Florida lawmakers return to Tallahassee with lighter agenda
With lawmakers set to reconvene in the Florida Capitol on Tuesday, and DeSantis’ fading presidential ambitions hinging on contests playing out this month more than 1,000 miles away, the two-term governor is returning to Tallahassee this week to what could be his most tamped-down legislative session yet. While things could change quickly, more than a dozen lawmakers and consultants say they’re expecting a less explosive session than in recent years More from the Tampa Bay Times and the Miami Herald.
Florida has rejected $11 billion in federal funding in recent years
Gov. Ron DeSantis and state administrators have rejected at least $11 billion in federal funds in the past few years, saying there were strings attached, they “politicized” roads or fought climate change. The programs affected include an expansion of Medicaid, rebates for energy-saving appliances and upgrades, a program to cut motor vehicle emissions, and summer lunches for children from low-income families. Millions of mostly low-income Floridians could have benefited from the funding, the governor’s critics say. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Commentary: Florida moviemaking descends into the Black Lagoon
About 30 other states offer tax incentives for production companies to come their way, but not us. The tax breaks are juxtaposed against the considerable money spent on local productions on cast, crew, equipment, food, lodging. Georgia, for example, reported that its incentives generated $4.4 billion from TV and movies filmed there in 2022. Florida could best that, but the state quit offering tax incentives in 2016. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
Supreme Court to hear arguments in fight over Florida law that restricts social media giants
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments Feb. 26 in a First Amendment fight about a 2021 Florida law that placed restrictions on large social-media companies. The Supreme Court issued a schedule Friday that included the case. Florida went to the Supreme Court after the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals kept in place most of a preliminary injunction that U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle issued against the law in 2021. [Source: News Service of Florida]
Can Florida’s corals survive climate change? Fate of one small reef may hold the answer
Scientists have been growing coral in labs and underwater nurseries for years but newer tools like genetic sequencing have provided perhaps the latest and and maybe last chance for eventually reviving dying reefs. The hope is to pinpoint the most heat-tolerant genetic strains — ones that if cultivated, regrown and replanted on offshore reefs might have the best chance to survive and thrive. [Source: Miami Herald]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› South Florida has the most competitive rental market. But relief may be on the horizon this year
South Florida’s rental markets were some of the hottest in the country in 2023 — and while that will likely remain true for 2024, renters and buyers should have better luck this year than in previous years. Miami-Dade and Broward counties received high rental “competitiveness scores” in recent data by RentCafe, with the Miami market being the hottest rental market in the nation. Broward came in at No. 7.
› St. Pete Beach lawsuit claims city illegally skipped special election
A group of St. Pete Beach residents has sued the city, saying its response to the resignation of four city commissioners last month was an illegal attempt at “bypassing the democratic process.” In addition to sidestepping a special election, the lawsuit alleges, city officials used an “inconsistent, biased and tainted” method to fill the vacancies with appointees who will now likely decide a series of critical issues.
› Calling it ‘ridiculous,’ some of Central Florida’s local leaders quit over new disclosure law
Dozens of local elected officials in Central Florida and across the state are resigning from their leadership posts because of a new law that requires them to report more details of their finances, including any assets worth at least $1,000. “I would have to list my wife’s wedding ring,” said Randy Holihan, who recently left his volunteer seat on the Belle Isle City Council. “I would be putting out in the public world just about everything I have in my house…It’s ridiculous, and it’s all because I sit on a board and volunteer my time.”
› Jacksonville Jaguars 'very confident' interests align with city
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ fortunes on the field were up and down in 2023 – a five-game winning streak here, a four-game losing streak there – but team President Mark Lamping said the Jaguars entered 2024 on a trajectory to meet their overarching goal of becoming a “sustainable, consistently competitive NFL team here in Northeast Florida.”
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› Lakewood Ranch remains best-selling multigenerational community in US
Lakewood Ranch continues to be the top best-selling, master-planned multigenerational community in the U.S, according to a national real estate consulting firm. Lakewood Ranch has been ranked No. 1 for six consecutive years. In 2023, Lakewood Ranch had 2,257 sales, which was 22% above 2022.
› Is the death of a 30-year-old dolphin linked to adverse conditions at the Miami Seaquarium?
Sundance, a 30-year-old male dolphin housed at the Miami Seaquarium, died last week after suffering from an illness. The latest federal inspection report may shed more light on the adverse conditions in which Sundance — and other animals at the Virginia Key attraction — faced.
› Orange lawmakers advance long-shot bill repealing DeSantis’ Disney board takeover
Orange County’s legislative delegation advanced a measure Friday seeking to repeal changes made to Disney World’s special government district in a Gov. Ron DeSantis-led overhaul, a proposal that will face a tough path in the Republican-dominated Legislature. State Sen. Linda Stewart said the state takeover of the Reedy Creek Improvement District has created “chaos” with a wave of veteran employee departures.
› Jax Chamber says it’s time to move forward, address other major issues after Confederate monument removal
The Jax Chamber, a business organization representing more than 3,000 businesses serving Northeast Florida, said in a statement released Thursday that it’s time to look ahead following the contentious removal of a Confederate monument from Springfield Park last week. “The statues have been removed and it’s time to look ahead. Our community has major issues in front of us this year and we are proudly partnering with Mayor [Donna] Deegan and the City Council to move our city forward,” the Chamber said in a statement.