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Tuesday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Budget experts: Economic slowdown still in Florida’s future as 2020 Session nears
Florida still looks set for an economic slowdown in the coming years as state budget experts made their final predictions ahead of the 2020 Legislative Session. The Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research members met Monday to report their long- and short-term projections for the state economy, the final such meeting before the 2020 Session convenes in less than a month. [Source: Florida Politics]
Florida Trend Exclusive
Florida Icon: Jack Hartmann
The children’s entertainer talks about his life making educational music videos for kids: “My wife was a kindergarten teacher when I met her. She told me her kids were having trouble learning nursery rhymes, and she asked me if I could put them to music. So, I did, and that’s how her being a teacher kind of took me down the road of making music for young children.” [Source: Florida Trend]
Legalize marijuana group drops out of 2020 Florida ballot, won’t yet endorse rival campaign
One of the two major recreational marijuana campaigns in Florida has given up on making the 2020 ballot — but it’s still unclear if they will work to actively support the industry-backed marijuana petition that still has a chance for next year. The group had 92,540 verified signatures as of Monday, well short of the required 766,200. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
Legislation would expand electric vehicle charging stations on Florida highways
Access to charging stations remains a barrier to electric vehicle ownership in the state. Most electric vehicles on the market today can go about 100 miles on one charge. A Tesla Model S long-range car can go 373 miles, but that’s one of the more costly electric vehicles on the market with a retail price of nearly $80,000. [Source: Florida Politics]
How a little bank from Little Rock took over Miami real estate
When looking back at the great South Florida condo boom of the past decade, one financial institution is likely to stand out from the rest. And it came from Little Rock, Ark. Bank OZK, a once-sleepy regional bank miles from any beach and a century old, has become a behemoth in the South Florida lending market over the past several years. [Source: Miami Herald]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Two UF scientists part of $12.8 million blueberry breeding grant
A plant breeder and a food scientist, both with the University of Florida, will join a $12.8 million, multistate research grant to broaden the nation’s blueberry breeding capabilities. For the project, Patricio Muñoz, a UF/IFAS assistant professor of horticultural sciences and Charlie Sims, a UF/IFAS professor of food science and human nutrition will provide feedback on the genetic characteristics that prove best for various blueberry cultivars.
› Homebuilder aims to disrupt industry with military-grade materials
A trio of Naples area businessmen led by Chuck Ardezzone, who also owns a film and TV production studio in town, believe their company — Galexa — has the goods to build homes that can radically change the construction/building industry.
› Future unclear for Tampa’s divisive plan to turn wastewater into drinking water
Mayor Jane Castor inherited a big-ticket project that some call transformational and others calamitous. Over the next few months, Castor may fight to preserve what city water officials call the Tampa Augmentation Project and critics have dubbed it toilet-to-tap. Or she could consign it to the dustbin of once-big ideas.
› Sarasota-Bradenton airport sets record for November
Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport set a record for passenger traffic in November, its 21st straight month of passenger traffic growth. In November, 182,607 passengers move through the airport, a 52% increase over November 2018. So far in 2019, year-to-date passenger traffic is up 42% — 1,738,935 travelers have passed through Sarasota-Bradenton this year.
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