It's official: Florida state employees get their first pay raise in years

Gov. Rick Scott signed a state worker pay raise into law Wednesday afternoon, marking the first time in over a decade that employees are getting an across-the-board raise. All employees who earn $40,000 a year or less will get a $1,400 raise. About law enforcement officers, the Governor said this:

I am proud to sign legislation which provides much deserved pay raises for Florida’s sworn state law enforcement officers, correctional officers and state employees. Earlier this year, I recommended a five percent pay raise for all sworn state law enforcement officers and increased pay for Florida’s correctional officers as part of my Fighting for Florida’s Future budget and I am glad the Legislature passed meaningful legislation to address this.

See the Governor's full statement here. Also read more at the the Miami Herald.

Governor vetoes higher education bill

Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday vetoed a higher education bill he said would “impede” progress at state colleges by boosting Florida’s universities at the expense of community-based schools. More from the Orlando Sentinel and Florida Politics.

Florida Trend Editor's Column
It's Leadership, Florida

Wendy Walker says she always saw herself as “a No. 2 person.” Putting herself front and center isn’t her style; you’d never know it, but she dislikes, and avoids, public speaking. That may seem odd for someone who’s run a big statewide organization successfully for three decades, but it’s a great illustration of one of the things that Wendy’s organization, Leadership Florida, tries to teach. Read Mark Howard's full column, here.

Atwater: Florida must tackle insurance 'assignment of benefits' problems

Readying to leave the state Cabinet at the end of the month, Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater said Wednesday that lawmakers need to address an insurance practice that critics argue is driving up homeowners' rates. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

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.

Florida appeals court rules the identities of marijuana investors, business partners public information

An appeals court has ruled the identities of medical marijuana business investors and partners are a matter of public record and are not considered trade secrets by state statutes. See the written opinion from the 1st District Court of Appeal, here. Also read more at the Florida Record.

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› New test kitchen for kosher company in Jacksonville [Florida Times-Union]
When Jamie Geller, owner of Kosher Network International, opened the company headquarters in Jacksonville in September, it marked the third office for the integrated multi-media, merchandising and marketing company.

› Fort Lauderdale biotech firm gets federal grant for oral cancer study [News Release]
Fort Lauderdale-based Vigilant Biosciences, which has developed dental and lab toolkits for early detection of oral cancer, has been awarded part of a multi-million dollar grant for a study from the National Institutes of Health.

› Sarasota-Manatee is No. 1 in nation for young entrepreneurs [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
While many younger professionals consider leaving Southwest Florida, a new survey contends this is the place to be for young entrepreneurs. The Sarasota-Manatee region topped a list of Florida best cities for young people to start their own business ventures put out by MoneyRates.com, a personal finance website.

› Focus on NAFTA renegotiations, international trade in Miami [Miami Today]
Panelists at last week’s Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Goals Conference gathered to speak about trade and goods under the new administration, focusing especially on NAFTA renegotiations and international trade activity in Miami.

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› Duval assisted-living facility reacts to potential Legionnaires’ disease case [Florida Times-Union]
Duval County Department of Health is looking into an unconfirmed case of Legionnaires’ disease at a local assisted-living facility in Jacksonville.

› Tampa's Square 1 Burgers files for bankruptcy protection [Tampa Bay Times]
Square 1 Burgers & Bar, a restaurant chain based in Tampa, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The restaurant chain, known for its wide ranging menu of burger creations, will close some of its locations in Florida.

› “Ninja Warrior” recreation park CircusTrix jumps into South Florida [The Real Deal]
Indoor recreational chain CircusTrix has announced plans to open its “extreme” obstacle course and trampoline park in South Florida.

› Jacksonville's GloDea expanding beyond furniture [Florida Times-Union]
Ignacio Santos, a native of Brazil who is still the lead designer, founded the company in 2008 when he and Fabian Ramos started making chairs in a friend’s garage. The chair sold, the company grew.