By Jay Waagmeester, Florida Phoenix
Florida senators gave unanimous approval Thursday to an omnibus agricultural bill that would turn over state-owned land to agriculture. A similar bill, but carrying a controversial provision about agricultural libel, awaits actions in the House.
The Senate bill would allow state land designated for conservation to be reviewed by the state Acquisition and Restoration Council to determine their suitability for commercial agriculture. If it’s found suitable, the land could be sold by the government. It applies to conservation lands purchased since Jan. 1, 2024.
The land would have to be under an easement stipulating that it will not be developed.
“I want to ensure everyone the bill clearly states that state parks, state forests, or other vital management lands will not be surplussed,” Truenow said.
Senators adopted an amendment by Sen. Gayle Harrell, a Republican from Stuart, that explicitly exempts land in the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan from sale.
Surplussing land would approved by the council plus the governor and Florida Cabinet, Truenow said on the Senate floor.
The bill exempts state forests, state parks and wildlife management areas.
The Florida Wildlife Federation says the proposal “sets a dangerous precedent.”
“If lands purchased for conservation can later be declared surplus based on agricultural suitability, no newly protected property is truly secure,” the wildlife organization posted to a webpage opposing the measure.
A snag
The Senate bill previously included a provision that would have given producers the ability to take legal action against someone who disparages food products.
The bill’s progress through committees was held up at one point over that language, but it started moving with an amendment that eliminated the provision. Environmentalists, agriculture producers, and advocates of the Trump adminisration’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement had come out in droves to speak about the libel provision.
One opponent of the food libel provision said it would be “muzzling MAHA.”
The provision remains in the House version of the bill, HB 433, which has not moved in two weeks. It has two committees left before it would go to the full House.
Other measures
SB 290 would prohibit local governments from outlawing gas-powered landscaping equipment like leaf blowers and lawnmowers.
According to the bill analysis, Miami Beach and Naples are among “a number of local governments” that have prohibited use of such equipment in favor of battery-operated machines.
The bill would create a state law limiting door-to-door sales. Floridians would be able to post signs to keep their front doors free from solicitation.
The intent is to “protect such private property rights by creating a uniform standard for notifying individuals or groups of individuals that commercial solicitation is prohibited on private property,” according to the bill.
The bill would impose “a noncriminal violation” punishable with a $500 fine for first offenders who solicit a property that has posted a sign warning against soliciting. Second offenses would be punishable as second-degree misdemeanors.
The sign, as written in statute, would have to say: “THIS DWELLING IS DESIGNATED PRIVATE PROPERTY. NO COMMERCIAL SOLICITATION IS PERMITTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 501.062, FLORIDA STATUTES.”
Truenow specified the bill would not make it illegal for political or religious door-knocking.
People seeking a commercial driver’s license would be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor under the bill if they receive “unauthorized assistance” on the part of the test that assesses ability to read and understand highway signs. Anyone who gives the assistance would be subject to the same charge.
That provision comes after the arrest of Harjinder Singh, an Indian national who is accused of killing three people when he made an illegal U-turn in his semi-trailer on Florida’s Turnpike. That story was a topic of political debate, particularly after it emerged that Singh’s commercial license had been issued by California, a Democratic-led state. Singh entered the country during President Donald Trump’s first term.
Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com. Banner photo: A leaf blower in action (iStock image).
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