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Monday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Near Legislative session's end, no budget in sight
The Florida Constitution requires lawmakers do one thing each year: Pass a new state budget. But heading into the final week of the 2015 session, no deal is in sight. A $4 billion gap separates the Senate and the House. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Legislative Roundup:
» Businesses rally to support Medicaid solution
» House passes bill lifting hurdle for builders
» Craft beer growler bill passes
» Despite $600 million offer, Florida Senate refuses to back off Medicaid expansion
» Amendment 1 intent in jeopardy, backers say
» Internet Piracy Bill Passes Florida Legislature, Goes To Governor
» Secret meetings, threats, lawsuits — a Florida meltdown
» Film officials try 3rd time for new incentive program
Trucking industry faces shortage of drivers
An aging workforce, tougher regulations and waning interest among younger workers are causing a nationwide shortage of truck drivers. Despite a need for hundreds of thousands of drivers over the next decade, trucking companies say they are having a tough time attracting applicants. [Source: Miami Herald]
Turning Florida into a for-profit college paradise
It's an industry that seemingly can do no wrong in the eyes of regulators. That's because for-profit colleges in Florida are mostly self-regulated. A look at how these colleges came to flourish in Florida [Source: Miami Herald]
Funeral homes personalize arrangements to help with bottom line
Funeral homes facing challenging times realize that many families consider the traditional service mundane and overpriced. More of those families are choosing cremation rather than a funeral. The future of funeral homes might depend on showing loved ones other options. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
State officials ponder cattle ranching and more to make money off state parks
The new boss of the state Department of Environmental Protection, Jon Steverson, wants to make the award-winning Florida State Park system pay for itself. That means letting some things into the parks that until now have been kept out such as timber companies, cattle grazing and cell phone towers. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Florida 8th-most expensive state for car insurance
Florida is the 8th-most expensive state for car insurance, according to a new insuranceQuotes.com report. Florida drivers pay 12% more than the national average.
› At some Central Florida restaurants, dressing up lives on
In a region that welcomed 62 million sun- and fun-seeking tourists last year, dress codes have largely disappeared as "upscale casual" blurs the lines between fine dining and other restaurants.
› Next stop for solar ballot petition: Florida Supreme Court
A ballot petition that would allow those who generate electricity from the sun to sell the power directly to other consumers moved to its final legal hurdle Friday with a request by Florida's attorney general for Supreme Court review.
› Banking footprints shrink in Orlando
One of the slowest sectors to rebound from the downturn in Orlando has been banking, a new report shows. With financial employment down 21 percent in 2014 from its peak in 2007, banks have reduced their footprint.
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