Florida lawmakers behind pace as budget stalemate threatens overtime once again
The Florida Legislature has yet to do the one thing required by the state constitution — pass a balanced budget. Missing deadline will mean the Legislature will go into extra innings as it did last year. The Legislature is bogged down in a bottleneck of bills and even key GOP priorities like finding a way to cut property taxes, haven’t cleared both chambers. To get a budget approved by Friday, both chambers have to agree on a spending plan by Tuesday to allow for a required 72-hour cooling off period before they can take a final vote. More from the Orlando Sentinel and WTSP.
Gas prices have soared 60 cents a gallon in Florida
In Florida, the average price per gallon is up more than 60 cents from a week ago. And oil analysts expect prices to surge even higher later this week. As the Mideast conflict involving Iraq and the United States continues, the average gas price across the state has rushed past $3 a gallon. North Florida remains the cheapest to pump in Florida. Naples and Palm Beach County are among the most expensive areas, according to AAA. More from the Miami Herald.
Federal price-fixing probe targets Tampa fertilizer giant Mosaic
Tampa fertilizer giant Mosaic Co. and several other major commercial fertilizer producers are reportedly the subject of an antitrust probe by the Department of Justice. The DOJ is investigating whether the companies colluded to limit supply and inflate prices of phosphate and potash in U.S. markets, according to Bloomberg. More from the Tampa Bay Business Journal.
Does Orlando have the ‘worst roads in America’?
Many a Central Florida driver navigating around potholes or bumpy pavement might describe the region’s roads as bad. But one car repair chain has crunched the numbers and proclaimed they’re the worst in the country. According to Pep Boys’ “Worst Roads in America” study, drivers in the Orlando area shell out for more road-related repairs than their counterparts in the 35 metro regions analyzed. The study looked at service data from hundreds of Pep Boys tire and auto service centers across the U.S. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Blue Origin files permits for large Merritt Island manufacturing facility
Blue Origin is planning a major expansion of its giant Merritt Island campus, according to permitting documents filed with the state. “Project Horizon" will add an 800,000-square-foot manufacturing facility to Merritt Island's Exploration Park, according to documents filed with the St. Johns Water Management District on Feb. 24. A different state permit was filed in November 2025 to build an orbital launch system manufacturing complex on the same parcel of land. But the current permit application indicates a completely different plant is now in the works. More from Florida Today.
Transportation Trends
Tough challenges confront electric air taxi firms as they maneuver to take flight in South Florida
It is now clear that the nascent electric air taxi industry is emerging from an early development stage to an era of a high-stakes competition. Billions in investor dollars are at stake, and at the local, state and federal government levels, advocates say expedited action is needed to assess aircraft developed by companies worldwide for certification and to make way for a new mode of urban transportation at public airports and privately run “vertiports” in South Florida and elsewhere.
» More from the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Florida Trend Exclusive
Port progress
With more than 8.6 million passengers this past fiscal year, Port Canaveral squeaked by PortMiami, which had 8.5 million passengers, to become the busiest cruise port in the world. Port Canaveral has 16 homeported ships, and its growth in traffic marked a 13% increase over 7.9 million passengers the previous year.
» Read more from Florida Trend.