It’s here folks, the two months we’ve all been waiting for: Legislative Session. Beginning on January 14, lawmakers from across the state will meet at the Florida Capitol to deliver (or fail to deliver) on their environmental promises.
What bills lie ahead and how can you play a role at home? Visit our Take Action page to find opportunities to engage with your lawmakers.
CLIMATE
Florida is on the front lines of climate change. Solving this problem is our greatest challenge. But before we invest billions of dollars in mitigation and carbon reduction solutions, Floridians deserve to have the most current and accurate science available.
Reps. Ben Diamond and Holly Raschein and Sen. Darryl Rouson have sponsored a bipartisan bill that calls for a comprehensive review of climate change in Florida. HB 913/SB 1232 would establish the Florida Climate Resiliency and Research Program, requiring our state’s best scientific agencies and institutions to conduct a coordinated evaluation of the causes and effects of climate change and sea level rise in Florida.
The science in this report will inform the climate protection strategies of tomorrow by helping to prioritize response efforts and by making taxpayer investments more effective today. This bill also requires the state to update and reproduce this report every four years so we can track changes, progress, and threats.
Click here to send a message to urge your legislator to cosponsor this bill!
LAND
When we protect land, we protect water, wildlife, and our collective health. That’s why it is critically important that we fully fund Florida Forever this year. As our state’s premier land conservation program, we have seen drastic cuts in the last ten years. But with a changing climate and an ever-growing population, we must save our remaining natural lands.
Filed by Rep. Thad Altman and Sen. Linda Stewart, HB 849/SB 332 permanently funds Florida Forever. Help ensure the victory of this bill by asking your Legislator to cosponsor it!
Without people like you to speak up, we will continue to lose our most important environmental lands to unbridled development.
Click here to send a message to your legislators!
ENERGY
With only ten years left to start making a meaningful difference in our carbon emissions, there is no more time to delay.
Thankfully, Rep. Anna Eskamani and Sen. José Javier Rodriguez have filed legislation (HB 97/SB 256) to set our state on track for 100% renewable energy by 2050.
Your voice is needed now to build the necessary support. The fossil fuel energy industry wants nothing more than for the Florida Legislature to ignore this issue once again. We cannot let that happen.
You can read more about this bill here, and visit our Take Action page to message your legislators.
From climate change and clean water to voting rights and protecting our parks, FCV will make sure that the values that you and I hold most dear are well-represented at the Capitol. But we can’t do it without Conservation Voters like you. As a constituent, your voice matters to your legislators. When we work together, our voices can become a chorus of voters demanding action.
Legislative Session goes by fast. Blink and you could miss it. Follow Florida Conservation Voters on social media and subscribe to our emails to get the most up to date information on environmental policy-making in the Florida Capitol.