DeSantis: Tax Measure ‘Wasn’t My Proposal’

Gov. Ron DeSantis distanced himself Monday from a November ballot measure to cut homestead property taxes, saying the Legislature’s version “wasn’t my proposal.”

DeSantis called a special session in May seeking to raise the homestead exemption from $50,000 to $250,000 and eventually eliminate the tax. Lawmakers instead sent voters Amendment 3, which lifts the exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028 but spares school district taxes.

The measure needs 60% approval from voters in November. A legislative analysis projects it would cut local government revenue by nearly $5 billion in the first year, with the cuts growing in later years.

DeSantis called the change “a modest reduction” and says local budgets have outpaced inflation since 2019. A committee called “Vote No on 3” countered that it would force deep cuts to local services and shift costs to renters and businesses.

Lightning Sparks Broward Everglades Wildfire

A lightning-sparked wildfire has scorched more than 5,700 acres of the Everglades in western Broward County since Sunday.

Dubbed the Atlantic Fire, the blaze began as a few hundred acres west of the Sawgrass Expressway near Atlantic Boulevard before rapidly expanding across the marsh.

The Florida Forest Service said it was 50% contained as of Tuesday afternoon. Activity was low, but officials warned the fire could flare up as heat and dry conditions return.

Crews set backburns to clear vegetation and keep flames from reaching the expressway, helping protect the roadway as the fire grew.

Restaurant Fee Disclosure Law Takes Effect

A new Florida law taking effect Wednesday requires restaurants to clearly disclose automatic charges such as service fees, mandatory gratuities, and credit card surcharges.

Known as SB 606 and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis last year, the law covers any automatic “operations charge” a restaurant adds to the bill.

Menus, ordering apps, and signs near the register must spell out each fee’s amount or percentage and its purpose. Receipts must list gratuity, the operations charge, and sales tax on separate lines.

The law does not let customers sue a business solely for skipping the notices, and it exempts fixed-price meals and prepaid dining plans. It is one of more than 100 Florida laws taking effect July 1.

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Pace: Hunter Drake Lovett, 30, was indicted by a federal grand jury on a theft-of-government-property charge after authorities say he stole Smokey Bear signs from state forests in Pensacola, Panama City, and Orlando and resold them on Facebook Marketplace for $1,900 each. He faces up to 10 years. (See Details)

➤ Jacksonville: The Sheriff’s Office and Florida Highway Patrol arrested 22 people in Operation Braking News, a crackdown on street racing at car meet-ups, including a raided gathering at Tinseltown. Charges range from racing and fleeing to illegal gun and drug possession. Deputies also issued 28 traffic citations. (See Details)

➤ Orlando: Attorney General James Uthmeier demanded that the North American Irish Dance Championships bar biological males who identify as women from its women’s categories, citing Florida’s sex-based competition law and threatening action if organizers refuse. (See Details)

➤ Jacksonville: Three pedestrians were struck and killed on city roads in a single week, part of 25 pedestrian deaths among 92 traffic fatalities this year. Officials are leaning on the city’s Vision Zero program, adding crossing signals and road diets to slow drivers on corridors like Philips Highway. (More)

➤ Statewide: Lt. Gov. Jay Collins sued to remove rival James Fishback from the Republican primary ballot for governor, arguing Fishback fails Florida’s seven-year residency requirement by having voted and owned a home in Washington. (See Details)

➤ Statewide: The State Board of Education was set to vote Tuesday on a rule barring students in the country illegally from enrolling in Florida’s 28 public colleges, mirroring a university ban advanced days earlier. Gov. Ron DeSantis backs it. Critics say it shuts out students raised in Florida. (More)

Enjoy reading Flyover Florida? Click here to share with your friends and family. ✈️

➤ The Florida Panthers hockey team traded for goaltender Jacob Markstrom from the Devils, sending forwards Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist, and Ben Steeves to New Jersey. The Panthers also acquired defenseman Radko Gudas from Anaheim and goaltender Akira Schmid from Vegas on Monday. (More)

➤ Florida State became the first university in the world to hold a UNESCO chair in sport ecology, a four-year partnership studying how sports affect the natural environment. (More) 

