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Urban Sprawl

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…

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…

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…

Speak out against this pro-‘sprawl’ bill that’s gotten worse

April 4, 2023

You’ve heard the term “from bad to worse?” This is the story of one proposal in the Florida Legislature that’s gone from outrageous — to offensive. House Bill 359 and its companion bill, Senate Bill 540, titled “Local Government Comprehensive…

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…

Should Florida put a lid on population growth to retain a ‘quality environment?’

February 2, 2023

The words practically jump off the page. “There is a limit to the number of people which the South Florida basin can support and at the same time maintain a quality environment,” the statement to the governor reads. “The State…

Bad bill alert: HB 41 would limit citizens’ ability to challenge development rules

January 5, 2023

Happy 2023 from VoteWater, where we’re confident the new year will bring tidings of comfort and joy — and lousy ideas, bad bills and terrible initiatives courtesy of the Florida Legislature. In fact, we’ve already identified our first Bad Bill…

This is how rural Florida disappears: One comprehensive plan amendment at a time

September 16, 2022

The assault on rural Florida is intensifying. Florida counties all have comprehensive plans, roadmaps designed to shepherd development into areas that can handle it, and away from those that can’t — like rural Florida. But all that open rural acreage…

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