Florida employers told to brace for more employment claims
Florida lawmakers have recently passed a piece of tort reform legislation that could have significant implications for employers in the state. Although the legislation seeks to address critical issues like physician referrals and statutes of limitation, it may have unintended consequences that could encourage employees to pursue more expensive employment-related statutory lawsuits instead of negligence claims. Therefore, Florida employers need to be aware of five crucial takeaways from the new legislation. More from HCA Mag and SHRM.
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Florida spring break: Breaking bad
Spring break in Florida dates to 1936, when the Colgate University swimming team traveled from New York to practice in Fort Lauderdale’s Casino Pool, the state’s first Olympic-size pool. Other teams thought that was a good idea, too, and by 1938, more than 300 swimmers were training in Fort Lauderdale each spring. Word spread to more than just the swimmers, and by the 1950s more than 15,000 college students spent the break in Florida. [Source: Florida Trend]
Florida Senate panel backs $973 million in tax breaks
A Senate committee Tuesday moved forward with a package that would provide $973 million in tax breaks next fiscal year, with proposals ranging from holding tax “holidays” to boosting the thoroughbred horse-racing industry. The Finance and Tax Committee unanimously backed the package (SPB 7062), which is ready to go to the full Senate. The House has proposed a $1.38 billion package, and legislative leaders will negotiate a final tax plan as part of upcoming budget talks. [Source: News Service of Florida]
A judge has rejected a challenge to Florida's intellectual freedom surveys
A federal judge has tossed out a challenge to a controversial 2021 Florida law that includes requiring surveys about “intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity” on state college and university campuses. Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker issued a 22-page decision Monday that said plaintiffs, including the United Faculty of Florida union and individual professors, did not establish legal standing to challenge the law. The plaintiffs argued, in part, that the law violated First Amendment rights because it would chill speech. [Source: News Service of Florida ]
Who says Florida property insurers aren’t taking new customers? See whether yours added or subtracted policies
Apparently not all Florida-regulated property insurance companies are too financially troubled to take on new customers. Thirty-two companies added customers between the second and third quarters of 2022, according to a South Florida Sun Sentinel analysis of market share data released by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. A few companies added significant numbers of what are called personal residential policies that cover single-family homes, condominiums and even renters. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Search is on for WWII shipwreck that poses environmental dangers off Florida coast
For the second time in two years, ocean explorers are trying to find the elusive wreck of the SS Norlindo — a World War II ship deemed historic and hazardous. A German U-boat torpedoed the Norlindo on May 4, 1942, off Southwest Florida’s Dry Tortugas, and it sank so quickly that five of the 28 men aboard did not have time to escape. It is revered as “the first casualty of World War II in the Gulf of Mexico” and a war grave for the men inside.
› Winter Park ‘green’ banker fears ESG bill could shut him down
Central Florida banker Kenneth LaRoe has always considered himself an environmentalist. But it wasn’t until after he sold his first bank and took an extended road trip with his wife that he decided to open a bank dedicated to eco-friendly practices. “At 50, I was wondering what I could do to help save the planet,” said LaRoe, who comes from a farming family in Eustis and until recently was a Republican. Inspired by Yvon Chouinard, the legendary mountain climber who founded the Patagonia company, LaRoe came up with the idea for First Green Bank.
› Exit interview: Inaugural St. Pete EDC head reflects on tenure
J.P. DuBuque, founding president and CEO of the St. Petersburg Economic Development Corp., will be the first to tell you that, despite his title, “the EDC didn’t really start with me.” Founded in 2016, the idea for the organization was a product of the city’s Grow Smarter strategy, a 2014 initiative created by the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of St. Petersburg, with the goal of improving the city’s ability to support diverse economic growth.
› Silver Airways signs agreement with Broward to stay at Fort Lauderdale’s airport
An agreement has been reached between Broward County and Silver Airways to stave off the airline’s potential eviction from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. At 9 p.m. Monday, on the eve of Tuesday’s meeting to discuss the airline’s months-old unpaid bills and to vote on whether to terminate the airline’s lease, county officials and Silver agreed on a plan: Silver would immediately pay $200,000 toward its balance, and the rest would be on a payment plan through April 2024.
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› Princess Cruises to open sales for 1st Sun Princess sailings from Florida
The new class and largest ever ship built for Princess Cruises will be offering mostly seven-night voyages from Port Everglades starting in October 2024. Bookings for the new itineraries open Wednesday for Sun Princess, the first in the cruise line’s Sphere class of vessels that will debut in February with Mediterranean and European sailings before making its way to Florida.
› University of Florida removes years of campus crime data online
The University of Florida removed nearly eight years’ worth of crime data online without public notification, leaving only limited details about crimes that occurred on or near campus during the past 60 days. UF reported its highest number of rapes and sexual battery cases last year. There was no evidence that UF removed its historical crime figures because of that, just that it happened around the same time. There were also increases reported to the university last year in burglaries, dating violence, domestic violence, grand theft, harassing communications, stalking and trespass.
› Sarasota airport sets all-time passenger record
In March, 514,889 passengers traveled through the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, compared with 442,846 passengers in March 2022. That is a 16% increase and the highest number of passengers for the month of March and for any month in the history of SRQ.
› King tides might cause more flooding in Fort Lauderdale. Here’s what you need to know
South Florida could soon see more flooding after last week’s historic rainfall — but it’s not because another big storm is expected to pound the region, according to authorities. More than 2 feet of rain drenched Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday, a record rainfall over a 24-hour period, shutting down the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport until Friday. On Monday, storms continued pummeling the city, causing authorities to once again ground flights at the airport for nearly three hours.