Biden’s American Rescue Plan Will Boost Conservation Funding

Thanks to the leadership of President Biden and Congress, Florida will receive a projected $10 billion in federal Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds. In a budget press conference today, the Florida House and Senate have agreed to direct $300 million towards the Florida Forever program, specifically for the protection of

Locals Locked Out of Solar Decision Making

The comments below were given to the Senate Rules Committee on April 20, 2021 by Deputy Director Jonathan Webber. SB 896 - Amendment 713270 Good morning, my name is Jonathan Webber with Florida Conservation Voters and I urge this committee to oppose this amendment.  All commonly accepted definitions of environmental

Florida Forever Funded at $100 Million

After a long few days of budget negotiations, the House and Senate have agreed to fund the Florida Forever program at $100 million! Hundreds of Conservation Voters contacted budget leaders and urged them to fund our vital conservation programs. Your advocacy made a difference!  From our award-winning parks and miles

SB 90 a Step Backward on Voting Access

The comments below were given to the Senate Rules Committee on April 16, 2021 by Deputy Director Jonathan Webber. Read SB 90 here. Good morning my name is Jonathan Webber and I’m the Deputy Director of Florida Conservation Voters. Unfortunately, SB 90 is a step backwards. While we appreciate the

SB 100 Partial M-CORES Repeal

The comments below were given to the House Appropriations Committee on April 16, 2021 by Government Relations Director Lindsay Cross. Read SB 100 here Good morning Chair Trumball and members of the committee. I’m Lindsay Cross, Government Relations Director with Florida Conservation Voters. I am speaking for information purposes, however,

Protect Direct Democracy

The comments below were given to the House Judiciary Committee on April 15, 2021 by Executive Director Aliki Moncrief. Read HB 61 here. Good afternoon, my name is Aliki Moncrief and I’m the Executive Director of Florida Conservation Voters. We cannot support this bill today because we do not support

Public Service Commission Interviews Nominees

The Florida Public Service Commission is the most powerful Florida political body you’ve never heard of nor voted for, and it’s about to get a new member. Commissioners are appointed by the Governor. This five-member commission regulates all investor-owned utilities in the state, including privatized water utilities, telecommunications utilities, natural

Florida Forever Conserves Land and Water

Florida Forever is the state’s premier land protection and recreation program. The program and its predecessors have helped save more than 2.5 million acres of forests, wetlands, parks and other natural areas, making Florida a more resilient and beautiful state. In 2014, Florida voters changed the constitution to dedicate a