Impasse on state budget continues
State budget talks won’t resume until after the Memorial Day holiday weekend, legislative leaders announced Thursday. In a memo to senators, Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, said that he and Senate Appropriations Chairman Ed Hooper, R-Trinity, “have continued to have productive discussions with our partners in the House on joint budget allocations.” Allocations are overall amounts of money that would be divided in different areas of the budget, such as education, health and transportation, and need to be set before conference committees can begin formally negotiating details of the state spending plan. [Source: News Service of Florida]
Business Beat - Week of May 16th
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Chamber conference: Mental health, well-being key to Florida’s economic rise
Mental and behavioral health will be a top priority for the Florida Chamber of Commerce in the coming years, according to the pro-business group’s President and CEO, Mark Wilson. Wilson opened the Chamber’s 5th Annual Leadership Conference on Safety, Health and Sustainability outlining the current “state of play” for workplace safety and well-being in the Sunshine State. Florida currently ranks No. 19 in well-being; the Chamber’s goal is a No. 5 ranking by 2030. [Source: Florida Politics]
National Hurricane Center issues first daily tropical outlook of the season. Are you ready?
The National Hurricane Center issued its first daily tropical outlook of the 2025 hurricane season on Thursday, May 15, and the news is good: "Tropical cyclone activity is not expected during the next seven days." The National Hurricane Center will issue tropical outlooks twice a day until the 2025 hurricane season ends Nov. 30. If a system strengthens into a named storm — or if an unnamed storm shows signs of strengthening and impacting the coast — regular advisories will be issued. [Source: Naples Daily News]
Deal to trade Florida forest to golf developer is dead, state says
In the height of last summer’s controversy over the DeSantis administration’s proposal to build golf courses, hotels and other amenities on state parks, a separate plan to explore trading 324 acres of state forest land to a luxury golf course developer also emerged, ratcheting up the public outrage. About a year later, the Canadian golf developer that first sought the deal has decided to walk away, according to the state. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
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ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› What would Jacksonville get for $100 million on UF grad campus?
The planned University of Florida graduate campus would use up to $100 million from the city of Jacksonville for the opening phases of the downtown campus that would require construction of at least two new academic buildings and renovation of an existing office building, according to a proposed development agreement heading to City Council.
› ‘Difficult decisions are ahead’: Miami-Dade faces biggest budget crunch since ’08
After years of flush spending and tax-rate cuts, Miami-Dade County is now facing the steepest budget crunch since the 2008 financial crisis. A top deputy to Mayor Daniella Levine Cava laid out a looming financial squeeze for Florida’s largest local government, predicting a nearly $400 million shortfall next year for the county’s $3.6 billion general fund that pays for the core services of police, jails, transit and parks and relies on property taxes for the bulk of its revenue.
› Full Sail University lays off more than a hundred faculty, staff
Full Sail University laid off 120 faculty and staff members, representing about 5% of its workforce, the school confirmed this week. The private, for-profit college in Winter Park, which offers programs in the entertainment and media industry, said the job cuts were part of an effort to achieve “long-term sustainability” and won’t impact course offerings. It’s unclear how many of the 120 employees were instructional faculty or staff, but Full Sail said it was “primarily” staff that were cut.
› Holocaust museum in St. Petersburg sets a reopening date
The Florida Holocaust Museum, which closed last July for major renovations, is going to reopen to the public on Sept. 9. The museum at 55 Fifth St. S. in downtown St. Petersburg was founded in 1992 and is one of the largest such museums in the United States — and a leader in getting Holocaust studies added to Florida public school curriculum.
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› Miami company inks $15 billion worth of commitments in Saudi Arabia
Burkhan World Investments, an investment firm with offices in Miami and Abu Dhabi, said it signed three non-binding agreements worth $15 billion with partners in Saudi Arabia this week. The firm was part of President Donald Trump's official delegation at the USA-Saudi Strategic Investment Forum in Riyadh. The delegation traveling with the president featured a range of business leaders, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Amazon CEO Andy Jassy.
› Jacksonville History Center releases annual list of endangered buildings
The Jacksonville History Center presented its annual Jacksonville’s Endangered Historic Properties report May 14 in the renovated Florida Casket Company building at 314 Palmetto St. Downtown. The presentation focused on preservation success stories including the Jessie Ball duPont Center, The Debs Store and the former Florida Casket Company building.
› Cost of living tops $100,000 for many Pinellas and Sarasota families, new report shows
The annual cost to make ends meet for certain families in Pinellas and Sarasota counties has surged past $100,000 – that’s according to a newly released report from United Way and United for ALICE that’s raising concerns about affordability in and around Tampa Bay. The data comes from United Way Suncoast’s ALICE report.
› Amphitheater, revitalized riverfront park proposed in downtown Melbourne to host events
Aging asphalt — with green grass and weeds poking from dozens of cracks — covers the bulk of a ½-acre lot next to sparsely attended Holmes Park in downtown Melbourne. Melbourne Main Street proposes to revitalize these two adjacent properties near Crane Creek into a showcase public gathering area anchored by a terraced amphitheater. This space could host special events without shutting down streets and negatively impacting merchants, Melbourne Main Street Executive Director Kim Agee said.