Florida Matters

The 2019 state legislative session ended Saturday. Governor Ron DeSantis says, "We have put people over politics." There was still quite a lot of political theater to be found, though.

With Florida’s population on the rise, we're taking a look at how we’re adapting. "Zoning" may sound mundane but in reality, it's anything but! Zoning and building regulations affect us intimately -- because they hit us where we live.

These are exciting times in Tampa Bay. Our cuisine is better, more varied and drawing national attention. Florida Matters hosted a taping in front of a live audience this year at the St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs at USF St. Petersburg.

Florida is home to more than 500 invasive species. Not all of these plants and animals are big and scary like pythons, but they can still harm the state’s native wildlife, and a lot of time and money is spent fighting them.

A new mayor of Tampa will be elected on April 23rd. The two remaining candidates, Jane Castor and David Straz, debated at the WEDU PBS studio, and we're bringing that debate to you.

Alternative kinds of housing like shipping containers or tiny houses are quickly growing in popularity. We discuss whether they could help relieve some of the pressure from the affordable housing crunch.

Florida’s legislative session has been underway for almost a month and there have already been some big changes. We talk with reporters about key issues lawmakers are considering and how their actions could affect our lives on this week’s Florida Matters.

Historians and local old-timers say that once, Tampa Bay was overflowing with delicious oysters. And some rivers, like the Manatee River, were so full of mullet that they roiled the water and their noise kept nearby residents awake at night.

Tourism is a vital industry for our state, and Florida Matters is taking a look at how businesses fared in the wake of red tide, what's new with our theme parks, and where tourism is heading after another record-breaking year.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis kicked off the 2019 legislative session with his first State of the State address. He asked lawmakers to "be bold" as they address issues like education, the environment and health care.