Florida's recap – Highlights from around the state – September 12th
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the some of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you in South Florida.
- Publix became the latest business to prohibit the open carrying of guns in stores. This follows recent moves by Walmart & Kroger
- What’s old is new again...South Florida leads the country in mortgage fraud according to CoreLogic. Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties led the country in mortgage fraud in the most recent quarter. The most common form of fraud reported was false reporting of income to qualify for mortgages borrowers wouldn’t otherwise qualify for.
- Florida AG Ashley Moody said she will challenge the recreational marijuana proposed constitutional amendment language being advanced by the PAC, Sensible Florida. Ashley stated there’s no way 10 pages of the law can be summarized clearly in 75 words.The PAC’s produced more than 89,000 signatures thus far, enough to have the language considered by Florida’s Supreme Court for the 2020 ballot.
- Miami Beach has voted to ban plastic straws and stirrers citywide – expanding the ban from beyond just the beach to the whole city. It will be enforced starting in July of next year with fines ranging from $50 for the first offense to $500 for a third.
- Governor DeSantis is calling for a 50% increase in fines for sewage spills into waterways during the next state session that starts in January. He said local governments are often the biggest offenders and the current penalties that cap liability at $10,000 per day are a slap on the wrist