Lawmakers Offer Conflicting Accounts After 'Alligator Alcatraz' Visit & Hurricane Forecast Slightly Lowered
July 14, 2025 - This Week's News from Central Florida
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Lawmakers Offer Conflicting Accounts After 'Alligator Alcatraz' Visit
A highly anticipated, state-arranged tour of the "Alligator Alcatraz" immigrant detention facility in the Everglades on Saturday yielded starkly contrasting accounts from Democratic and Republican lawmakers, underscoring deep partisan divisions regarding the controversial site and conditions inside. After five Florida Democratic lawmakers were denied entry to the immigrant detention facility on a July 3 unannounced visit, the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) invited legislators to a guided tour of the center on Saturday. The invitation was intended to act as a step toward transparency by the DeSantis administration, marking the first such visit since the state-run site began housing detainees on July 2. Lawmakers were granted about two hours inside and not permitted to bring cameras or phones with them. Direct interaction with detainees was also largely off-limits. Upon exiting the sprawling facility, Democrats, including U.S. Reps. Maxwell Frost (D-Orlando), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Weston), and state Rep. Anna Eskamani (D-Orlando), described sweltering rooms, crowded quarters, and insufficient meals. Frost said detainees cried out “libertad” and “help,” with some claiming U.S. citizenship. “It looked like a prison,” he said. Eskamani, who has recently sued Governor Ron DeSantis and FDEM Director Kevin Guthrie over the previously denied visit to the site, criticized the tour’s restrictions, noting lawmakers weren’t allowed to view medical areas or speak directly with detainees. “This wasn’t oversight — it was a show,” she said. Eskamani also expressed shock at the crowding, claiming 32 people per room shared limited toilet-sink units, and noted insect bites from her visit. By contrast, state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia (R-Spring Hill), who accompanied the high-profile tour, described clean facilities, good food, and comfortable beds. “The rhetoric didn’t match the reality,” he said. Lawmakers on both sides noted they were shown new, vacant dorms and were denied access to medical facilities, citing "safety reasons" or federal privacy laws, as they were escorted through parts of the compound. Democrats also highlighted learning that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is exerting direction at the center, despite previous statements from federal officials downplaying direct involvement. There are reportedly about 900 migrants currently housed on-site, and facility staff confirmed during the recent visit that the goal is to deport all within two weeks. With capacity expected to reach 3,000 detainees, concerns over migrant treatment, facility oversight, and jurisdictional ambiguity persist. Democratic lawmakers vow to return—unannounced—and continue pressing for transparency and accountability.
Source: Florida lawmakers tour 'Alligator Alcatraz' after being blocked | AP News; Here’s what lawmakers saw on Alligator Alcatraz tour
Updated Hurricane Forecast Predicts Fewer Storms in 2025
Researchers at Colorado State University (CSU) have slightly adjusted their outlook for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, now projecting 16 named storms—one fewer than predicted in their June forecast. Of those, eight are expected to become hurricanes, with three reaching major hurricane status. While this is a slight decrease, it still indicates a "slightly above normal" season compared to the average Atlantic season of 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes. The forecast update attributes the reduction to increased wind shear in the Caribbean, which can disrupt storm formation and intensity. “High levels of Caribbean shear in June and July are typically associated with less active hurricane seasons,” the report notes. Sea surface temperatures remain slightly warmer than average, though not as elevated as in early July 2024. Warm water typically fuels storm development. Additionally, CSU’s recent modeling indicates a 48% likelihood of a major Atlantic hurricane making landfall in the U.S. in 2025. This probability exceeds the historical average of 43% for major hurricane landfalls. Moreover, CSU's models predict a 31% chance of a hurricane impacting the Gulf Coast, while the East Coast faces a 25% probability of experiencing a hurricane landfall. CSU warns residents not to let their guard down. “It only takes one hurricane making landfall to make it an active season,” researchers cautioned. The next forecast update is scheduled for August 6.
