Florida's Latest News

Floridians rush to install rooftop solar panels before tax credits expire

In the weeks since President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law, the phones at Florida solar companies have been ringing off the hook.

The law moved up the expiration date of the 30% tax credit for homeowners who install rooftop solar panels to Dec. 31. With the time it takes to get the required permitting and sign a contract with a solar company, that clock is ticking down quickly.

Steve Rutherford, president of Tampa Bay Solar, said his company has seen a similar explosion of demand. Because of the training required for installers, though, Rutherford said he can’t ramp up fast enough to fulfill all the requests by year’s end.

The business leaders spoke at a news conference Tuesday morning alongside U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, urging residents who have been considering solar not to delay.

“Our message today is if you are interested in lower-cost solar for your home or for your business, for your church, synagogue or mosque — you have to act now,” Castor said.

DeSantis spokesperson to lead the state's tourism marketing efforts

A spokesperson for Gov. Ron DeSantis has been tapped to lead the state's tourism marketing efforts.

The Visit Florida Board of Directors recently approved Bryan Griffin to succeed Dana Young as president and CEO of the agency.

Griffin has worked in the Governor's office since 2022. He's currently the office's Communications Director. In 2023, Griffin took a brief hiatus to work on DeSantis' failed campaign to become the GOP's presidential nominee.

Griffin's salary and start date were not immediately clear. However, the board hopes a contract will be signed ahead of the Governor's Conference on Tourism which begins Aug. 27.

Ron DeSantis says Florida is tackling the teacher vacancy crisis

Florida’s teacher vacancies for the upcoming 2025-26 school year dropped by nearly 18%, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

“We are attracting teachers,” DeSantis said on Wednesday. “We’ve expanded a number of pathways for qualified individuals.”

DeSantis spoke about education at a roundtable in Tampa alongside allies that included Florida Department of Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas, Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, and New College President Richard Corcoran. Also joining was Jaime Suarez, Florida’s 2025 Teacher of the Year, selected from Challenger K-8 School of Science and Mathematics in Hernando County.

The United States is facing a teacher shortage, a problem that has been growing for years.

“From urban to rural and red states to blue, school districts across the United States are challenged by teacher shortages. Last year alone, there were more than 400,000 teacher positions either unfilled or filled by teachers not fully certified for their assignments, representing about one in eight of all teaching positions nationally,” according to an article published in late March by the Learning Policy Institute, which studied the crisis.

States, including Florida, consider mid-decade redistricting

As Republicans in Texas pursue a mid-decade redistricting effort for its congressional seats at the direction of President Donald Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis said last week that Florida could follow suit. 

It comes as Republicans face an uncertain future to retain control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

In the House, Florida Republicans hold 20 of the state’s 28 seats. Typically, states wait to redraw their congressional districts after the U.S. Census, but DeSantis said it is possible Florida Republicans could move to act sooner.

"I do think it would be appropriate to do a redistricting here in the mid-decade," DeSantis said Thursday. "So, we're working through what that would look like, but I can tell you, just look at how population has shifted in different parts of the state over a four-or five-year period. It's been really significant." 

Currently, Texas Republicans are working to redraw their congressional lines during a special session ahead of the midterm elections. In response, California Gov. Gavin Newsom vows his state will also act to redistrict if Texas does so.