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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.

Coastal migration, DeSantis returns to Florida full-time and a legislative briefing

 A view of luxury condos by the intracoastal waterway in Boynton Beach
screenshot/Boynton Beach
A view of luxury condos by the intracoastal waterway in Boynton Beach

This week on The Florida Roundup, we discuss how the U.S. population is expected to get older, Florida’s rapidly aging coastal communities, how Gov. DeSantis’ move away from the presidential race will impact state politics, how the governor’s return impacts Florida’s Republican Party, and a briefing on recent legislative news.

Coastal migration

Florida’s population – like the rest of the country’s – is getting older. In fact, people 65 and older will be one of the fastest growing groups within the next two decades. That’s according to recent projections from the Congressional Budget Office.

Coastal communities across the Sunshine State are set to age rapidly as climate change fuels migration inland, as a study by Florida State University researchers finds.

Guests:

  • Philip Swagel, director of the Congressional Budget Office. 
  • Matt Hauer, associate professor of sociology at FSU. 
  • Sunshine Jacobs, doctoral student at FSU. 

DeSantis returns to Florida full-time 

Gov. Ron DeSantis is back in Florida full-time after he dropped out of the presidential race.

State lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are wondering which DeSantis returns: a more bipartisan one like his first two years in office, or the culture warrior? We speak with a capital reporter and professor of political science and later hear from a former Republican state senator.

Guests:

  • Gary Fineout, reporter for Politico. 
  • Aubrey Jewett, associate professor of political science at the University of Central Florida (UCF). 
  • Jeff Brandes, former state senator, (R-Pinellas) and founder of the non-partisan think tank Florida Policy Project.

Legislative briefing 

We’re three weeks into Florida’s 2024 legislative session, and lawmakers are moving forward on a measure to ban social media access to children under the age of 16. After the House overwhelmingly passed the bill, it now heads to the Senate.

It would become tougher for your city or county to raise their portion of property taxes under a proposal that started moving forward this week in the Legislature. The bill would require two-thirds votes by city, county and special district governing boards to approve increases in millage rates, which set the property tax rate.

Meanwhile, a proposed measure could allow the removal of local elected officials if they try to remove historical monuments. As WFSU’s Tristan Wood reports, this includes Confederate Civil War figures.

Copyright 2024 WLRN 91.3 FM. To see more, visit WLRN 91.3 FM.

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