We scored some crucial wins this legislative session in Tallahassee — both on offense and defense.
The Legislature passed, and Gov. DeSantis has promised to sign, landmark legislation protecting Florida’s state parks.
Several of the worst bills this session — the worst ideas this session — did not pass.
And while some damaging bills did pass, and good proposals that would have protected Florida’s natural environment went nowhere, things could have been far worse.
Unfortunately there’s still time for things to GET worse, as the House and Senate have not yet agreed on a budget, and could tack some of those bad ideas onto budget implementing bills as amendments. So the bottom line is, we’re not in the clear just yet — and Friends of the Everglades will be watching closely until the final gavel falls.
State parks bill passes, waiting for Governor’s signature
The marquee environmental bill this session was the State Park Protection Act, which looked to be stalled mid-session before picking up steam as time wound down. Ultimately the amended house version of the bill, HB 209, passed both chambers; in early May Gov. DeSantis said he would sign it. The legislation, subject of intense efforts by Friends of the Everglades and others to close concerning loopholes, will prohibit inappropriate development like golf courses or large hotels in our state parks and protect the natural resources in our parks. It is a robust answer to the thousands of Floridians who took to the streets on this issue last summer; this legislation will ensure our parks are protected in perpetuity.
This is a battle we shouldn’t have had to fight in the first place — but the decisive victory is a clear signal to DeSantis and lawmakers to keep private development off our publicly owned environmentally sensitive lands.
This wasn’t the only good news of the session, as several of the worst bills died down the stretch.
‘Auxiliary containers’ ban bill dies late in session
Perhaps the most controversial bill this year was SB 1822, “Waste Management,” which would have prohibited local governments from regulating the use of “auxiliary containers” like foam or plastic takeout containers. But as SB 1822 lost momentum before being passed, Senators attempted to amend a different bill, HB 1609, by adding the “auxiliary container” language. It failed; and the subsequent back-and-forth between the House and Senate was not resolved before the clock ran out. Huge credit goes to Florida Springs Council and Oceana for leading the charge against this bad bill.
We’re certain there will be another attempt to ram this idea through next session, if not before, as part of the budget enabling bill.
‘Agricultural enclave’ development bill voted down
Another bad idea that bit the dust involved “agricultural enclaves,” defined as farmland surrounded on several sides by existing development. Initially SB 1118/HB 1209 proposed letting owners of “agricultural enclaves” bypass the normal public hearing process and get administrative approval for proposed development. But when SB 1118/HB 1209 hit roadblocks the “enclave” language was grafted onto another bill (SB 1080) as an amendment. That proved controversial, however, and the bill was voted down in the Senate. Bill Sponsor Sen. Stan McClain had to amend the language out of the bill for it to finally pass.
Water Management Districts bill stripped, withdrawn
Finally, Senate Bill 7002, “Water Management Districts,” ultimately failed to pass even after most of the consequential language had been stripped out. Friends of the Everglades had been wary of SB 7002 and its House companion, HB 1169, because while we support efforts to increase transparency and budgeting accuracy, as the bill proposed, another provision in the Senate bill directed the South Florida Water Management District to begin planning and preparation to buy land north of Lake Okeechobee for a reservoir. We believe water storage south of the lake provides a far greater “bang for the buck.” That language was among the provisions taken out of the bill but it didn’t matter; the bill was withdrawn before the full House or Senate had a chance to vote.
Bad bills that did pass: Mitigation banking
In terms of damaging bills that did pass, the worst is SB 492, “Land Development” (formerly called “Mitigation Banks”), sponsored by Sen. Stan McClain. This bill will, among other things, allow wetland “mitigation banks” to release more mitigation credits sooner; and it will allow developers to purchase and use credits from basins in a different “service area,” meaning they wouldn’t have to offset the impacts of their project in the same basin where those impacts occur.
Given the vital importance of wetlands to the Greater Everglades region — and the entire state of Florida — this bill poses a serious threat. Wetlands provide flood protection, support water quality, and provide habitat. Making it easier to destroy them is an affront to Floridians and Senate bill sponsor McClain and corresponding House Bill 1775 sponsors Rep. Wyman Duggan and Rep. Webster Barnaby should be held to account.
‘Amendments to State Constitution’ hampers democracy
Another bill already signed into law by Gov. DeSantis is certain to impact the conservation community. House Bill 1205, “Amendments to the State Constitution,” changes the requirements for getting amendments to the state Constitution on the ballot, and imposes onerous new regulations governing the collection of petitions. The new law is already having an effect on some grassroots groups, like those collecting petitions in hopes of getting a right clean water amendment on the 2026 Florida ballot, the Florida Right to Clean Water initiative.
Good bills that didn’t make it
Lastly, there were several good bills this session that would have helped protect Florida’s environments, but they went nowhere. One of the most sweeping pairs of bills, SB 1646/HB 1575 sponsored by Sen. Lori Berman and Rep. Fentrice Driskell and 13 others, would among other things have required state agencies to create plans to prevent and mitigate harmful algal blooms and take action to ensure nitrogen levels continue to drop in Lake Okeechobee. Unfortunately neither bill has had a hearing.
For the complete list of all the bills we support and oppose and are watching, visit everglades.org/legislative-accountability/ .
Budget matters
Lastly, as the House and Senate reconvened May 12 to hammer out a final budget for next year, they remain at odds on several issues, including Everglades funding. As of May 12, Gov. DeSantis has proposed $805 million for restoration; the Senate has proposed spending $750 million. But the House — saying that millions in funds appropriated in previous years have not yet been spent — is currently allocating just $357 million.
Most observers believe the House will eventually come closer to matching the Senate figure; but even if that happens, state Everglades spending this year could come in significantly lower than it has in years past.
