Rick Scott may be forced to resign early due to Senate bid

Florida Gov. Rick Scott may have to resign early if he goes ahead with an anticipated run for the U.S. Senate. If Scott does have to resign early, it could have ramifications on the makeup of the Florida Supreme Court. Age limits are forcing three justices to retire on the day Scott's successor takes office. More from the Tampa Bay Times and the AP.

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A pretty penny: Business profile of Kyle Taylor and Penny Hoarder

If Kyle Taylor’s site, The Penny Hoarder, covered his own story, the headline — Penny Hoarder headlines tend to the perky — would be something like: How One Millennial Turned Crushing Debt into Millions. Then it would link you to advertisers to make him even more. Read the full story here.

Florida citrus growers hedging bets with bamboo

Bamboo is the new crop of choice as citrus growers continue to experience uncertainty with the bacterial disease called citrus greening. The disease has led to a seventy percent reduction in Florida's annual citrus crop and nearly tripled the cost of production. More from WWSB, the Lakeland Ledger, and the AP.

Scott has slight edge over Nelson for U.S. Senate

Emerging from his final legislative session, Republican Gov. Rick Scott holds a small lead over incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson in a potential U.S. Senate race that could help determine control of the Senate, a poll released Monday shows. More from the Orlando Sentinel and the Tampa Bay Times.

Your turn:
» In a hypothetical Senate bid between Rick Scott and Bill Nelson, who would you vote for? (quick poll)

Opinion: Tax reform benefits Florida businesses conducting R&D

The landmark Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) should make taxation strategy a top priority for many South Florida businesses. With its numerous ramifications, the new law is a reminder that tax can be a significant driver of value for organizations of all sizes, including businesses in South Florida’s flourishing tech and startup ecosystem. [Source: Miami Herald]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› CSX Gulf rail line sale could impact passenger train hopes [First Coast News]
Railroad giant CSX is looking to sell off a chunk of track running from just outside of Jacksonville through Pensacola. The 330-mile stretch went on the market in mid-January and passes through the Panhandle, an area where officials have been pushing to bring back passenger rail service.

› Magic Leap, Citrix among tech employers hiring at job fair Tuesday [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
South Florida’s top technology companies including Citrix Systems, Magic Leap and Modernizing Medicine are scheduled to participate in a job fair on Tuesday at Nova Southeastern University.

› On the hunt for a cheaper alternative to Metrorail, Miami-Dade’s mayor heads to China [Miami Herald]
Eight months after he shook up Miami-Dade’s transit debate by proposing a high-tech “virtual train” bus as an alternative to expanding Metrorail, Mayor Carlos Gimenez is leading a delegation to visit the Chinese company that hopes to start selling the vehicles.

› Fanatics owner among possible bidders for NFL’s Carolina Panthers [Florida Times-Union]
One possible bidder for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers has significant business ties to Jacksonville. Michael Rubin, owner and executive chairman of Jacksonville’s Fanatics Inc. online sports apparel and memorabilia retailer, is a serious candidate to purchase the first NFL team for sale since the Buffalo Bills were sold in 2014.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

› Flea World redevelopment in Sanford moves forward [Orlando Sentinel]
Flea World founder Syd Levy died in January with the unfinished business of selling the open-air market property in Seminole County but the land is now under a sales contract, according to a real estate group.

› Florida tops nation in consumer fraud complaints [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Guess which state led the nation in consumer fraud complaints last year? Florida claimed the top spot for the number of per-capita complaints compiled by the Federal Trade Commission.

› Acentria expands Florida footprint [Insurance Business America]
Acentria Insurance, one of the largest and fastest-growing agencies in the southeastern US, has continued its expansion in Florida by partnering with AllSafe Insurance Group and Asian American Nations Insurance Group.

› Miami’s Latin media in crisis? Layoffs and uncertainty abound at Univision and Telemundo [Miami Herald]
Tears, fears, frustrations, intrigue and painful farewells — they are the ingredients of any good telenovela. But those emotions broke free from the land of fiction and inundated the lives of the employees of the main Spanish language television networks in the United States.