A DUEL IN TALLAHASSEE OVER PROPOSALS TO LOWER PROPERTY TAXES OR SALES TAXES IN FLORIDA… FLORIDA’S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION FOUGHT HARD IN D.C. TO GET FEDERAL FUNDS TO HELP REBUILD THE STATE AFTER TWO DEVASTATING HURRICANES. THEN, THE FUNDS WERE CANCELLED WE’LL TELL YOU WHY…. AND NEW RESEARCH SAYS FLORIDA IS THE NUMBER ONE STATE AT RISK OF EXPERIENCING COASTAL FLOODING IN THE NEXT 25 YEARS. SOME OF THE MOST VULNERABLE AREAS MAY BE JUST AROUND YOUR CORNER.

TROPICANA FIELD ROOF REPAIRS ARE UP IN THE AIR AS ST. PETERSBURG LOOKS AT POSSIBLE FUNDING SOURCES... LAWMAKERS ARE TRYING TO RECONCILE BILLS TO HELP CONDO OWNERS MEET NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR BUILDING MAINTENANCE... AND TEENAGERS IN FLORIDA COULD SOON MAKE UP SOME OF THE LABOR SHORTAGES LOST BY DEPORTING MIGRANTS IN THE COUNTRY ILLEGALLY.

THE TAMPA BAY RAYS PULL OUT OF THE NEW STADIUM AND DEVELOPMENT DEAL IN ST. PETERSBURG…SO WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE TEAM? POLICY HOLDERS MAY SOON KNOW MORE NAMES AND DETAILS ON FAILED INSURANCE COMPANIES IF LEGISLATORS PASS A NEW BILL… AND WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THE CORONAVIRUS SHUT DOWN FLORIDA AND THE WORLD 5 YEARS AGO? WE’LL LOOK BACK AND SEE WHAT LESSONS WE’VE LEARNED MOVING FORWARD.

FLORIDA THIS WEEK IS THE BAY AREA’S LONGEST RUNNING PRIME TIME POLITICAL DISCUSSION PROGRAM… AND SOON THERE WILL BE SOME CHANGES…. WE’LL LOOK BACK AT THE SHOW’S HISTORY AND WHAT’S IN STORE FOR ITS FUTURE.

THE REGULAR SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE OPENED THIS WEEK AND THE HOUSE SPEAKER MAKES A SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT HOMEOWNER’S INSURANCE… THE GOVERNOR CONTINUES TO BACK THE IDEA OF DOING AWAY WITH PROPERTY TAXES…. DEMOCRATS OFFER THEIR STATE OF THE STATE MESSAGE…. AND WE’LL HAVE A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THIS PROGRAM.

A BATTLE IS BREWING BETWEEN RON DESANTIS AND MAGA OVER NEXT YEAR’S RACE FOR GOVERNOR….. THERE ARE PROPOSALS TO ENTIRELY ELIMINATE PROPERTY TAXES IN FLORIDA AND PERHAPS RAISE THE SALES TAX HIGHER…. FLORIDA GETS IT’S OWN VERSION OF THE DOGE PROGRAM…. AND THE STATE OF FLORIDA SUES THE TARGET CORPORATION OVER THE SALE OF LGBTQ MERCHANDISE.

We’ll look at the proposed federal budget cuts and how they will affect Florida… A big rally in Tampa to show opposition to what’s happening in Washington… How are Florida educators adapting to the new Black history teaching standards?… And the passing of a major leader in the state legislature.

The governor and legislative leaders reach agreement on a tough new immigration bill… More and more parents are using school vouchers to send their kids to private schools and a large number of them are from wealthy families… The migration to Florida shows signs of slowing... And a new Chamber of Commerce poll shows Floridians back the governor’s effort to make it harder to amend the state constitution.

UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS ARE ROUNDED UP IN FLORIDA… ANTI TRUMP DEMONSTRATIONS TAKE PLACE ACROSS THE STATE… THE GOVERNOR REVEALS HIS BUDGET PRIORITIES FOR THE COMING FISCAL YEAR—INCLUDING MORE GRANTS TO HOMEOWNERS TO PROTECT AGAINST HURRICANES… AND THE GOVERNOR PROPOSES TO SPEND MORE MONEY ON EDUCATION- INCLUDING A BIG BOOST IN SCHOOL VOUCHERS.

THE GOVERNOR CALLED FOR A SPECIAL SESSION THIS WEEK TO DEAL WITH IMMIGRATION, THE CONDO CRISIS, HURRICANE RECOVERY AND BALLOT INITIATIVES… ONLY ONE OF THOSE ISSUES WAS ADDRESSED: IMMIGRATION… THE GOVERNOR IS UNHAPPY WITH THE BILL THAT WAS PASSED AND THREATENED TO VETO IT.

