SHARE:
Tuesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Toll credits, local projects part of budget deal
Reviving bill credits for frequent toll-road users, hundreds of lawmaker-proposed projects and an extra pay raise for the governor’s security team were among issues approved as negotiations finished on a proposed state budget for next fiscal year. The release Tuesday will start a required 72-hour “cooling off” period before lawmakers can vote on the budget. That would allow the legislative session to end as scheduled Friday. The 2024-2025 fiscal year budget will take effect July 1. More from the News Service of Florida.
Stink-free beaches: Masses of seaweed likely won’t reach Florida until May, researchers say
It looks as though Florida won’t see much — if any — stinky seaweed washing up on its beaches until late April or May, according to the University of South Florida’s monthly sargassum report. That’s a drastic difference from last spring, when beaches and shorelines in the Keys and across much of South Florida were cloaked in thick clumps of acrid, decomposing sargassum in early March. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Measure that would give Floridians with disabilities greater autonomy is heading to Gov’s desk
The Florida Senate unanimously approved a bill that would carve a legal path for people to make their own decisions as an alternative to being placed into a guardianship. The bill (HB 73), now heading to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk, codifies supportive decision-making into Florida statutes. This would allow a person with a disability to keep their autonomy to have a final say over what happens in their life while allowing “supporters” to obtain information on the person’s behalf and communicate their wishes. More from the Florida Phoenix.
Appeals court rejects DeSantis' ‘Stop WOKE' training rules for businesses
A federal appeals court Monday rejected restrictions that Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republican lawmakers placed on addressing race-related issues in workplace training — part of a controversial 2022 law that DeSantis dubbed the “Stop WOKE Act.” A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the restrictions violated First Amendment rights. More from the News Service of Florida.
Why isn’t Florida part of Super Tuesday? Primary questions, answered
Super Tuesday is upon us. Sixteen states and one territory will hold presidential primaries and caucuses on Tuesday. Florida voters won’t have their say in the presidential race until March 19, when the state holds its primary. But that doesn’t mean Florida is some sort of also-ran, no matter what happens on Super Tuesday. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Out of the Box
'Flying car' that fits in home garage unveiled by South Florida company
Doroni Aerospace unveiled an updated design for an electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle made to fit in a home garage. Based in Pompano Beach, the company is the maker of an eVTOL designed for personal use. The idea is to bring the electric aircraft to everyday consumers who want a novel way to commute and bypass road traffic.
» More from Miami Inno.
Profile
How a high school senior is capitalizing on the ‘Horse Capital of the World’
When people think of a business run by a high schooler, horses are not generally the first thing that comes to mind. However, for Rebecca Holcomb, that is exactly where her mind went. Rebecca Holcomb, a North Marion High School senior, decided to capitalize on the already established but quickly growing equine world in Ocala. She started and now runs a business where she buys horses off the track and trains them to compete in equestrian events.
» Read more from WUFT.
In case you missed it:
