Here are some of the top stories from the past week from NBC 6 News:
Gov. DeSantis Proposing Over $1 Billion in Gas Tax Relief in Florida
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he'll propose over $1 billion in gas tax relief in the state's next legislative session.
DeSantis announced the proposal at a news conference Monday at a gas station in Daytona Beach.
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"There's a whole bunch of things that go into the price of gas, there's different taxes, federal, state, local level, we're taking over 25 cents from Florida and we will basically zero that out for as long as we can and do over a billion dollars," DeSantis said.
DeSantis said he's already spoken with representatives from Buc-ee's, Wawa and other fuel companies about the proposal. The next legislative session begins in January.
The governor said the tax relief could save an average family up to $200 over a five or six month period.
Local
PolitiFact: Can Low Wage Earners Be Taxed into Poverty?
After months and months of the ongoing debate over the various plans and proposals being considered in Washington D.C., it’s rare to see a new argument emerge.
But in an Oct. 30, 2021 appearance on MSNBC, U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, offered the case for supporting President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better plan.
"The framework is much more than a social safety net program," Moore said on "Velshi," an MSNBC program hosted by author and finance correspondent Ali Velshi. "I think these programs contribute as much to our growing economy as anything. What good is growth if we’re taxing our workers into poverty?"
Moore went on to say: "If you’re a low-wage worker and you’re single and don’t have children, we’re literally taxing you into poverty."
Is Moore right? Click here to read the full story.
Pilots at Miami International Airport Report Increase in Laser Pointer Strikes
The Federal Aviation Administration has major concerns about a troubling trend as thousands of people move through Florida airports this holiday season.
Pilots are reporting an increase in people pointing laser pointers at commercial planes taking off and landing.
Across the nation, pilots say it has happened nearly a thousand times more than last year. The airport with the most reports in the state of Florida is Miami International Airport.
MIA has more than double the number of the next closest.
This trend worries pilots as they enter a high season for this type of behavior.
According to the FAA, as of October 31, 439 pilots reported a laser pointer strike in Florida -- 124 of them were in the area around MIA.
Last year, in the same sector, there were 93 reports. Tampa had the second most this year in Florida with 59 reports as of October 31.
‘Only in Dade' Instagram Account Reactivated Days After Being Disabled
It took less than a week, but the popular social media account Only in Dade is back in action.
The Instagram account for the site posted their return Thursday, six days after saying it had been disabled for an unknown reason.
The account, known across the community for posting viral videos, images, memes and news, was disabled at 8:30 p.m. last Friday, a spokesperson said in an e-mail.
The page, which is also an active brand on Facebook and Twitter, has amassed 709,000 followers on the social media platform since its launch in 2013.
The creators of 'Only In Dade' (Instagram handle: @onlyindade) say they weren't given a reason as to why the account was disabled.
Clock Ticking for 13 Miami Beach Restaurants Losing Sidewalk Café Permits
The clock is ticking for more than a dozen sidewalk cafés in Miami Beach that are being denied their permits for at least one year because of code violations.
Several restaurants are suing the city over a policy that would likely put them out of business. Ole Ole, a steakhouse on Lincoln Road, just got notice it’s outdoor dining permit is being revoked for one year because of code violations.
But the restaurant manager insists those violations were never substantiated and she said an instance of overstuffed garbage cans was remedied immediately.
The restaurant, along with a second on Lincoln Road, are asking a judge to prevent the city from enforcing the suspension of the permit, saying the city is all wrong.
Out of 144 Miami Beach businesses that applied for the permit or looked to renew their existing outdoor dining permit 13 have been denied according to city officials because the restaurants have repeated violations.
Violations are for thing like excessive noise or an aggressive host looking to encourage people to come inside the restaurant. Overstuffed garbage cans are another violation.
And for those 13 restaurants, sidewalk operations are done, now suspended for a year at the end of the month.
E-Scooters Back in Fort Lauderdale as Miami Pilot Program in Limbo
After a nearly two year hiatus, scooters will be coming back to Fort Lauderdale, likely by spring, Mayor Dean Trantalis told the Sun-Sentinel.
“The city will soon be courting scooter rental companies, allowing them to apply for a permit,” Mayor Trantalis said.
While advocates say the scooters make it easier to get around, there have been safety concerns. Back in 2019, 27-year-old Ashanti Jordan suffered a traumatic brain injury after colliding with a car while riding a scooter in Fort Lauderdale.
The program was put on pause in 2020 due to concerns over potential spread of COVID.
Mayor Trantlis told the Sun-Sentinel that when scooters come back, they’ll be required to use the bike lane or sidewalk, speed will be capped at 12 mph, and there will be designated parking areas. Busy areas like Las Olas, the beach and Riverwalk will be off limits.
Fort Lauderdale’s announcement comes as the Miami City Commission just voted to eliminate a pilot program for electric scooters.
