What to know about Florida’s 2021 legislative session

Every year, Florida lawmakers gather in Tallahassee to debate state policy, amend existing laws and pass new ones, and put together a state budget. This year will be no different, though the COVID-19 pandemic will be looming large over all of these discussions. All of this gets done during a 60-day legislative session, which starts Tuesday. Lawmakers, however, have been holding committee meetings and voting on measures since November. So, a view of the issues gnawing at lawmakers and Gov. Ron DeSantis has already emerged. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

Breaking from big business, some Florida Republicans call for closing corporate tax loopholes

Florida Democrats have tried and failed for years to close loopholes in the state’s tax code that allow big corporations to shift money to other states, a strategy that some analysts estimate costs Florida half a billion dollars annually. But this legislative session, it’s a Republican lawmaker pushing to clamp down on tax avoidance by corporations, in an apparent break from other GOP legislators and big business lobbyists who have fought hard to keep Florida’s tax laws as lax as possible. [Source: Orlando Sentiinel]

Citrus industry dealing with high tariffs

Florida ctrus growers say they’ve gotten the squeeze this year as tariffs have made it harder to move their product. But while they’re riding another roller coaster this year, they say things are setting up for a banner year in 2022. After more than a decade and a half, citrus growers in Florida are also looking to plant again. The industry has been decimated by citrus greening, thanks to the Asian Citrus Psyllid which feeds on the trees, causing them to lose fruit prematurely. Scientists have been developing more disease-resistant trees. [Source: WPTV]

Spring Break travel could cause coronavirus surge in Florida, experts warn

Health experts have issued a warning about the possibility of a spike in coronavirus cases ahead of the upcoming Spring Break period. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discourages unnecessary travel, airports are expecting an uptick in travel through spring and summer as families grow frustrated with pandemic limitations. The CDC says COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths have decreased in recent weeks, but carelessness during Spring Break could still have serious consequences. [Source: WFLA]

Get ready, the electronic vehicle revolution is coming and South Florida is gearing up

Every major automaker has pledged to dramatically increase their EV (electric vehicle) production in the next five years. The EV market is about to explode. Currently, Florida has about 60,000 electric vehicles on the road. That number is expected to double in the next 10 years, and it’s not just luxury brands like the Tesla. EVs are becoming a lot more affordable. [Source: WPLG]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Oragenics raises $22 million through stock sale, warrants [Business Observer]
Oragenics Inc. has raised $22 million through the sale of common stock and by exercising warrants on its common stock, the company says. The Tampa-based COVID-19 vaccine maker also announced that it has given notice to the holders of its Series C, non-convertible preferred stock that it intends to redeem those shares.

› Adecco moving North American headquarters from Jacksonville to Atlanta [Jacksonville Daily Record]
The Adecco Group said Feb. 24 it is moving its North American headquarters from Jacksonville to Atlanta, but said its business service center that employs more than 600 will remain in Jacksonville. The Zurich, Switzerland-based staffing and services company has had its North American headquarters in Jacksonville since 2014. Adecco said it will move key leadership and commercial functions to the new office.

› South Florida caterer’s charcuterie board delivery a pandemic success story [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Salty-sweet homemade cheese and charcuterie boards are a delight to our bellies and the Instagram scroll, but for one West Palm Beach small business called CheeseBoarder, they are a pandemic phenomenon. “We did half a million dollars in sales in two and a half months,” said co-founder and Loxahatchee resident Aaron Menitoff. His delivery service is the only company in the country that ships gourmet, fully assembled, ready to eat, artisan cheese and charcuterie boards nationwide, he says.

› Why Vlad Doronin and Jonathan Goldstein are betting billions on Miami [Miami Today]
How quickly things change. Nine months ago, most Miami offices remained shuttered. The luxury condo market was stalled, reeling from the double-whammy of a pre-pandemic glut and a collective case of mid-pandemic high-rise cabin fever. Russian-born developer Vladislav Doronin had reason for concern — at least in the eyes of local real estate watchers.

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› Florida Blue named by Forbes as insurance industry's best large employer [Florida Trend]
Florida Blue, the state's Blue Cross Blue Shield plan, is pleased to announce it has been recognized by Forbes as one of America's 2021 Best Large Employers. Forbes' list of the top 500 large employers is broken down by industry and location. Florida Blue (ranked 45th overall) was the highest ranked large employer in the Insurance industry category. The second highest insurance company in the category was ranked no. 275.

› Brickell City Centre shops exude optimism [Miami Today]
Like every other business in the hospitality and tourism industry, The Shops at Brickell City Centre felt the effects of the pandemic, but managed to power through and keep businesses intact. Still being a relatively new lifestyle commercial center, Brickell City Centre at 701 S Miami Ave. continued to finalize the leasing of initial first-generation spaces when the momentum was shut down for about six months back in March, said David Martin, the center’s retail vice president.

› Walmart Florida sells the MP1 banana variety from the Santa Elena Peninsula [Fresh Plaza]
Musatec, which was established in the Santa Elena Peninsula in October 2019, has already made the first export of the MP1 banana variety to the east coast of the United States, where they will be sold by Walmart Florida. This variety has a larger bunch, which has more fruit than the Barraganete banana, and it ripens faster.

› Orlando’s new mental health team to start taking on 911 calls from people in crisis instead of police [Orlando Sentinel]
Mental health professionals, instead of police officers, will begin responding to some 911 calls in the city of Orlando this weekend, with a new pilot program kicking off Sunday aimed at better deescalating and providing services to nonviolent people in crisis. The new Community Response Team, made up of Aspire Health Partners licensed clinicians and social workers, will be dispatched in teams of two to some mental health crises calls, which officials hope will better meet the needs of the community and, in the long run, decrease calls for service and improve community-police relations.