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Tuesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Gov. Scott pushes tax cuts, tourism, business in State of State
Gov. Rick Scott vigorously defended the Florida state agencies that recruit businesses and promote tourism in his annual State of the State address Tuesday. Scott spoke about the impact Zika and two hurricanes had on the state, and he pushed for more money to fight terrorism. More from the AP. Regarding Enterprise Florida and Visit Florida, Scott said:
"Let me be very direct about this subject I know exactly how businesses operate, because I've done it. For our state to simply say, 'We are not going to compete with other states, we are not going to make it easier to incentivize job creators to grow in Florida,' that's just a big mistake."
See the full text of Gov. Scott's State of the State address, here.
Florida court: School children must take standardized test
A Florida appeals court says school districts have a right to hold third-graders back when they score badly on a mandated reading test. A three judge panel on Tuesday threw out a ruling by a lower court judge who said school districts must consider options other than students' performances on the Florida Standards Assessment test when deciding whether to promote a student. More from the WPTV.
Mayor tells Airbnb: ‘Miami Beach doesn’t want what you’re selling’
Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine went on a tirade against Airbnb over the weekend, telling the short-term rental site, “[Miami Beach] doesn’t want what [you’re] selling!” The exchange between the platform and Levine on Twitter was sparked by an article that was critical of Levine’s push for hefty fines against short-term rental sites. More from the Miami Herald.
Construction underway at Immokalee culinary business accelerator
A long-desired culinary accelerator for entrepreneurs is underway in Immokalee, with plans for an opening in July. On Thursday, Collier County government officials joined community and business leaders to celebrate the start of construction. A vacant building at Immokalee Regional Airport will be transformed into a state-of-the-art food manufacturing plant.. More from the News Press.
South Florida wading bird nesting lowest in a decade
The number of nesting wading birds in South Florida, a key measure of Everglades health, sunk to a decade-long low last year, according a South Florida Water Management District report released this week and the latest in a 22-year tally. Just over 26,000 nesting birds were counted across the Everglades and in Lake Okeechobee last year, well below the 10-year annual average of about 42,000. More at the Miami Herald.
Scam Alert
Fake Realtor board targets Florida Realtor members
The "Florida Board of Realtors" does not exist, but Florida Realtors members have been receiving a "Final Notice" bill from them in the mail, saying their real estate licenses are in jeopardy. Complaints have come into Florida Realtors from all parts of the state. » Full story here. Also read more at the Orlando Sentinel.
Around the State
Sea leveling: Miami takes on rising tides
Wayne Pathman (photo), chairman of the Miami Sea Level Rise Committee and the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce, talks about what climate change means for south Florida and what the region needs to do about rising tides.
» Access the story from Florida Trend.
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