County commissioners to vote on extending lagoon tax.
Tuesday Brevard County Commissioners will vote on placing the lagoon tax renewal on the November Ballot. The voter initiative will extend the 1/2 cent sales tax. The 1/2 cent sales tax is the primary source of funding for the county's Save Our Indian River Lagoon program and is projected to provide more than $600M over the next ten years while attracting State and Federal grant dollars. The tax costs the average Brevard family about $40 per year. Advocates claim every dollar spent on restoration returns $24 to the regional economy.
Florida budget negotiators take a break.
It’s the midway point in budget negotiations in Tallahassee. Florida House and Senate budget conferees have as done as much as they can to iron out the differences in the chambers’ budget proposals — now appropriation committee chairs will take on the heavy lifting. Some of the outstanding decisions include whether to break out how much the state spends to help families send their children to private schools; and how much the state spends on healthcare for the poor, elderly, and disabled.
The only bill the Legislature is required to annually pass is the state budget. For the second time in as many years, lawmakers were unable to finish that work during the 60-day regular session.
Cruise ship rescues 9 off Sebastian Inlet.
A Carnival cruise ship rescued nine people from a disable boat off Sebastian Inlet over the weekend. Crew from the Carnival Mardi Gras noticed the boat displaying a distress flag. Cruise officials notified the U.S. Coast Guard before bringing all nine occupants of the boat aboard the ship on its way to the Bahamas.
FEMA makes partial payment for Alligator Alcatraz.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has finally sent some money for Alligator Alcatraz. The agency says $58 million should arrive in Tallahassee this week. That’s just a fraction of the over $600 million Florida has spent on the detention camp.
Florida could start moving immigration detainees out of Alligator Alcatraz starting in early June.
"And then for the breakdown of the facility to follow that for several weeks in June."
Patricia Mazzei is the Miami Bureau Chief for the New York Times. She told the Florida Roundup on Friday, the state can't afford to keep it running.
"Vendors have said privately that in some cases their invoices have not been paid for a long time by the state, and the state has said, 'well, we haven't been reimbursed.'"
The state counts on the same vendors during emergencies - for things like debris pickup after storms. Mazzei says if they don't have the cash going into hurricane season starting next month, the vendors may not be able to respond as effectively.
Republicans are debating whether it should be remembered as a successful proof of concept or an expensive political stunt. Gov. DeSantis says Alligator Alcatraz was a great savings for taxpayers, but the Trump regime says it costs too much and is ineffective, which is why it is being shut down after less than a year of operation.
Redistricting gets its day in court.
The new Florida congressional map got its first test in court last Friday. Attorneys representing voters assert that the redistricting plan violates a state constitutional ban on partisan gerrymandering. The judge gave no timetable for when he will rule.
