Latest news with #HouseBill209
Miami Herald
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
DeSantis signs bill banning development of golf courses, hotels at state parks
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Thursday to prohibit the building of golf courses, hotels and other amenities on state parks, putting an end to a nearly yearlong controversy that united people from across the state and political spectrum in support of preserving public land. The Florida Senate website showed the bill, House Bill 209, called the 'State Park Preservation Act,' as having been signed just before 5 p.m. The governor's office did not immediately announce the signing, nor did his office respond to an email requesting comment. DeSantis had previously said he would sign the bill, which passed the Legislature unanimously. Still, his signature was momentous, in part because the bill directly outlawed an initiative his administration had pursued last year: to add amenities in nine parks, including golf in Jonathan Dickinson State Park, pickleball in Pinellas County's Honeymoon Island and a hotel near the rolling dunes of Anastasia State Park. The proposal was leaked by a concerned state employee, James Gaddis, who opposed the potential habitat loss and later lost his job for releasing the information. After the state's plans were first revealed by the Tampa Bay Times, Floridians protested at their local parks, and politicians — even those usually counted among DeSantis' allies — quickly condemned the idea. DeSantis shelved the proposal in August amid the backlash. Sen. Gayle Harrell, a Republican from Stuart who sponsored the legislation, said her day was made Thursday afternoon when her legislative aide called her with the news. 'I'm just ecstatic. Without the support of the people of Florida, this would not have happened,' Harrell told the Times. 'The people stood up and said, 'Our parks are precious and they should be preserved.' They are the ones who won this battle.' Eric Draper, the former director of Florida state parks under DeSantis who has since criticized the plan to build on state parks, underscored the importance of transparency. Last year, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection gave Floridians less than a week's time to review the park development plans before a series of simultaneous meetings were to be held across the state. The law now requires the public be given 30 days' notice. 'The best way to protect our state parks is to involve park users in park plans,' Draper said in a text. 'This good law puts an end to secret proposals to turn wildlife habitat into hotels and golf courses. It says: 'Hands off our lands.'' Even with an extraordinary amount of public support, passing the bill wasn't easy. It stalled for weeks in the Senate, then withstood an unsuccessful amendment filed by a prominent Republican that would have weakened its protections. Its passage came down to the wire, with rumors flying that the bill could be gutted in the final days of the legislative session. Now it will be law. Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman, a Republican from Highland Beach and a co-sponsor of the House version of the bill, said the measure will prove to be 'one of the most historical pieces of legislation' passed to protect Florida's beloved parks. 'It's a thrill and a joy for every resident, every bird, gator, deer and every living critter in Florida,' she said. But as environmentalists and lawmakers celebrated Thursday, they were still reeling over another conservation fight that has further undermined the public's trust that protected land is protected for good. Last week, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection unveiled a proposal to trade away more than 600 acres of conserved land in the Guana River Wildlife Management Area in exchange for a patchwork of parcels across the state. Similar to the parks scandal, there was a mysterious entity at the center of the swap, known only as 'The Upland LLC.' After five days of growing public outcry in northeast Florida, plus intervention from the chief of staff to President Donald Trump, the company announced it was withdrawing the proposal. The state has repeatedly declined to reveal the identity of the person or entity behind it, both to reporters and at least one Republican state representative. That contentious land swap also came on the heels of another scrutinized deal, first revealed by the Times. That trade would have granted more than 300 acres of state forest in Hernando County to Cabot Citrus Farms, a luxury golf developer. A top staffer in DeSantis' office helped add that proposal to an agenda of the state Cabinet at the last minute, records showed. Earlier this month, though, the state environmental agency revealed that that deal, too, had died after the golf developer walked away. Gossett-Seidman said the Guana land swap proposal showed there's more work needed to bolster state laws around public land conservation. She said she's going to prioritize that issue during next year's legislative session to 'shut down all the end-arounds' used to develop protected areas. 'We don't want to lose that little bit of Old Florida that we have left.'
