Another victory. Every single Florida legislator voted yes on this bill. Every single Florida resident supported defending our Florida parks against other-directed Boy Governor RONALD DION DeSANTIS and his devastating attack on our State Parks. I testified before our St. Johns County Legislative Delegation at their January 10, 2025 meeting in support of this bill. Read my statement here: https://cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com/2025/01/save-our-parks-staugustgreen-ed-slavin.html
DeSantis says he’ll sign bill to ban golf, hotels in Florida state parks
DeSantis was asked by a Times reporter Wednesday if he’d sign the bill following a roundtable event in Tampa. He settled the months of speculation and politicking in a single word, replying “Yes.” He did not elaborate.
Eric Draper, who served as the former director of Florida‘s state parks under DeSantis, said the governor’s comments are “a big relief.”
“The governor had to respond to the fact that there’s never been such a strong outpouring of support in favor of our environment,” Draper said. “Tens of thousands of Floridians voiced their support for our state parks, both before and during the legislative session, and this bill became the biggest environmental priority.”
Draper said the governor should continue to capitalize on the strong bipartisan support for state parks by ensuring the state’s existing 175 parks are fully funded and staffed in the future. The governor’s comments on his intentions Wednesday serve as an important milestone in a decades-long fight to shield parks from developers.
“The problem we always face with our parks is somebody comes along with an idea for how to realize their business venture on public land. I think this bill sends a strong message that that idea is a no-go,” Draper said.
In addition to its prohibitions on building sports facilities and hotels in state parks, House Bill 209 also requires the state to complete a report by Dec. 1 that takes inventory of needed repairs on state parks and proposes a plan to address them.
It also adds more transparency around any future proposed changes to parks, requiring that the public have at least 30 days’ notice before a hearing. When last year’s controversy over the park plans erupted, Floridians had just six days to absorb the news before a series of near-simultaneous, one-hour hearings were scheduled around the state, during which presenters were not authorized to answer questions.
Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman, a Highland Beach Republican who was one of the House sponsors, said this bill “may turn out to be one of the most monumental laws passed in the history of Florida.”
”It allows us to hold forever onto our native parks full of scrub and pine forests, crystal springs, wetland and waterways, and indigenous wildlife," she said in a text message.
Sen. Gayle Harrell, the Senate sponsor, said she was “delighted to hear” the governor’s comments that he plans to sign the bill into law. She didn’t know his intentions until she heard news of his remarks from a reporter.
“I was a little concerned at first, but that is just terrific news. I am thrilled to pieces,” Harrell said in an interview. “The outcry and public rejection of the idea to develop parks was so significant, I think it would be hard not to sign the bill.”
Harrell’s district includes Jonathan Dickinson State Park, the largest park in southeast Florida and home to the state’s only endemic bird species, the Florida scrub jay. The administration’s plans last summer called for converting more than a tenth of the park, roughly 1,300 acres, into golf courses.
Now she has an idea for where DeSantis should sign the bill.
“I would love to invite him to Jonathan Dickinson and sign it there,” Harrell said. “I think that would be very appropriate.”
2 comments:
Another issue created by Republicans to be solved by Republicans. It's called manufactured be to distract from what they really aren't doing to bring the greatest amount of good for the most people.
Conservative Republicans will dress up a Republican as a democrat and run them if they even think they might lose. America's scam two party system serves the wealthy and upwardly mobile every time and in every way.
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