Restrictions on selling or transferring stores without the approval of national chains would be lifted for owners of franchise businesses in Florida, under a measure that drew quick opposition after being filed Tuesday.
The proposal (SB 750), filed by Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, also seeks to make it harder to terminate or refuse to renew contracts with franchise owners.
Latvala, during a press conference at the Capitol, called the proposal "basic protections" for small family businesses. "No one is out there telling me as a small business person in the printing business that I can’t sell my business to anyone that I want to sell it to," Latvala said. The measure would only apply to people who receive franchises after the law goes into effect, Latvala said.
Rep. Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford, is filing a House version.
"The franchisee-franchisor relationship is like nothing else that exists in business," Brodeur told reporters. "We need to make sure that that family that invests their life savings, that very frequently has their spouse and their children working there, that over many years has contributed to the community, to their civic organizations, cannot have all of that work yanked away from them at the last minute without any type of recourse."
Archive: Laws that took effect July 1 in Florida »
The Washington, D.C.-based International Franchise Association quickly noted that similar proposals have been rejected by other state legislatures as "unnecessary government overreach" into private contract negotiations.
"Typically, these bills are promoted by a single or handful of franchise owners seeking to generate leverage or extract concessions from a brand company in ongoing contract negotiations, as appears to be the case here," association President & CEO Robert Cresanti said in a prepared statement.
Redfin predicted three Orlando-area neighborhoods would be the “hottest” and most sought after this year based on the number of page views and the times someone saved a house listing as a favorite during recent months.
Redfin predicted three Orlando-area neighborhoods would be the “hottest” and most sought after this year based on the number of page views and the times someone saved a house listing as a favorite during recent months.
Redfin predicted three Orlando-area neighborhoods would be the “hottest” and most sought after this year based on the number of page views and the times someone saved a house listing as a favorite during recent months.
Redfin predicted three Orlando-area neighborhoods would be the “hottest” and most sought after this year based on the number of page views and the times someone saved a house listing as a favorite during recent months.
Univision, the nation’s largest Spanish-language media company, filed a lawsuit against Charter in July 2016.
Univision, the nation’s largest Spanish-language media company, filed a lawsuit against Charter in July 2016.
Orlando-area McDonald’s are undergoing an aggressive revamp to modernize the region’s 195 fast-food restaurants.
Orlando-area McDonald’s are undergoing an aggressive revamp to modernize the region’s 195 fast-food restaurants.
Although Central Florida’s Arab population is small, some restaurants are striking out against Trump Administration policies on immigration, saying it could hurt the restaurant industry. Cress Restaurant in Deland has even registered to be a “Sanctuary Restaurant,” a fancy term saying that it supports people of all backgrounds.
Although Central Florida’s Arab population is small, some restaurants are striking out against Trump Administration policies on immigration, saying it could hurt the restaurant industry. Cress Restaurant in Deland has even registered to be a “Sanctuary Restaurant,” a fancy term saying that it supports people of all backgrounds.
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