says that while small businesses employ half of all private sector employees, they also spend 45% more per employee on regulatory compliance.

“It’s troubling to think that some employers may have to shut their doors due to unfair regulations which drive up costs,” said Eisnaugle. “Florida needs to foster a friendly environment for small businesses and job creation.”

Eisnaugle invited representatives from Governor Crist’s office along with other small business resources shortly after he began planning the Summit in August. He has also recruited twelve area chambers of commerce to help facilitate participation by local businesses.

The Central Florida Small Business Summit is free and open to the public.  Seating, however, is limited and anyone wishing to attend is encouraged to RSVP.

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“I am excited to have a leadership role in getting Florida’s economy moving again,” said Eisnaugle. “We must work to diversify Florida’s economy by bringing high paying jobs to our state and maintaining a business friendly environment that will encourage job growth,” Eisnaugle added.

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“The Florida Chamber is proud to acknowledge Representative Eisnaugle for consistently fighting on behalf of Florida’s taxpayers and job creators this session,” said David Daniel, vice president for government affairs at the Florida Chamber of Commerce. “Often times, candidates and public officials allege they are pro-business when campaigning, but fail to follow through on the tough fights. Eric let his actions speak louder than words and it is clear he will be a strong leader for years to come.”

“Our top priority as a state must be to get Florida’s economy moving again. It was an honor to work for policies that will grow jobs in Florida during the 2009 Legislative Session, and I look forward to continuing the fight for jobs in the future,” said Eisnaugle.

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For additional information contact Ariel Christenson at 407.702.5191 or via email at Info@ElectEric.org

Political advertisement paid for and approved by Eric Eisnaugle, Republican, for State Representative District 40.

Despite these budget challenges, the Florida Legislature passed a budget that actually increases statewide per-student funding from about $6,844 to $6,873 per-student – even though total General Revenue spending is being reduced by almost 15%. The total PreK-12 education funding will increase by a total of 14.5% above last year as well. Although Representative Eisnaugle does not serve on the education appropriations committee, he fought both before and during session to hold education harmless from reductions.

Representative Anitere Flores, Chair of the PreK-12 Appropriations Committee, said, “Representative Eisnaugle worked tirelessly this session to preserve funding for the classroom. In fact, he was one of the first to bring forward some of the creative ideas that helped us actually increase per-student funding. It has truly been an honor to work alongside Eric on this issue. His constituents should expect great things from him in the years to come.”

“I don’t think that it can be said enough – education is one of the most important responsibilities of state and local government and we must always work to make education a priority. I’m excited because I believe that a lot of hard work paid off this year for education, even in these unprecedented economic times,” said Eisnaugle.

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For additional information contact Ariel Christenson at 407.702.5191 or via email at Info@ElectEric.org

Political advertisement paid for and approved by Eric Eisnaugle, Republican, for State Representative District 40.

“Ethics reform has been an important issue in Orange County over the last couple of years. Our County Commission worked hard to pass stricter disclosure and ethics standards which will both ensure more accountability for local government and inspire greater confidence from taxpayers,” said Eisnaugle.

HB 985 passed unanimously in the Florida House 109 – 0.

For additional information contact Ariel Christenson at 407.702.5191 or via email at Info@ElectEric.org

“Floridians deserve confidence that any and all contracts that the Attorney General makes with private attorneys are in the public’s best interest and that any private attorneys hired by the Attorney General work only for their clients, the people of Florida, and not the other way around” said Representative Eisnaugle. “This common-sense legislation has been called ‘Sunshine for Lawyers’ for a good reason – it shines the light of public scrutiny on how taxpayers’ money is spent.”

Florida’s Attorney General has the power to hire private attorneys to sue on behalf of Floridians, who are compensated based on a contingency fee agreement made between the private attorney and the Department of Legal Affairs. HB 215 requires the Attorney General to make a written determination that the contingency fee earned by private attorneys is both cost-effective and in the public interest and requires these services be competitively procured. This legislation also increases transparency in the contracting process by requiring the Attorney General to post contacts, written determinations, and payments online within a specific timeframe.

The Senate companion to HB 215 is Senate Bill 1370, sponsored by Senator Mike Fasano (R-New Port Richey). This legislation is a priority for Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum.