Senator-elect Shevrin Jones (D), on the heels of winning his state senate race, announced his People’s Agenda, which is billed as “a focused set of priorities reflective of his constituents’ interests that he will introduce in the upcoming 2021 session.”
The issues that are highlighted in his agenda include “small business rehabilitation; worker retention; and police reform and accountability.”
In a press release, Jones announced that “with COVID-19 cases on the rise, a mishandled pandemic response out of Tallahassee, and economics relief stalled in DC, Senator-elect Jones will make a people-first recovery a top priority in the upcoming legislative session.”
Specifically, “Jones intends to introduce legislation focused on spurring opportunity, rehabilitating Florida small businesses, and retaining workers,” adding that “while serving in the Florida Harris, he introduced an internship tax credits bill to offer tax incentives to businesses that retain interns for employment following the end of the internship.” Jones asserted this as “a measure he will champion once again in the Senate.”
Jones explained that “qualified local businesses will receive a tax credit for any income tax previously paid of $2000 or less or for the amount of the wages previously paid to a degree-seeking student during their internship,” but this will only happen under 3 stipulations.
The student is to have worked full time for a minimum of nine weeks, “the qualified business shows documentation for the current tax year proving that it employs 20% of the degree-seeking students who were previously employed as interns on a full-time basis” and “the State University, Florida College System, or institution operates by the school district under f.s. 10001.44.”
Finally, the Florida lawmaker stressed the need for criminal justice reform, concluding that “these challenging times call for a distinct focus on addressing the pressing needs of our community, from rebuilding our economy to ensuring justice and respect for all who call our great state home.”
