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Guest AuthorMarch 30, 2017

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As a former state legislator and now a member of Congress, I’ve been proud to support investments in protecting Florida’s natural resources, including the Everglades. While located far from the Emerald Coast, the Everglades are about as iconic in Florida as the Blue Angels, the Space Shuttle, and the orange. Everglades National Park alone welcomes […]

Phil AmmannMarch 27, 2017

Joe Negron recently visited Pahokee High School for a town hall meeting to discuss his plans for taking farmland in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA). During the meeting, the Senate President said he is in discussion with “many owners of land south of the lake” in the effort to acquire 153,000 acres of productive land to […]

Peter SchorschMarch 27, 2017

Joe Negron’s controversial plan to reduce Lake Okeechobee discharges is not going over well with federal officials and lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Last week, many of those involved in Everglades restoration called for Florida to stay the course on federal restoration projects; many were critical of the Senate President’s plan to build a reservoir south […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 24, 2017

It’s been a rough couple of news cycles for Senate Bill 10, with a Republican U.S. Senator and the St. Johns Riverkeeper mounting opposition to the Lake Okeechobee reservoir measure. The bill filed by Fleming Island Republican Sen. Rob Bradley would bond money backed with Amendment 1 funds to purchase land south of the lake for water storage. The […]

Staff ReportsMarch 23, 2017

A top priority of Senate President Joe Negron’s took a hit this week, after Sen. Marco Rubio said a plan to build reservoirs wouldn’t get federal money and would wipe out farming communities. According to POLITICO Florida, Rubio said “there’s no federal money” for Negron’s proposed reservoirs. “We’re going to end up with nothing,” he […]

Michael MolineMarch 8, 2017

Senate President Joe Negron‘s plan to build reservoirs south of Lake Okeechobee got bigger Wednesday, when a budget subcommittee voted to raise the price tag from $1.2 billion to more than $3 billion and fold in water resources projects around the state. SB 10, as amended by the Appropriations Subcommittee on the Environment and Natural […]

Associated PressMarch 6, 2017

Florida Senate President Joe Negron and House Speaker Richard Corcoran are Republican lawyers. But the similarities start to drift from there. Negron calls himself boring and is the quiet, deliberative type. Corcoran likes listening to music at top volume, and his approach to leadership reflects that. The Associated Press interviewed each separately about their backgrounds, […]

Guest AuthorMarch 6, 2017

There are two things we can count on in Florida. In any given body of water, eventually the alligators will show up. And in any given meeting of the Florida Legislature, the same applies to gambling lobbyists. Feed either and they only become more insatiable. With regard to the gambling interests, unfortunately, the Florida Senate […]

Peter SchorschFebruary 23, 2017

Senate President Joe Negron’s plan to buy land south of Lake Okeechobee could cost the Florida economy 4,148 jobs and $695 million a year, according to a new report from conservative think tank James Madison Institute. The report, titled “$ticker $hock,” estimates the land buy would have a direct negative impact of $345 million and […]

Drew WilsonFebruary 22, 2017

Likely Republican voters are against the Florida Senate proposal to buy land south of Lake Okeechobee, according to a new poll released by the Associated Industries of Florida obtained by FloridaPolitics.com. The survey asked Republican voters about a variety of issues on the table for the 2017 Legislative Session and no matter the wording, the […]

Tag: Lake Okeechobee

Matt Gaetz: Fix Florida’s Everglades, avoid distraction of costly land buy

Glades landowners double down on Joe Negron to reveal his ‘willing sellers’

Feds say ‘stay the course’ with Everglades, rejecting Joe Negron’s land buy

Despite pushback on Lake Okeechobee plan, Rob Bradley remains confident

Report: Marco Rubio says ‘there’s no federal money’ for reservoir south of Lake O

Negron’s Lake Okeechobee plan absorbs additional water resources projects

Florida’s legislative leaders talk issues, personalities

John Sowinski: Finally, a sensible gambling plan for Florida’s future

James Madison Institute says Lake O land buy could cost economy $695 million

Lake O land buy plan a non-starter with likely Republican voters, poll shows