Please call or email legislators on the committee BEFORE Wednesday January 10, 2024 and urge them to vote NO on SB 738.
On Wednesday January 10, 2024, the Environment and Natural Resources Florida Senate committee will hear and vote on SB 738 titled Environmental Management. This bill will force any losing party that sues either the Department of Environmental Protection or any water management district to pay all court and attorneys cost, making it financially harder or even impossible to bring forward any legal dispute by individuals or environmental groups in Florida.
You can find the emails and phone numbers to the legislators on the Environment and Natural Resources committee below with a sample script for both calls and emails.
Chair- Ana Maria Rodriguez (R-Miami-Dade)
(850) 487-5040 (Tallahassee) (305) 470-2552 (District)
rodriguez.ana.web@flsenate.
Vice Chair- Gayle Harrell (R- Stuart)
(850) 487-5031 (Tallahassee) (772) 221-4019 (District)
harrell.gayle.web@flsenate.
Jonathan Martin (R- Ft.Myers)
(850) 487-5033 (Tallahassee) (239) 338-2570 (District)
martin.jonathan.web@flsenate.
Debbie Mayfield (R- Melbourne)
(850) 487-5019 (Tallahassee) (321) 409-2025 (District)
mayfield.debbie.web@flsenate.
Tina Polsky (D- Boca Raton)
(850) 487-5030 (Tallahassee) (561) 443-8170 (District)
polsky.tina.web@flsenate.gov
Linda Stewart (D- Orlando)
(850) 487-5017 (Tallahassee) (407) 893- 2422 (District)
stewart.linda.web@flsenate.gov
Tom Wright (R- Port Orange)
(850) 487-5008 (Tallahassee) (386) 304- 7630 (District)
wright.tom.web@flsenate.gov
EXAMPLE EMAIL:
Dear Senator,
Please vote no on Senate Bill 738 – Environmental Management – when it is heard by the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday, January 10th.
Section 1 of SB 738 requires the losing party in environmental challenges to pay the court costs and attorney fees of the other parties, including state agencies. If passed, this bill will make going to court to enforce environmental laws and rules financially impossible for individuals and non-profits, because every environmental challenge will be a life-or-death fight against state agencies with multi-billion dollar tax-payer funded budgets. One loss would mean the end of the non-profit, or financial ruin of the individual, bringing the challenge to protect Florida’s environment.
Frivolous lawsuits are already subject to sanctions and mandatory attorney fees. SB 738 is not intended to stop frivolous lawsuits, but to deter and punish non-profits and Floridians who successfully litigate to ensure that the laws passed by the Legislature are enforced and Florida’s environment is protected.
Please protect Floridians and Florida’s environment by Voting No on SB 738.
Sincerely,
(your name)
PHONE CALL/ MESSAGE
Hello, Senator _________, my name is _____________ and I am calling you today to ask that you vote NO on SB 738 when it is heard by the Environment and Natural Resources committee on Wednesday.
Section 1 of SB 738 requires the losing party in environmental challenges to pay the court costs and attorney fees of the other parties, including state agencies. SB
738 is not intended to stop frivolous lawsuits, but to deter and punish non-profits and Floridians who successfully litigate to ensure that the laws passed by the Legislature are enforced and Florida’s environment is protected.
Please protect Floridians and Florida’s environment by voting NO on SB 738.