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Dave Williams  |  Capitol Beat News ServiceReal estate investor headed to prison in Atlanta fraud schemeBy Dave WilliamsBureau ChiefCapitol Beat News ServiceATLANTA - The head of a commercial real estate investment firm has been sentenced to 87 months in prison and ordered to pay $45 million in restitution in a fraud scheme involving the Atlanta Financial Center in Buckhead.Elchonon (Elie) Schwartz, 46, of New York City pleaded guilty in February to one count of wire fraud. Schwartz convinced more than 800 investors to send him $62.8 million, including $54 million...

'This is a total dog and pony show. This is not anything that’s credible,' DeSantis said.House Speaker Danny Perez delivers a stunning rebuke to DeSantisThe Florida Legislature nixed the governor's special session and created their own, solely focused on immigration.Florida Governor Ron DeSantis criticized the House's late-session push for property tax cuts as ineffective.House Speaker Daniel Perez prefers sales tax cuts and formed a 37-member committee to explore property tax cut options, a move DeSantis called a "dog and pony show."The House’s push for property tax cuts will be ineffective,...

'The governor has not yet come forward with any specific answers,' House Speaker Perez said. 'If the House wanted to get this done, they would have,' a DeSantis spokesman shot back.House Speaker Danny Perez delivers a stunning rebuke to DeSantisThe Florida Legislature nixed the governor's special session and created their own, solely focused on immigration.Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez announced a select committee to review property tax cut proposals.The move follows disagreements with Governor DeSantis on property tax cuts and other issues.The committee will consider various options, including raising homestead...

House and Senate budget and tax cut negotiators are running out of time to reach a deal and end the legislative session on time.Local cheerleaders with Special Olympics show their skills at CapitolSpecial Olympics athletes demonstrate their cheerleading skills during Annual Law Enforcement Torch Run and ceremony at Capitol courtyard.The House and Senate disagree on tax cut plans, with differing approaches and overall amounts.The legislative session's deadline is approaching, with budget and tax cut negotiations still ongoing.One of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ main gripes with the House in his ongoing feud...

Ty Tagami  |  Capitol Beat News ServiceHow do billionaires avoid paying taxes? Here's what we know now.The super wealthy can afford to avoid paying taxes, but how? Here's what we know now.Georgia voters approved a constitutional amendment to curb property tax increases by tying them to inflation.Most cities and counties adopted the amendment, but the majority of school districts, which receive the largest share of property taxes, opted out.A new law gives local governments until the end of April to reconsider, but school districts face challenges due to rising education...

President Trump calls tariffs 'medicine' as stock market plungesPresident Donald Trump spent the weekend at a golf tournament in Florida as the stock market continued to plunge.The mass tariffs President Donald Trump announced last week sent the stock market tumbling.The S&P 500 and Nasdaq are now in a bear market.Economist and financial institutions are even more concerned about the possibility of a recession in the U.S.President Donald Trump's mass tariffs have sent the stock market tumbling in recent days and has sparked vocal concerns from economists and financial institutions over...

The governor lambasted House GOP lawmakers for not addressing 'pressing issues that Floridians care about.'DeSantis wants repeal of red flag laws and supports open carryDeSantis wants repeal of red flag laws and other restrictions on Second Amendment RightsFlorida Governor Ron DeSantis criticizes the Florida House's decision to reinstate four budget items he vetoed last year.DeSantis urges the legislature to prioritize issues like condo insurance reform, medical freedom, and E-Verify instead.The Senate has yet to decide whether to support the House's budget veto overrides.Gov. Ron DeSantis isn’t happy with Florida House...

White House downplays recession fears amid stock market concernsA new poll found that 70% of Americans, including a majority of Republicans, think President Trump's trade policies will push prices higher.Scripps NewsThe stock market has experienced turbulence, with the Nasdaq entering a correction in early March.The S&P 500 is predicted to see a weekly gain after four weeks of losses, while the Dow is on track for its largest weekly gain since January.After the November 2024 election, the stock market hit an all time high, with conservative media pundits claiming that...

Eliminating property tax goes far beyond any trims realized by addressing the proverbial waste, fraud and abuse. It most likely means raising another tax to make up for the lost revenue.Gov. Ron DeSantis holds immigration press event in Palm Beach CountyGov. Ron DeSantis holds immigration Palm Beach County press event with Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, State Rep. Mike Caruso and FDLE Commissioner Mark GlassGov. Ron DeSantis has started talking about eliminating property taxes for Florida homeowners.I don’t think he really means it. For starters, it would make Florida the only state...

One top GOP lawmaker said, 'I think we should caution our members as to the outcomes' if Florida axes property taxes.How well will the Florida Legislature work with Gov. Ron DeSantis?FLORIDA TODAY's John Torres discusses the 2025 legislative session with reporters James Call and John Kennedy in this excerpt fro the Florida Pulse.Florida Republicans are considering phasing out property taxes, a move championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.The proposal faces a significant hurdle: Replacing the $50 billion in revenue property taxes generate for essential services like schools and law enforcement.Critics argue...