DONALD TRUMP IS INAUGURATED AS THE 47TH PRESIDENT OF THE US… THAT SAME DAY HE PARDONS MORE THAN 1500 PEOPLE WHO WERE CONVICTED OF CRIMES DURING THE JANUARY 6TH 2021 ATTACK ON THE US CAPITOL… DOZENS OF THOSE PARDONED ARE FROM FLORIDA…..MORE THAN ANY OTHER STATE.

ASHLEY MOODY WILL REPLACE MARCO RUBIO IN THE US SENATE... FLORIDIANS ARE ABOUT TO TAKE SOME MAJOR ROLES IN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION… THE GOVERNOR CALLS FOR A SPECIAL SESSION ON IMMIGRATION AND HE WANTS TO MAKE IT HARDER TO PUT ISSUES ON THE BALLOT.

THE COMPANY THAT OWNS FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM ENDS ITS USE OF INDEPENDENT FACT CHECKING ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING POLITIFACT… PRESIDENT BIDEN BANS OIL DRILLING IN THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO… FORMER CONGRESSMAN MATT GAETZ SAYS HE’S THINKING ABOUT RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR… AND THE RAYS MAKE CLEAR WHERE THEY WANT TO PLAY IN 2026.

Agriculture is the second-largest industry in Florida, employing two million people. Florida's agriculture faces threats from urban sprawl, climate change, and exotic diseases. Wilton Simpson, Florida Commission of Agriculture, joins Rob Lorei for a special discussion on the state of Florida's agriculture industry.

A LOOK BACK AT THE BIG NEWS STORIES FROM 2024.

THE PINELLAS COUNTY COMMISSION VOTES TO APPROVE ITS SHARE OF FUNDING FOR THE NEW RAYS BASEBALL STADIUM- BUT WILL IT BE ENOUGH TO KEEP THE TEAM IN ST. PETE? POLITIFACT ANNOUNCES IT’S ANNUAL “LIE OF THE YEAR”. PRESIDENT ELECT TRUMP HAS CHOSEN FLORIDA US SENATOR MARCO RUBIO TO HEAD THE STATE DEPARTMENT—SO- WHO WILL REPLACE RUBIO IN THE SENATE? AND A LAKELAND WOMAN IS FACING TERRORISM CHARGES FOR VERBALLY THREATENING HER HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY.

WITH THE ELECTION OVER AND A NEW LEGISLATURE VOTED IN, WE’LL MEET SOME MEMBERS OF THE NEXT LEGISLATURE AND ASK THEM ABOUT THEIR PRIORITIES FOR 2025… WHAT WILL THEY DO TO ADDRESS INFLATION, THE HIGH COST OF INSURANCE AND OTHER TOP ISSUES FOR FLORIDA VOTERS? AND A HILLSBOROUGH LEGISLATOR MAKES A SURPRISE MOVE TO SWITCH POLITICAL PARTIES.

MORE FLORIDIANS COULD WIND UP AT TOP LEVELS OF DONALD TRUMP’S ADMINISTRATION… RENTS IN MANY LARGE CITIES IN FLORIDA ARE OUTPACING INCOMES… TAMPA ELECTRIC CUSTOMERS WILL SOON SEE THE COSTS OF ELECTRICITY GO UP... AND THE PASCO COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT ENDS A PROGRAM THAT PREDICTS WHICH RESIDENTS ARE MOST LIKELY TO COMMIT CRIMES.

IT’S A NEW ERA OF POLITICS AT THE NATIONAL AND STATE LEVEL— WITH REPUBLICANS HAVING CONTROL IN BOTH TALLAHASSEE AND DC… WITH INCOMING PRESIDENT TRUMP PROMISING TO LAUNCH THE MOST MASSIVE DEPORTATIONS OF IMMIGRANTS IN US HISTORY… FAR RIGHT GROUPS ARE GETTING MORE ACTIVE… HAS THE COUNTRY CHANGED FOREVER? WE’LL PUT THAT QUESTION TO SEVERAL LOCAL HISTORIANS NEXT ON A SPECIAL EDITION OF FLORIDA THIS WEEK.

WHAT’S THE FUTURE OF THE AGREEMENT TO BUILD A NEW STADIUM FOR RAYS BASEBALL IN ST. PETERSBURG? HOW WILL THE PLANS TO ROUND UP AND DEPORT MILLIONS OF UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS AFFECT TAMPA BAY RESIDENTS? MATT GAETZ WITHDRAWS FROM CONSIDERATION TO BE THE NEW US ATTORNEY GENERAL… AND A POWERFUL REPUBLICAN POLITICIAN IN TALLAHASSEE IS BLOCKING EFFORTS TO ALLOW OPEN CARRY OF FIREARMS IN THE STATE.