Colorado State University's Department of Atmospheric Science is renowned for its hurricane research and forecasting. The university publishes seasonal hurricane forecasts that media outlets and public safety officials rely on for planning.
Source: https://tropical.colostate.edu/Forecast/2025-07.pdf; CSU Hurricane Season Forecast Adjusted to ‘Slightly’ Above Normal
State Lawmakers Sue DeSantis After Being Blocked Access to ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
Five Florida Democratic lawmakers have filed a lawsuit with the state Supreme Court after being denied access to the Alligator Alcatraz immigrant detention facility in the Everglades. State Reps. Anna Eskamani (D-Orlando), Angie Nixon (D-Jacksonville), Michele Rayner (D-St. Petersburg), and Sens. Shevrin Jones (D-Miami Gardens) and Carlos Guillermo Smith (D-Orlando) argue the denial violates a state law granting legislators unannounced entry to correctional facilities “at their pleasure.” The lawsuit, filed late last week, demands immediate access and claims Gov. Ron DeSantis and Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) Director Kevin Guthrie exceeded their authority by blocking their July 3 visit. They argue that their removal from the facility breached state law and the Florida Constitution by undermining the separation of powers and unjustly limiting the authority of a co-equal branch of government. “Our Constitution does not coronate a king,” the lawsuit states. A spokesperson for the Governor's office dismissed the lawsuit as "frivolous," stating that the state looks forward to "quickly dispensing with this dumb lawsuit." FDEM previously stated that state law permits inspection authority solely to legislative committees, not individual legislators acting for political purposes. They clarified that while Florida Statute 944.23 allows legislators to visit state correctional facilities, Alligator Alcatraz does not fall under the Florida Department of Corrections' jurisdiction. Following the lawsuit, the department announced that state lawmakers and members of Congress may participate in a 90-minute scheduled tour of Alligator Alcatraz on Saturday. Democratic legislators criticized the invitation as “staged, scripted, and sanitized,” insisting a guided visit does not meet legal oversight standards. The potential environmental impact and recent reports of unsanitary conditions within the hastily constructed facility have fueled the politicians' concerns and intensified calls for transparency and accountability. In response to the invitation to visit the immigration facility on Saturday, several Democratic members of Congress, including Central Florida U.S. Reps. Darren Soto and Maxwell Frost stated their intention to participate. However, they reported that they were already planning an unannounced visit, emphasizing that scheduled tours cannot replace lawful, independent oversight.
Source: Florida Democrats file lawsuit for being denied entrance to 'Alligator Alcatraz' - Florida Phoenix; Florida lawmakers invited to visit Alligator Alcatraz | Miami Herald
Orange County Faces Legal Pressure to Repeal Rural Boundary, Growth Plan
Facing legal threats from a group of cattle ranchers, Orange County commissioners may be forced to repeal a slate of voter-approved growth management rules, including the rural boundary charter amendment passed by 73% of voters last fall. The possible legal challenges are linked to Senate Bill 180, a state law signed by Governor Ron DeSantis on June 26th, intended to ease post-hurricane rebuilding, but the legislation’s broad language also impacts local development regulations. SB 180 restricts local governments from enacting or enforcing "more restrictive or burdensome" land-use regulations within 100 miles of recent hurricane tracks. The bill applies to any comprehensive plan amendments and other development regulations proposed or adopted before October 1, 2027, and is retroactive to August 1, 2024—before Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton made landfall. Critics say the sweeping language gives developers new leverage to override local land-use decisions. One attorney representing ranchers and developers of the controversial 1,800-home Sustanee project warned the county to repeal growth measures or face litigation. Orange County administrators are urging commissioners to consider a preemptive repeal that would scrap the voter-approved rural boundary and the Vision 2050 growth blueprint, angering progressive lawmakers and environmental groups. Commissioner Kelly Martinez Semrad, whose district includes the threatened ranchlands, vowed to defend the county’s planning process, along with fellow Commissioner Nicole Wilson, State Rep. Anna Eskamani (D-Orlando), and State Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith (D-Orlando). Together, they argue in support of community input and say that developers are exploiting loopholes in SB 180 to profit at the expense of voters, who clearly expressed their desire to safeguard rural lands in Orange County through the establishment of a rural boundary. The county commission will consider a potential repeal to Ordinance No. 2025-13 related to land use and planning in Orange County at their July 15 meeting. If approved, this would nullify an amendment to the "2010-2030 Comprehensive Plan" and update the future land use map and the Rural Service Area.
