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Tuesday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida's record heat can be deadly: When will lawmakers approve protections for outdoor workers?
Heat exposure is responsible for at least several dozen fatalities in the U.S. each year, but currently there are no state regulations in Florida or nationally to address heat related stress. Only a handful of states have passed laws dealing with heat illness prevention for workers. And while the harvesting season for many seasonal workers in Florida is from the fall to the spring, there are still people working outside every day this summer in Florida, as temperatures intensify. [Source: Florida Phoenix]
Groups sue Florida over latest immigration law
Several groups sued the DeSantis administration Monday over Florida’s latest anti-immigration law, arguing that it “inflicts enormous harm on people’s ability to go about their daily lives.” In challenging the new law, the groups are seeking to block the state from enforcing it on the grounds that it could impede federal immigration authorities and lead to “unlawful arrest, prosecution, and harassment.” [Source: Politico]
Florida pensions for police, firefighters get sweeter, costing counties
State lawmakers may have made it harder for state teacher and other public employee unions to collect dues this year. But another swath of public worker unions secured consequential victories in the last legislative session: law enforcement officers, firefighters and others categorized as “special risk.” Lawmakers restored major sweeteners to their pensions that already pay them 90% of their average best years’ salaries in retirement. Now they can once again start collecting those benefits sooner. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
A new era for Florida’s phosphates: rare earth minerals for EVs instead of fertilizers
The United States currently imports more than 80% of its rare earth elements from offshore suppliers. Through policy and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Biden Administration has pushed to build the U.S. supply of critical minerals needed for the clean energy transition, including rare earths. Amid this effort to expand domestic sources, some researchers assert that Florida’s phosphate deposits, mined by the fertilizer industry for over a century, could have a second life as a major supplier of rare-earth minerals. [Source: Miami Herald]
Florida crime numbers not complete statewide; experts say they should not be used to fit narratives
Over the last few years crime trends nationally have gone down, but it’s hard to say exactly what is happening in Florida because not all of the crime data been entered into the state system. The issue is that the FBI has changed how they collect crime data nationwide and some agencies are still transitioning from the old system to the national incident-based reporting system. [Source: WOKV]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Miami Congresswoman kicks mud on new EPA rule that would ban drycleaning chemical
Miami Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar is warning that a new environmental rule proposed by the Biden administration could cause financial problems for the companies that clean, starch and press your clothing. Salazar is among the Republicans on the House Committee on Small Business who have raised concerns regarding a proposed ban by the Environmental Protection Agency on a chemical widely used by dry cleaners since the 1940s to remove stains from clothing.
› Getting around Tampa isn’t easy. Will this big plan change that?
Picture Tampa decades from now, in 2050. How would you like city streets to look? In the first-of-its kind, citywide master mobility plan set to be released to the public Tuesday, Mayor Jane Castor outlines her vision: Record low daily miles driven. Zero roadway deaths and life-altering injuries. Commute times that are 15 minutes or less. And half of all commuters walking, biking or taking transit. The plan, known as Tampa MOVES, estimates a $2 billion price tag to make that vision a reality.
› Best and worst: Airport study ranks 19 Florida locations.
Flying to and from Florida has always been a popular option for travelers. This was never more evident than in 2022 when 137.6 million non-residents visited Florida in 2022. A total of 38% came to the Sunshine State by air. This was a 12.9% increase from 2021 and the largest number of visitors in the state’s history, according to a study by Floridarentals.com. Floridarentals.com indexed all 19 Florida-based airports, including two Southwest Florida airports, ranking each destination against 14 factors to receive a score out of 100.
› Rally calls for flexibility in Orange County tourist-tax spending
Community leaders who want more spending options for Orange County’s money pot of tourist-tax revenues are rallying this morning ahead of an advisory task force’s discussion of the issue. They want investments to benefit workers and families, not just subsidize tourism interests. Two task force members, Eric Gray, executive director of the not-for-profit Christian Service Center, and labor advocate Ella Wood are expected to take part in both the meeting and pre-meeting rally outside the Orange County Administration Building.
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