Businesses harmed by construction projects could get lifeline in Senate bill
A construction zone in Tallahassee featuring a crane and soon-to-be-apartments across the street from the FSU campus on Dec. 31, 2024. (Photo by Jay Waagmeester/Florida Phoenix)
Stories of businesses being hurt by local or state government construction projects have become common in Florida in recent years.
Last year, the owners of a popular Tampa cafe went before the Tampa City Council to voice concern about how a long-term construction project in front of their business was 'hemorrhaging' its cash reserves, threatening their financial livelihood.
That cafe ended up closing several months later.
But that company might have been able to stay afloat if a proposal that advanced in a Florida Senate committee on Thursday had already been in place.
The measure from Orange County Democrat Carlos Guillermo Smith (SB 324) would create a program within the Department of Commerce providing low-interest loans of up to $100,000 for small businesses harmed by prolonged state and local construction projects that directly block access to their establishments.
The businesses must show proof of demonstrable loss, including a reduction in revenue from the start date of the construction to the week before they submit an application.
That proof would have to include a comparison of the applicant's average weekly or monthly revenue the year before the construction began and their currently weekly or monthly revenue. They would also have to submit photo or video evidence of the obstruction to the business due to the construction zone.
Smith said the impetus for filing the bill was the closing in January of the Hammered Lamb, a locally owned restaurant in Orlando.
'They directly attributed that closure to this sewage infrastructure project that was delayed for 18 months,' he said. 'As Florida continues to experience tremendous growth, we're going to hear more about these stories, more and more. We can't as a state or a local government throw up our hands and say, 'I'm sorry. Deal with our construction.' We have to be able to offer a lifeline for those who want to stay afloat.'
Those problems continue.
An estimated $65 million project to improve South Tampa's stormwater system bitterly divided that community last fall, with businesses fearful the plan could shut down a section of a major street in both directions for up to two months, potentially devastating their bottomlines.
In the Senate Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development on Thursday, Hernando County Republican Sen. Blaise Ingoglia suggested Smith amend his bill to exclude the private business records from public disclosure.
'It seems to me that competitors would say, 'I want the P&Ls [profits and losses] of my competitor right across the street,'' Ingoglia said.
The bill passed unanimously, athough Ingoglia expressed concern about giving taxpayer subsidized loans to businesses that might not be able to qualify for such a loan anywhere else. 'To get an unsecured loan for an established business is relatively easy to come by,' he said. 'Granted, you're gong to pay higher interest rates, but that loan is pretty east to come by.'
The bill has one more stop before reaching the floor. However, its House companion (HB 215), sponsored by Orlando Democrat Anna Eskamani, has not received a hearing yet in any committee.
SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
16 minutes ago
- Newsweek
GOP Senator Accuses Trump Of 'Petty Vindictiveness' After White House Snub
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky excoriated the White House and President Donald Trump on Wednesday after saying he and his family had been disinvited from the annual White House picnic. Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment via email on Wednesday. The Context Paul suggested he was snubbed from the picnic because of his staunch opposition to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Trump-backed reconciliation package that's under debate in the Senate. The proposal delivers on Trump's top priorities, including more funding for immigration and border security and cementing the tax cuts that were implemented as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Paul is among a handful of congressional Republicans who have vehemently opposed the fiscal plan, with the Kentucky senator saying he will only consider supporting it if it does not raise the federal debt ceiling. What To Know The Kentucky Republican told reporters on Wednesday that his invitation to the White House picnic was rescinded, accusing the Trump administration of engaging in "petty vindictiveness" due to his opposition to Trump's "big, beautiful bill." "And so how do they choose to respond? They are afraid of what I'm saying so they think they're going to punish me, I can't go to the picnic, as if somehow that's going to make me more conciliatory," Paul told reporters. "So it's silly in a way, but it's also just really sad that this is what it's come to. But petty vindictiveness like this, I don't know, it makes you wonder about the quality of people you're dealing with." Paul said that his son, daughter-in-law and grandson were planning to attend the picnic with him. The GOP senator added that he believes every other lawmaker in Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike, will be in attendance. Rand Paul: I've just been told that I've been uninvited from the White House picnic. Every Democrat and Republican will be invited. I just find this incredibly petty. It really makes me lose a lot of the respect I had for Donald Trump. — Acyn (@Acyn) June 11, 2025 Paul said that he wasn't sure if the decision to cancel his invitation came from the president himself or another White House staffer. This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
CNBC
32 minutes ago
- CNBC
Elon Musk's favorability among Republicans dropped 16 points since March, Quinnipiac says
Elon Musk's official role in the Trump administration recently came to an end. Many Republicans won't be sad to see less of him, according to the results of Quinnipiac University's latest public opinion survey. While a majority of Republicans still hold a favorable view of Musk, the number fell to 62% in the poll out Wednesday, down from 78% in March, Quinnipiac said. Overall, the Quinnipiac poll found that 30% of self-identified voters surveyed in the U.S. hold a favorable opinion of Musk, according to polling from June 5 to June 9. Republican and Democratic voters remain deeply divided in their views of the world's richest man, who contributed nearly $300 million to propel President Donald Trump back to the White House. Only 3% of Democrats surveyed said they held a favorable of view of the Tesla CEO, who was once seen as an environmental leader appealing to liberal values. Musk didn't respond to a request for comment. Musk and Trump had a very public falling out last week that started with Musk's disapproval of the president's spending bill and escalated into an all-out war of words that played out on social media. Musk said on Wednesday that he regretted some of the posts he made about Trump last week, adding that "they went too far." Even with a slide in his favorability, Musk is still popular among Republicans after his time running the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an effort to dramatically slash the size of the federal government. Among the Republican respondents to the early June poll, 80% rated Musk and DOGE's work as either excellent or good, while 13% said it was either not so good or poor. In the March poll, 82% of Republicans surveyed said they thought Musk and DOGE were helping the country. Read the full survey results here.
