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Thursday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Majority of all Florida voters, regardless of party, want stricter gun laws
Two polls of Florida voters, released Wednesday, show a broad consensus in favor of stricter gun laws, including a ban on assault weapons, and opposition to arming teachers. In this poll from Quinnipiac University, Florida voters oppose allowign teachers to carry guns by 56-40 percent. The Quinnipiac poll also finds Florida voters supporting a nationwide ban on the sale of assault weapons by a 62 - 33 percent margin. In this survey from Florida Atlantic University, 70% of voters want stricter gun laws while 11% said laws should be less strict and 19% said laws should be left as is. More from the Tampa Bay Times, Florida Trend, and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
See also:
» Two weeks after Parkland, gun package in deep trouble in divided Florida House
'Unprecedented' Native American burial site discovered off Florida's Gulf Coast
Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner announced Wednesday that archaeological investigations have located a 7,000-year-old Native American ancestral burial site in the Gulf of Mexico near Venice, and in a news release, the state said the “Manasota Key Offshore” archaeological site is “unprecedented.” Full story here (includes video). Also read more at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and WTSP.
Florida races to catalog its data
Florida’s second-ever chief data officer (CDO), who arrived last month from the private sector, said he is already deep in talks with agency heads around the state and making progress toward an important mid-year data deadline. [Source: Government Technology]
Workplace fatalities in Florida surge 14%, highest since 2007
Fatal injuries in the workplace increased nearly 14 percent in Florida during 2016, reaching a high not seen since 2007, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nationwide, workplace fatalities increased 7 percent in 2016, so Florida had a larger increase than the U.S. as a whole. [Source: South Florida Business Journal]
Vacation-rental bill likely dead
A controversial bill that would pre-empt the local regulation of vacation rental properties is likely dead for the 2018 session, Sen. Greg Steube (R-Sarasota) said Wednesday. Steube said because the Senate Appropriations committee has limited time left in this session, they are not likely to deal bills like the "Vacation Rentals" that could involve lengthy debate. See the two versions of Vacation Rentals: Senate Bill 1400, and House Bill 773. Read more at the Orlando Sentinel.
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Sanford Burnham to give back $12.3 million to the state; Palm Coast Data, LLC to return $1.2 million
Lake Nona's Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute has agreed to return $12.3 million of state dollars prior to winding down its Florida operations.
› Cleaning services giant sweeps into Florida
Kansas City-based commercial janitorial services firm SG360 recently acquired fellow commercial janitorial services firm Revolent Solutions Group, which has a large presence in Florida, in addition to Virginia locations.
› Spirit Airlines pilots ratify new contract with 43 percent average pay hike
Miramar-based Spirit Airlines and its unionized pilots on Wednesday announced that a strong majority of the discount carrier’s 1,800 cockpit crew members ratified a new contract that calls for an average 43 percent pay increase.
› Cuban Club in Ybor City tries to convince financiers it does no business in Cuba
The historic Cuban Club is planning to start some renovations — as soon as a $190,000 loan already approved hits the bank. The delay has nothing to do with the club’s credit. Instead, it’s about long-standing trade laws banning most U.S. financial transactions with Cuba.
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