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
No tax on tips? Ohio lawmaker wants to eliminate state, local taxes on tips
Ohio workers could avoid state and local taxes on their tips under a bill introduced by a Republican lawmaker. House Bill 209 would exempt tips from state and local income taxes, regardless of how much the person makes. The proposal comes as Congress debates whether to eliminate taxes on tips and make good on a campaign promise from President Donald Trump. Get The Scoop!: Sign up for our weekly Ohio politics newsletter "If someone stays late, works a double and earns extra in tips, they should keep that money, not hand it over in taxes," Rep. Brian Lorenz, R-Powell, said during a May 21 committee hearing. "We talk about supporting working people. Here's one way to actually do it − let them keep more of what they earn and trust them to spend it in their communities." The hearing came one day after the U.S. Senate passed legislation to create a tax deduction up to $25,000 for tipped workers who earn $160,000 or less, USA TODAY reported. The U.S. House is debating a similar policy as part of a major budget bill that could extend Trump's tax cuts and cut Medicaid and SNAP benefits. The Ohio proposal got mixed reviews during its first hearing. Republicans and Democrats said the measure could help workers, but some questioned whether employees even report tips on their income taxes. Rep. Daniel Troy, D-Willowick, argued the state should require employers to pay better wages so workers don't need to rely on tips. Nationally, the idea has gained steam. Polls suggest it's popular among Americans on both sides of the political aisle. But the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center estimates that exempting tips would reduce federal revenue by $6.5 billion and generate little tax savings for workers. "In a perfect world, we would not have taxes," Gov. Mike DeWine said May 21. "We would love not to have taxes of any sort. But we like to support our schools. We like to help people who have mental health challenges. There's a lot of things that government does that's pretty essential." State government reporter Haley BeMiller can be reached at hbemiller@ or @haleybemiller on X. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: No tax on tips? Ohio joins national debate with new legislation
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
These Florida students want to protect our state parks. Their art shows it.
In March, the USA TODAY Network-Florida Opinion team reached out to Floridians, seeking their input into House Bill 209 and Senate Bill 80, introduced to protect Florida state parks from the kind of development proposed in 2024. Back then, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's "Great Outdoors Initiative" proposed to make changes at nine state parks, including Jonathan Dickinson State Park near Hobe Sound. The plan to develop the parks, including adding three golf courses in Jonathan Dickinson, was scuttled in the face of furious public opposition and massive controversy. USA TODAY Network-Florida journalists have reported on this the past year, including efforts by Treasure Coast state Rep. John Snyder and Sen. Gayle Harrell to pass the protection bills. The network's state opinion team has advocated strongly and consistently for protection, but sought all Florida voices in the issue. Few came forward in complete opposition. Many letters from readers were published in April. At the same time, Rory Ellison, an assistant environmental educator at the Pelican Island Audubon Society in Indian River County, where he works as a college intern, reached out to the network and asked if his students could learn more about the issue, then address the effort. Shortly before the eve of a Senate vote April 29 on the bill, the network received a digital package from the Audubon Advocates, an after-school science education program of the Pelican Island Audubon Society. The members are fifth-graders at Indian River Academy, south of Vero Beach. The program is designed for fifth-graders in four Title I schools in Indian River County, and addresses "nature deficit disorder," the society says. Its program website says participants go outside, "kayaking on the lagoon, exploring trails and habitat on conservation areas." They learn "science vocabulary words, resulting in better STEM (science, technology and math) scores as they progress to higher grades." Scientists serve as role models. Ellison explained why he had students work on a project addressing the issue: "I read (editor Adam) Neal's article in the newspaper several weeks ago asking people to speak out in support of the campaign to save the parks and prevent a situation like last year when the state government had a secret plan to put golf courses and hotels on park land," Ellison said in an email. "This is meant to be seen by elected representatives and is part of the campaign to convince them and the Legislature to pass the bill. Twelve kids worked hard on it." While youngsters did their own work — shown in the accompanying photo gallery ― they also submitted the following letter, Ellison said: Opinion: USA Today Network-Florida Opinion campaign to preserve and protect our state parks "We want Florida lawmakers to prohibit inappropriate, damaging development in any of Florida's state parks and to make sure that any planning activities for park usage be transparent and made with public involvement. "Please protect Florida's state parks from harmful development by adopting the strong language of House Bill 209 when its companion, Senate Bill 80, is heard on the Senate floor. "HB 209 has broad support from Floridians and was approved unanimously in the House. It will close loopholes that would leave our state parks vulnerable to environmentally damaging development such as golf courses and hotels. We the People of Florida showed our strength by working together to defeat those threats last year. We need to make SB 80 stronger to be sure plans for bad development on park lands don't re-emerge in the future. "Thank you for standing up for state parks! "The Audubon Advocates of the Pelican Island Audubon Society" This article is part of a campaign by the USA Today Network-Florida Opinion Group to support Senate Bill 80 and protect Florida's state parks from development. Email letter, op-eds, even photos to , and we will publish them. Please include your name, city and contact information. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Protect Florida state parks, student Audubon Advocates say | Opinion
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida's future shouldn't be at the expense of wildlife. New bill honors both.
