Florida Trend Exclusive
Affordability matters
A supporter came up to Don Gaetz at his 2024 victory party, a night that marked the former senate president’s return to the Legislature after eight years in private life. The constituent, Gaetz says, cleverly summed up what voters wanted from him: “If you don’t do anything about the affordability issues, it won’t matter what else you do in the Legislature,” the man said. “But if you do do something about affordability, it won’t matter what else you do in the Legislature.” When the Legislature convenes Jan. 13, affordability issues are sure to dominate. [Source: Florida Trend]
Business Beat - Week of January 9th
Get top news-to-know with Florida Trend's headline-focused video newsbrief, hosted by digital content specialist Aimée Alexander.
Florida mulls rules for AI data centers to protect consumers
Florida lawmakers are poised to consider new regulations for large data centers, the sprawling, energy-intensive facilities that power artificial intelligence programs and can drive up electricity costs for residents. House Bill 1007, filed this week by Rep. Philip “Griff” Griffitts, Jr., R-Panama City Beach, would impose a list of new rules that data center proposals would have to meet before the developments could begin construction. Under the proposal, the local government in the area of the project must approve it in a hearing that allows members of the public to speak. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
South Florida's ultimate sports year
With the turn of the new year, the ultimate sports calendar has finally arrived in South Florida. From January through November, all eyes will be on the tri-county region as it plays host to nearly a dozen major global sporting events with a potential economic impact of $3 billion. Events include the College Football Playoff championship, a Formula 1 race and the World Baseball Classic. And all of this is an appetizer of sorts, as the main course on South Florida’s sports calendar is served in June when the 2026 FIFA World Cup takes place. [Source: South Florida Business Journal]
Florida TaxWatch announces 2026 taxpayer priorities
On Thursday, Jan. 8, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) released a list of 10 Taxpayer Priorities for the 2026 Legislative Session, which begins Tuesday, Jan. 13 and scheduled to adjourn Friday, March 13. While it is not an exhaustive list of issues the independent, nonpartisan taxpayer research institute will follow, it reflects specific topics FTW has examined and will continue to closely monitor during the upcoming session. [Source: Lake Okeechobee News]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Miami will try again for even-year elections — this time, with voter approval
The Miami City Commission will try again to pass a proposal that could move the city’s elections to even years, after a prior attempt crashed and burned last summer when commissioners approved a controversial ordinance that would have given them an extra year in office. That ordinance, which pushed the November 2025 election to November 2026, faced scrutiny from residents and the courts. Two back-to-back rulings found the ordinance violated the Florida Constitution because it altered the city charter without voter approval. The November 2025 election proceeded as planned.
› Orlando to make bid to host 2030 NBA All-Star Weekend
The NBA All-Star Game could be returning to Orlando in the future. Jason Siegel, the president and CEO of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission, announced Thursday afternoon that Orlando will be bidding for the 2030 NBA All-Star Weekend. Orlando has hosted the league’s All-Star Game twice before: Last in 2012 and first in 1992. The Magic are in support of the commission’s bid.
› $1 billion: Palm Beach County reaches milestone with latest Israel bond investment
Palm Beach County's investment in Israel bonds has hit a new milestone — $1 billion, roughly three times the world's next highest investor, the state of Florida. Mike Caruso, the county's clerk of the circuit court and comptroller, said at a Jan. 7 news conference that he has purchased another $350.5 million in Israel bonds, bringing the total investment to exactly $1 billion.
› Groundbreaking air-sea drone maker moves to St. Pete
The world’s first underwater and airborne drone has a new St. Petersburg home uniquely suited to explore once-unfathomable use cases. SubUAS quietly opened an outpost in the fall at the Maritime and Defense Technology Hub. The startup’s engineers re-imagined every aspect of drone technology to build a system that seamlessly transitions from air to water – and vice versa – regardless of rough seas, high winds and other challenging conditions.
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› A cracked sidewalk in Doral helped bring top LatAm geospatial tech into U.S. cities
Consider for a moment, a humble sidewalk. One with dangerous cracks. Perhaps in Doral, for example. For local officials, that crack represents risk, paperwork, and slow follow-up. For XYGO, a Chilean geospatial company with decades of experience across Latin America, it became a practical way to show how modern mapping tools can change how cities work day to day. And for Miami-based consultancy IMPACTIFI, it was the right example at the right time.
› Florida lawmaker files bill to establish strategic bitcoin reserve
Florida House Member John Snyder filed a bill on Tuesday to create a state-managed bitcoin reserve framed as a bulwark against inflation. House Bill 1039 proposes the Florida Strategic Cryptocurrency Reserve as a special fund held separately from the State Treasury. The proposed legislation grants the state’s Chief Financial Officer the authority to administer and manage the reserve’s assets.
› Brevard tops Florida's 2025 dengue fever cases
Brevard County led the state in locally transmitted dengue fever cases in 2025 and remains under a health alert for mosquito-borne diseases. At least 35 of the state's 62 dengue cases caught in Florida in 2025 were in Brevard, which also had two travel-related dengue cases. The locally caught cases have puzzled experts who are trying to figure out why a disease typically found in the tropics is spreading for the fist time in and from Brevard.
› Cape Coral approves wetland credits for city projects
Cape Coral City Council at its Jan. 7 meeting approved the purchase of credits from the Little Pine Island Wetlands Mitigation Bank to compensate for the impact of several city projects on wetlands ecosystems. Each credit represents the ecological value of an acre of healthy, restored wetlands and are required to obtain permitting from the South Florida Water Management District and other regulatory agencies.