Should Florida override local business regulations?

Lawmakers are pushing a bill (HB 17) that would prohibit cities, counties and other arms of local government from passing any regulations on businesses unless they have been given specific permission from the state Legislature. The same proposal would repeal existing rules governing businesses in 2020. See the text of HB 17 here. Also read more at the Times/Herald.

Florida's housing market sees more sales, rising prices

Florida's housing market reported more closed sales, higher median prices, increased pending sales and more new listings in January, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®. Sales of single-family homes statewide totaled 16,779 last month, up 5.2 percent from January 2016. Full story here.

See also:
» Tampa Bay home prices shoot up 11 percent, kicking off another strong year
» Median home prices in Manatee, Sarasota well above national average
» Alachua County home sales grew in January
» Americans buy existing homes at fastest pace in a decade

More than 40 percent of Florida households are working poor struggling to meet basic needs

For all the talk of an economic rebound in Florida, there's a big problem that too often stays out of the state's spotlight. 44 percent of Florida households — 3.3 million of the state's 7.5 million households — are struggling to make ends meet. See the full ALICE study of financial hardship, here. (ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.) Also read more at the Tampa Bay Times.

Battle between Florida and Georgia over water continues

The decades old fight over water flow into the Apalachicola River is headed to the United States Supreme Court. Last week a ruling dealt a big blow to the Sunshine State in the case. The case has been costly for both states, roughly costing Florida $72 million in legal costs since 2001. More from WJHG and the Cherokee Tribune and Ledger-News.

Enterprise Florida is jetting off to South Africa

Economic development agency Enterprise Florida is jetting off to South Africa this Friday, taking two dozen Florida company executives south and facilitating one-on-one meetings with potential foreign partners, all in the hopes of helping the businesses expand into the foreign economy. More information from Enterprise Florida, here. Also read more at Miami Today.

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› New General Store in Winter Park offers everything from furniture to lunch [Orlando Sentinel]
Customers can pick out a birthday gift and an outfit for the party — while grabbing a quick lunch at the New General Store in Winter Park. Owners Tracy Liffey and Christine Mitchell wanted to bring the general store concept seen all over the country to Winter Park.

› Ocala first, Miami next for Sarasota human resources company [Business Observer]
Progressive Employer Management Co., a payroll, human resources, workers’ compensation and employee benefits firm, has opened a new office in Ocala.

› Gainesville-based Exactech's 2016 revenue rises [AP]
Exactech Inc., a Gainesville-based developer and producer of bone and joint restoration products and biologic solutions for extremities, knee and hip, announced that revenue for 2016 increased 7 percent to $257.6 million from the year before. News release from Exactech, here.

› Miami bank board to discuss replacing labor secretary nominee Alex Acosta [Miami Today]
Replacing Alex Acosta as board chair of Miami’s US Century Bank now that he has been nominated to become the nation’s labor secretary will not be easy, says one of his colleagues.

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› Florida cities top list of places spending most on housekeeping [Palm Beach Post]
If you’re a neat freak from Florida, a new study suggests you may be living among other tidy friends. A new study, conducted by Care.com, assessed data from 57 cities in an effort to find out which cities have spent the most money on housekeepers per yea.

› Boca Raton-based Geo acquires rehabilitation company for $360 million [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Boca Raton-based prison operator Geo Group announced Wednesday it has agreed to acquire Community Education Centers, a private provider of rehabilitation services, for $360 million in cash.

› Duck Donuts bringing made-to-order treats to Kissimmee [Orlando Sentinel]
A made-to-order doughnut shop is heading to Kissimmee. Duck Donuts out of North Carolina plans to open its first Florida location this spring, said franchisee Mark Griffin.

› Judge deals potential death blow to JDub's Dub Shack [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
A judge sided this week with the World of Beer tavern chain in its legal dispute with the local owners of a franchise that closed in January and rebranded as JDub's Dub Shack at UTC after entering into a licensing agreement with Sarasota brewery JDub's Brewing Co.