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Florida Legislature

DeSantis signs ‘sprawl bill’; will he let fertilizer ban stand?

May 26, 2023

One down, one to go — and not in a good way. On May 24, after weeks of lobbying and email campaigns and public pleas by citizens and conservation groups seeking a veto, Gov. Ron DeSantis ignored it all and signed…

Legislators want to ban fertilizer bans – because they know what ‘the science’ will say

May 16, 2023

As we write this Gov. Ron DeSantis still hasn’t signed the state budget, nor has he vetoed line item 146 — which green-lights a one-year ban on new fertilizer ordinances while the University of Florida studies the matter. VoteWater has…

Florida’s waters will bear the scars of this legislative session

May 8, 2023

And so the 2023 Legislative Session has come to an end. Mercifully. Let’s be frank: It wasn’t a good year for clean water or Florida’s environment in general. While the Legislature did allot a record $1.1 billion for land acquisition…

Banning fertilizer bans: Dirty trick by Legislature will lead to dirtier water

May 3, 2023

Sneaky. Devious. Underhanded. Duplicitous. Can you think of a better word to describe the stunt just pulled by the Florida Legislature? We’d love to hear it — and we suggest you let THEM hear it, too. Tucked inside an “implementing…

Tallahassee report: We came, we lobbied – and we’ll be back

April 27, 2023

VoteWater Executive Director Gil Smart was in the state capital of Tallahassee last week, speaking to key Florida legislators about clean-water issues and bills that are now under consideration in the state House and Senate. Alongside Friends of the Everglades…

Pro-sprawl Senate Bill 540: Here’s who voted for it

April 21, 2023

Given the clout the sprawl industry wields in Florida, it’s hardly surprising the Florida Senate passed controversial Senate Bill 540 on April 19, over the objections of conservation groups (like VoteWater) and citizen advocates around Florida. The bill, which may…

Legislative update: ‘Session of sprawl?’ You’re soaking in it

April 13, 2023

We hate it when we’re right. Back in February, before the Florida Legislature even convened, we predicted this would be a “Session of Sprawl.” Just as we feared, bad bills that make paving over natural Florida that much easier are…

A clean-water governor wouldn’t sign these dirty-water bills

March 30, 2023

So what’s it going to be, Gov. DeSantis? You’ve styled yourself as a Teddy Roosevelt-style Republican with an eye for conservation. And frankly, we appreciate the record funding you’ve helped secure for Everglades restoration and other water quality projects around…

Red tide: Not out of sight, but out of mind in Tallahassee

March 23, 2023

As red tide burns, our Legislature fiddles – and considers bills that could make things worse For months a nasty red tide has bloomed up and down much of Florida’s west coast, killing fish, causing respiratory distress and worse. You…

The sprawl industry is pushing for more reckless growth – with plenty of inside help

February 16, 2023

The “Session of Sprawl” is upon us. With nearly a month to go before the 2023 Legislative session officially begins, several bills have already been filed which, if passed, will supercharge sprawl across the entirety of the Sunshine State. These…

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