Future of Florida Summit

During May 2020, Florida’s unemployment peaked at an alarming 14.2 percent and has only recently returned to pre-pandemic levels. Amidst reopening fears and resurging cases, it is unclear whether COVID-19 interventions should continue in their current form. Economic concerns have been especially prominent as small business closures in Florida reached 32.2 percent during the pandemic. In addition, health care coverage concerns have been raised. This panel explored how to strengthen Florida’s business economy, how healthcare costs have changed during the pandemic, and the legacy of COVID-19 in affecting economic policy going forward.

Over 20 percent of Florida’s population are immigrants. Immigration remains a hotly contested issue both in Florida and across the country and has major economic implications for both immigrant communities and existing residents. Immigration policy is vital in helping to uplift immigrant communities and plays a key role in shaping the future demographics of Florida. This panel examined the economic implications of immigration, how policy can be used to uplift the community, and the ethical and legal considerations which go into crafting legislation at the state level.

In the United States, student debt has grown significantly over the past several decades. In fact, the U.S. has a record-breaking $1.73 trillion in student debt. With the pausing of student loan payments due to the pandemic, more and more pressure of varying degrees has been applied to cancel student loan debt. Here this panel explored making higher-education affordable and the way socioeconomic status impacts educational attainment and careers.

Amidst concerns of equal financial opportunity in Florida, there is a question of how to promote stable policies that encourage upward economic mobility. Occupational license reform and measures to improve educational access are examples of policies which aim to tackle income inequality. However, within policy creation, it is sometimes difficult to know whether such policies will be effective or if they could have unintended consequences. This panel focused on how urban planning contributes to socioeconomic status, the intersection between socioeconomic status and health, and how economic status impacts litigation cases.