Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., shared his concerns about federal tax reform and his opposition to the state’s new voting law in Naples Friday.

In Southwest Florida to deliver the keynote address at the 2011 Campaign for Leadership at the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce’s event at the Naples Botanical Garden, Nelson expressed his continued opposition to a new voting law passed by the legislature earlier this year.   

The measure reduces the number of days for early voting and places new restrictions on third party groups that register voters.

“It makes it harder to vote.  It makes it harder to register to vote.  It makes it harder to have your vote counted as you intended,” said Nelson.

“I’ve talked to the governor about this, asking him to try to reverse what the legislature did and I just wrote to the Attorney General of the United States pointing out that there is a similar pattern among 13 other states in suppressing the rights of voters,” he added.

A three judge panel in Washington is considering provisions in the law, but despite pressure to reach a decision before Florida’s January 31^st primary, the panel isn’t likely to rule before next summer. 

During his presentation, Nelson also spoke about reforming the federal tax code through the elimination of loopholes for special interests. 

“There is more money going out of the U.S. Treasury in the special exemptions for certain special interests.  There’s more money going out of the Treasury than there is coming in each year in individual income tax,” said Nelson.

“If you get rid of some of those loopholes, take the revenue instead, poor it into the revenue code, you can actually simplify the IRS code and you can lower everybody’s rates including the corporate income tax rates,” he added.

When asked about the growing field of GOP candidates looking to challenge him in next year’s election, Nelson said for now, he’s focusing on his work in the Senate

With the federal income tax filing deadline just over a month away, the State Department of Financial services wants Floridians to know there’s still time to get some free help filing a return. WGCU’s John Davis reports.

Collier County Commissioners voted against raising property taxes as a way to raise funds for Jackson Laboratory to move into the county.  WGCU’s John Davis reports.

The April 15th income tax filing deadline is still two months away but IRS officials encourage filing early, and online.  WGCU’s Luis Hernandez  reports.

As Florida lawmakers prepare to deal with another tight budget in the upcoming legislative session, state universities are asking for more money; twice as much to be exact. It’s part of an initiative that they say will hopefully create a new knowledge-based economy for the state.  WGCU’s Luis Hernandez reports.

Lee County’s Economic Development office is looking to allocate more than 56 million dollars in tax-exempt financing for new business projects to boost the local economy.  WGCU’s John Davis reports.

In
an effort to increase the state’s unemployment compensation fund
Florida businesses will soon feel a sharp increase in unemployment
compensation taxes.  WGCU’s John Davis reports.

Florida
Tax Watch’s “Turkey Watch Report” follows on the heels of the
release of the state’s budget every year.  So called “Turkeys” are
spending projects Tax Watch identifies as not having had proper
review.  But as WGCU’s Valerie Alker reports, this year’s turkey hunt
will likely yield lean results.

The national wave of Tax Day Tea Party rallies protesting federal stimulus spending comes to Southwest Florida on Wednesday. 
WGCU’s John Davis reports.

Florida lawmakers’ stance against new taxes is being tested this legislative session.  WGCU’ s Luis Hernandez reports.