DeSantis says House Republicans are running a ‘smear’ campaign against him and the First Lady.
The feud between Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida house leadership has ramped up. Republicans in the House have recently been critical of DeSantis’ administration diverting 10 million dollars from a Medicaid over-billing settlement to First Lady Casey DeSantis’ charity, the Hope Florida Foundation.
That money then traveled through several other channels to be used to campaign against the recreational pot ballot initiative last year. DeSantis blasted the House’s leadership for boosting that controversy.
“Let me tell you something, none of these Republican leaders got elected on the platform that they were going to launch baseless attacks against the governor and First Lady. That is not why they got elected. Had they run on that, they would have lost their primaries, they would never have been elected in the first place.”
This comes as there has been heavy speculation that Casey is considering a 2026 gubernatorial run.
Taxes NOT due tomorrow.
If you’re rushing to file your income taxes by close-of-business today, relax. The IRS has extended the deadline until May 1 for anyone who lives in Florida. They figure we need more time because of hurricanes Debbie, Helene, and Milton.
Orlando Health takes away, but plans to build.
Orlando Health is shutting down Rockledge Hospital next week. The company yesterday announced it plans to invest $750 million in new Brevard facilities, including a new hospital and freestanding ERs. But local medical providers estimate that the closing of Rockledge Hospital will cost them $44 million in added expenses to help fill the gap in health care coverage. New standalone ERs are planned, along with an expansion of existing services.
Sales taxes vs. property taxes.
Florida Senate President Ben Albritton proposed $2 billion tax relief bill Monday that, if passed by the Legislature, would look into the financial implications of permanently reducing property taxes. The Florida Senate Committee on Finance and Tax was set to consider the proposed tax package Tuesday afternoon. The reduction in property taxes is significantly less than the near-$5 billion Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez has pushed for through a reduction in the state’s sales tax.
The nuclear option.
Florida is more reliant on a single fuel source than any other state — we use natural gas to generate most of our power. The Florida Public Service Commission recommends state leaders consider accepting more nuclear power generation. Not the giant nuclear plants of old, but rather “small modular reactors” (SMRs) that use far less fuel, employ passive safety systems, and can easily be integrated into the power grid. Florida has four large nuclear plants — two at Turkey Point in Miami-Dade County and two in a St. Lucie County, all operated by Florida Power & Light. Small modular reactors are around one tenth the physical size of traditional large nuclear reactors.
Florida Tech future student housing complex to open in 2026.
In August 2026, the first wave of Florida Tech students will move into a new six-story housing complex at the intersection of Babcock Street and University Boulevard. Last week, Florida Tech officials hosted a groundbreaking ceremony. The complex will boost campus student housing by 27%. This academic year, Florida Tech welcomed the biggest incoming class in the university's 67-year history: over 2,300 new students.