Source: Senate Bill 180 (2025) - The Florida Senate; 2025s00180.hms.ca.docx; Orange County Government - File #: 25-1003
Federal Judge Blocks Key Provision of New Florida Law Restricting Ballot Petitions
A federal judge has struck down a central piece of Florida’s newly enacted ballot petition law, ruling that restrictions on who can collect and deliver signed petitions violate constitutional free speech protections. In a decision issued last week, U.S. District Judge Mark Walker granted a preliminary injunction halting enforcement of the law’s ban on non-U.S. citizens and non-Florida residents collecting petitions. Walker found the restriction imposed a “severe burden” on political expression without sufficient justification, calling the state’s arguments that the provision combats fraud as “unpersuasive.” Florida cannot "categorically bar entire classes of people from participating in the core political speech," Judge Walker wrote. The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by Florida Decides Healthcare (Medicaid expansion), Smart & Safe Florida (recreational marijuana legalization), and Florida Right to Clean Water (right to clean water), all aiming to place initiatives on the 2026 ballot, and who claimed the legal restrictions violated the First Amendment. The law, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in May, would have fined groups $50,000 for each non-resident and non-citizen volunteer. Smart and Safe Florida argued that this would have burdened them with $23.7 million in fines due to their hiring of 474 non-resident volunteers. The judge’s decision prevents state and local officials from invalidating petitions or levying fines under the now-blocked provisions. However, other aspects of the law remain in effect, including mandatory registration for individuals collecting more than 25 petitions and a 90-day moratorium on elections officials processing petitions from July 1 through September 30. The law’s affidavit requirement imposed on petition volunteers to include names, addresses, and the last four digits of Social Security numbers on initiative petitions also remains enforceable. Ballot initiative supporters hailed the decision as a partial victory for democratic participation and volunteer-driven campaigns. Groups aiming to place constitutional amendments on the 2026 ballot must submit approximately 880,000 valid signatures by February 1st, 2026.
Source: Federal judge issues mixed ruling on Florida's new ballot initiative law • Florida Phoenix
Florida Creates New $4M College Accreditation Body
The Florida Board of Governors has approved the creation of a new nonprofit accrediting agency for colleges and universities, allocating $4 million to fund the effort and naming itself the sole founding member. The Commission for Public Higher Education (CPHE), unveiled last month by Gov. Ron DeSantis, is intended to provide an alternative to existing accreditors and eventually include five other state university systems. The new commission is envisioned as a collaboration with university systems from Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas A&M, but only Florida has committed funds so far. Each of these six founding states will appoint one representative to the CPHE’s board, with members sharing equal votes to set accreditation standards, policies, and procedures. This development follows a years-long dispute between Florida officials and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), the region's primary accrediting body, over alleged ideological bias. Tensions escalated in 2021 over SACSCOC's concerns regarding the University of Florida’s ban on faculty testifying against the state in a voting-rights case and the presidential search at Florida State University. The initiative to create a new oversight body to assess educational standards at colleges and universities came following the Florida Legislature’s passage of a law in 2022 requiring state institutions to switch accreditors every decade. The new commission aims to focus on “data-driven assessment, institutional innovation, and regulatory compliance,” with a streamlined, outcomes-based approach that supporters say will reduce red tape and foster academic excellence. While some Board of Governors members, including DeSantis appointees, expressed reservations about the model's financial and legal risks, they generally supported the concept. There are also concerns about the optics of Florida being the sole member, questioning the appearance of independence for an accreditor solely funded by the state university system it would oversee. The CPHE's recognition by the U.S. Department of Education, a crucial step for institutions to receive federal student aid, remains pending.
