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The Florida Roundup is a live, weekly call-in show with a distinct focus on the issues affecting Floridians. Each Friday at noon, listeners can engage in the conversation with journalists, newsmakers and other Floridians about change, policy and the future of our lives in the sunshine state.Join our host, WLRN’s Tom Hudson, broadcasting from Miami.

Tourist Development Tax, session ends without budget, soon-to-be Florida college grads look ahead

People lounge on South Beach during the fourth week of Spring Break in Miami Beach, Florida, on Saturday, March 25, 2023. People lounge on South Beach during the fourth week of Spring Break in Miami Beach, Florida, on Saturday, March 25, 2023.
D.A. VARELA
/
Miami Herald
People lounge on South Beach during the fourth week of Spring Break in Miami Beach, Florida, on Saturday, March 25, 2023. People lounge on South Beach during the fourth week of Spring Break in Miami Beach, Florida, on Saturday, March 25, 2023.

This week on The Florida Roundup, we spoke about a proposal to shift tourism tax dollars towards property tax relief, heard from Florida college students about their post-graduation career plans and more.

Tourist Development Tax 

Florida House Republicans want to shift tourist tax dollars towards reducing local property taxes.

This week, they approved a bill that would redirect "Tourist Development Tax" revenue to the general fund of county governments.

But local governments would not be allowed to spend it how they like. Instead, municipalities would have to pass most of it on in the form of lower property taxes.

Guest:

  • Rolando Aedo, chief operating officer of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau. 

Session ends without budget 

The Florida Legislature will end its 60-day regular session this week but there's still more to be done. Lawmakers will have to return to Tallahassee in the weeks ahead to finalize a state budget. That needs to be passed and then signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis by July 1, the start of the new fiscal year.

We checked in with the "Your Florida" team for an update on which bills passed and some of the issues that went unresolved.

Guest:

  • Douglas Soule, state government reporter for WUSF. 

Soon-to-be Florida college grads look ahead 

The college class of 2025 is entering a difficult jobs market with lower hiring in the federal workforce and a crowded private sector.

We reached out to college students across the state about their post-graduation career plans.

Weekly news briefing   

A Brevard County English teacher was fired for referring to a student by that student's preferred name without permission from that student's parents. That's a violation of Florida's Parental Rights in Education law.

In response, dozens of students, parents and other community members have called for the teacher's contract to be renewed.

A federal judge this week said she was "surprised and shocked" that Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier told police he couldn't prevent them from arresting people under the state's new immigration law even though the judge ordered a temporary stop to the law. Uthmeier has appealed the temporary suspension of the law.

The first of its kind court in the state, Broward's Community Court is designed to engage and empower the homeless community.

There's still a chance the Stanley cup will stay in Florida. But it will not be in Tampa Bay. That's after the Florida Panthers ousted the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-3 in Game 5.

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