One of the few news reporters in Florida who actually "gets it."
House Bill 7129 and Senate Bill 1122.
The House bill is a done deal. The House passed it on April 21 on a vote of 86-31, largely along party lines. Now it is up to the Senate to decide whether to go along.
Here are some major points of the House bill:
• Local governments no longer have to consider the need for roads, schools, parks and recreation when they permit growth. They can, but they don't have to.
• Local governments will be able to change their "comprehensive plan" whenever they want to allow growth.
• The state's power to review the decisions by local government will be reduced and speeded up. The state cannot take the side of citizens who are challenging a local growth decision.
• Local governments will be more limited in what they can ask developers to pay for.
• To make sure that there is never another citizen revolt as in St. Pete Beach, the law forbids any community in Florida from holding a popular election on growth decisions.
• There will be an automatic seven-year extension of approval of all major developments, known as "developments of regional impact." There are special protections to protect phosphate and lime rock mining.
Read more of what Howard Troxler of the St. Petersburg Times has to say about Growth Management and the Republicans who are gutting it.
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