Source: Despite Reservations, Florida BOG Approves New Accreditor
Orange County to Debate ICE Agreement that Compels Jail Staff to Transport Detainees
Officials in Orange County will consider whether to authorize jail staff to transport immigration detainees under a proposed amendment to the county’s agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The addendum to the existing Intergovernmental Service Agreement (IGSA) would direct county correctional officers trained by ICE to drive immigration detainees to federal facilities such as the remote “Alligator Alcatraz” in the Everglades. The measure will be voted upon at Tuesday’s commission meeting. The potential shift has sparked backlash from local leaders and immigrant advocates. Commissioners Nicole Wilson and Kelly Martinez Semrad, who previously opposed the county’s agreement with ICE, voiced concern over overburdening jail staff and the county bearing costs for federal operations, noting the county is already under-reimbursed for housing ICE detainees ($88 per day vs. $145 cost). Commissioner Wilson expressed concerns about the county being complicit in transferring detainees without full due process to potentially "inhumane conditions." Currently, Orange County Corrections does not transport ICE detainees, with ICE typically handling transfers. However, a new state law passed earlier this year mandates that all Florida jails cooperate with ICE, adding pressure on local governments. Orange County reports that 17 correctional officers have undergone specialized training and certification as Warrant Service Officers under the 287(g) program. This enables county jail staff to perform certain duties typically assigned to immigration officers, including executing administrative warrants within correctional facilities.
Florida Losing Billions Annually Due to Childcare Crisis, New Report Finds
Florida’s economy is losing a staggering $13.1 billion annually due to childcare-related issues as the state struggles with the rising costs and limited availability of childcare, according to a new report released by Florida TaxWatch. The updated report, “How Childcare Costs Impact Florida’s Economy,” reveals the state now loses $3.3 billion each year due to employee absenteeism and $9.8 billion in lost income from working parents forced to leave the workforce or reduce hours. These figures mark a sharp rise from 2022, with economic losses increasing by $1.8 billion due to absenteeism and $4.2 billion in income loss. Attributing the dramatic escalation to the lack of affordable and accessible childcare, Florida TaxWatch President Dominic M. Calabro called for urgent action, emphasizing the broad benefits of quality childcare, from improved child development to enhanced workforce productivity. While childcare is prohibitively expensive for parents, the report also details that childcare workers themselves earn significantly less than the state's average hourly wage, earning an average of just $16.64 per hour. This disparity means providers often struggle to afford care for their own children, creating a further strained workforce. The economic repercussions are profound: approximately 64% of working parents miss an average of 19 days annually due to childcare issues, and nearly 186,000 parents have left their jobs due to childcare problems, contributing to an additional $4.9 billion in employer turnover costs. Florida TaxWatch advocates for increased wages for childcare workers and greater investment in affordable childcare, workforce training, and policy changes to mitigate these preventable losses and strengthen Florida’s economy.
Source: Childcare Costs & Florida's Economy | Florida TaxWatch
St. Petersburg Considers New Property Tax for Infrastructure Upgrades
The St. Petersburg City Council is exploring a potential referendum for the November 2026 ballot, which would ask voters to approve a new property tax to fund critical water and stormwater infrastructure upgrades. This comes as the city faces mounting pressure to accelerate resiliency projects in response to recent back-to-back hurricanes, record rainfall, and increasing sea levels. These weather events have exposed vulnerabilities in the city’s aging infrastructure. To address the issue, St. Petersburg officials are weighing a plan to fast-track $614 million identified for necessary projects over the next five years, including improvements to drainage, wastewater collection, flood protection, and treatment facilities. While some upgrades are currently funded through utility bill increases, council members are now weighing a property tax as an alternative to further escalating utility rates. If the city council approves a 2026 referendum measure and it secures voter approval, the measure would authorize general obligation bonds to be repaid over 30 years, with projects commencing in the second quarter of 2027. While some council members have voiced support for the additional tax, others have expressed concern about the cumulative burden on residents, arguing that current utility rate increases have already become onerous for many. Ratepayers already face an 8-9% rise in municipal utility bills to finance numerous infrastructure projects, in addition to a proposed 17.5% increase in stormwater rates for fiscal year 2026. The city will continue discussing the proposal in future meetings before deciding on a potential referendum for the November 2026 ballot.
