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Tuesday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida Trend Exclusive
Dimensions of Growth: The 2020 Census shows the new face of Florida
In the 1990s, every county in Florida grew in population, continuing a historic pattern of nearly every county growing in most decades. Then came the 2020 Census, which revealed that 17 counties had lost population since 2010. “It actually is quite unusual for Florida counties to lose population from one Census to the next,” says Stefan Rayer, who directs population studies at the University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research. [Source: Florida Trend]
DeSantis, GOP lawmakers outline special session bills on COVID-19 vaccines
Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled new details Monday about legislation he’s pursuing to block COVID-19 vaccine mandates during a special session that begins Nov. 15, including a ban on private employers requiring shots. But the bills don’t go as far as DeSantis initially proposed and in some cases even echo the federal order, despite him couching them as part of his fight against the Biden administration. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
Oil drilling permit near Big Cypress denied by the state. Company will appeal, try again.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has rejected a permit application from a North Fort Myers company to drill an exploratory oil well north of Immokalee in Collier County, citing the potential for negative impacts on wildlife like the protected gopher tortoise and on water resources. South Florida water managers and the local water and sewer district had warned that the project threatened drinking water supplies in the region, and environmentalists said that oil exploration in the area — part of the Big Cypress watershed and the greater Everglades — could harm protected species. [Source: Miami Herald]
DeSantis files for re-election, allowing campaign spending during special session
Gov. Ron DeSantis quietly filed his paperwork for re-election on Friday after months of skirting state election law requirements and using his political committee to raise more than $53 million instead of launching a campaign. The paperwork, which DeSantis called “a formality” at a news conference in Zephyrhills on Monday, allows the Republican governor to legally start running ads and conducting campaign rallies as a candidate on the 2022 ballot as soon as next week. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Visit Florida finalizing contract for Michelin partnership
Visit Florida’s tab for new Michelin restaurant stars is expected to hit $150,000. The state’s tourism-marketing arm is finalizing a contract for a recently announced partnership with the international publication that will lead to Visit Florida covering a portion of production costs for 2022 guides that will feature restaurants in Orlando, Miami and Tampa. Visit Florida spokeswoman Leslie Pearsall called it “a great opportunity to elevate Florida’s culinary scene and bring a positive economic impact to the state.” [Source: News Service of Florida]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› More money, 401Ks, better hours: In Palm Beach County, the pandemic changed the job market
Restaurateurs, and businesses in general, say the competition for workers is intense and requires offers of higher pay and benefits — both to keep existing employees and recruit new ones. And even then, the number of job openings continues to exceed the number of people looking for a job in Palm Beach County. Which begs the question, where are the workers?
› Hertz aims to overcome lawsuit, Elon Musk tweet
For the past couple of weeks The Hertz Corp. has been rolling out announcements about changes it was making as it looked to reinvent the car rental industry and retake its place at the top of the heap post-bankruptcy. Things were looking good after nearly two years of struggle, layoffs and uncertainty. Then, Elon Musk took to Twitter and CBS News came calling.
› Where do women in Miami-Dade stand? New online dashboard reveals the pay gap and more
The gulf between what men and women earn in Miami-Dade County has grown significantly wider over the last few years, according to a newly launched Gender Equity Dashboard created by the Miami-Dade Women’s Fund. In 2016, the median salary for women in Miami-Dade was 13% lower than that for men, but by 2019 the gap had jumped to 19%, according to the dashboard.
› Straz Center CEO Judy Lisi to step down after 30 years of growth
When Judy Lisi took over what is now known as the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa in 1992, it was hemorrhaging money and had a $4 million deficit. She managed to wipe out that debt in about a year and built the six-theater complex on the Hillsborough River into one of the largest and most active performing arts centers in the country and the largest cultural organization in Florida.
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