Citizens initiatives are one of five ways Florida’s constitution can be changed. But as Regan McCarthy reports some lawmakers say they think citizens are using the process to route around the legislature rather than make the kinds of changes one might expect to find in a state’s constitution.
Like so many states, Florida is looking to “reform” its election laws. That, despite the fact that Governor DeSantis and many other officials called the 2020 election “the best run in the state’s history. But the uncertainty has already claimed at least one casualty. As Nancy Klingenger from WLRN reports, Monroe County’s top elections official is calling it quits.
Governor Ron DeSantis and State Senate President Wilton Simpson are at odds over a measure dealing with Everglades restoration projects. The Senate bill in question, dubbed “25-08,” would require the South Florida Water Management District to advocate for farmers to get more water in exchange for funding for clean water projects. DeSantis has blasted the measure, while Simpson has expressed his support. Valerie Crowder spoke with Friends of the Everglades’ Eve Samples about what the political showdown means for the state’s vulnerable wetlands preserve.
One of the most ambitious attempts at ecological restoration ever is underway in the Florida Everglades. WMFE environmental reporter Amy Green explains an unprecedented 1-(B)-billion-dollar boost in federal funding comes at a dynamic time in the massive effort.
An emergency fund worth half-a-billion dollars is almost ready for Governor Ron DeSantis’ use. Gina Jordan reports legislation creating the “Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund” has been approved by both chambers.