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September 22, 2023
Public Policy Update
Hello everyone. Trey Goldman and I were out and about this week for two separate and very insightful member events.
First, I had the pleasure of participating in Florida Realtors annual CEO Symposium in St. Augustine. This event brings local Realtor® leaders from around the state together to hear from expert speakers, impactful panelists and knowledgeable peers. It’s the perfect opportunity for those who are looking to take their leadership skills to the next level. During the event, I got the chance to head up on stage and give the audience an overview of our successful 2023 session and to preview what’s to come in 2024.
Trey had the honor of heading over to the Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association to be a part of their 2023 Housing Symposium. This event featured a variety of local and state housing experts who discussed the housing challenges that the region is facing and some of the solutions that can help. Trey was able to break down some of those solutions which were contained in the Live Local Act that passed this year.
Although these were very separate events with different overall goals, the big takeaway is the same – meeting with members face-to-face is one of the best parts of this job!
First Interim Committee Week Takes Place
This week marks the first Interim Committee Week in preparation for the 2024 legislative session. Only the Florida House held meetings and they were only held on Tuesday. However, the biggest news of the week was the official designation of Representative Daniel Perez, a republican from Miami, as the next speaker of the Florida House of Representatives. He will succeed Speaker Paul Renner after the 2024 election.
During his designation speech, Speaker-Designate Perez placed an emphasis on fiscal conservatism and advocating for limited government to prevent the abuse of power. He also shared that he believes that government's primary role is to protect citizens and ensure equal application of laws while providing assistance to those in genuine need.
While he did not detail specific policies that he will prioritize as speaker during his speech, he did speak with reporters after the ceremony where he said his constituents have one priority: addressing the state’s property-insurance problems. Speaker-Designate Perez said he thinks changes made by the Legislature are “chipping away” at the problem, but he noted the cost of his homeowners’ insurance has increased 120 percent. “Do I believe we’re done with property insurance?” he said. “No, no, not a chance.”
The remaining Interim Committee Weeks will take place the week of October 9th, the week of October 16th, the week of November 6th, the week of November 13th, the week of December 4th and the week of December 11th. The 2024 Legislative Session begins on January 9th and is scheduled to end on March 8th. As of today, 63 bills have been filed for the 2024 session.
Florida Cabinet Invests $141 Million for Florida’s Natural Resources
This week, the Florida Cabinet approved a $141 million investment to expand Florida’s Wildlife Corridor by more than 42,000 acres through the Florida Forever and Rural and Family Lands Protection programs.
The Florida Wildlife Corridor is a designated network of connected lands that creates crucial linkages for wildlife habitat. All projects also advance key protections of Florida’s water resources and recharge areas. The acquisitions also include 1,500 acres for military base buffering. The Florida Cabinet additionally approved permanent agricultural land conservation easements within Florida’s Wildlife Corridor totaling more than 13,000 acres of family cattle operations.
About this week's acquisition approvals:
- The acquisition of 17,229 acres within the Devil’s Garden Florida Forever Project in Hendry County is part of a phased, landscape-scale acquisition totaling over 82,000 acres. This is the largest acquisition purchase in the state since 2006.
- The acquisition of 5,454 acres within the Natural Bridge Timberlands Florida Forever Project in Jefferson and Leon counties contributes to the completion of an expansive corridor of public conservation lands that promote ecological connectivity, conserve valuable habitat for rare plant and animal species, and protect sensitive cultural resources.
- The acquisition of 1,546 acres within the Wolfe Creek Forest Florida Forever Project in Santa Rosa County will protect defense assets near Naval Air Station Whiting Field and other state-owned conservation lands in Blackwater River State Forest.
- A conservation easement of 4,808 acres within the Red Hills Conservation Florida Forever Project in Leon County will protect surface waters and wetlands, support groundwater recharge functions for the region, and provide wildlife habitat and sustainable forestry.
The permanent agricultural land conservation easements approved include:
- 8,881 acres within the Adams Ranch Project in Osceola County, which is a fourth-generation cattle operation.
- 4,490 acres within the Buck Island Ranch Project in Highlands County, which provides research opportunities for major universities, state and federal agencies, producers, and others to study the ecological, economic, and cultural value of Florida’s cattle ranches.
For the full announcement and details, click here.
Please reach out to us at publicpolicy@floridarealtors.org with any questions you may have.
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