state budget 2026 Archives - The Space Coast Rocket

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DeSantis Veto Pen Cuts $11.5 Million From Brevard County in His Final Budget

Robert W. Burns III -

June 29, 2026

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The Space Coast Rocket

3 days ago

Gov. Ron DeSantis has vetoed Florida's new e-bike safety bill, and his reason for doing it might surprise you.SB 382 sailed through Tallahassee. It passed both the House and the Senate unanimously. Not one no vote. The bill would have capped e-bike speeds at 10 mph when riding within 50 feet of a pedestrian, required riders on shared paths to yield and signal before passing, and created a Micromobility Device Safety Task Force to study the issue and recommend future rules.Then on June 25, DeSantis killed it.His objection? Surveillance."This bill will likely lead to enhanced surveillance by local governments against citizens," the governor wrote in his veto letter. He argued the 10 mph rule would be nearly impossible for a rider to measure on the fly, and that enforcing it would "inevitably" mean speed detection and monitoring devices aimed at ordinary people.At a news conference Friday, he didn't soften it. "Do we really want to have policing of e-bikes?" DeSantis said. "What it will lead to is more surveillance of people by law enforcement. And we don't need that."He called the bill "a little bit of an overreach."Here's what the veto actually does for us on the Space Coast: nothing changes at the state level. There is still no uniform statewide framework. That means local governments and school districts keep setting their own rules, and those rules can vary wildly from one city or county to the next.Even the bill's own sponsors aren't fighting back. Sen. Clay Yarborough, who co-sponsored it after watching young Floridians get severely injured in e-bike crashes, said the governor's concerns "are valid" and that it's back to the drawing board.So now the question lands in the laps of parents, school boards, and city councils. With crashes involving teens and kids climbing, do local leaders fill the gap themselves, and if they do, does the governor's warning about surveillance and over-policing come true right here at home?What do you think? Should the state have set one clear standard, or was DeSantis right to worry about where this leads?#SpaceCoast #Florida #eBikes ... See MoreSee Less

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The Space Coast Rocket

3 days ago

HOME OF THE WEEK is here, and this one is a rare find.571 Tortuga Way in West Melbourne is hitting the market at $432,500, but the number that should stop you in your tracks is this one: an ASSUMABLE VA LOAN at 4.9%.In today's rate environment, that is the kind of deal buyers wait years for. If you qualify, you step into a payment most people simply cannot get right now.The home itself delivers just as hard. 4 bed, 3.5 bath with a flex room that works as a 5th bedroom, home office, or playroom. Spacious living areas, a chef-ready kitchen, and a large fenced backyard built for weekends, cookouts, and kids.Open House is this Sunday, June 28th from 12PM to 3PM. Come walk through it yourself.Questions or want a private showing? Call Brandon Lape with eXp Realty at (321) 446-7788.Know someone hunting for a home on the Space Coast? Tag them below so they don't mi#spacecoastrealestateR#westmelbournefle#openhouse#OpenHouse ... See MoreSee Less

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The Space Coast Rocket

3 days ago

BREAKING: US Strikes Iranian Targets After Drone Attack on Cargo Ship in Strait of HormuzThe United States military carried out strikes Friday against Iranian missile and drone storage sites and coastal radar positions around the Strait of Hormuz, retaliating for an attack a day earlier on a commercial cargo vessel transiting the critical waterway, according to US Central Command.CENTCOM said Iranian forces launched at least four one-way attack drones at ships in the strait Thursday. One drone struck the upper deck of a large cargo vessel on its starboard side, damaging the bridge. The ship was still able to continue on its way, and no casualties or environmental damage were reported. US forces shot down three other drones.President Trump called the strike a “foolish violation” of the ceasefire agreement that ended the recent war with Iran. “Nobody saw it coming,” he said, “and it hit a ship and did some damage. Can’t do that stuff.”Asked in the Oval Office whether Iran would face consequences, the President would only tell reporters, “You’re going to find out.”The incident marks the first major flare-up since Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding to reopen the strait and restart negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. Just hours before Thursday’s attack, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that ships would only be granted safe passage along routes declared to Iran, directly challenging the US position that the waterway is open and free once more.The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most important chokepoints in the global economy, with a large share of the world’s oil shipments passing through it each day.We are following this developing story.#BreakingNews #StraitOfHormuz #Iran ... See MoreSee Less

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The Space Coast Rocket

3 days ago

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The Space Coast Rocket

3 days ago

Take a flight over the future of Space Coast soccer. 🚁This is the first look at the 8,000-seat stadium and 53.8-acre district that Space Coast Pro Soccer plans to build in Melbourne, from the field to the surrounding shops, restaurants and plazas that would surround it on game day and every other day.Watch the full flyby, then tell us: are you ready for pro soccer on the Space Coast?Full story with all the details at the link in the comments.#spacecoast #brevardcounty #ProSoccer ... See MoreSee Less

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Tag: state budget 2026

DeSantis Veto Pen Cuts $11.5 Million From Brevard County in His Final Budget