Special legislative session off to rocky start

Lawmakers have 19 days to work out their differences but the opening-day dispute does not bode well for a Legislature that failed to agree on a congressional redistricting plan in August. The dispute is: Should all senators, whose districts get redrawn, face reelection in 2016? The House says yes, whereas senators say their four-year terms are constititional. An impasse appears likely. More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and the Miami Herald.

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Rebuilding I-4

The Florida Department of Transportation and a private consortium of contractors this year broke ground on a project they have dubbed “I-4 Ultimate” — a $2.3-billion bid to alleviate chronic congestion on the highway that today is the backbone of central Florida’s transportation network. Access full story.

Lack of 2016 wage increase in Florida surprises some

Each year, the state determines what the minimum wage will be, for the coming year, by Oct. 15. The decision was not made by Gov. Rick Scott, but by a formula that ties minimum wage to the Consumer Price Index. Given the fact that unemployment rates are falling, some people expected the minimum in Florida to go up again this year. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Gas prices beginning to slide again

The average price dropped about 5 cents nationwide during the previous week to $2.26 per gallon of regular gasoline. In Florida, the price was down 1 cent to $2.18. [Source: Gainesville Sun]

The orchid connections: Aspects of a floral business

In Florida, where orchids once grew abundantly in the wild, they remain a serious business. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Florida has the largest number of commercial orchid growers of all states producing $100,000 or more in annual sales of potted orchids. [Source: Miami Herald]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Doral student debt relief company under scrutiny [Miami Herald]
A growing industry is promising to help deal with escalating student loan debts. The amount of debt nationally is immense — about $1 trillion — and consumer advocates say that makes current and former students prime targets for dubious debt relief operations.

› Q&A with Jacksonville's Preston Haskell, a titan in the design and build industry [Florida Times-Union]
It has been 50 years since Preston Haskell started the business that bears his name. It than time, he’s built all kinds of buildings all over the United States and the world. It has also been one of the leaders in the growing design build industry.

› French e-security firm with big Plantation presence set to expand [South Florida Business Journal]
A Paris-based global systems security firm with some 400 employees in Plantation is growing, acquiring a Silicon Valley firm to expand its U.S. operations.

› Brevard County seeks power to regulate plastic bags [Florida Today]
On Tuesday, Brevard County commissioners will be asked to support a proposal before the Florida Legislature to give local communities more of a say in regulating plastic bags, through what's known as "home rule."

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› Beacon technology gives Central Florida tourist sites new awareness [Orlando Sentinel]
An inconspicuous rectangular device on the historical marker in front of Donnelly House is helping Mount Dora employ the latest tech to show off its heritage.

› ISG World announces partnership with top Chinese real estate brokerage [Miami Herald]
Aventura-based ISG World, a luxury real estate sales and marketing firm, will partner with a top Chinese real estate brokerage to market South Florida properties to Asian buyers.

› Florida Senate to remove Confederate battle flag from seal [Gainesville Sun]
The Florida Senate is removing the Confederate battle flag from the chamber's official seal. The entire Senate on Monday agreed to revise the seal that now contains the battle flag along with four other flags that have flown in Florida.

› Number of ungraded state tests multiply [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
More than 20,700 state exams in 2015 were not graded because students did not fill out enough answers, compared with about 5,600 similarly ungraded exams in 2014.