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Local government law attorney discusses Florida’s housing affordability and property tax debate

A recent poll from the University of North Florida shows housing costs and property taxes are among the biggest worries for Floridians heading into 2026.

“Affordability, affordability, affordability. That is the dominant theme of this poll,” said government law attorney Chris Hand.

He noted that housing prices have soared across the state, making Florida less of a value market than in the past.

Property insurance remains a challenge as well.

“Many Floridians struggle to afford property insurance or must rely on Citizens Property Insurance Company, the state’s insurer of last resort,” Hand explained.

The poll also reflects ongoing debates over property taxes.

“Republicans in Tallahassee are exploring ways to reduce or eliminate property taxes for homestead properties,” Hand said. However, he cautioned about the impact on local budgets. “In Jacksonville, property taxes fund about $1.2 billion of the city’s $1.7 billion budget, supporting essential services like police, fire, and parks.”

Florida lawmaker files house bill designed to prevent drownings

A house bill submitted by State Rep. Johanna López is focused on residential swimming pool requirements.

So far, DCF has reported more than 100 child fatalities as a result of drowning in 2025

HB 117 would require residential pools to have at least one safety barrier when the property is sold or transferred. If violated, it would give homeowners 45 days to fix the issue and attend a drowning prevention education program.

López said she was moved after speaking with a family whose son died after drowning in 2016, saying, “This bill is a step to make sure no other family has to experience the same tragedy.”

Data from the Florida Department of Children and Families reports 104 child deaths as a result of drowning in 2025 statewide, as of November 2. In 2024, DCF reported 106 deaths.

The bill has received bipartisan support. The mirror bill in the Senate, SB 244, is sponsored by Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez.

“If House Bill 117 becomes law, my hope is that it saves lives. By requiring at least one layer of protection for pools in homes being sold or transferred, we can prevent accidents before they happen and give parents peace of mind. I also hope this bill raises greater awareness about drowning prevention and the importance of safety education,” López said.

This land along the Myakka River is now protected from development

Conservationists are celebrating the protection of 13 acres of land along the Myakka River in east Manatee County.

Manatee County commissioners approved the land’s purchase over the summer with $420,000 from the county’s voter-approved conservation fund. The land buy also expands Crane Park in Myakka City to 40 acres.

Big Waters Land Trust, a nonprofit that works to protect Southwest Florida lands from development, helped the county facilitate the purchase from the Theolla B. Cannon Revocable Trust.

Now the organization is sharing more details about the land and what it will add to the county’s collection of protected wild places.

“Projects like this demonstrate what’s possible when dedicated partners come together to save the places that define our region,” Brooke Langston, director of land protection at Big Waters Land Trust, said in a news release.

International Space Station marks 25-year milestone. What to know about iconic outpost

Twenty-five years ago, humanity found a long-term home among the stars aboard the International Space Station.

On Nov. 2, 2000, a trailblazing group of three spacefarers, including one NASA astronaut, arrived at the iconic orbital outpost as members of Expedition 1. Now, for a quarter of a century, not a day has gone by that a human has not been in space.

That means 25 years of humans completing science experiments tailored for microgravity.

Twenty-five years of an uninterrupted glimpse into Earth's cosmic neighborhood made possible only by a station orbiting about 260 miles high.

And 25 years of astronauts from all over the world living and working together to pave the way for future space exploration.

To mark the significant 25-year anniversary, here's everything to know about the International Space Station.