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2024 Legislature: Floridians barely getting by
Every hour Florida gains an additional $4.48 million in net income as wealthy people from the Northeast, Midwest and even California arrive, the Internal Revenue Service reports. For the most part, Florida is one big boomtown. But the flip side of the state’s golden era of growth has become millions of Florida households struggling to get by even though they have full-time jobs that once would have secured them a comfortable, middle-class life here [Source: Florida Trend]
Business Beat - Week of January 19th
Get top news-to-know with Florida Trend's headline-focused video newsbrief, hosted by digital content specialist Aimée Alexander.
Florida’s Senate passed a sweeping health care bill. What would it do?
The Florida Senate unanimously approved Thursday an $800 million plan to increase access to medical care by training and hiring more doctors, nurses and other medical professionals. The Live Healthy Act, a priority of Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, includes millions of dollars in tuition assistance for medical, nursing and dental students, loans to build clinics and creating a statewide health screening portal. It was pushed through quickly in the early days of the session. More from the Tampa Bay Times and the Orlando Sentinel.
Florida’s investigation of College Football Playoff enters next phase
The Florida Attorney General’s antitrust investigation into the College Football Playoff and its snub of Florida State has reached its next phase. The CFP sent at least some documents to Ashley Moody’s office ahead of Wednesday’s deadline. That information is now under “active review” by the Attorney General’s Office, press secretary Chase Sizemore said. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
More than $35M allocated to help Florida’s semiconductor industry
More than $35 million in funding from the Workforce Development Capitalization Incentive Grant Program will be allocated to 36 Florida school districts and Florida College System institutions to create or expand semiconductor-related instructional programs for students. Florida is already #5 in the US for semiconductor manufacturing jobs and #3 in the nation for semiconductor establishments and the investment is expected to help cultivate a highly skilled workforce, which is integral to sustaining Florida’s growing semiconductor industry. [Source: WGCU]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Releasing balloons could become illegal under new Florida bill. Here’s why.
Many wild Florida animals are harmed by the estimated 33 billion pounds of plastic, including balloons, entering Earth’s oceans each year. What goes up must come down, and when a balloon is released, it can travel hundreds of miles before finally falling back to earth. The ballooning problem is not exclusive to the sea: The debris also harms animals on land, as the deflated trash threatens creatures such as cattle that can mistake balloons for food.
› Florida bankers resort to legislation to reverse The Bar's controversial law firm rule
The Florida Bankers Association is pursuing legislative reform to reverse a controversial rule change enacted by the Florida Bar in May last year, after attempts to negotiate a compromise with the legal association ended in stalemate. Two bills introduced in both houses of the Florida Legislature last week would walk back the Bar’s amended rules for the Interest on Trust Accounts Program, which dramatically raised the interest rate banks must pay on deposits held in trust accounts of law firm clients.
› Lawmakers propose limits on school voucher purchases
Florida lawmakers are proposing limits on how school voucher money can be spent, prompted by concerns that families might use the funds on items not directly tied to education. State Rep. Josie Tomkow, a Polk City Republican, has called for restricting the purchase of materials to only expenses associated with language arts and reading, mathematics, social studies and science courses.
› Inter & Co. takes over stadium naming rights for Orlando City and Pride, adding a Brazilian flair
As the new seasons for Orlando City and the Orlando Pride approach, the clubs have announced a new partnership with Brazilian banking company Inter & Co. as the newest stadium sponsor. The soccer-specific stadium opened in February 2017 and was previously known as Orlando City Stadium and Exploria Stadium before this latest change to Inter & Co. Stadium.
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