Florida National Guard to relieve prison staff shortage, governor’s race tightens, NASA scrubs Artemis I launch again, and more...
September 8, 2022 — This Week's Top Stories in Florida
Welcome to the this week’s edition of Floridian Today, a newsletter about all things Florida — from politics, business, real estate, and climate. These are the most important stories in the Sunshine State that you need to know. If you’d like to sign-up to never miss an update, you can do so here:
Here’s what is happening in Florida…
Florida National Guard may soon assist state prisons facing staff shortages
As the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC), operating the nation’s third-largest state prison system, continues to be hampered by a shortage of correctional officers, officials are weighing plans to call in the Florida National Guard to help. A legislative panel will convene on September 9 to consider a plan that would allocate over $31 million to cover the costs of activating National Guard members to alleviate staffing woes for the state’s 50 correctional institutions. Currently, corrections staff are putting in numerous hours of overtime to make up for the lack of employees plaguing FDC. The proposal being considered by the Joint Legislative Budget Commission is aimed at reducing overtime and providing relief to current officers. “The Florida National Guard members will be activated to assist the FDC at facilities for nine months or until the FDC determines it no longer needs National Guard assistance,” the proposal reads. The number of activated guardsmen is not explicitly stated in the proposal, but it would be a temporary fix to allow “time and resources to hire and train new staff through increased recruitment and retention efforts.” The agency has a staggering 5,849 vacancies for correctional officer roles and that has resulted in officers supervising additional inmates beyond the recommended levels, impacting safety and working conditions. Florida state employees have lagged behind in pay compared to other states, but recent steps taken by the legislature and Gov. DeSantis in the last year has worked to address that disparity, including for correctional employees. FDC is the largest state agency with a $2.7 billion budget and 24,000 staff personnel.
The governor’s race tightens, according to latest poll
Democratic candidate for governor Charlie Crist is narrowing incumbent Governor Ron DeSantis’ lead in the gubernatorial race as Election Day is nearly two months away. A new AARP poll shows the Republican governor up 50% to Crist’s 47%, with the three-point spread falling within the margin of error at 4.4%. The traction attributed to the Crist campaign could be that more people are taking notice of the gubernatorial race with Labor Day now behind us and candidates amping up their strategies. However, the three-point deficit for Democrats is fairly steep and indicates they have a lot of work to do in order to unseat the incumbent. Meanwhile, Gov. DeSantis is not leaving anything to chance, telling voters in Hillsborough County to not get complacent in his re-election bid. “Don’t take anything for granted. Understand that freedom isn’t free. It’s something that you gotta fight for in a variety of ways," DeSantis said during a campaign stop at the Florida Strawberry Growers Association this week. The Florida Farm Bureau Federation’s FarmPAC formally announced their endorsement of the governor this week. Democrats will likely work to motivate minorities and younger voters to further close DeSantis’ lead. The recent AARP poll shows DeSantis leading Crist by seven points among the 50+ age demographic.
NASA scrubs Artemis I launch…again
The highly-anticipated launch of Artemis I has been delayed for the second time in less than a week. Originally rescheduled from last Monday’s failed attempt, NASA administrators announced that Saturday’s second try was scrubbed after a large liquid hydrogen leak was detected. Launch teams worked multiple times to troubleshoot the issue, but were unsuccessful due to the size of the leak. Administrators cited safety for the cancellation due to the flammability risk and the volatility of hydrogen. The uncrewed Moon-orbiting mission of Artemis I is the first spaceflight in NASA's Artemis program and will be the first flight of the agency's new Space Launch System rocket – the most powerful in the world. This flight will serve future missions for human deep space exploration with the goal to extend human life to the Moon and beyond. During the flight of Artemis I, the uncrewed Orion spacecraft will travel thousands of miles beyond the Moon, a distance that is greater than any previous spacecraft designed for humans. After Saturday’s postponement, the next launch will likely not occur until October. According to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, the delays will not affect the timeline of future Artemis missions, including Artemis II in 2024 and Artemis III in 2025.
