Monday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 4/17/2017

What a Bill Nelson vs. Rick Scott Senate race might be like

Bill Nelson has been a member of Congress, the elected statewide treasurer and, since 2000, a member of the Senate. Not since Spessard Holland, who retired in 1970, has Florida had a four-term senator and for Nelson to get there, it's looking like he'll have to cross paths with Gov. Rick Scott. More from the Tampa Bay Times and WJXT.

Growing number of programs helping Orlando tech firms

Orlando hasn’t made great strides in the number of successful startups, and still ranks poorly on the Kauffman Foundation’s indexes of startup activity and entrepreneurship, despite some recent improvement. More from the Orlando Sentinel.

Supreme Court rejects Florida floating home appeal

The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a Florida man's latest appeal in a landmark case involving the seizure and destruction of his floating home. The justices on Monday denied without comment Fane Lozman's petition asking them to enforce their 2013 ruling by ordering the city of Rivera Beach More from the AP.

Funding a Small Business
Miami-area entrepreneurs get funding advice from a 'VC in Residence'

Access to capital is lacking — that’s a common refrain among Miami area entrepreneurs, and particularly in minority communities. So So Derick Pearson and Felecia Hatcher, founders of Code Fever and Blacktech Week, talked Marlon Nichols, co-founder and managing partner at Cross Culture Ventures and former investment director at Intel Capital, into agreeing to be their first VC in Residence. The program will have top venture capitalists spend a month in Miami advising and guiding black, Latinx and Caribbean entrepreneurs. Find out more at blacktechweek.com/funding and read more at the Miami Herald.

Political newcomer to run for agriculture commissioner

A University of Miami law student and political newcomer will announce his bid as a Democrat for Florida Agriculture Commissioner today. Michael Christine, 27, filed his paperwork with the state Division of Elections April 11th for the 2018 race. More from the Tampa Bay Times.

Natural Resources
Water shortage warning for South Florida

Falling water levels and extremely dry conditions that are expected to linger led the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Governing Board to issue today a water shortage warning to all 8.1 million residents in the agency's 16 counties.

» Full story.

Taxes
2017 "Taxpayer Independence Day"

On Monday, April 17, Florida TaxWatch joins the taxpayers in our state in celebrating Florida Taxpayer Independence Day 2017. On that day, Floridians are finally earning money for themselves–not for the tax collector. This symbolic date assumes that every dollar earned since January 1 goes to pay federal, state, and local tax obligations.