Last week marked the first full week of the 2021 Legislative Session. Gov. Ron DeSantis addressed the joint meeting of the House and Senate to outline his legislative priorities. He pledged to address sea-level rise by providing funding to local governments for flooding infrastructure needs and has pledged continued support for the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir to aid Everglades restoration. 

 

The first week included hearings on two issues important to SCCF members: SB 94 – Water Storage North of Lake Okeechobee and SB 100 – Highway Projects, a bill to repeal major elements of the Multi-Use Corridors of Regional Economic Significance (MCORES) Toll Road legislation passed in 2019. Both bills passed their respective committees and you can track their progress on the regularly updated SCCF 2021 Legislative Tracker.

 

The legislature is strictly adhering to COVID-19 protocols which has a limiting effect on public input during committee meetings. With restricted in-person access to elected officials this year, it is even more important that we call and email our legislators on bills and issues that are important to us.

 

Each Monday, we will post the week’s committee hearings on the SCCF legislative tracker and each Friday we will provide a recap of the week’s bill action. As the legislation that impacts our priorities progresses, please expect some Action Alerts from us to further engage in the process. You can sign up to receive our Action Alerts at: SCCF Action Alert Sign-up. SCCF looks forward to working together with you again this year on the issues that matter.