Politics

Legislative session ends; did it set up a big environmental fight next year?

March 14, 2024

Click here to register for a March 21 livestream looking back at the 2024 Legislative session hosted by our friends at Friends of the Everglades. The 2024 Legislative session is over, thank God. It could have been worse. But it…

‘Dirty Money’ at work as mining giant digs deep for lawmakers

February 28, 2024

First, stop what you’re doing and visit the Friends of the Everglades website to register your opposition to House Bill 789/Senate Bill 738, which will be voted on by the full House and Senate soon. The bills deserve to die,…

Final tally: Big Sugar spent $3.6 million on state politics in 2023

February 2, 2024

The final numbers are in — and they’re big. In 2023, Big Sugar political spending in Florida totaled over $3.6 million, with the vast majority — $2.9 million — coming from industry giant U.S. Sugar. Florida Crystals chipped in just…

Rogues gallery: Who’s behind this year’s dirty-water bills?

January 25, 2024

We’ve spend a lot of time and space analyzing the dreck oozing from Tallahassee this session, the terrible bills and bad ideas destined to result in dirtier water, more reckless development and more citizen intimidation. This week, let’s take a…

Big Sugar has at least 48 lobbyists in Tallahassee; how many do YOU have?

January 18, 2024

Ever wonder why Big Sugar so often gets its way when it comes to Florida water policy? Part of the answer lies in the number of lobbyists the industry pays to roam the halls of the capitol, sweet-talking legislators. While…

Legislative session 2024: It’s going to be a long two months

January 11, 2024

Welcome to the good, the bad and the hideously ugly. The 2024 Florida Legislative session began Tuesday, Jan. 9, and continues through Friday, March 8. More than four dozen bills that could have an impact on clean water have been…

Big Sugar spent millions in 2023; most went to PACs

January 4, 2024

With the 2024 Florida Legislative session bearing down — it starts next week! — we figured we’d take a look at what our old friends at Big Sugar spent buying influence in 2023. While totals for the fourth quarter of…

Why is this seat on the SFWMD Governing Board still vacant?

December 26, 2023

Earlier this year we told you how Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch, perhaps the staunchest clean-water advocate on the South Florida Water Management District Governing Board, lost her seat after Gov. Ron DeSantis renominated her — but the Florida Senate declined to hold…

Clean-water funding + dirty water legislation = no progress

December 20, 2023

Dear VoteWater community: The things we’d really like Santa to bring would never fit into a stocking. Clean water: Santa could pour some in but it would make a mess. Of course, it couldn’t hold a Christmas candle to the…

Want to challenge an environmental decision in Florida? It could cost you

December 14, 2023

With weeks to go before the Florida Legislative session even begins, a solid contender for “Worst Bill of the Year” has entered the fray. And you know that’s going to be a crowded field. Gaze upon House Bill 789 and…

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