Florida lawmakers remain deadlocked over the state budget
Lawmakers are again at a stalemate over the budget. Instead of negotiating the final details of the state spending plan for the next fiscal year, House and Senate leaders haven't agreed on top-line numbers. That means the Legislature will need extra time to pass the budget, House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, confirmed Monday. Unlike last year, when the Legislature needed 45 extra days to resolve a dispute that was primarily over tax cuts, Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, are at odds over how much to spend next year. More from CBS News and WCTV.
5 numbers to know about Elevate Florida, a program to save homes from storms
More than a year after Florida announced a first-of-its-kind program to help residents harden their homes against hurricanes, some residents are still waiting on answers. The program, Elevate Florida, aims to help Floridians pay for costly projects to protect their homes and hasten the lengthy timeline typical of government assistance. A year later, a vast majority of residents who applied have either dropped out of the program, or have been denied. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
See where Florida ranks in U.S. on gas prices. Hint: it's not good
The pain continues, with Florida among the states with the highest gas prices in the country and 10 cents per gallon higher than the national average. There are 10 states in the U.S. with gas prices ranging from $3.607 to $5.290 for a gallon of regular. While Florida barely squeaked into the top 10, that's little consolation for drivers who are seeing an average price of $3.630 Tuesday, March 10, according to AAA. [Source: Florida Today]
The new Miami gold rush and the hunt for exclusive real estate
In and around Miami Beach, a sliver of a barrier island about 1 mile wide, a gold rush is underway. Masters of finance and tech are vying for parcels of land on the gated human-made islands facing Biscayne Bay, with unobstructed views of downtown Miami. With so few elite properties on the market — in late February, there were just eight single-family homes in Miami listed for more than $50 million — buyers are offering whatever sum it will take to persuade a reluctant homeowner to part with their trophy. More from the South Florida Sun Sentinel and the New York Times.
Insurers cut Florida rates on strong earnings
Florida’s five largest private-passenger auto insurers are reducing rates by an average of 8% this year, state insurance commissioner Mike Yaworsky announced, as strong earnings and declining loss ratios reshape the state’s auto insurance market. The five carriers - Progressive, Berkshire Hathaway, State Farm, Allstate, and USAA - together account for 78.6% of Florida’s private-passenger auto market. [Source: Insurance Business Magazine]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Coalition of South Florida leaders calls for veto of pro-development bill
A broad collection of South Florida leaders from an array of political parties, municipalities and industries came together today to oppose a Florida bill that would make it easier to develop near environmentally sensitive Everglades land outside Miami-Dade County's Urban Development Boundary (UDB).
› Fight erupts over plan to hand Sarasota golf courses to developer
A plan to lease hundreds of acres of golf courses and green space in The Meadows to Benderson Development Co. for nearly 50 years has sparked a lawsuit over the future of one of Sarasota’s oldest and largest communities. The lease comes after years of operating losses pushed the country club into bankruptcy and forced two of its courses to close. Under the deal, Benderson would pay off the mounting debts and work to reopen the courses. But the agreement has divided residents.
› Who should pay more as reclaimed water strains under drought in Pinellas?
Pinellas County’s reclaimed water debate is no longer just about conservation. It is now about who pays, who gets priority and whether a system built decades ago still matches today’s demand. At a work session last week in Clearwater, Utilities Director Jeremy Waugh told county commissioners the county is preparing to launch a new rate study this summer, with the goal of adopting an updated water rates plan by June 2027 for an October 2027 start. The new rates would be in effect for four years.
› Boca Raton firm aims to raise $250M for real estate acquisitions
Boca Raton-based IP Capital Partners launched a fund to acquire industrial properties in the Southeast U.S. The company said its IPCP Southeast Industrial Fund II is targeting $250 million in capital commitments, with a hard cap of $300 million. It expects to leverage that capital into $1 billion in purchasing power.
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› East Manatee bee, berry farms hustle to survive historic cold snap
With a preliminary estimate of over $3 billion in losses, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson says in a press release that the cold snap during the first week of February was “one of the most damaging freeze events for Florida agriculture in history.” It’s the kind of cold that keeps East Manatee County farmer Nancy Damico watching the weather every minute.
› Ann Arbor financial services firm to relocate headquarters to Florida
A national financial services firm will move its corporate headquarters from Ann Arbor to Florida this fall, according to a March 4 press release. Concorde Investment Services, an independent broker-dealer and registered investment advisor will occupy a 9,000-square-foot facility in Boca Raton as part of its national expansion efforts. Danielle Delongchamp, president and chief executive officer of Concorde, said in the press release that the relocation reflects the company’s growth trajectory.
› Cult-favorite PopUp Bagels opening 30-plus Florida locations
PopUp Bagels, which has gained a cult-like following with customers waiting hours for fresh, hot bagels, is dramatically expanding its Florida footprint. The Connecticut-based takeout-only bagel shop that prides itself on being “not famous, but known” plans to open more than 30 Florida locations, the company told USA Today Network. There are currently six in Florida, five of which opened in 2025.
› Broward schools seek to recoup $17 million in Parkland payouts from insurer
The Broward School Board is trying to find a way to recover some of the $26 million it paid out to victims of the 2018 mass shooting in Parkland. The district has filed a lawsuit in Broward Circuit Court, seeking $17 million for breach of contract from the underwriters of Lloyd’s of London, the district’s provider of general liability insurance. The lawsuit, filed in Broward Circuit Court in November, alleges the insurer provided bad legal advice related to the district’s liability after the mass shooting.