Guest commentary: SCCF provides Week 1 legislative update
The 2025 Florida legislative session began on March 4 with Gov. Ron DeSantis presenting his State of the State address to spotlight his priorities for the upcoming session. He spoke about property tax reform, condominium costs and limiting citizen ballot initiatives.
Introduced on Feb. 3, the governor’s proposed $115.6 billion Focus on Fiscal Responsibility Budget included priorities like $613 million for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, $590 million for the popular home hardening program, $2 billion in tax cuts and the elimination of 741 state positions.
Specific gubernatorial environmental spending proposals included:
– $805 million for Everglades restoration (includes Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan and multiple reservoir projects)
– $275 million for water quality improvement grants
– $25 million for Caloosahatchee River water quality improvements
– $261 million for coastal resilience
UPDATE ON BILLS FILED BY LEGISLATORS
Legislators have also been busy filing legislation and holding pre-legislative committee meetings, mostly to receive presentations on state agency budgets. As of March 7, the House had filed fewer bills than last year with 850, while the Senate was about on par with last session, having filed 929 bills.
Typically, bills heard very early in the session are leadership priorities and are likely to pass. The following are bills that passed out of committee during the first week can be considered as such leadership priorities:
– Water quality, Everglades restoration
Water Management Districts — SB 7002 passed unanimously out of its first committee, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Environment and General Government. The bill requires detailed reports on the remaining costs of the Everglades Restoration Comprehensive Plan and a status of all performance indicators. It also authorizes districts to levy ad valorem taxes. The bill moved on to its last committee stop in the full Appropriations Committee. The House companion bill, HB 1169, had not been heard in its four assigned committees yet.
– Climate change, resiliency and sea level rise
Nature-Based Methods for Improving Coastal Resiliency — SB 50 also passed unanimously out of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Environment and General Government. The bill establishes more stringent development standards for green (nature-made) and grey (man-made) infrastructure. It moved to the Rules Committee next. The House companion, HB 371, had not yet been heard in its referred committees.
– Growth management
Restrictions on Development — SB 452 (withdrawn). While the title of the bill sounds like it might be a check on development, in practice, it would allow for residential development on barrier islands at the highest density possible on or after a specific date regardless of any local land use or zoning policy. It was filed to address a specific issue in Broward County but would have applied to the entire state. After considerable concern was raised by the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) and others, the sponsoring senator withdrew the bill. We are grateful the legislator listened to Floridians and was receptive to how the bill would impact other communities.
Visit the 2025 SCCF Legislative Tracker at https://sccf.org/what-we-do/2025-legislative-session/.
Holly Schwartz is policy associate for the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF). Founded in 1967, the SCCF’s mission is to protect and care for Southwest Florida’s coastal ecosystems. For more information, visit www.sccf.org.