PLEASE SHARE THIS WIDELY AND IMMEDIATELY!
Without delay, please contact Gov. Crist and ask him to veto SB 2080. Express your opposition to giving authority to approve or deny consumptive use permits, environmental resource permits, and variances to the executive directors of Florida’s five individual water management districts, eliminating the current governing board approval process. If passed, this new law would fly in the face of years of legislative restructuring aimed at creating water management districts with voting governing boards that promote good water policy. For years, citizens all over Florida have complained that Florida’s water management districts are perfect examples of taxation without representation but SB 2080 makes it even worse by removing almost any opportunity for taxpayers to be heard. In our opinion, SB 2080 is a blatant attempt to silence advocates for common sense water resource management in Florida.
State of Florida
The Capitol
400 S. Monroe St.Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
Background information:
This bill was initially supported by conservationists across the state because it finally raised Florida-friendly landscaping to prominence. Senate Bill 2080 was passed in the final hours of the regular legislative session after damaging amendments were added. PCEC seriously questions whether most legislators were even aware of the last minute additions and their potential for unintended consequences to Florida’s water resources. It is likely that they thought they were voting for a move to make our shared goals of water conservation more likely.
