Florida mayors, businesses and anglers: We don’t want offshore oil drilling
With the bright white sands of Clearwater Beach dazzling behind them, a coalition of Florida mayors, business owners, anglers and environmental groups convened Friday morning to send the Trump administration a clear bipartisan message: Florida’s Gulf Coast is no place for offshore oil drilling. The group gathered just hours before a public comment period was set to close on the federal government’s new proposal to drill closer to Florida beaches. More from the Tampa Bay Times and St. Pete Catalyst.
Sales tax collections drive Florida’s revised budget estimates while corporate income projections fall
With economic uncertainty “elevated,” state economists Friday increased general-revenue tax projections that lawmakers will use in crafting a state budget for the upcoming year. A panel of economists known as the Revenue Estimating Conference added a combined $572.5 million to projections made in August for the current 2025-2026 fiscal year and the 2026-2027 fiscal year. That included increasing the 2025-2026 projection by $502.5 million and the 2026-2027 projection by $70 million. [Source: News Service of Florida]
Florida updates pot petition numbers, showing effort to get on November ballot still short of goal
Attributing the delay to scrutiny of potentially invalid petition signatures, the state Division of Elections on Thursday updated signature numbers on its website for a proposed recreational-marijuana constitutional amendment after being sued by backers of the initiative. The agency’s website showed that Smart & Safe Florida, the political committee behind the measure, had submitted 714,888 valid signatures as of Thursday — roughly 40,000 more than shown in the previous update two months ago but still far short of the 880,062 signatures needed for placement on the November ballot. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
Florida poised to impose one-year freeze on H-1B hiring at state universities
Florida’s Board of Governors is expected to vote on 29 January on a proposal that would bar the state’s 12 public universities from sponsoring any new H-1B visas for faculty, researchers or professional staff until early 2027. If adopted, the freeze would be the most sweeping state-level restriction on H-1B hiring in U.S. higher education. [Source: Visa HQ]
New research may bring relief over pests threatening Florida strawberries
Florida's strawberry fields may look abundant at this time of year, but beneath those glossy leaves, a quiet battle is raging. As growers are hitting peak production, two long-established but relentless adversaries surge onto the scene: the twospotted spider mite and the chilli thrips. These pests can overwhelm plants in tandem, draining vigor, deforming fruit and leaving farmers with the possibility of losing more than half their crop. [Source: Fresh Plaza]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Red Lobster CEO dishes comeback, strategy plans for 2026
Years before becoming CEO of Red Lobster, Damola Adamolekun was a server at a restaurant in Washington, D.C. He started this job at Clyde’s — a regional American-style chain — in high school, looking to make money to help pay for football camps and shoes. Whether from learning how to multitask or dealing with difficult people, lessons from Clyde’s have helped him to this day. The executive sat down with Orlando Business Journal Jan. 21 to discuss the next chapter for Red Lobster and how his plan for continued investment into menu innovation and guest experience will be the wind behind the sails for the company going forward.
› This glam steakhouse is the only Miami restaurant on Yelp’s top 100 list for 2026
There’s only one Miami restaurant on Yelp’s annual Top 100 U.S. Restaurants list — and it’s a Michelin-starred steakhouse from New York. The stylish Korean steakhouse Cote in the Design District ranked no. 20 on the 13th annual list, which Yelp compiles by ranking restaurant reviews by volume and positive ratings. Known for its high-quality steaks and embrace of Korean barbecue style, Cote first opened in New York in 2017, making its way south in 2021.
› Northeast Florida unemployment drops but job growth slows
Jacksonville’s unemployment rate fell sharply in December, a normal seasonal trend as businesses add staff for the holiday season, but job growth slowed in the region. The unemployment rate in the Jacksonville metropolitan area of Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties fell from 5.1% in November to 4.6% in December, the Florida Department of Commerce reported Jan. 23.
› Did a quarter billion in COVID-19 recovery cash save Space Coast economy?
First, COVID wrought chaos and uncertainty to the Space Coast. Then it injected almost a quarter billion dollars of federal aid into the economic arms of Brevard County. How much long-term financial healing those dollars brought remains uncertain. Research shows the COVID aid fended off budget cliffs and stabilized workforces. But some economists say the short-term cures might have worsened the long-term economic risks.
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› Gov. DeSantis tightens Florida’s ties with Germany
German Ambassador to the U.S. Jens Hanefeld and Gov. Ron DeSantis have agreed to a Joint Declaration of Intent to increase cooperation between the European power and the Sunshine State, an agreement fostered by the June 2025 Florida Leadership Mission to Germany. The JDI, per the Governor’s Office, “establishes a practical framework for cooperation across key sectors including innovative technologies, aerospace and aviation, manufacturing, life sciences and workforce training.”
› Big-box store controversy plagues new Lake County master-planned community
A plan to put a Walmart and a Sam’s Club in a new Minneola shopping district is sparking backlash from neighbors who say they were promised a walkable town center — not big-box stores — near their homes. Minneola Marketplace is one of two proposed commercial town centers within Lake County’s Hills of Minneola master-planned community. The planned stores and their surroundings have been redesigned significantly since their inclusion in the project drew controversy last year, but area residents are still worried about traffic and safety.
› Disabled community scores victory in beating back JTA fare hike
Jacksonville residents with disabilities scored a short-term victory when they rallied against a sharp fare hike for the Connexion Plus service and convinced the Jacksonville Transportation Authority to hold off on it until at least April. Connexion Plus riders turned out at eight community meetings hosted by JTA this month and again at the Jan. 22 board meeting when they objected to the size of the fare increase.
› Would Indiantown voters OK tax incentives the second time around?
Indiantown Voters might have another opportunity to approve property-tax incentives for businesses. Voters in August soundly rejected incentives, but the question might be back on this year's Aug. 18 ballot. Village Council members Jan. 22 agreed to consider proposed ballot language for a tax incentive measure a their next meeting.