Today was the official kick-off of the 2020 Legislative Session. As the House and Senate met and the Governor gave his State of the State, I couldn’t help but feel honored to be a part of Florida’s history. Today, tomorrow, and in the days to come, Florida’s lawmakers will enact policy that makes or breaks our state. They will have the opportunity to prepare Florida for the days ahead: for population growth and climate change. They will have the opportunity to set renewable energy goals, fully fund Florida Forever, commit to science-based climate solutions, and enact so many other safeguards for our land and water.
I spoke on behalf of Florida Conservation Voters at the Sunrise Agenda Press Conference and urgently called for environmental safeguards and climate action now.
My remarks:
I’m honored to be here today to talk about the need to protect and preserve Florida’s environment. Without clean air, clean water, abundant and vibrant natural areas, and a serious commitment to reducing our reliance on dirty fossil fuels, the Florida we know and love simply won’t exist.
When we ignore the needs of our environment, we ignore the needs of our friends, our children, and our neighbors.
That’s why our environment has to be our top priority when we make decisions about the future of our state.
That’s why we must never let up in our fight to protect Florida’s open spaces, parks, and beaches from poorly-planned and short-sighted overdevelopment. This is why we need to fully fund the Florida Forever land conservation program as voters intended when they passed Amendment 1 back in 2014.
We also must enact real water quality standards that hold polluters accountable to prevent the kind toxic algal blooms that have ravaged our state.
It’s hard to imagine leaving a Florida to my seven-year-old son without its pristine beaches, cypress-lined rivers, our world-renowned Everglades and remarkable network of springs and wetlands.
That’s why our environment must remain a top priority.