Clean Water Action's Members Win In Key State Legislative Races

Clean Water Action believes in the importance of electing and re-electing environmentally conscious legislators to protect our environment and public health. The following are the results of hard work put in by Clean Water members, staff and volunteers this past election season.

Randolph Ousts Incumbent

On November 7, Clean Water Action celebrated a victory when former attorney and policy staffer, Scott Randolph, was elected State Representative in a landslide! Clean Water Action members and volunteers helped make this people-powered, grassroots campaign a success by going door-to-door throughout the district.

Randolph's campaign centered on protecting quality of life and the character of Orlando's neighborhoods by advocating for stronger growth management laws.

Voters throughout State House District 36 reacted positively to Clean Water Action and Randolph's environmental messages, especially given the vast amount of growth that is happening in the area.

District 36 takes in the communities of Eatonville, Tangelo Park, Azalea Park, College Park, parts of Winter Park, downtown, Delaney Park, and MetroWest.

The Republican incumbent Sheri McInvale - who had received hundreds of thousands of dollars from big developers, big sugar, property insurance companies, and polluters - spent more than $1.5 million against Randolph. However, it was the grassroots efforts and the environmental message that triumphed in this seat.

Randolph won with 61.1% of the vote, becoming the first environmental attorney to serve in the legislature in more than two decades.

Victory for Justice

The environmental candidate for State Senate, Charlie Justice, won an important victory for Tampa Bay and all of Florida's waterways!

Clean Water Action staff and volunteers contacted members to turn out our vote. Charlie Justice won this close election by just 3,032 votes.

With Charlie's leadership in the State Senate, Florida's waterways, drinking water, pristine coasts, and public health will have a powerful voice in shaping public policy.

Vana Holds Seat

Clean Water Action saw another local win for the environment as Shelley Vana defended her seat as State Representative in the 85th House District, encompassing Wellington and surrounding unincorporated areas of Palm Beach County.

Vana has advocated for action on climate change impacts in Florida and opposes water privatization, earning Clean Water's full support. Clean Water looks forward to continuing to work with Rep. Vana on future legislative campaigns for the betterment of South Florida.

Voters Lose Out with Passage of Proposal 3

Led by a well-funded, and truly special-interest driven "YES" campaign, voters approved requiring a higher standard for future constitutional amendments by imposing 60% supermajority voter approval on statewide ballot proposals. Ironically, the measure itself passed with less than 60 percent, perhaps the last such initiative to do so if the amendment is not overturned.

Clean Water Action was among the lead organizations in the Trust the Voters coalition, which sought to educate the public about the faults of requiring this "supermajority rule" on constitutional amendments, as it hands over more power to 40 percent plus one of the voting public versus a traditional majority of just over 50 percent.

South Florida Update and Issues to Watch

Broward County: Water Reuse

On November 3, Clean Water Action, along with allied partners helped quell an attempt to allow reuse sewage water to be dumped into Broward County canals, as part of a short-sighted proposal to deal with the county's lacking water conservation efforts.

Broward is one the worst counties for water reclamation and reuse in Florida, recapturing a dismal 5% of water used. The remainder washes out to sea, is "deep well" injected into the ground, or is pumped out in ocean outfall pipes scattered along the lower east coast.

Broward DOES need to address pressing water supply concerns now that Everglades restoration will prevent irresponsible withdrawals from sources like the Biscayne Aquifer. However, this proposal would have allowed more reckless development to continue to spread by lowering standards for canals and waterways.

Though water reuse lags in Broward, the county does have one of the strictest water quality standards in all of Florida, superior even to those set by the state, and for now those standards have been upheld. Clean Water Action continues to closely watch this issue and will notify our members as other opportunities arise for public involvement.

Miami-Dade County: Watershed Study and Plan

An important taxpayer funded study continues and is nearing completion: The South Miami-Dade Watershed Study and Plan. Millions of dollars have gone into assessing projected development over the next 50 years in "South Dade", as the study models and identifies appropriate areas for protection that will ensure the viable agricultural and the ecological integrity of Everglades and Biscayne National Parks.

The County's Urban Development Boundary (UDB) is among the features being mapped and charted. A "stakeholder committee" has regularly met to air concerns and achieve consensus before the study winds to a close in the near future.

The county-hired consultant study-team have modeled projected growth and impacts to the region, finding that an intact UDB and "smart growth" planning results are far better than the piece-meal development continuing as is in Miami-Dade.

Big Agriculture and development interests, however, would rather the entire study implode before it is complete than have it reveal outcomes not to their liking. Recommendations of the study will influence future land-use decisions by county commissioners. Please be involved as the time for comments is running out and voices FOR the environment are in need. Information available at: www.southmiamidadewatershed.com

Palm Beach County: Rock Mining

Thanks to the proactive efforts of Commissioner Karen Marcus, and after scores of Clean Water Action members assailed the Commission, an amendment to county land-use rules was put forth for a "temporary moratorium" on future projects. The amendment was recently adopted by the commission, and a working group is being established to monitor progress and direction for the study on Palm Beach County's water supply.

To learn more about any of these South Florida issues please contact our local organizer, Nathan Geisler at (561) 417-9995, or ngeisler@cleanwater.org

Florida Offices