Action Item: Florida Property Rights

[Leanne King]

Florida Property Rights:
When the state legislature dismantled state oversight for growth management and abolished the DCA, they said they wanted to leave local land use decisions to local governments. Some legislators seem to have forgotten they said that, and are apparently determined to make sure that local governments aren’t allowed to make local decisions.

Representative Jimmy Patronis has written House Bill, HB 703 to help
the citizens of Florida and their property rights. This includes the
Comprehensive Plans and Vison Plans that every county has, the ones that are
controlling our property rights by permits, regulations, etc.
The bill filed by Rep. Jimmy Patronis dealing with an array of environmental regulatory issues passed its first committee Tuesday despite opposition from environmentalists, cities and counties.

Patronis, R-Panama City, told the committee that the purpose of his legislation was to start a dialogue among interest groups and local governments to resolve their differences.
"I hate to say that we hold their feet to the fire but that is exactly what we are doing," Patronis said.
The following, in quotes was sent to me via a TP member who is actively fighting for property rights in Florida.
“When speaking to his office this morning I was told that the
Environmental Groups, ( the Sierra Club, the Audubon Society, 1000
Friends of Florida, Florida League of Cities, and the Florida
Association of Counties), are going after him and Senator Wilton
Simpson very, very strongly, to stop this bill. Rep. Patronis assistant
Patti thanked me for calling and said they need to hear this. She gave
me her email and asked for people to call and send an email in support of these issues.
This is extremely important to get this bill past. She also said the
Florida Association of Counties was the one coming after them the
hardest. Shame on them, but then remember they work with ICLEI, the
right arm of the United Nations.”

PLEASE CALL AND THANK THEM, THEN SEND A SHORT EMAIL IN SUPPORT FOR:
House Bill, HB 703
Representative Jimmy Patronis

http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/details.aspx...

Tallahassee office: 850-717-5006
Panama City: 850-914-6300

Senator Wilton Simpson and Senate Bill, SB1464
email: [e-mail]

Tallahassee office: 850-487-5010
Altamonte Springs Office: 407-262-7578

Additionally, it has been suggested that we all contact our House and Senate elected officials an ask that they co-sponsor these bills and vote yes when they come to the floor.

FLORIDA STATE SENATE

District 4 - Sen. Aaron Bean, (Nassau & Parts of Duval) FAX [phone]
Phone [phone] or [phone]
302 Senate Office Building, 404 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399 or
1919 Atlantic Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32207
Complete email form at http://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/s4

District 5 - Sen. Charles S. "Charlie" Dean, Sr., (Baker, south of Baker and west of Baker)
Phone [phone] or [phone]
311 Senate Office Building, 404 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399 or
315 SE 25th Ave., Ocala, FL 34471
Complete email form at http://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/s5

District 6- Sen. John Thrasher (St Johns, Putnam, Flagler & Parts of Volusia) FAX -[phone]
Phone [phone] or [phone]
400 Senate Office Building, 404 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399 or
113 Natures Walk Pkwy, Suite 106, St. Augustine, FL 32092
Complete email form at http://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/s6

District 7 Sen. Rob Bradley (Clay, Bradford & Alachua) FAX [phone]
Phone [phone] or [phone]
208 Senate Office Building, 404 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399 or
2233 Park Ave., Suite 303, Orange Park, FL 32073
Complete email form at http://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/s7

District 9 Sen. Audrey Gibson, (Parts of Duval) FAX [phone]
Phone [phone] or [phone]
205 Senate Office Building, 404 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399 or
101 E. Union St., Suite 104, Jacksonville, FL 32202
Complete email form at http://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/s9

FLORDIA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

District 11 Rep. Janet Adkins (Nassau & Part of Duval)
Phone [phone] or [phone] or [phone]
313 House Office Building, 402 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300 or
905 S. 8th St., Fernandina Beach, FL 32034 or
11 North 3rd St., Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250, Email to [e-mail]

District 12 Rep. Lake Ray (Part of Duval) Phone [phone] or [phone]
402 House Office Building, 402 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300 or
1615 Huffingham Rd., Suite 1, Jacksonville, FL 32216, Email to [e-mail]

District 13 Rep. Reggie Fullwood (Part of Duval) [phone] or [phone]
1401 The Capitol, 402 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300 or
101 E. Union St., Suite 402, Jacksonville, FL 32202, Email to [e-mail]

District 14 Rep. Mia Jones (Part of Duval) Phone [phone] or [phone]
316 The Capitol, 402 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300 or
3890 Dunn Ave., Suite 901, Jacksonville, FL 32218, Email to [e-mail]

District 15 Rep. Daniel Davis (Part of Duval) Phone [phone] or [phone]
204 House Office Building, 402 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300 or
4000 St. Johns Ave., Suite 13D, Jacksonville, FL 32205, Email to [e-mail]

District 16 Rep. Charles McBurney (Part of Duval) Phone [phone] or [phone]
222 The Capitol, 402 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300 or
76 South Laura St., Suite 200, Jacksonville, FL 32202, Email to [e-mail]

District 17 Rep. Ronald Renuart (Part of St. Johns) Phone [phone] or [phone]
204 House Office Bldg., 402 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300 or
814 A1A North, Suite 307, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
Email to [e-mail]

District 18 Rep. W. Travis Cummings (Part of Clay) Phone [phone] or [phone]
1102 The Capitol, 402 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300 or
580 Wells Rd., Suite 2, Orange Park, FL 32073, Email to [e-mail]

Dist 24 Rep. Travis Hutson (Flagler, Part St Johns/Volusia) Phone [phone] or 386 446-7644
1102 The Capitol, 402 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399 or
4875 Palm Coast Parkway Northwest, Unit 5, Palm Coast, FL 32137,
Complete email form at: http://www.myfloridahouse.gov for Rep. Hutson

Find your Florida State Senators here:

http://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/Results.cfm

http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/representati...

We have not heard as much surrounding the issue of property rights however, it is another one of those HUGE issues that we are facing at the National, State and in our cities around the state. South Florida has been fighting many related issues for several years.
Thank you for your attention to matter
God Bless You and May God Bless Our America
Leanne

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Link to Bill: http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2014/0703/BillText/__/PDF

Filed in: Environment and Natural Resources

Environmental groups opposing the bill, which was filed in the Senate as SB 1464 on Feb. 28, include Sierra Club Florida, Audubon Florida, 1000 Friends of Florida and Clean Water Action along with representatives of Lee, Martin and Alachua counties, the Florida Association of Counties and the Florida League of Cities.
Groups supporting the bill included the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Associated Industries of Florida, the Florida Farm Bureau Federation and the National Waste and Recycling Association. The bill passed the committee by a 10-2 vote and it has three more committee stops.
Also Tuesday, the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee passed a committee substitute for HB 575 that would preserve agricultural greenbelt tax classifications for farm land used in government water storage programs.
The committee also passed a substitute for HB 601 requiring a study of the possible expanded use of treated waste water, called reclaimed water.
The revised bill addressed concerns among environmentalists that the bill language would expand the definition of reclaimed water to include use of storm water needed for the environment.
Representatives of Audubon Florida and the Sierra Club Florida said they support using reclaimed water but they continued to raise concerns about aspects of the study and said more than one meeting is needed for public comment on the study.
Reporter Bruce Ritchie can be reached at [e-mail].