Gov. DeSantis takes aim at occupational licensing
Arguing that licensing regulations in Florida are "way more onerous and way more burdensome" than in California and New York, DeSantis said Tuesday during an appearance in Miami that he will present lawmakers with proposals that would eliminate or reduce training hours required for some occupations, prevent the Department of Business and Professional Regulation from denying licenses because people defaulted or were late on student loans and allow certain license holders in other states to be immediately qualified in Florida. More from WOGX, CBS Miami, WGCU, and the Orlando Sentinel.
Florida Trend Exclusive
Six things to know about the U.S. Census and Florida
The once-every-decade count has high-stakes implications for the state. Residents in a West Tampa neighborhood are some of the toughest people in the state to count. The Tampa neighborhood is just one of many low performers in the state. Roughly 15% of Floridians — about 3 million people — live in hard-to-count communities. [Source: Florida Trend]
Lawmakers made Amendment 4 an ‘administrative nightmare,’ federal judge says
A federal judge raised serious constitutional questions about the Legislature’s crackdown on Amendment 4, saying lawmakers created a “mess” that has left felons afraid to register to vote. “What we have now is an administrative nightmare,” said U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle, who is overseeing a challenge to the law by the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups, during a Tuesday hearing in Tallahassee. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Algae panel sets ‘roadmap’ for Florida lawmakers
A document discussed by the state’s Blue-Green Algae Task Force should be viewed, members said, as a broad roadmap for lawmakers with the 2020 legislative session less than 100 days away. And task force members, meeting in Gainesville to further edit the document, said they will look in future meetings beyond Lake Okeechobee and nearby waterways that have been plagued by toxic algae. More from CBS Miami and WJXT.
How 'Brexit' affects Central Florida's economy
Brexit – the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union – is having an economic impact in Central Florida, despite its geographical distance from the Sunshine State and uncertainty over whether it will even happen. As economic analyst Hank Fishkind tells 90.7’s Nicole Darden Creston, the UK’s economy influences Central Florida’s in a number of ways…from tourism numbers to real estate to overall financial health. [Source: WMFE]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Florida school says it has 1 confirmed case of Mumps
Officials have confirmed a case of mumps at a Florida junior high school. The principal of Pioneer Middle School in Broward County sent a letter to parents Friday saying that students displaying symptoms would be excluded from school until a doctor determined they weren’t contagious.
› Florida offers $1,000 bonuses to new prison workers
The Florida Department of Corrections is offering a $1,000 hiring bonuses for new hires. The bonus is available at specific prisons throughout the state. You have to be 18, and you can get paid training. Applicants who complete their correctional officer certification through either FDC or certain state colleges will be eligible for the bonus.
› Red tide nearly undetectable in Sarasota and Manatee waters
Talk of Florida red tide’s return has reached the shores of Sarasota-Manatee, but local residents are keeping the first reports of a bloom nearly 120 miles to our south, near Naples, in perspective. Since a catastrophic 15-month bloom of red tide ended in February, only trace amounts of the red-tide organism, Karenia brevis, have been detected in our coastal waters — considered to be a normal level.
› Miami-Dade judge strikes down Miami Beach short-term rental ban
In a major blow to Miami Beach’s crackdown on short-term rentals, Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Michael Hanzman granted summary judgment for Natalie Nichols, a real estate investor who sued the city last year over exorbitant fines approved by local elected officials.
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› Alachua County to begin "Scientists in Every Florida School" program
A new initiative will bring scientists into classrooms in Alachua County. The county will start the "Scientists in Every Florida School" program. The idea is to connect scientists with every K-12 public school in the area. Alachua County is 1 of 5 counties in Florida selected to participate in the first three years of the program.
› After sanctuary controversy and funding loss, Jacksonville-based Pit Sisters animal rescue to close
Pit Sisters, a Northeast Florida rescue group that has saved about 1,500 at-risk dogs over the past eight years, is shutting down. The news came after weeks of upheaval as Jen Deane, executive director and co-founder, unsuccessfully tried to establish a sanctuary on property she owned in Nassau County.
› Miami Beach Pop Festival has been postponed for 2019
The Miami Beach Pop Festival, the inaugural music bash set for Nov. 8-10 on the shorelines of South Beach, has been postponed, festival brass announced Tuesday morning. In a statement, organizers cited “unforeseen circumstances” for the scuttling of the first-time festival, a genre-bending bill topped by Chance the Rapper, Daddy Yankee, the Roots, Jack Johnson, Nacho, Leon Bridges, T-Pain, Damian Marley and Arcade Fire’s Win Butler.
› Florida Citrus Star Set to Retire From the Business
IMG Citrus, a family-owned, citrus grower, packer, importer/shipper has been a longtime fixture in Florida’s Indian River citrus-producing community, with impact well beyond. The Vero Beach-based company has announced the upcoming retirement of its Vice President, Veronique Sallin, after 40 years with the company. According to IMG officials, Sallin’s retirement will officially begin at the end of the 2019-2020 Florida citrus season.