New solar amendment offers 'huge incentive for businesses'

State lawmakers wasted no time implementing the solar amendment voters approved last August. Florida now ranks 12th nationally in solar installations, but could become seventh within the next five years, due to the new legislation. Businesses will benefit because of substantial tax breaks built into the amendment. For example, a 120-acre solar field is being built by a private firm on the outskirts of Tallahassee, but the company won’t be taxed for 80 percent of the $30 million in panels it installs. More from WJXT and WCTV.

Study: Florida most friendly state for retired veterans

Florida is the nation's best state for military retirees looking for somewhere to settle. That's according to a study released Monday by WalletHub which rated Florida the most friendly when it comes to economic factors, quality of life and health care. More from the Tampa Bay Times and the Miami Herald.

Job growth is slowing, Scott says in Orlando

Florida Gov. Rick Scott said job growth is slowing down, and he fears that the legislature has dealt another blow to the numbers. Scott on Monday morning attended the groundbreaking of a $400 million training facility in Lake Nona for accounting firm KPMG. Scott said it's an example of what Enterprise Florida can do. [Source: WFTV]

Ailing Florida springs could be tapped further to fuel development

A century ago Florida's gin-clear springs drew presidents, millionaires and tourists galore who sought to cure their ailments by bathing in the healing cascades. Now the springs tell the story of a hidden sickness, as they're plagued by pollution, toxic algae blooms, a loss of flow and an increase in saltiness. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

Business rent tax in the Florida budget

Florida today stands as the only state in the union to charge a tax on commercial leases, something conservative watchdog groups say makes the Sunshine State less competitive in terms of commerce. Florida businesses paid $1.7 billion in business rent taxes last year. [Source: SRQ Magazine]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Software and digital marketing company moving to Sarasota [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
FloorForce, a software creation and digital marketing company in the flooring industry, is moving its operations to Sarasota County from Boca Raton, economic developers announced late Monday.

› KPMG breaks ground on $400 million facility in Lake Nona; plans to hire 330 statewide [Press Release]
The tax and advisory firm KPMG has broken ground on a $400 million learning facility in Florida. The groundbreaking ceremony in the Orlando's Lake Nona neighborhood took place Monday.

Florida's Movers & Influencers See some of Florida's top executive moves, board appointments, civic accomplishments, and more at Florida Trend's Movers & Influencers. Each profile appears in three places: in a weekly eNewsletter, online at FloridaTrend.com and in a monthly print issue of Florida Trend. Read more here.

› Downtown Miami is getting its first new office tower in six years [Press Release]
Another piece in the ambitious Miami Worldcenter project has clicked into place. Hines, the privately-owned real estate investment firm with a presence in 189 cities in 20 countries, will build a 45-story tower with 600,000 square feet of Class A office space in downtown Miami. Also read more at the Miami Herald

› Florida insurer Mt. Beacon goes out of business, policies taken over [Palm Beach Post]
A start-up player in Florida’s home insurance market, Mount Beacon Insurance Co., is going out of business and about 22,000 of its policies have been transferred to Florida Specialty Insurance Co.

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› Port Canaveral gets OK for cold storage pilot program [Orlando Business Journal]
Port Canaveral has been named an official participant in the Southeast U.S. In-transit Cold Treatment Pilot Program by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service.

› Central Florida hotel revenue up 17.6 percent for April [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Revenue at Central Florida’s hotels rose 17.6 percent in April, the biggest rise among the 25 largest markets in the country for the month, according to an industry report.

› Publix, package stores urge veto of ‘liquor wall’ bill [Palm Beach Post]
Opponents have mobilized to try to convince Gov. Rick Scott to veto a bill that would a repeal a decades-old law requiring hard spirits to be sold in separate facilities from groceries and other goods — an issue that has become known as the “liquor wall.”

› Drop in gas prices about over for Florida [Florida Times-Union]
Gas prices continued to fall in Florida over the past week. But the decline is slowing, and the national average actually went up. The average price for a gallon of regular gas was $2.30 on Monday, down 2 cents from a week earlier.