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Embattled DNC vice chair decides not to run after diversity re-vote called
David Hogg, the 25-year-old progressive firebrand, will not compete in the new Democratic National Committee (DNC) vice chair elections that were decided today after a majority of members voted for a new election. After three days of submitting electronic ballots, DNC members voted to uphold the Credentials Committee's resolution proposed by longtime Democratic Party activist Kalyn Free to host a re-election for two vice-chair positions, currently held by Hogg and Malcolm Kenyatta. Seventy-five percent of those who cast a ballot voted in favor of the resolution, while 25% voted against it. A total of 89% of DNC members cast a ballot. "The DNC will immediately move to administer new ballots for the final two Vice Chair positions, one of which must be held by a male and one of which may be held by a candidate of any gender," said the DNC's Deputy Press Secretary Nina Raneses. "The election for the male Vice Chair position will commence tomorrow morning at 10:00AM ET." Democrats' Vice Chair Gets Ultimatum: Stay Neutral In Primaries Or Step Down From Party Leadership With Hogg's withdrawal, Kenyatta is now the only candidate for the male vice chair slot. The DNC's decision is the latest political blow to Hogg, who stirred up intraparty divisions this year for his $20 million pledge to primary-challenge older Democrats in safe blue districts he said are "asleep at the wheel" through his outside political action group, Leaders We Deserve. Read On The Fox News App "I came into this role to play a positive role in creating the change our party needs," Hogg wrote in a statement to the New York Times. "It is clear that there is a fundamental disagreement about the role of a Vice Chair — and it's OK to have disagreements. What isn't OK is allowing this to remain our focus when there is so much more we need to be focused on." "Ultimately, I have decided to not run in this upcoming election so the party can focus on what really matters," Hogg added. Meanwhile, Hogg also published a lengthy X thread explaining his decision not to run for reelection and criticizing many aspects of the Democratic Party, but deleted it shortly after posting. Hogg's decision to leave the DNC comes on the heels of a damning Politico report, which included leaked audio from a Zoom meeting of DNC Chair Ken Martin lamenting Hogg's fallout at the DNC, claiming it has made it harder for Democrats to do their jobs and for Martin to demonstrate his ability to lead. "No one knows who the hell I am, right? I'm trying to get my sea legs underneath of me and actually develop any amount of credibility so I can go out there and raise the money and do the job I need to put ourselves in a position to win," Martin told Hogg on the May 15 Zoom call. "I don't think you intended this, but you essentially destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to. So it's really frustrating," But the criticism didn't stop Hogg from defying advice and wading into additional Democrat primaries by endorsing Virginia state Del. Irene Shin in the special election to replace the late Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va. Dnc Chair Ripped David Hogg Over Party Infighting In Leaked Meeting Audio: 'Really Frustrating' Martin affirmed the DNC would stay neutral in Democratic primaries following Hogg's multimillion-dollar announcement. And the DNC chair gave Hogg the ultimatum to either rescind his vice-chair position or forego his political influence through his PAC. "I commend David for his years of activism, organizing, and fighting for his generation, and while I continue to believe he is a powerful voice for this party, I respect his decision to step back from his post as Vice Chair," Martin said in a statement following Hogg's announcement he would not seek reelection as DNC vice chair. "I have no doubt that he will remain an important advocate for Democrats across the map. I appreciate his service as an officer, his hard work, and his dedication to the party." While DNC officials, past and present, said the vote to host vice chair re-elections had nothing to do with Hogg personally, the progressive Gan Z activist framed the DNC's vote as an expedited plan to remove him as vice chair. Hogg said Martin's newly proposed "neutrality pledge" was "trying to change the rules because I'm not currently breaking them." David Hogg Slams 'Fast-track' Effort To Oust Him As Dnc Vice Chair "While this vote was based on how the DNC conducted its officers' elections, which I had nothing to do with, it is also impossible to ignore the broader context of my work to reform the party which loomed large over this vote," Hogg said after the Credentials Committee voted to elevate Free's complaint before the full committee. Free submitted her complaint following the DNC's Feb. 1 officer elections, in which Hogg and Kenyatta were elected vice chairs. Free claimed the DNC's tabulation method violated the charter's provision and parliamentary procedure and "discriminated against three women of color candidates." Last month, the Credentials Committee found the vice-chair officer elections violated parliamentary procedure and voted to recommend the DNC conduct a new election for the two vice-chair positions. Now that the full DNC has called for a new vote, they will conduct a re-election from June 12-17. One vice-chair position may be filled by a male and one may be a candidate of any gender, according to the DNC. Only the candidates who were eligible for the third ballot during the Feb. 1 election qualify for the re-election, which includes Kenyatta, Free, Jeanna Repass and Shasti Conrad. Kenyatta is reportedly the only male. "This was never about Malcolm Kenyatta or David Hogg," Free told Fox News Digital after the Credentials Committee elevated her complaint. "For me, this was about ensuring that the Democratic Party lives up to our ideals as the only political party to believe in and stand up for election integrity and a free and fair democracy." But Kenyatta, who picked up the most votes during the Feb. 1 election, has criticized Hogg for playing "fast and loose with the facts without rebuttal." "Any story about this that neatly places this into a narrative about David Hogg is wrong," Kenyatta said of the re-election buzz. "I worked my a-- off to get this role and have done the job every day since I've held it. This story is complex, and I'm frustrated — but it's not about @davidhogg111. Even though he clearly wants it to be."Original article source: Embattled DNC vice chair decides not to run after diversity re-vote called