➤ NBA Free Agency kicked off last night. A frenzy of signings has already taken place for the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat. Contract negotiations and trades will continue for both teams throughout today. (See Deals) 

Yesterday’s Results: World Cup | Wimbledon | MLB | WNBA

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Give your smile the care it deserves with this innovative toothbrush by Great Gums designed to clean along the gumline where plaque loves to hide. Featuring gentle yet effective bristles, it helps support healthier gums, fresher breath, and a cleaner-feeling mouth—making every brushing session more effective and comfortable.  (LEARN MORE)

➤ Bauducco, the Brazilian baked-goods maker, opened its largest U.S. plant in Zephyrhills, a 160,000-square-foot wafer and cookie factory in Pasco County that doubles its American production capacity. The company, whose U.S. headquarters is in Miami, expects to employ more than 600 people at full buildout. (See Details)

➤ Jacksonville mayor Donna Deegan and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development signed a letter of intent to launch the Jacksonville Starter Home Initiative, a pilot using modern manufactured homes to expand affordable homeownership. The city will develop about 5 of the 17.5 acres set aside, targeting first-time buyers, working families, veterans, and seniors. (More)

➤ The University of North Florida’s Small Business Development Center, which provides no-cost consulting to area entrepreneurs, says it has helped thousands of regional businesses launch and grow. (More)

➤ The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce named its 2026 Sarasota Business Awards winners at a June 26 luncheon, with Stage Door Studios (small business), Blue Collar Roofing (medium), and Tommy’s Express Car Wash (large) taking the top of the year honors among 10 categories. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ These cooling, bacteria-fighting sheets might be the last ones you ever buy. Say goodbye to stale, sweaty sheets. These silver-infused Miracle Made sheets stay cooler, fresher, and prevent up to 99.7% of bacteria growth—like a fresh hotel bed every night. Learn More

Flying together with our sponsor

If you spend a good amount on Amazon, this card could easily put $100s back in your pocket every year.

Even better, you could get approved extremely fast — and if you are, you’ll receive an insanely valuable welcome bonus deposited straight into your Amazon account for immediate use. No hoops or extra spending. Get approved, and the bonus is yours. If you shop at Amazon or Whole Foods, this card could help you earn meaningful cash back from purchases you’re already making. This offer won’t last forever, and for Prime members, it’s basically a no-brainer.

Amazon Prime members: See what you could get, no strings attached

➤ Florida will waive day-use admission at all state parks from Friday through Sunday, July 3 to 5, marking the nation’s 250th anniversary. The system, which drew more than 28 million visitors last year, spans springs, beaches, forts, and battlefields. (More)

➤ A new state law taking effect Wednesday lets Florida high schoolers count two years of marching band toward both their physical education and performing arts graduation credits. The same law, CS/HB 453, lets students with disabilities meet the PE requirement through a year of Special Olympics. (More)

➤ Fifty teens ages 14 to 17 earned no-cost CPR certification through the Orlando Fire Department’s weeklong Teen Academy, learning chest compressions, rescue breaths, and AED use for adults and infants. The students also complete community emergency-response training, including a mock disaster drill. (Read Story)

➤ The General Federation of Women’s Clubs chapter in Panama City won a top international award for refurbishing six family rooms at a Salvation Army domestic-violence shelter, a project that earlier took the state Community Impact honor. The international entry was judged at the federation’s convention in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Read Story)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Kills Mosquitoes fast, so you can finally sit outside. NovaVolt Solar covers up to 1 Acre. and continues to zap flying pests while you
relax. No sprays, no refills, no reapplying, no going inside early. Learn More

The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:

➤ These six science-backed tricks are supposed to help fussy children finally eat their vegetables. (Hear Details)

➤ The pope is pleading with a breakaway traditionalist group to abandon what he calls a sin of extreme gravity. (Hear Story)

➤ Experts have a clear pick for the best long-term investment, but Americans keep choosing something else entirely. (Listen Now)

Will you or have you purchased fireworks this year?

1. Yes
2. No

Yesterday’s Results:

Have you ever been to the opening of a time capsule?

1. Yes: 9%
2. No: 91%

Castillo de San Marcos, a Spanish fort in St. Augustine, is one of the few structures in the world built from what semi-rare type of stone?

Show me the answer