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Tuesday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida lawmakers pass $112 billion budget, largest in state history
Florida lawmakers on Monday approved a sprawling $112.1 billion spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year — the largest in state history — that includes a huge investment to increase the pay of state workers and contractors. Bipartisan approval of the spending plan marked the end of the annual legislative session, one that featured heated partisan and cultural clashes over policy and a once-a-decade redrawing of lines for congressional and state legislative districts. The budget cleared the Senate on a unanimous vote shortly after the House passed it on a 105 to 3 vote. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Regent plans to start testing its “seaglider” between Tampa and St. Petersburg
The world’s first commercial airline that operated on a fixed schedule opened for business in 1914, when pilot Tony Jannus started shuttling passengers between Tampa and St. Petersburg. Now, the bay is set to host another attempt at aviation innovation, this one a battery-powered aircraft that can function as both a boat and then an airplane, lifting off from the water and flying at 180 mph. [Source: Florida Trend]
Opinion: Are lawmakers in Congress trying to hurt Florida’s small businesses?
The critical ingredients for small businesses to be more successful are inexpensive and amazing digital tools that help with project management, branding, finding customers and selling products. But I’m concerned because Congress doesn’t seem to understand how valuable digital tools are for small businesses. So, we may soon have new laws that will inadvertently make small business software more expensive and less useful. [Source: Florida Politics]
Tourism businesses make adjustments to combat high gas prices
On March 14, the national average for gas was at $4.33 a gallon. The average in Florida was one cent higher at $4.34 a gallon. The high gas prices come as Florida experiences some of the busiest travel times of the year: Spring Break. For Michael Berry, who co-owns Woody’s Watersports in Madeira Beach with his wife, the gas prices are costing their business hundreds of dollars a day. [Source: WFTS]
Golden Gate Estates residents disagree on need for more roads in and out of the community
Some say more roads need to be built to accommodate everyone. Others say if you don’t like it, move out. A surprising number of people in Golden Gate Estates agree with the latter. They like a slower life away from the hustle and bustle of town, so they say if you want to go into town, learn to live with the fact it might take a while. Others say that is unacceptable. [Source: WINK]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Pasco County gets new medical product company focused on infants
Baby tech company nfant Labs has opened a new product assembly location in the Port Richey industrial park area off Leo Kidd Avenue.
› Chilean coworking company secures more South Florida sites
A coworking company based in Latin America will expand in South Florida with locations in Miami's Brickell Financial District, Midtown, Coral Gables and Fort Lauderdale.
› Does Pensacola really need half a dozen new hotels? Tourism numbers say, yes, it does.
While the initial throes of the pandemic did cause a temporary standstill, the pent-up demand for travel that followed hasn't slowed down going into 2022.
› Southwest Florida continues to be among driest areas in state
A lack of rain plus higher than normal temperatures sets the scene for drought, and the first obvious sign of a drought is wildfires. Counties in Southwest Florida and the Panhandle are at the start of that cycle right now.
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