Florida's Latest News

Lawmakers present 50% toll credit plan for 2023

Lawmakers have packed a treat for commuters in their bundle of Special Session bills.

Legislation filed Friday evening would give frequent toll road drivers a 50% credit on their tolls throughout 2023. Drivers would have to pass through tolling places 35 times each month to receive credit for the month.

Freshman Indian Rocks Beach Republican Sen. Nick DiCeglie and Coral Gables Republican Rep. Demi Busatta Cabrera filed identical bills (HB 5A/SB 6A), which set aside $500 million to reimburse the Department of Transportation (DOT) and toll agencies like the Florida Turnpike Enterprise.

Gov. Ron DeSantis had floated a half-off discount for frequent drivers back in September.

The proposal comes only three days before lawmakers convene for a one-week Special Session primarily on property insurance. However, legislative leaders added disaster and toll relief to the list of Session topics this week.

Legislature unveils hurricane relief bills for Special Session

Lawmakers have a plan to assist homeowners and counties hit hard by Hurricanes Ian and Nicole.

In a package of bills presented Friday evening, St. Augustine Republican Sen. Travis Hutson and Ocala Republican Rep. Stan McClain filed identical 20-page bills (HB 3A/SB 4A) that provide an assortment of avenues for individuals and local governments to seek relief.

Among the proposals, as promised by Gov. Ron DeSantis, is one for residents to earn tax refunds for the days their homes were uninhabitable because of the pair of storms.

The proposal comes only three days before lawmakers convene for a one-week Special Session primarily on property insurance. However, legislative leaders added disaster and toll relief to the list of Session topics this week.

Florida's citrus industry faces its worst season since the Great Depression

The forecast for Florida’s orange crop has dropped 29 percent after Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole, putting the citrus industry on a path toward its lowest production since the Great Depression.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday released a report that said Florida is expected to produce 20 million boxes of oranges during the current growing season, down from a previous forecast of 28 million boxes. Projections also dropped 10 percent for grapefruit production and 14 percent for specialty fruits.

The previous forecast was issued in October as the season started. It did not take into account the Category 4 Hurricane Ian, which made landfall Sept. 28 in Southwest Florida and caused large numbers of uprooted trees and downed fruit in citrus-growing areas such as Collier, Lee, DeSoto, Hardee and Polk counties.

Giant undeveloped swath of land billed as last bastion of 'Old Florida' on sale for $23.7M

A massive swath of untouched land with direct boat access to the Gulf of Mexico is on the market and listed for $23.7 million.

With more than 6,870 acres included, the listing includes about 4,000 acres in Wakulla County and most of the remaining acreage is in Gadsden County. Roughly 200 acres is in Calhoun County.

The property may be attractive to hunters considering the land's deer and wild turkey. It includes several water-based features, including springs, sinks and waterfalls and is described as one of the last areas that reflect "old Florida." By boat, a 2-mile stretch in Wakulla County also has scenic views of the St. Marks River.

Jon Kohler, a land advisor and owner of Jon Kohler & Associates, calls this the "St. Marks Package" and said it's rare to find property of this scale in the state that hasn't been developed and is privately owned. With much of the listed land being in Wakulla County, he said a potential buyer may be attuned to the explosive growth taking shape in the rural county.