Florida lawmakers finally pass a budget.
One of the more-contentious Florida legislative sessions in recent history came to a close late Monday as lawmakers approved a $115.1 billion budget. The lawmakers closed their annual session before midnight last night, more than six weeks after its scheduled end. The budget, which will take effect with the July 1, remains subject to vetoes by Governor DeSantis. But it would be about $3.5 billion smaller than the budget for the current fiscal year, and is slightly less than a plan that DeSantis proposed in early February.
A plan to shift Florida tourist tax money toward public projects died in the last hours of budget negotiations. It would have given local governments more flexibility in how they spend tourist tax receipts.
ULA scrubs Amazon launch.
United Launch Alliance yesterday scrubbed an attempt for what would have been its second launch of the year. It was another mission for Amazon’s effort to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink internet constellation.
Meanwhile SpaceX has two launches on the schedule for this week. The first will be an overnight Starlink mission, with liftoff scheduled for 1:38 AM to 5:38 AM tomorrow. And then the Axiom crewed mission to the space station may come as soon as this Thursday.
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket launched just once this year, and the Space Coast is waiting for the second liftoff of the rocket which could become a main competitor to SpaceX. It was supposed to launch in late spring, but now Blue Origin says a launch from the Cape will come no sooner than August.
Brevard sheriff wants more money.
Sheriff Wayne Ivey is proposing a $16 million increase in his annual budget. He wants over $206 million for the Brevard County Sheriffs Office. The primary driver for the nearly near 9% increase is compensation and benefits. Brevard staff now is working on putting together an overall budget plan for the county, which it will release in July for commissioners to consider.
Space Coast tourism is strong.
Despite concerns about a potential drop in tourism because of the national economic and political climate, the Space Coast registered gains during the key spring travel period. The head of Brevard County's tourism agency says that is a good sign for the coming months. And it’s good for the county economy: about 30% of the sales tax and 20% of the gas tax collected in Brevard County is paid by tourists.
Dental hygienists may wield a laser.
The Florida House has included a proposal in its budget to expand the duties of dental hygienists. Dental hygienists perform what many refer to as a “cleaning” at the dentist’s office, but the proposed regulation would also permit them to use dental diode lasers to target bacteria in your mouth.
Florida manatee deaths at 407 in 2025
A new report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission shows that over 400 manatees have died this year. As of last week, Brevard County had the most manatee deaths in the state, with 84.
