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Thursday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Slew of bills set to hit Governor's desk as 2024 legislative session ends
It is officially crunch time for state lawmakers as the legislative session wraps up tomorrow. However, there are still some notable bills that must be signed into law. Some of these items were passed in the legislature just Wednesday, including some bills that’ve gotten a lot of attention and debate. More from WESH.
Olympic trial, Pro Bowl, PGA event lead to record Orange County hotel tax
Tourism in Orange County rode a wave of marquee sporting events and high-attendance conventions in January to generate more than $30 million in hotel tax revenue, a record for the traditionally slow post-holiday month. The tax brought in $30.4 million, about $1.4 million more than in January 2023, the previous best, according to figures released this morning by Orange County Comptroller Phil Diamond, whose office tracks receipts of the 6% lodging surcharge. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Miami-Dade County moves to evict Miami Seaquarium, gives park until April to vacate
Miami-Dade County on Thursday gave the Miami Seaquarium weeks to vacate its government-owned campus after a string of federal inspection reports alleged poor care of animals there. The notice terminating the Seaquarium’s county lease moves Miami-Dade dramatically closer to ejecting the Seaquarium from its home of nearly 70 years in a rapid escalation of the confrontation between Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and the company that took over the for-profit operation in 2022. More from the Miami Herald.
Lawmakers OK money for new Florida Agriculture office complex in Tallahassee
The Florida Legislature is spending $80 million in next year's state budget as part of an overall $208 million plan to build a new headquarters for the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in Tallahassee. The department will relocate nearly 1,000 office workers out of downtown Tallahassee to a new building five miles away on state-owned land at the department's Conner Complex, near the corner of Capital Circle Northeast and Conner Boulevard. More from the Gainesville Sun.
Curiosity reigns at SpaceX Starship environmental impact meeting on Space Coast
If SpaceX’s Starship and Super Heavy finds a home on the Space Coast, what would be the most powerful orbital rocket ever to launch is certain to have a significant environmental impact. For a pair of potential sites within Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, the process to figure out exactly what that will be has begun, starting with a set of in-person and virtual meetings for the public to comment on concerns of frequent launches of a rocket twice as powerful as the Saturn V rockets from the Apollo program. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Arts Business
A free outdoor show brings big artworks to the St. Petersburg waterfront
For all that’s new in St. Petersburg, an international outdoor art exhibition has returned, like a long lost friend. Embracing Our Differences, an exhibit of 35 billboard-size works of art, is on display at Poynter Park (Third Street and Ninth Avenue South) through March 31. The exhibition is also on display at Sarasota’s Bayfront Park (5 Bayfront Drive) through April 14. It’s free to attend.
» More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Out of the Box
USF hires former undercover cop, NBA referee to combat operational stress
Former mob buster and NBA referee Bob Delaney is joining the University of South Florida's Office of Corporate Training and Professional Education to lead seminars about operational stress, or what Delaney avoids referring to as post-traumatic stress disorder.
» Read more from the Business Observer.
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