Florida’s voter fraud arrests called into question
At a press conference last month that garnered national attention, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the arrests of 20 people with past felony convictions who illegally voted in the 2020 election. It was the first charges stemming from investigations of the newly-created Florida Office of Election Crimes and Security that DeSantis signed into law earlier this year. Most of the felons hailed from South Florida and did not meet eligibility requirements to vote because of their prior convictions for murder or felony sex crimes. These types of convictions are excluded from Florida’s Amendment 4, a measure approved by voters in 2018 to automatically restore voting rights to some Floridians with past criminal records and who completed their sentences. Gov. DeSantis criticized these felons for “fraudulently voting” and vowed to have these individuals “prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” However, it quickly became clear that those arrested believed they were eligible to vote and most had received voter ID cards from their local supervisor of elections offices. Since these individuals were not eligible to vote under Florida law, they should not have received voter cards that may have contributed to the belief that these convicted felons were permitted to vote. This undermines a possible prosecution argument of criminal intent and moves the blame to the Department of State and local elections officials who should have flagged any ineligible felon from registering and eventually voting. In affidavits, the defendants stated that they had no intention of committing voter fraud and were unaware they were not eligible to vote. In addition to receiving voter ID cards, some of those arrested also received voter registration forms from their supervisor of elections office. While successful prosecution of these arrested felons remain in doubt, Gov. DeSantis will likely not back down from applying pressure on authorities to crack down on voter fraud.
Osceola County secures $51M federal grant to build tech hub, semiconductor industry
The Biden Administration announced $50.8 million in federal dollars have been awarded to Osceola County to help spur technological advancements and development, including semiconductor production. The funds are allocated as part of the American Rescue Plan’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge and will go to the Building Central Florida’s Semiconductor Cluster for Broad-Based Prosperity, a coalition led by the Osceola County Board of County Commissioners. The grant is aimed at accelerating the growth of the semiconductor manufacturing industry in Central Florida and will go directly toward Osceola’s NeoCITY technology park, a development that will serve as the epicenter for high-tech research, innovation, and creation. The funding will upgrade specialized manufacturing capabilities to expand research and production of customized semiconductor products, boost production efficiency, and provide education and workforce training. County leaders hope the millions will diversify their economy and position Central Florida into a preeminent hub for technology, innovation, and high-paying jobs that will attract further investment. Nationally, there were 21 winners of funding as part of the $1 billion regional challenge, with Osceola County being the only recipient in the state. There were a total of 529 applications across the country with 17 applications coming from the state of Florida. The funds will be administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA).
Floridians warned to expect higher electric bills in 2023
Florida homeowners are expected to see their power bill in 2023 increase due to the increased cost of natural gas that utility companies are grappling with. Florida utilities depend heavily on natural gas to produce electricity and they have seen costs of the commodity more than double this year as it remains volatile amid international events and high-demand domestically. Last week, Florida Power & Light (FPL), Duke Energy Florida, and Tampa Electric Co. (TECO) filed petitions with the Public Service Commission to seek their approval for increasing monthly bills in 2023. The Public Service Commission is expected to decide on the proposed increases in November. Duke Energy customers could see their monthly bills increase by 15% while TECO and FPL users are expected to see a 10% and 8% rise, respectively. Every year, utility companies file petitions with the state of projected costs for the upcoming year, with the Commission making the final decision on whether to allow those expenses be passed on to customers.
Gov. Ron DeSantis requests dismissal of lawsuit by suspended prosecutor Andrew Warren
Nearly a month after Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren was suspended from office, Gov. Ron DeSantis is seeking a federal court to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Warren on August 17. In a filing last week with the U.S. District Court in Tallahassee, DeSantis said the ousted state attorney cannot claim First Amendment protections for past comments he made on how he would handle certain cases concerning political matters. As a twice-elected prosecutor in Hillsborough County, Warren was removed by Gov. DeSantis on August 4 for making previous statements in which he vowed not to pursue criminal charges in controversial political cases, including abortion, transgender rights, as well as certain misdemeanor cases. “Mr. Warren had no First Amendment right, as a public official, to declare that he would not perform his duties under Florida law,” the filing read. Warren’s lawsuit, which seeks his reinstatement, alleges that DeSantis violated his First Amendment rights and overturned the will of the voters when he was removed from public office via the governor’s executive order. Warren argued that he was suspended based on statements alone and not on actual prosecutorial decisions. The state prosecutor responded to the Republican governor’s dismissal motion by saying, “This is a poor defense of an indefensible abuse of power. The fact that taxpayers continue to foot the bill for this makes it even more shameful.” A hearing for oral arguments in the Warren lawsuit has been scheduled for September 19 as a judge weighs whether DeSantis exceeded his authority as governor, as Warren believes. The state Senate has paused proceedings to consider and decide on the ousted prosecutor's suspension until the legal challenge is settled.
Amazon purchases 70 acres in Hernando County
E-commerce giant Amazon has purchased a 70.6-acre parcel of land in Hernando County, north of Tampa Bay, that sits along the Suncoast Parkway for $6.2 million. While the transaction was made in March, development plans have not been announced by the company or county officials, but the site is expected to be home to a new Amazon distribution center. Details have been limited, but due to its location, it will likely be used as a “last-mile” shipping facility, which would be the final stop before the package is delivered to the customer’s doorstep. Last December, Amazon purchased a similar parcel of land in neighboring Pasco County for $11.8 million. That site was purchased for the development of a 517,220-square-foot distribution warehouse with robotic sorting capabilities.
