Urge Gov. DeSantis to veto SB 180. (1000 Friends of Florida)

I agree with 1000 Friends of Florida:

The presiding officers in Florida’s House and Senate have sent Senate Bill 180 to Governor DeSantis for action. If this bill becomes law, much if not most local land-use planning in Florida will be suspended for three years. Floridians and the local leaders they elect will lose much of their authority to control how their communities grow, including by enacting measures to protect safety and the environment. That’s why we are calling on you to join us in urging the Governor to veto this misguided legislation. Florida legislators passed SB 180 in the last scheduled week of this year’s regular session. Sponsors promised the bill would improve emergency management and disaster recovery following the three hurricanes that struck the state in 2024. But SB 180 includes a provision that would prevent any local government in Florida from adopting any amendment that could be deemed more “restrictive or burdensome” to its comprehensive plan along with its land development regulations and procedures. This sweeping, undefined provision would rule out any changes to local growth guidelines in Florida unless developers agree and sponsor the change. Local governments that exercise their planning authority without obtaining approval from developers would face lawsuits, and their taxpayers could be forced to cover developers’ legal costs.  This provision would apply retroactively from August 1, 2024, through October 1, 2027. So if SB 180 becomes law, much if not most local land-use planning in Florida will be suspended for three years. A similar 2023 law that applied to 10 counties already has been cited to prevent local governments in the region from adopting stronger environmental protections. SB 180 would also nullify local efforts to adopt land-use changes to promote greater community resilience, to protect lives, property and public dollars from future storms. It would doom more storm-vulnerable communities in Florida to a cycle of destruction. It would raise flood insurance costs for thousands of Floridians.   Last month we launched a veto campaign against SB 180 with an appeal to our followers and a letter to Governor DeSantis, calling on him to save community planning throughout Florida. Now that the bill has been sent to the Governor, he has 15 days to sign it, let it become law without his signature, or veto it. The clock is ticking. To drive our veto message home to Gov. DeSantis and his team, our Conservation & Planning Advocacy Coordinator, Chadwick Leonard, personally delivered 770 petition signatures from concerned citizens across Florida to the Governor’s office today. This is a clear show of the widespread public opposition to this concerning legislation. You can still help by calling or emailing the Governor’s office to underscore this veto message. We have offered some sample email language by clicking the button below. Feel free to customize or use your own.  📢 Please send an email to Gov. DeSantis today! Contact Gov. DeSantis Sincerely, Kim Dinkins Policy and Planning Director 1000 Friends of Florida