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Florida

Deep Dive: Baby manatees are dying – and it might be a sign of recovery

September 26, 2024

So far this year, 133 baby manatee have been found dead in Florida, a mortality rate more than twice the five-year average and more deaths than any other entire year since the state began keeping records in 1974. Still, manatee…

PAC attack: U.S. Sugar, Florida Crystals gave more than $26 million to PACs since 2018

March 27, 2024

“Dirty money” to dirty politicians means dirty water. But what happens when the “dirty money” — campaign cash from polluters — goes instead to PACs, political action committees? As part of our “Dirty Money Project” we wanted to find out;…

How ‘Dirty Money’ keeps the powerful in power

November 10, 2023

Here at VoteWater we’re hip-deep in research for our “Dirty Money Project,” and we’ve noticed something interesting: Both sides — that is, Republicans and Democrats — take money from polluting special interests. But the amount they get coincides with the…

VoteWater Deep Dive: Get ready for the fight over fertilizer

October 5, 2023

New study based on flawed past studies could be used to justify permanent ban on fertilizer bans — leading to dirtier water One of the more dubious actions (and there were plenty) taken by the 2023 Florida Legislature and rubber-stamped…

Why we fight

July 5, 2023

It doesn’t get more American than this. Leading up to the Fourth of July, Florida beaches and waterways were packed. Families in the sand, music and cold beverages on the boat, some fishing, some swimming — that’s why we live…

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…

Why is Nikki Fried getting so much money from sugar-related PACs?

August 9, 2022

Late last month we issued our voter guides for Florida’s Aug. 23 primary election. Between now and election day we reserve the right to update the guides as new information comes to light. We did just that today, in regards…

The Caloosahatchee’s in trouble – and we need a political solution

July 12, 2022

The following is commentary by Ray Judah, a member of the VoteWater Board of Directors and a former Lee County Commissioner. Poor water quality in the Caloosahatche river and our coastal estuaries is a political problem and requires a political…

Blue-green algae: We know what to do. When are we going to do it?

July 7, 2022

Blue-green algae is everywhere this summer. In Colorado Springs, officials are adding enzymes to the water to clear up annual blooms. In Kansas, officials over the 4th of July weekend warned residents to steer clear of 10 impaired water bodies.…

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