
Following the Florida Legislature
Each year, Florida lawmakers convene in Tallahassee to consider bills that will impact Floridians and the natural environment. The 60-day session that begins March 7, 2023, offers lawmakers the chance to chart an impactful course for issues including water quality, conservation, and environmental justice. But it also leaves the door open for bad bills and special-interest influence. Friends of the Everglades is committed to tracking it all here.
Legislative Priorities
- Demand cleaner water, now: Poor water quality is the root cause of blue-green algae blooms, seagrass loss and manatee die-offs and other harmful outcomes. Improved water quality will safeguard marine life, human life and Florida’s economic vitality.
- Restore more wetlands, send more clean water south: To relieve pressure from the beleaguered northern estuaries and adequately clean water going south to meet court-ordered pollution limits, we must acquire more land for man-made marshes known as Stormwater Treatment Areas.
- Smarter, controlled development: Florida needs to re-establish the bipartisan consensus for a common-sense state role in growth management.
- Stop sugarcane burning: Pre-harvest sugarcane burning represents an environmental injustice that must be phased out in favor of “green” harvesting.
Latest News –
Bad Bill Alert: HB 1197/SB 1240
Speak out to stop ‘Dirty Water’ bills that would undercut local rules Today marks the start of Florida's annual 60-day Legislative session — a time when lawmakers convene in Tallahassee to consider bills that will impact Floridians and the [...]
VIDEO: Stay engaged to keep lawmakers accountable this Legislative session
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKXCFA6ngkE There’s always a lot to track in Florida’s annual 60-day Legislative session. This year is no exception. During today's Friends of the Everglades LIVE, VoteWater's Gil Smart broke down the details of several bad environmental proposals looming, as [...]
Key Players –
The following elected officials have an outsized influence on environmental decisions made by Florida’s Legislature during the 2023 legislative session.