Gun sales in Florida surged after Parkland shooting

Following the February shooting in Parkland which killed 17, Florida saw a surge in gun buys despite headlines that the event had not sparked a national rush to gun stores. While no major policy changes were in the spotlight in Washington, less than a week after the massacre, Florida's political leaders in Tallahassee proposed what would become the state's first gun restrictions passed in more than a decade. [Source: Miami Herald]

See also:
» Two months after Parkland shooting, gun makers' stocks are rallying

Florida Trend Exclusive
Florida Icon: Greg Asbed

“Being born poor shouldn’t be a life sentence,” says Florida Icon Greg Asbed. Read other quotes from the co-founder of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and Fair Food Program and winner of a 2017 MacArthur genius grant. "Eighty-percent of farmworker women report being subjected to sexual harassment or sexual assault at work — 80% — a much higher percentage than any other occupation," Asbed also said. Full interview here.

See also:
» Video interview with human rights strategist and 'Florida Icon' Greg Asbed

A moment of reckoning for baseball in Florida

Major League Baseball came to Florida 25 years ago. It hasn’t gone according to plan. The Marlins have ranked among the bottom five teams in average attendance in 18 of the last 19 seasons and haven't reached the playoffs since 2003. Can baseball survive in the Sunshine State? [Source: Wall Street Journal]

See also:
» State money for new Rays ballpark? In debate, Graham is a yes, three others say no

Florida loses resettlement offices as fewer refugees arrive

Florida last year had 25 refugee resettlement offices, but that number fell to 13 after offices closed due to a reduction in the number of refugees. The offices are fully funded by the federal government and overseen by the Florida Department of Children and Families. [Source: Tallahassee Democrat]

Bill coming due for Florida’s tighter school security

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act appropriates for safety, security and mental health programs to make schools more secure. But as school districts discovered once they crunched the new budget numbers, the legislation didn’t provide anything close to enough money to do what the law now requires. [Source: Daytona Beach News-Journal]

Your turn:
» Who should pay for increased security at Florida's K-12 schools? (quick poll)

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Gov. Scott identifies "low tax opportunity zones" statewide to encourage investment [News Release]
Governor Rick Scott announced his recommendation to designate 427 communities across every Florida county as Low Tax Opportunity Zones. Low Tax Opportunity Zones, as established in the federal Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017, encourage long-term investment and job creation in targeted communities by reducing taxes for many job creators.

› Sunrun to bring solar leasing to Florida — if regulators agree to terms [Energy News Network]
Sunrun wants to begin leasing rooftop solar systems to residential customers in Florida, but only if state regulators confirm it won’t be regulated as a public utility. One of the nation’s largest rooftop solar installers, Sunrun employs more than 3,200 people in 22 states.

› AutoNation shareholders vote against split in chair, CEO roles [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
AutoNation shareholders voted Thursday against a stockholder proposal that would have required the chair to be an independent board member. Currently, Mike Jackson is both chairman and CEO, as well as president, of the nation’s largest auto retailer, which is based in Fort Lauderdale.

› Hurricane Irma’s unlikely victim: Florida’s supply of CBD [Palm Beach Post]
Hurricane Irma terrified Floridians and spurred a mass evacuation. It also exacted a toll on the state’s supply of cannabidiol, or CBD, the non-euphoric pot product that patients use to control seizures, migraines and inflammation.

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› Startup launches electric scooter-sharing service in Wynwood [South Florida Business Journal]
Founded in 2017, LimeBike has raised more than $130 million to bring its bike- and scooter-sharing service to more than 50 markets, including Key Biscayne, Miami Shores and North Bay Village in Miami-Dade County.

› Jacksonville public utility CEO has controversial tie to Polk County [News Chief]
Aaron Zahn, JEA’s freshly appointed interim chief executive officer, has little experience in the high-profile role of leading a public utility and a relatively low profile in Jacksonville. But in Haines City, a small town in Central Florida, he and his former company are household names.

› Foreclosure starts rise as moratoria in Texas and Florida end [National Mortgage News]
March's increase in foreclosure starts was a direct result of the end of the moratorium for borrowers affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. There were 52,100 foreclosure starts in March, up 11.56% over February's 46,700. Florida and Texas were responsible for two-thirds of that increase.

› Marineland ready to bring old Florida to a new audience [Travel Weekly]
Marineland, founded in 1938 along Florida's Atlantic coast between Flagler Beach and St. Augustine, was long the bastion for educating and entertaining guests with its groundbreaking dolphin shows.