March 28, 2024

Thursday's Daily Pulse

What you need to know about Florida today

| 4/27/2017

Gov. Scott and state bonds chief fight for Visit Florida funding

Gov. Rick Scott has distributed a letter by Ben Watkins, director of the Division of Bond Finance, to the Florida House and Senate budget chairmen, warning that cutting Visit Florida could damage the state’s credit rating. “Even a 2 percent reduction in visitors would result in a loss of $2.2 billion in travel spending and $225 million in tax revenue,” Watkins wrote. The state House and Senate appeared to be nearing a budget deal that would cut Visit Florida's $76 million budget to just $25 million next year. Scott had called for $100 million for the agency to market the state. More from Florida Politics and the Tampa Bay Times.

Visit Florida

See also:
» CEO of Visit Florida makes case why defunding agency will cost state thousands of jobs
» Letter from Ben Watkins to legislators on how cutting funding to Visit Florida will impact state bond rating.
» Memo from Christian Weiss to Gov. Scott: "Potential impact of Visit Florida reduction." (Weiss is a member of the Revenue Estimating Conference.)

More on the Florida's budget negotiations:
» House and Senate move close to budget deal but Visit Florida would be cut
» Budget outline is set, but details remain, Negron says
» So much for 'unprecedented openness' as Corcoran, Negron cut budget deal in secret

Emergency workers say Disney's fireworks causing more brush fires

Emergency workers say they have been battling more brush fires than usual caused by fireworks from Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Brush fires are of particular concern right now because of extremely dry conditions. Like many counties, Orange County has put a burn ban into effect. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Keys tourism would suffer from federal shutdown

Florida Keys backcountry guides have not forgotten the lost days of 2013, when large parts of the the federal government closed due to the federal government not passing a budget. The possibility of another federal shutdown returned this week with Congress trying to come to terms on a federal budget extension. [Source: FL Keys News]

Florida voters may vote on new property tax break

Florida homeowners may get an additional $25,000 homestead exemption if voters go along with the proposal. The Florida House on Wednesday voted 81-35 to put a constitutional amendment on the 2018 ballot that would allow homeowners to shield an additional $25,000 of the value of their home from most property taxes. [Source: AP]

House agrees to give Miami new casino, other concessions

After years of impasse over how to update Florida's gambling laws to reflect the changing times, the Florida House agreed to a series of major concessions Wednesday, including bringing a new casino to Miami-Dade County. More from the Times/Herald and CBS Miami.

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Insurance agents expecting to write more South Florida policies with state-run Citizens
Get used to the idea that more South Florida homeowners will be forced back to state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the so-called insurer of last resort.

› Florida's wounded veterans invited on free fishing trip
Florida's wounded veterans are being offered an official invitation to register for a free offshore fishing trip this June. It's through the state's program Operation Outdoor Freedom, which launched in 2011.

› Escambia County holds economic development summit
After only a partial presentation by FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance about job growth in the Pensacola region, several members of the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners pressed the organization about its efforts to not only recruit new businesses but to also help those already in the area.

› What South Florida city is best for Hispanic entrepreneurs?
Sorry, Hialeah. It’s Pembroke Pines that is nirvana for Hispanic entrepreneurs, at least according to a new WalletHub report.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

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