Tax cut disagreement threatens to extend Florida’s legislative session
As Florida’s legislative session nears its end, the state finds itself in a chaotic situation, with lawmakers unable to agree on a tax cut package. With only seven days remaining on the regular session clock, a major impasse persists, and it’s unclear when the session will conclude. The key issue is the state’s budget, but more specifically, the debate centers around tax cuts: what to cut, how much to cut, and for how long. [Source: WFTS]
Opinion: Reef restoration has cost $250 million, but reefs are worth 1,000 times that
Reefs provide $100 million in extractive resources, like commercial shellfish and finfish each year. Furthermore, U.S. reefs provide hundreds of thousands of American jobs through tourism and recreation. The healthy reefs in the Florida Keys alone yield $6.3 billion in revenue every year. Coral reefs also protect American coastlines from storm and tidal surge. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Florida business leaders tell House: Don’t take us backward on lawsuits
Some of Florida’s most influential business leaders are delivering a clear message to the House: Do not drag Florida back to the bad-old-days when lawsuits became a lucrative industry for attorneys, insurance premiums soared, and trial lawyers had unchecked power. Last week, a coalition of prominent business voices in Florida united in opposition to HB 947 and an amendment to SB 832, which seeks to roll back tort reforms as an addition to the Senate’s phosphate bill. [Source: Florida Politics]
Israeli companies add $7.3 billion to Florida’s economy
Israeli-founded companies are having a substantial impact on Florida’s economy by generating $7.3 billion in earnings – a massive 46 percent of the gross state product – according to the findings of the Florida – Israel Economic Impact Report released by the United States – Israel Business Alliance in April. The study, the first study of its kind for the state, is based on data from 2024, and identifies 429 Israeli-founded companies in Florida that directly employ 8,190 Floridians. [Source: Israel21c]
Florida is now home to world’s largest 3D printing factory
An artificial intelligence and robotics-powered manufacturing facility with a local focus is ready to disrupt the furniture industry from St. Petersburg. Local civic and business leaders celebrated Haddy opening its first microfactory in the city on April 10. The 32,000-square-foot facility is, despite its moniker, the world’s largest 3D printing hub. Jay Rogers, founder and CEO of Haddy, launched his St. Petersburg-based startup in 2022. Mayor Ken Welch called the grand opening a major milestone for both the company and the city. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
The CFO’s guide to mastering group health insurance costs in 2025
If your health plan costs are rising 9% while your revenue grows just 3%, how do you keep benefits from breaking your budget—or your talent pipeline? For CFOs managing companies with 100 or more employees, group health insurance is becoming one of the hardest lines on the P&L to justify. Premiums are climbing fast, employee expectations are shifting, and outdated strategies are no longer cutting it. [Sponsored report]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Sebastian Inlet State Park receives $11 million facelift
Sebastian Inlet State Park is undergoing a roughly $11 million facelift, including dredging sand from the channel and placing it on the beach and repairing the north jetty. About 50,000 cubic yards of sand was pumped from the inlet as of April 23 and 92,000 cubic yards of sand was trucked in from Fort Pierce. The sand is being placed on a 2.5-mile stretch of beach south of the inlet as part of a beach nourishment project, said Sebastian Inlet District Executive Director James Gray.
› Walmart’s $1.6 billion Florida investment includes 13 South Florida store upgrades
Walmart Inc. announced it will invest $1.6 billion in Florida in 2025 to fund store remodels and new constructions across the state—including 13 locations in South Florida. The Arkansas-based retail giant said the remodels are meant to improve the in-store experience for customers through expanded departments, upgraded pharmacy areas, and enhanced online pickup and delivery capabilities.
› Epic’s ticket sales, hotel bookings strong, leaders say
Ticket sales for Epic Universe theme park and related hotel bookings are “a little ahead of our expectations,” Comcast Corp. president Mike Cavanagh said during the company’s quarterly earnings call this week. The resort is well-positioned, officials said, despite reports of international travel anxiety. Comcast is the parent company of Universal Orlando, which is adding Epic to its lineup. The theme park’s grand opening is set for May 22.
› Pinellas post-hurricane home assessments rife with flaws
A state contractor hired to evaluate hurricane-damaged homes across Pinellas County made mistake after mistake in its assessment reports, muddling the rebuilding process for storm-ravaged residents. The Tidal Basin Group’s reports, used in cities from Gulfport to Madeira Beach, triggered thousands of letters sent to homeowners. Because their houses were determined “substantially damaged,” they would have to either tear down or rebuild to more stringent standards.
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› First sea turtle nestings spotted by Mote Marine Sea Turtle Patrol on Sarasota beaches
Mote Marine Laboratory documented the first turtle nesting activity of the 2025 season on the Sarasota area shoreline on Saturday. Sea Turtle Patrol from Mote’s Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program (STCRP) documented three loggerhead sea turtle nests – one each on on Longboat Key, Siesta Key and Casey Key.
› UF graduate's DolFin Content platform connects clients with designers
Eliott Wahba’s journey into the world of graphic design began at the University of Florida, where a school project revealed a gap in the market for accessible, high-quality design services. Seeing the demand for a more efficient way to connect clients with skilled designers, Wahba launched DolFin Content— a platform that streamlines the process of hiring top-tier design talent.
› Rising costs, empty buses have Seminole planning to ditch Lynx for door-to-door service
Frustrated by what they see as high costs and low ridership, Seminole County officials plan to cut most Lynx bus routes and launch a micro-transit service that dispatches small vans to homes and offices to shuttle riders around the county. The plan would leave running the most heavily used routes closest to the Orange County border but would cancel the others that county officials say often have mostly empty buses.
› 580 jobs cut as Amalie Arena contract ends
A Tampa concessionaire will be laying off 580 employees as it prepares for its contract to end with Amalie Arena, home of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tampa Sportservice Inc., also known as Delaware North, reports hundreds of workers will be terminated as of June 30, when the company’s contract expires. Delaware North provided notice to the state of Florida on April 25 in accordance with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act.