Recycled oyster shells used to create reefs in Tampa Bay
The shucked oyster shells leftover from seafood restaurants in Tampa Bay are getting a second life to help restore the shoreline ecosystem and reduce coastal erosion in Florida's largest open-water estuary. Volunteers with the nonprofit organization Tampa Bay Watch have created reefs made entirely of oyster shells for more than 30 shoreline sites in Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Manatee counties. The oyster shell reefs cover a total span of two miles in Tampa Bay and will help rebuild the once-abundant oyster habitat as the young shellfish attach to other empty shells to create reefs. These communities of oysters also filter water and attract other marine life that can promote a healthy, thriving ecosystem in Tampa Bay. The practice of restoring lost oyster habitats by Tampa Bay Watch has inspired other efforts like the Billion Oyster Project in New York Harbor that launched in 2014 to build and attract oyster communities.
DeSantis continues to reject rumors of a run for president
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appeared on broadcasting company Sinclair’s television program, The National Desk to discuss education and his political future. When asked about his future plans for higher office, DeSantis responded, that he has “no plans” for a possible run for the White House, citing his current reelection bid. I have an election I have to do right now in the state of Florida," DeSantis said. "We've had a great three-and-a-half years. We're gonna finish very strong, and obviously we think we need to keep this going in the state of Florida, to make sure we keep the state free and make sure we continue to capitalize on all the successes that we've had,” DeSantis added. Not exactly closing the door on pursuing higher political ambitions down the road and the rumors will likely continue to circulate. As DeSantis is seeking reelection as Florida’s Republican governor, he faces an opponent in Democratic challenger and former Governor Charlie Crist.
Fort Lauderdale’s not-so-free free Summer Jamz Concert
The City of Fort Lauderdale touted a free end-of-summer concert at Mills Pond Park last month, as part of its annual Summer Jamz event, and while the one night event was free for attendees, it ended up costing taxpayers more than $432,000 – about one-third of the City’s yearly budget for public events. This was excluding the cost of police and fire rescue crews to be on-site. The expense came as a surprise to some on the Fort Lauderdale City Commission, with Commissioner Steve Glassman calling the event, “Summer Scamz” and said it was an “abuse of the taxpayer.” These comments arose after it was discovered that Commissioner Robert McKinzie placed pressure on Parks Department staff to approve the sizeable budget and select costly talent. Ft. Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis concurred with Glassman, expressing disappointment over the high costs of the event and the fact that most of the Commission was in the dark. The entertainment alone for this year’s Summer Jamz event came at a price tag of $338,000. Overall, the one-night concert cost the City of Ft. Lauderdale nearly 10 times the price that it was when the event first began in 2017. In that inaugural year, the bill for the Summer Jamz concert was $49,500 while last year’s event came at a price of $182,689. City emails requested showed Commissioner McKinzie violating the city charter by giving staff direction on planning the concert. An investigation into the matter is underway by the City Auditor’s office.
Florida airports see busy Labor Day weekend
Orlando International Airport (OIA) saw its busiest Labor Day weekend in many years as the airport saw hundreds of thousands travelers pass through the facility, an uptick of 20% over the same holiday weekend last year. OIA was expected to see more than 750,000 passengers over the six-day holiday period, from Thursday, September 1, to Tuesday, September 6. Tampa International Airport saw an 8.3% increase in passenger numbers since 2019, with 54,000 travelers on Monday alone. Meanwhile, Miami International Airport (MIA) saw one of their busiest weekend in years. MIA was expected to see 800,000 travelers over the six-day holiday period, an increase of 25% over last year and 10% more than pre-pandemic 2019. According to TSA, this was the first holiday weekend that exceeded pre-pandemic levels for air travel, and Friday was recorded as the busiest travel day across the country.
St. Petersburg’s beloved Kahwa Coffee chain seeks to expand beyond Tampa Bay
St. Petersburg-based boutique coffee roasting company Kahwa Coffee is beloved across the Tampa Bay region and has announced plans to expand its reach to even more customers. The company will begin offering franchise opportunities in Florida with plans to expand outside of the state in subsequent years. The first Kahwa opened in St. Petersburg in 2006 and has grown to 15 locations in four Tampa Bay area counties. Franchisee partners will enter into a training and education program before opening their new locations. Kahwa Coffee Roasters hopes to grow quickly as it looks to expand into large Florida markets like Jacksonville, Orlando, Fort Myers, and Naples.
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