Following a visit to the Grand Canyon in 1903, then President Teddy Roosevelt wrote effusively about the 'absolutely unparalleled' natural wonder. He called for us to leave it in its natural state, and not 'mar the wonderful grandeur, the sublimity, the great loneliness and beauty' of the place. Humility is not the first adjective Roosevelt brings to mind, but the self-awareness to be awed by a creation he had nothing to do with is a quality that is to be admired. In stark contradiction to Roosevelt's wisdom, settlers of the West, quoted by Ken Burns in his recent documentary of the America Buffalo, held the perception that nature unchanged by man was inferior. Many referred to their tasks ahead as 'rescuing nature from itself.' Those who settled the West carved out a life from the wilderness, so their perception of nature as an obstacle is understandable. But Florida was settled a long time ago, some 23 million people live here now. Preserving the natural wonders we have left should not be hard or viewed as foolish, and Senate Bill 80/House Bill 209 is a great way to balance growth with a future that recognizes that all life matters. It is my hope that the arrogant few that see nature as an obstacle to profits and revenue streams will overcome their blind spot for the value of wilderness left as it is, and find their inner Teddy Roosevelt. It is my hope that the collective voices of the small and humble who love nature, just as it is, will remain strong and push SB 80/HB 209 over the finish line. Protect Florida's state parks: USA Today Network-Florida Opinion campaign to preserve and protect our state parks Timothy Hullihan is a resident of North Palm Beach. He wrote this for The Palm Beach Post. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Protecting Florida wildlife isn't an obstacle to our growth | Opinion
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida House votes to stop pickleball courts, hotels from being built in state parks
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — A bill aiming to protect Florida's state parks from overdevelopment was unanimously passed Wednesday by the state House. The measure received wide support from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle in a 113-0 vote, according to a release from Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman's office. Egmont Key State Park reopens after months of recovery from hurricanes Gossett-Seidman was among the sponsors who helped craft House Bill 209 in response to overwhelming public outcry last summer against leaked plans to develop pickleball courts, golf courses, and luxury lodges at some of the state's most visited marks. The news sparked protests across the state, with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) later withdrawing the proposals at the request of Gov. Ron DeSantis. Lawmakers hope House Bill 209 will prevent anything of the sort from happening again by placing 'commonsense' limits on certain commercial projects that could potentially threaten native wildlife and ecosystems. The mission is also a personal one for Gossett-Seidman, a Republican who represents District 19. She fondly recalled childhood memories of visiting Jonathan Dickinson State Park, one of the nine parks that was potentially under threat of overdevelopment. 'With my family years ago, we had to throw marshmallows to a large gator always lingering near the canoe livery in order to pass,' Gossett-Seidman said. 'His name was Marshmallow, though this activity would be deemed unlawful now.' Gossett-Seidman and co-sponsor Representatives John Snyder worked with state agencies and environmental organizations to guide the legislation. Now it will go to the Senate, where a similar bill has cleared two committees so far. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
