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Wednesday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
75% chance of hyperactive hurricane season with likely U.S. landfalls
Lead, follow, or get out of the way. This famous phrase chock full of big dog imagery summarizes our predicament as the rough beast that is hurricane season slouches toward birth. With Atlantic warmth leading and a favorable La Niña in the Pacific soon to follow, there is every indication 2024 could live up to the pre-season hype and alarm. More from Florida Today and the Gainesville Sun.
ACA enrollment breaks records in Florida with 4 million enrollees
Americans have signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act in record numbers. 21.4 million people chose one of the marketplace plans in 2024. In Florida, 4,211,902 people chose an Affordable Care Act plan in 2024. That is more than a 200% increase over the number who enrolled in Florida in 2020. [Source: WLRN]
Airbnb touts Florida operations as biggest contributor to tourist taxes
Airbnb is touting its contributions to tourism taxes in the U.S. and Canada, most notably the most tourism taxes the company has raised is in Florida. According to the report, Florida Airbnb rentals generated the most tourism tax revenue in the U.S. Florida accounted for $387 million in tourism taxes in 2023, more than any other state in the country. The company has now accounted for a total of more than $1 billion in tourism taxes in Florida. [Source: Florida Politics]
Sales tax holidays for Florida await DeSantis approval. See what's new and what's changed
Two bills provide tax savings in areas that range from back-to-school and disaster preparedness supplies to toll relief and property insurance tax relief. If approved by Gov. Ron DeSantis, or allowed to become law without his signature, the proposed tax holidays and tax-relief programs take effect July 1, unless otherwise noted. [Source: Tallahassee Democrat]
Over 200K people moved to Florida from California. Here’s where they went
The latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that over 200,000 total Californians have moved to Florida since 2016. Within that same timeframe, Florida saw an average of over 600,000 people moving in from other states each year, leading to a huge explosion in Florida’s population. However, data shows that not all Californians have stuck around during that time. [Source: Click Orlando]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Could bridge collapse happen in Jacksonville? Mayor assures Dames Point has safeguards
Mayor Donna Deegan said Tuesday after the collapse of a Baltimore bridge struck by a cargo container ship that the Dames Point bridge in Jacksonville has built-in safeguards for shielding the heavily traveled span from an impact. Ships pass daily under the Dames Point bridge on their way to and from the Dames Point terminal just west of the bridge and the Talleyrand terminal near downtown.
› Governor, Cabinet protect thousands of acres in Central Florida from development
Nearly 4,400 acres of pasture lands in Central Florida will soon be forever protected from development and continue serving as critical pieces of a statewide wildlife corridor. Acting as the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet on Tuesday approved purchasing Yarborough Ranch in Seminole County and development rights to the Heart Bar Ranch in Osceola County.
› Florida’s budget has $1.8 billion for Miami-Dade projects. Where will the money go?
About $1.8 billion in state funds could flow into dozens of projects in Miami-Dade County as part of the state budget that’s awaiting veto decisions by Gov. Ron DeSantis. A new legislative report offers the most detailed look yet at where the money is slated to go in the $117 billion spending plan for the 2024-25 budget year, which begins July 1.
› Tampa Bay headhunting firms project a surge in promotions and new business
The rest of the year will be a good one for candidates for Tampa Bay's executive and managerial jobs, especially slots for vice president and director, says Phaidon International, a global recruitment firm based in London with a Tampa office. While Tampa Bay generally does not have a problem recruiting executives from other regions, needs still exist and that could mean opportunities for internal or regional candidates aiming for director-level and managerial jobs.
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