Takeaways from Florida’s fix-it special legislative session

Lawmakers were called back to Tallahassee for the sixth special legislative session in 20 months to try to remedy last year’s mistakes or omissions. Legislative leaders said they had good reason to return to Tallahassee to deal with these bills instead of waiting a month to convene for the regular 60-day session. “We don’t wait around to fix problems, and each of these bills, in my mind, has some time sensitivity around it, which is why we’re here,” said House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast. Democrats disagreed. “This has been a clean-up session for the governor’s mistakes,” said House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

Florida drivers are paying the most for car insurance, research shows

Nationwide car insurance rates are going up for a lot of drivers for a variety of reasons. Although a lot of different factors determine how much our individual policy costs, Florida drivers are paying the most to insure their cars, according to research from Insure.com. Insure determined Florida drivers, on average, are spending about $213 a month on car insurance. If you live in Orlando, it's about $216 a month. Regardless of your Florida zip code, drivers are paying, on average, 52% more than the national average, which is just $140 a month. [Source: WESH]

What's happening now with COVID in Florida: Here's a quick look

COVID cases and hospitalizations continue to fall across Florida as the latest wave of infections recedes. Here’s what the latest data show: 19,000 new infections, the fewest since the week ending Dec. 26 (Source: Health and Human Services Department). 1,978 hospital patients — the first time since late December it’s been under 2,000 (Source: Health and Human Services Department). [Source: Gainesville Sun]

As pythons try to hide, they face a new enemy: Possums with GPS collars

Wildlife researchers studying mammals in Key Largo have discovered a potentially groundbreaking — if not heartbreaking — way to locate and kill invasive Burmese pythons, especially the big ones. A team observing racoon and possum behavior along urban and wilderness fringe of Crocodile National Wildlife Refuge fitted dozens of the mammals with GPS collars, and tracked their locations for months. In September, about five months into the study, one of the possum collars sent out a mortality signal, triggered by lack of movement — maybe it was hit by a car, maybe a local dog killed it. But then, a few hours later, the collar started moving again. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

Lawmakers give DeSantis OK to fly migrants from any state

Florida lawmakers gave final approval Friday to a measure that will allow Gov. Ron DeSantis to spend up to $10 million to move migrants from state to state, even if they never set foot in Florida. The Republican-controlled House voted 77-34 to approve the plan (SB 6-B), giving a victory to Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Senate passed the bill Wednesday. House Democrats called the measure a political ploy to help DeSantis, a potential 2024 Republican presidential candidate who frequently criticizes the Biden administration on immigration issues. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Tourism officials, business leaders excited for 'Ultimate Week of Sports' in Palm Beach County [WPBF]
February marks the biggest month for sports in Palm Beach County all year, and local tourism leaders have deemed Feb. 17- Feb. 26 to be the "ultimate week of sports." Sports fans in Palm Beach County will soon be able to see PGA golfers, pro tennis players, world-class equestrians, world-class polo players and Major League Baseball spring training games- all in the same week.

› Manatee County's largest event helps support local businesses, vendors [Bay News 9]
The annual Bradenton Area River Regatta is Manatee County's biggest event of the year, typically bringing in tens of thousands of spectators. People from Bradenton, Palmetto and beyond all set their sights on the banks of the Manatee River for powerboat races, live entertainment, food and more.

› Winter Park’s Foxtail Coffee perks up with national expansion [Orlando Sentinel]
This year, Orlando’s homegrown Foxtail Coffee Co. chain plans to take its beans and beverages west of the Mississippi. Foxtail, which started with a Winter Park shop in 2016, has already grown to more than 40 locations in Florida and Georgia. The chain is expected to have 60 stores by the end of March, including its first in Nevada, said president Alex Tchekmeian, who founded the business with lifelong friend Iain Yeakle.

› Crumbling seawalls, rising seas: Fort Lauderdale crackdown on way [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Own waterfront property with a failing seawall out back? This story’s for you. Maybe your seawall is cracked or crumbling. Or maybe it’s just so low that water floods your property — and your neighbors’ — at high tide. If you’ve been putting off getting a new one because of the hassle and cost, you’ll soon have good reason to escalate it to the top of your to-do list. Here’s the scoop: Fort Lauderdale is on the verge of requiring higher seawalls in keeping with a county mandate aimed at fortifying cities in Broward that are vulnerable to sea level rise and tidal flooding.

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› College Board accuses state of ‘false and politically motivated charge’ in AP course dispute [Miami Herald]
Taken aback by Florida’s attacks against its new AP African American studies course, the College Board late Saturday denounced the state Department of Education, saying it used the course to advance a politically motivated agenda. The organization’s letter, published at 8 p.m. Saturday, came just two days after it released another statement that did not take such a harsh tone as it pushed back against the department’s claims that portions of the course are “historically fictional.”

› JetBlue CEO says Spirit merger will grow flights at Orlando, Fort Lauderdale airports [Orlando Sentinel]
With a successful acquisition of Spirit, JetBlue would become the largest airline in Orlando and in Fort Lauderdale by far. JetBlue’s chief executive officer, Robin Hayes, said Friday that combining the two airlines will give travelers a more credible alternative to American, Delta, Southwest and United. “We have four powerful airlines and the best way we believe to create a more competitive industry is to have a bigger JetBlue,” Hayes said of his company’s pitch to regulators for approving a merger.

› Westgate puts $3 million into renovations at the Cocoa Beach Pier; plans March reveal [Florida Today]
A $3.5 million revamping of the 61-year-old Westgate Cocoa Beach Pier is almost complete, with upgrades to dining, shopping and creature comforts that Westgate officials hope will appeal to visitors and locals alike. "We feel like we've got something for people coming once a year to once or twice a week," said Jared Saft, chief business officer for the Orlando-based company. "We've got options for everybody."

› Tampa liquid bulk logistics firms to merge [Business Observer]
Boasso Global Inc. and Q Super Holdings Inc., parent company of Quala, have signed a definitive agreement that will see the Tampa-based companies merge their complementary businesses to create one of the leading infrastructure services entities for the liquid bulk logistics industry. The sector involves the shipping of bulk liquids and foodstuffs, ranging from whiskey, beer, wine and cooking oils to water treatment products and automotive lubricants.