Florida

In their 15th year participating in Operation Dry Water, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers spent their holiday weekend focused on the safety of people enjoying all that Florida’s waterways have to offer. 

From July 1-3, FWC officers arrested 94 vessel operators for boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs, preventing the possibility of life-altering events from occurring. 

In a recent health advisory, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) disclosed that five people have been infected with malaria in the United States within the last two months.

These cases, four from Florida and one from Texas, mark the first instances of locally acquired malaria in the nation since 2003. 

(The Center Square) — A recent audit of Florida’s Office of Insurance Regulation revealed issues with employee contracts, contract management by unqualified personnel and a lack of contract reporting.

(The Center Square) — Florida’s unemployment rate has fallen to a near-record low and Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that Florida has the lowest unemployment rate among the top 10 largest states in the U.S.

"Through strong economic policy and strategic investments, Florida is outperforming the nation and providing more opportunity for its citizens, resulting in more than 200,000 new business formations this year alone and an unemployment rate near an all-time low." DeSantis stated in a news release.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) continues to monitor bird mortalities suspected to be attributed to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza throughout Florida. This strain has been documented in the United States since 2021 and was detected for the first time in Florida in January 2022. 

At its Feb. 21 meeting, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) proposed a rule to modify fishing regulations at Skyway Fishing Pier State Park but also directed staff to consider other options and refine the proposal before the final hearing.

(The Center Square) — A recent report from the Tax Foundation shows how sales tax and local taxes across the United States vary from state to state with Florida sitting in the middle of the pack.

The report found 45 states and the District of Columbia collect statewide sales tax. Some local sales taxes, which are collected in 38 states, are often larger than the state rate. 

Florida has a combined sales and local tax ranking of 23rd with the state sales tax rate at 6% and local sales tax averaging about 1.02%, which is capped at 2% under state law.

Yesterday, Governor Ron DeSantis released the proposed Fiscal 2023-2024 Framework for Freedom Budget