Florida marijuana agency seeks to double workforce to handle pending boom

The Florida Department of Health (DOH) is expected to issue up to 27 new medical marijuana treatment center (MMTCs) licenses by July 1, 2023, more than doubling the availability of legal cannabis products that already support a $1.3 billion industry in the Sunshine State. In preliminary budget requests, DOH is seeking nearly $13 million to more than double the Office of Medical Marijuana Use’s (OMMU) current 80-person staff to 165 employees to handle what it anticipates will be a dramatic surge in state medical marijuana sales in the coming years. [Source: The Center Square]

Business Beat - Week of October 29th

Get top news-to-know with Florida Trend's headline-focused video newsbrief, hosted by digital content specialist Aimée Alexander.

What is Florida’s plan for coronavirus vaccine boosters?

It’s not clear what extra effort — if any — the state is making to raise awareness about the need for boosters. As of Wednesday, Florida had given about 8 percent of its vaccinated population a booster shot, a figure that ranked 21st in the country, according to CDC data. About 19 percent of its vaccinated 65 and older population had gotten an extra dose, which was just 33rd best out of the 50 states. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

What will replace the FSA? Florida educators hope it’s less punitive

The FSA, which had been in place since 2015 when it replaced the FCAT, won’t be administered starting next school year, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced in September. Educators have advocated for this for years and supported the decision, but now they contemplate what the next steps might be. Education experts say state testing should be used to check students’ learning and hold teachers accountable. The Florida Standards Assessment was not fairly doing so. [Source: WUFT]

Universal Orlando sees most profitable quarter ever amid pandemic

Universal Orlando’s last quarter was its most profitable ever, despite COVID-related travel restrictions limiting international visitors to the U.S., executives from parent company Comcast revealed on an earnings call Thursday. Because of the Orlando resort’s earnings, the theme park division also had its most profitable quarter since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Comcast Corp.’s third quarter started in July and ended Sept. 30. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Florida posts new workers’ comp doctor reimbursement, but lawmakers must review [Insurance Journal]
The Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation has adopted a new reimbursement manual, governing fee schedules and payments to doctors and other health care providers. The 2020 Health Care Provider Reimbursement Manual was adopted by the division on Oct. 22 after months of input, including a hearing that was held in August. But Florida law requires legislative approval of most rule changes that would raise costs for Florida businesses.

› St. Petersburg’s Raymond James Financial nears $10 billion in earnings [Tampa Bay Times]
One of Tampa Bay’s largest public companies is inching ever closer to a major financial milestone: $10 billion in annual earnings. St. Petersburg wealth management firm Raymond James Financial on Wednesday reported $9.76 billion in annual revenue and $1.4 billion in net income for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, according to company records.

› Home improvement company offering one-day projects comes to Sanford [Orlando Sentinel]
A home improvement company that says it completes most projects in a day has opened a Sanford office. West Shore Home opened its office space, sales facilities and warehouse for custom bath, window and door products at 400 Harvest Time Drive in Sanford. “Our mission to provide the fastest, most convenient home remodeling services in the market is resonating with consumers,” CEO B.J. Werzyn said in a news release.

› Boeing, JAA break ground on $116 million Cecil Airport facility [Jacksonville Daily Record ]
Boeing Global Services CEO Ted Colbert said when the company’s 370,000-square-foot facility at Cecil Airport opens in 2023, it will be the aviation industry’s “first digitally enabled” maintenance repair and overhaul site. At a groundbreaking ceremony Oct. 27 for the eight-hangar complex in West Jacksonville, Colbert told federal, state and city officials at the event that the project will allow Boeing to understand the maintenance and repair needs of U.S. military aircraft before they land at Cecil.

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› Swedish construction firm to lead $38M convention center project  in Tampa [Business Observer]
Skanska, a construction and development company with projects around the globe, will head up a $38 million renovation and expansion of the Tampa Convention Center. The firm will lead the two-phased project that includes updates to infrastructure components, installation of updated technology and the implementation of several sustainability initiatives.

› DeSantis sets special elections for South Florida legislative seats after months of delays — and lawsuit [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Gov. Ron DeSantis delayed setting special elections for three soon-to-be-vacant seats in the state Legislature — unilaterally imposing a monthslong delay — that he’s almost guaranteed that three Democratic districts in South Florida will go unrepresented during the 2022 lawmaking session. DeSantis finally set dates for the special elections Wednesday night — 12 days after the Harvard Election Law Clinic filed a lawsuit on behalf of Broward and Palm Beach County voters seeking a judge’s order compelling him to set the election dates.

› New city contract for Florida-Georgia game includes higher payouts [Jacksonville Daily Record]
Days before the Oct. 30 kickoff, city leaders secured TIAA Bank Field as the site for the annual Florida-Georgia football game through at least 2023. Jacksonville City Council voted 18-0 on Oct. 26 to enter a new contract with the athletic associations of the universities of Florida and Georgia to play the game in Jacksonville for the next three years. The contract has a two-year option for the city to host the game in 2024 and 2025.

› Clearwater Gas paid millions for sponsorships, far outspending its peers [Tampa Bay Times]
In a suite at BayCare Ballpark this year, the Clearwater Gas System hosted handpicked guests to watch Philadelphia Phillies spring training games. Over 11 games in March, about 80 business owners, developers, local government officials and energy industry executives got the invite to mingle over baseball with a spread of hot dogs, chicken wings and other snacks. The $40,000 tab was paid by the city-owned gas system.