Tomorrow, Florida has a golden opportunity to strike a major blow for economic liberty.

The vital question is this:  Will Republican senators live up to their promises to remove job-killing regulations and red tape, or will they cave in to powerful special interests and high-paid lobbyists?

On Friday, the Florida Senate will vote on HB 5005, a House bill that removes needless licensing requirements for several harmless trades—including hair braiders, outdoor theater workers and interior designers.

But as the video above explains:

The legislature set out to [remove] unnecessary licensing laws, including one that makes is a crime to practice interior design without a college degree and a two-year apprenticeship . . . . Lobbyists for the American Society of Interior Designers are trying to derail reform efforts by stirring up trouble in Tallahassee before the legislative session ends this Friday.

The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) represents less than three percent of all designers, but its members have designated themselves as spokespeople for the entire industry.   And for the last 30 years, ASID has spent millions of dollars on a coast—to-coast lobbying campaign designed to legislate potential competitors out of business.

This 30-year fight all comes down to the Florida Senate tomorrow.

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Some items need little comment. The email below, from a reporter of the Key News in Florida, speaks volumes about the mainstream media’s outlook on the political issues of the day. It is hard to know where to begin in dissecting this e-mail. Our personal favorite is the sense that, because Obama’s policies are so “needed” by the country, we can’t possibly brook any dissent. Journalists have been laid-off across the country, because of the media’s broken business model. Surely, the Key News can recruit a less-biased reporter. We have reached out to Mr. Guerra for his version of events. No comment yet, but we will keep you posted if we hear anything.

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