Reclaiming Florida’s Future – a Good Measure of Success

Lots of hard work by ReThink Energy and the Floridians Against Fracking Coalition, supported by many groups across the state, resulted in a day of activity and success in our state’s capitol on a cold day in January, 2018.

                                                         
David Cullen  Sierra Club                                                                                           Brian Lee,  ReThink Energy

Bills speaking to six categories were presented to legislators by enthusiastic groups going from office to office.  The six main categories included Ban Fracking in Florida, Renewable Energy Project Investment, Private Property Rights for Renewable Energy Sources, Sea-leval Rise Awareness, Water Conservation, and Florida Forever Land Conservation Funding.

           
Vicki Machado,  Kim Ross and Kristin Rubin               Power from New York, Craig Stevens, Vicki Machado and Pennsylvania

Our group of seven from High Springs/Gainesville made the rounds of many offices, these being Senators Bradley and  Perry, and Representatives Alexander, Ausley, Beshears, Watson, Porter and Payne.   Of this group of eight, Only Watson and Perry were present in person to our group, the rest being meeting with aides and assistants.

From head of table District Secretary to Rep. Porter Sheree Vann, clockwise OSFR president Mike Roth, Suwannee River Keeper John Quarterman, OSFR treasurer Cindy Noel, Vicki Machado, Carel Legara, OSFR Kristin Rubin, and Sierra Club Sarah Younger..

Rep. Payne was not on our list, but we made time for him as his district includes Union and Bradford Counties, and we wanted to discuss the proposed phosphate mine.

High Springs/Gainesville participants lead by Sarah Younger, Kristin Rubin, Vicki Machado, your historian, and Abhaya Thiele.
The best news we came away with was that Sen. Bradley, as a last minute action, did place SB462, the Ban Fracking Bill, on the agenda.  We had been told by a legislative aide, (not Sen. Bradley’s) that the the bill was dead, and for sure dead.  So we were ecstatic when, on the way home, we received a phone call from Sen. Bradley’s office with the good news.

                                          Representative Watson was not a hard sell, he is a steward of the environment

Please give Sen. Bradley’s office a call or an email in the next day or two thanking him for championing our environment in Florida.

   
ReThink Leaders Kim Ross and Doug Miller                      Richard Silvestri, Gale Dickert and Kristin Rubin

Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
-A river is like a life: once taken, it cannot be brought back-