Legislative Priorities

2022 Legislative Priorites

  • We support consistent sustained funding levels for priority Everglades Restoration projects including the Everglades Agricultural Area reservoir to accomplish the objective of sending clean water south as quickly as possible; the C-43 Reservoir project and associated water quality treatment along the Caloosahatchee; and implementation of other critical storage and water quality infrastructure projects north, south, east, and west of Lake Okeechobee.
  • We support legislative actions implementing the Blue-Green Algae Task Force’s recommendations that aim to reduce nutrient pollution from all sources, to protect the public, businesses, and the environment from harmful algal blooms.
  • We support strengthening stormwater standards for urban landscapes (statewide stormwater rule update and ratification) and agricultural runoff, particularly for nutrient pollution from nitrogen and phosphorus that feeds harmful algal blooms.
  • We support funding for and plans to upgrade and build advanced wastewater treatment to reduce nutrients in reuse/reclaimed irrigation water with monitoring of nutrient concentrations.
  • We support the establishment of statewide septic tank inspection and maintenance requirements.
  • We support Home Rule and oppose any statewide pre-emption policies that would restrict the ability of local governments to protect our water quality.

Tourism

  • We oppose any new uses of Tourism Development Tax dollars. Voters in each Florida county approved the collection of this tax for the sole and specific purpose of funding the promotion and marketing of Florida tourism. New authorized uses must be rejected.
  • We support continued funding and extension of the repeal date for VISIT FLORIDA allowing the organization to plan further will enable it to recruit and retain top talent, as well as plan and implement long term marketing strategies.