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Thursday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Was the solution to Florida’s insurance crisis found 15 years ago?
Florida’s property insurance market was in freefall in 2006 after a series of hurricanes. Premiums were rising. Insurers were going out of business or threatening to leave the state. In response, a group of St. Petersburg businessmen and lawyers came up with a sweeping solution: Have the state offer hurricane insurance. Let private insurers offer everything else. Armed with data and political connections, group members flew private planes to Tallahassee on repeated trips to meet with then-Gov. Charlie Crist, lawmakers and the state’s insurance regulator. Instead of being welcomed, they found their idea was “a political hot potato,” one member said. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
As red tide continues along Florida coast, businesses make adjustments
High levels of red tide have been detected in Sarasota and Manatee counties and medium levels of the harmful algal bloom have been reported in Pinellas County. While you might not notice it when you’re out on the beach, for those whose livelihood is out on the water, when ride tide hits, they need to adjust. “Going on 20 years, I've never seen it in the winter time months," Captain Brett Norris with Rock Bottom Sport Fishing Charters said. Norris has been guiding fishing tours on bay area waterways for over two decades. He says in his experience, it’s unusual to see red tide this time of year. More from WTSP and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Pickleball is growing on Florida’s college campuses
Pickleball is on the rise, and the addicting sport has made its way onto college campuses throughout the state. A sport that was originally made popular by a “senior” aged crowd, is now played and enjoyed by college students. Promoting the perfect balance of a social interaction and competitive spirit, it’s no surprise pickleball is such a massive favorite on college campuses statewide. [Source: WUFT]
Targeting of ESG could cost taxpayers, pension fund millions of dollars
Blacklisting investment managers and banks that make business decisions based on what Gov. Ron DeSantis calls “socialist” woke policies could come with disastrous consequences, including hidden costs and a chilling effect on free speech, economic analysts say. Legislation introduced for the upcoming session that begins Tuesday would embrace the governor’s goal to prohibit state agencies and local governments from investing tax dollars into funds that follow environmental, social and governance principles known as ESG. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the Orlando Sentinel.
New documentary captures the secrets of the Florida panther as wild lands shrink
The documentary gives a window into dwindling wild places in Florida and serves as a vehicle to build support for the Florida Wildlife Corridor, a 17-million-acre network of land connecting wildlife through the state. The film features true emblems of the Florida spirit: Indigenous people, panther veterinarians, ranchers and conservationists — all different walks of life coming together in the fight to protect the elusive panther. More from the Orlando Sentinel and the Tampa Bay Times.
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Orange County Mayor Demings proposes task force to explore future tourist tax spending
With tourist-tax collections soaring over $300 million in 2022, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings announced the creation of an advisory committee to explore how to use future uncommitted revenues. He said the proposed TDT Citizen Advisory Task Force won’t have registered lobbyists or elected officials as members and should represent a diverse, cross-section of residents. It will have representatives from the tourism industry, including Disney, Universal and SeaWorld, the Central Florida Hotel Lodging Association, the I-Drive Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO labor union.
› Jacksonville listed among top 5 'Boomtowns' nationally during COVID-19
Jacksonville is among the biggest "Boomtowns" in the country, according to a recent LendingTree study. LendingTree analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the American Community Survey and the U.S. Bureau of Labor, to find and define "the biggest boomtowns in America." LendingTree analysts ranked and scored the 100 largest metros in three main categories: people and housing, work and earnings and business and economy.
› Brickell-based Kaseya gets incentive to add 3,400 IT jobs
Information technology and security management software company Kaseya has announced it will create 3,400 new tech jobs in three years, the largest tech job creation project in the county, along with a $16 million capital investment. Supported by the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, the county’s official public-private economic development partnership, under its Miami-Dade Relocation and Expansion Incentive Program (REIP), Kaseya moved its US headquarters from Boston to Miami at 701 Brickell Ave. in 2018, making it its global headquarters, and in 2021 the company opened a security operation center in Miami.
› One of the most invasive species is taking over Lee County’s landscapes
Melaleuca tree has contributed to the destruction of wetlands throughout the state. Experts say it’s among one of the worst invasive species in Florida, more prolific than the Burmese Python or Green Iguana. It’s hard to go just about anywhere in Lee County without running into them. “This is one of the worst, woody invasive species in South Florida, particularly Southwest Florida.” said Dr. Jay Horn, a Botanist with Florida Gulf Coast University, “It also can spread enormously fast. It has an enormously fast growth rate.”
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