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Manatee County joins lawsuit against land use law
Manatee County just joined a list of 10 other local governments, suing the state over Senate Bill 180. FOX 13's Kimberly Kuizon reports.
BRADENTON, Fla. - Manatee County just joined a list of 10 other local governments, suing the state over Senate Bill 180.
The law aims to help residents rebuild after last year's devastating hurricanes, but some, including Manatee County Commissioners, say it also favors developers. Opponents argue the new law is unconstitutional.
The backstory:
What started as a promise to Manatee County residents to restore wetland protections has now turned into a potential lawsuit against the state of Florida.
"I welcome us joining this lawsuit. I think it’s the only way to make sure our voices are heard that we aren’t just talking to legislature, privately. We are making it clear this is what the voters want, but also what we want," said Manatee County Commissioner Tal Siddique.
This is a battle over Senate Bill 180 that Manatee County and 9 others, including Orange County, Deltona, Stuart and the City of Alachua will soon face.
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"We are poking a pretty good bear here. We’ve already felt appropriations get withdrawn or vetoed. We had the DeSoto bridge money get pushed out to 2032. 800 million of it," said Commissioner Mike Rahn.
Senate Bill 180 was signed into law to help recovery after disasters like the 2024 hurricane season, but many say it has language that favors local developers. A portion of the bill does not allow land use regulations that could be considered 'more restrictive or burdensome.'
What they're saying:
"This is all about the fact that they aren’t happy with the last election. They aren’t happy with the fact that we actually want to give quality of life to the people. We want to put back the wetlands," said Commissioner Bob McCann.
Some see Manatee County's recent DOGE audit as a warning to commissioners, but residents asked them to stay the course.
"This takes away our voices as Manatee County voters and it dictates what we can or can not do. That is not the party of freedom. That is not the party to where woke goes to die in Florida. That is controlling every aspect of every county in this state," said resident Kendra Elder.
Rusty Chinnis, a Manatee County Resident and Chair of the board of Suncoast Waterkeepers, agreed.
Debris from Hurricanes Milton and Helene.
"I want to speak to these developers who I hope are listening to me today to tell them we should not be on opposite sides of these issues. Our environment and our quality of life all depend on protecting these natural resources. If you do nothing, our county will face weaker environmental protections," he said.
The all-Republican board of commissioners voted 6 to 1 to join the lawsuit challenging Senate Bill 180.
Only Commissioner Mike Rahn was opposed.
"I don’t want the lawsuit being seen as antagonistic or with animosity. It’s just not a good law and not good laws need to be changed so they can serve the people," said Commissioner Carol Ann Felts.
What's next:
Senate Bill 180 also has the attention of the League of Cities and the Association of Counties.
The lawsuit is expected to be filed in about two weeks, by mid-September.
The legal battle could go on for years, before there is a resolution.
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The Source: Information for this story was gathered from Manatee County Commissioners and a Commission Meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 2.