Source: St. Pete property tax being considered to pay for $614M in stormwater, wastewater infrastructure upgrades | FOX 13 Tampa Bay; St. Pete utility rates to increase amid infrastructure upgrades • St Pete Catalyst
DeSantis Vetoes AI Bill, Warns of Control from "Tech Overlords"
Last week, Gov. Ron DeSantis pledged to develop a statewide plan to manage the “very dangerous” rapid rise of artificial intelligence, warning against handing control over to “tech overlords.” His remarks came just days after vetoing a near-unanimous bipartisan bill that would have directed Florida to study AI’s impact on the workforce, including potential job losses and gains. “It’s one thing to use technology to enhance the human experience,” DeSantis said during a press event in Jacksonville. “But it’s another thing to have technology supplant the human experience.” The vetoed bill (HB 827) called for the state Department of Commerce to analyze how AI affects employment, aiming to guide workforce development and training. DeSantis, in his veto letter, argued that any report would be outdated before publication due to AI’s rapid advancement. While offering limited specifics, the Republican governor said Florida will instead craft its own strategy to address AI’s evolving role, emphasizing a focus to “prevent AI from taking over everything” and rejecting recent federal proposals to limit state regulation of the technology. “We can't ignore AI,” he said. “But we also can’t cede control to unelected tech elites.”
Source: Backroom Briefing: Taking Issue with ‘Tech Overlords’ | newsserviceflorida.com
Full Sail University to Break Ground on First On-Campus Housing
Full Sail University is moving forward with its first on-campus student housing project, set to break ground this fall across from its Winter Park campus. The development, managed by Nvision Development, will begin with a five-story, 580-bed complex and has approval for up to 2,400 beds across three phases. Phase one will feature 182 units, including one- to four-bedroom apartments, a 15,000-square-foot clubhouse, retail space, and a central courtyard with a pool and lounge. Future phases may incorporate green courtyards, activity lawns, and pet parks, with the initial plan including surface-level parking. However, structured parking will be necessary for future expansion. The Orange County Commission approved the first phase in May, and a pedestrian bridge will ultimately connect the housing complex to Full Sail’s main campus. Just months ago, the private university announced layoffs amid financial challenges, but Full Sail plans to continue investments in infrastructure and student amenities.
Source: Full Sail University student housing coming to Winter Park
SeaWorld Orlando Unveils First Haunted Houses for 2025 Howl-O-Scream
SeaWorld Orlando has revealed two haunted houses and two scare zones for its 2025 Howl-O-Scream, returning for its fifth year of after-hours Halloween thrills. The newly announced house, The Collector’s Curse, is an original addition featuring a mysterious estate filled with ancient artifacts and cursed creations guarded by a sinister host. Returning this year is Farm 51, a fan-favorite house where an eerie rural setting hides the chilling aftermath of an alien encounter. Two scare zones are also making a comeback: Blood Light District, filled with vampiric temptations lurking in seductive shadows, and Cannibal Harbor, a haunted port haunted by undead fishermen. The separately ticketed event runs 28 select nights from Sept. 6 to Nov. 1, featuring six scare zones, roaming hordes, themed bars, and live entertainment. Tickets, including multi-night and front-of-line options, are now on sale at SeaWorld.com. SeaWorld will also offer its daytime family-friendly Spooktacular Halloween event starting Aug. 30.
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