May 9, 2023

Your Action is Needed Now: Urge Governor DeSantis to Protect Our Natural Resources.

The LWVFL Natural Resources Action Team is requesting Florida League members demand Gov. DeSantis veto the following bills that would negatively impact Florida's environment and our communities:

Senate Bill 170

Senate Bill 170 enacts a requirement for local governments to prepare a detailed business impact statement before adoption of any ordinance. The amount of research specified and time required to prepare these statements will place a burden on local government staff that is already strained and will adversely affect the ability of local governments to enact ordinances.

Senate Bill 346

Senate Bill 346 mandates that any application for a development permit or order – including zoning changes — is automatically approved after 180 days, even if a municipality needs extra time to review the proposed changes.

Senate Bill 540

Senate Bill 540 deals a devastating and permanent blow to effective citizen engagement in the planning process by threatening ordinary Floridians with paying the attorney fees and costs of local governments and wealthy developers. It prevents enforcement of local growth plans which are created with citizen input and adopted by their elected representatives. This legislation paves the way for fiscally and environmentally irresponsible sprawl by preventing citizens from challenging legally flawed local government planning decisions, including decisions that could negatively impact the Everglades and the multibillion-dollar taxpayer investment for Everglades Restoration.

House Bill 1191

House Bill 1191 pertains to the use of phosphogypsum. Phosphogypsum is the radioactive waste from processing phosphate into phosphoric acid for fertilizer. This bill would permit the use of phosphogypsum in Florida road construction. While the bill would require the Florida Department of Transportation to complete a study on the feasibility of phosphogypsum for road construction, the unreasonably short study period ending on April 1, 2024, cannot even begin to thoroughly review the health and safety consequences. Water quality and public health are especially threatened. Phosphogypsum is radioactive, releasing cancer-causing radon gas.

TAKE ACTION NOW!