COUNTY 

WJHG 

Bay County to deploy tugboat as artificial reef next week 

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP)- Calling all scuba divers and fishermen: a new underwater reef will soon be off the shore of Panama City, and it’s got quite a bit of history behind it. 

 

WPTV 

TRI-RAIL TROUBLES: Why commuter train faces uncertain future 

SFRTA requests Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties increase annual contributions from $4.2 million to $14.2 million each 

 

Tampa Bay Newspapers 

Pinellas gives final OK to new vacation rental rules  

CLEARWATER — The county will be ramping up its new strengthened vacation rental ordinance during April, designed to have owners of rental properties register and face stiff code enforcement action fines for infractions. 

 

DOGE 

WTSP 

State-level DOGE team coming to Tampa Bay area 

Hillsborough County voted to welcome a new state task force to audit spending in an effort spearheaded by Gov. Ron DeSantis. 

 

NWF News 

Okaloosa County to start financial audit, freezes non-essential hiring 

CRESTVIEW — Okaloosa County government is temporarily freezing most non-essential hiring as it undergoes a self-audit. 

 

IMMIGRATION  

The Florida Times-Union 

Jacksonville mayor announces decision on local immigration bill 

Mayor Donna Deegan said Wednesday she will neither sign nor veto legislation that would make Jacksonville the first city in the nation to have a local law imposing jail time on immigrants who are in the U.S. without legal authorization, allowing it to become law without her signature. 

 

LEGISLATION 

Orlando Sentinel  

House budget leaders demand answers from DeSantis agency heads 

TALLAHASSEE — Citing “deep frustration” and a lack of cooperation by officials in Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration, House budget leaders are issuing demand letters to some state agencies amid a probe into possibly wasteful government spending. 

 

Florida Politics 

Proposed term limits referendum advances despite ample opposition 

‘Public service is not a career.’ 

 

The Capitolist 

House Panel Advances Permanent Sales Tax Cut with Bipartisan Support  

A proposal to permanently reduce Florida’s sales tax rate advanced in the House on Wednesday, with the Ways & Means Committee voting unanimously to approve a measure bill to cut the state’s general sales tax rate from 6 percent to 5.25 percent..