Florida's Latest News

Vern Buchanan Introduces Bill Promoting 'Food as Medicine' for Veterans

Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL) has introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation promoting a "food as medicine" approach to support veterans with diet-related chronic illnesses.

Specifically, Rep. Buchanan's Produce Prescription for Veterans Act authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to prescribe special diets and to issue debit cards or vouchers that veterans can use to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at little to no additional cost.

According to Rep. Buchanan's press release, veterans are especially vulnerable to chronic illnesses, with nearly a quarter reporting food insecurity.

"I've long believed that prevention should be at the heart of our health care system, especially when it comes to those who've served our country," the Florida congressman said. "The Produce Prescription for Veterans Act puts the 'food is medicine' approach into action by helping veterans manage diet-related chronic conditions before they worsen. Making sure veterans have access to fresh, nutritious whole fruits and vegetables is a simple way to improve health outcomes and strengthen their quality of life."

House panel advances Adam Botana proposal to eliminate most local business taxes

A proposal by Naples Republican Rep. Adam Botana cleared its final House Committee over objections from cities and counties warning it would destabilize local government finances as lawmakers debate potential property tax reform.

The House State Affairs Committee voted 18-5 to advance HB 103, which would repeal Florida’s local business tax structure while allowing a narrow set of existing taxes to remain in place.

The bill specifically removes the authority for counties and municipalities to levy local business taxes, commonly referred to as business tax receipts or occupational license taxes. Under the proposal, most local governments would no longer be able to charge businesses an annual local business tax simply for operating within their jurisdiction. However, the bill includes limited carve-outs.

Cities that already impose a business tax measured by gross receipts — rather than a flat annual fee — would be allowed to continue collecting that tax, though they would be prohibited from increasing the tax rate. The bill also allows counties to continue specific county business taxes tied to economic development purposes, though supporters acknowledged that only a small number of jurisdictions currently use that option.

Ocklawaha River restoration bill sails through final Committee

With lawmakers comparing it to the Everglades restoration project for North Florida, a bill seeking to restore the Ocklawaha River is now ready for the full House floor after it cruised through its final Committee vote on Tuesday.

With unanimous support and no opposition from the public, HB 981, filed by Rep. Wyman Duggan, cleared the House State Affairs Committee Committee.

“We celebrate a lot of the restoration like the Everglades,” said Rep. Lindsay Cross, a St. Petersburg Democrat. “I think in 10 or 20 years we’ll look back at  this being one of those seminal projects that we were able to accomplish.”

For years, the future of the Rodman-Kirkpatrick Dam in Marion County has been debated, with some advocating its removal. Environmentalists argued restoring the river would improve the water quality and strengthen the  St. Johns River — Florida’s longest river — which the Ocklawaha feeds into as its largest tributary.

Tuesday’s debate was short — no one opposed HB 981, although Putnam County officials spoke out against the proposal last month in front of a House Subcommittee.

Tampa Bay Rays to make Hillsborough College site their new home, DeSantis says

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Tuesday that Hillsborough College will be the new home for the Tampa Bay Rays.

During a news conference in Tampa, DeSantis said he would be supporting a proposal to build a multi-use facility on a 113-acre site along Dale Mabry Boulevard. The site is across the street from Raymond James Stadium, where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play, and in the shadows of George M. Steinbrenner Field, which is the spring training home to the New York Yankees.

“I’m a baseball purist. I think people should just want to come watch that. But the reality is you do need other things to draw people. You see what they did in Atlanta to have the shops and the restaurants and the hotels to really make it a place where people want to be, even if they’re not diehard baseball fans,” DeSantis said. " That vision is very compelling. And it’s been a vision that has been created in part by studying some of the things that have happened around the country, what has worked, what’s not worked.

DeSantis said the state will be conveying the land to the college to make the new stadium a reality.