Your guide to Florida’s six constitutional amendments on the 2020 ballot

The Nov. 3 election isn’t all about President Donald Trump. Florida voters also will decide whether the minimum wage should be raised to $15 an hour. They could transform how the state’s elections are conducted in the future. Six proposed constitutional amendments will be on the ballot. At least 60% of voters must approve an amendment for it to pass. Untangling those items can be tricky. Titles can be confusing. Motives can be unclear. The amendments are sometimes written in dense legalese that doesn’t exactly read like a best-selling novel. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the Jacksonville Daily Record.

Federal unemployment aid provides fourth and final payments to eligible Floridians this week

Eligible Floridians soon will see their fourth and final payment from a supplemental unemployment benefits program that helps those thrown out of work due to COVID-19. Since mid-March, the DEO has sent more than $16 billion in federal and state unemployment benefits to 1.975 million people. More than $11.5 billion has come from Washington, including money from the program authorized by Trump. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

The pandemic hurt Florida's film industry. Can horror help?

Here’s the bad news: As expected, the pandemic has slowed the Tampa Bay area’s rising film industry. And it might not get better for a while. But there is a bright spot: Productions slated to film in the area in 2020 are patiently waiting for the okay to begin safely rolling cameras again. In typical 2020 fashion, those leading that charge could be described as a doom squad. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

Florida Trend Exclusive
How Florida's long-term care facilities are managing the COVID-19 virus

In mid-March, as Florida began to see an uptick in COVID-19 cases, Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a temporary ban on visitors to nursing homes and assisted living facilities, where roughly 155,000 Floridians live. At the time, the state had 77 COVID cases, but it was already becoming clear that the virus hit the elderly and infirm harder than younger, healthier people. [Source: Florida Trend]

Florida's idle arts center stages may become recording studios

With live and in-person performing arts productions at a halt, cultural arts organizations are finding ways to put large empty theater stages to good use while fundraising initiatives continue. Doing everything possible to move forward and keep facilities operational, performing arts centers are consistently looking for permits, funds and grants to keep them afloat and at the same time, keep artists working and staff members employed. [Source: Miami Today]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Citizens likely to avoid major impact from storm [News Service of Florida]
Hurricane Sally, which caused heavy flooding and other damage Wednesday in Northwest Florida, likely will not have a major financial impact on the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp., officials said Thursday. The insurer has about 3,500 policies that were within the hurricane’s wind field. Jay Adams, chief of claims for Citizens, said about 1,000 of the policies are for mobile homes, most of which are older and could have sustained “significant” damage.

› Hot Tampa Bay housing market leaves some buyers in the cold [Tampa Bay Times]
In the months since the pandemic caused a springtime slowdown in the real estate market, it’s boomeranged back with ferocity. Pent-up demand, rock bottom interest rates and record low inventory of homes for sale has combined to make the current market ultra-competitive, where it’s not uncommon for multiple offers to flood in, auction style.

› ‘Bold’ transportation priorities rolled out for Central Florida [Orlando Sentinel]
The region’s leading economic and business booster has launched a blueprint for transportation improvements during the coming decade in Central Florida to prevent becoming “victims of our success” with growth. The Orlando Economic Partnership and its Alliance for Regional Transportation have written “the first regional plan of its kind,” said Tim Giuliani, the partnership’s president and CEO. It details seven priorities for exiting from a disabling pattern of inadequate transportation in Central Florida.

› After renovations and COVID closure, a popular Coral Gables attraction has reopened [MIami Herald]
Just in time for the end of summer — don’t kid yourself that it’s fall in Miami yet — Venetian Pool has reopened. The historic pool in Coral Gables was closed last November, according to CBS4 News, and set to reopen in March. Instead, COVID-19 kept it closed until now.

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› Where have all the large mahi gone? Keys charter boat crews blame one fishing method [Miami Herald]
The charter fishing industry in South Florida and the Keys was hard hit by the pandemic shutdown. When Monroe County ordered hotels closed in early March and the checkpoints keeping tourists out went up later in the month, the island chain’s famous fleet docked idle in the the winter and spring season that gets boat crews and owners through the rest of the year.

› Deadline extended for The District to comply with city of Jacksonville incentive agreement [Florida Times-Union]
The slow-moving development known as The District will have until the end of the year to borrow money needed for $32 million of new streets, drainage and utilities in order to keep alive an agreement approved by the city in 2018 for the most ambitious project in the works for downtown Jacksonville.

› Verizon buys Miami-based prepaid phone group TracFone for nearly $7 billion [Miami Herald]
Verizon announced this week it has purchased TracFone Wireless, the Miami-based prepaid mobile phone distributor that owns the widely advertised Straight Talk Wireless brand. The price was $6.25 billion. TracFone has long been held by América Movil, the Mexico-based conglomerate owned by magnate Carlos Slim.

› Englewood Beach Waterfest canceled over COVID-19 concerns [Sarasota Herald Tribune]
Englewood Beach Waterfest, set for the weekend of Nov. 19-22, became the latest casualty of COVID-19, after the nonprofit’s board of directors voted Monday to cancel this year’s activities. Waterfest hosts the Offshore Powerboat Association/American Power Boat Association World Championships, which is the centerpiece of the festival, which typically includes a block party on Dearborn Street.