Floridians Plan to Sue Gov. DeSantis Over Water Bill

Read the Press Release HERE.

And the Federal Complaint HERE.

Florida Governor Ron Desantis signed into action State Bill 712. This “Clean Waterways Act” masquerades as an environmental law but is the antithesis to safeguarding Florida’s natural systems. A hidden preemption bans creation of constitutionally framed environmental protections recognized as the highest level of law. Municipal and corporate economic actors recognize Rights of Nature laws as so highly effective as to regard them as heresy to their exploitative activities against nature; hence, they moved Florida legislators to draft languagestripping a community’s right to create new laws protecting the health, safety and welfare of the citizenry. Born in Senate Bill 1382 (Albritton) and House Bill 1199 (Ingoglia) these two legislators collaborated with Debbie Mayfield to insert the Rights of Nature preemption into SB712.

Now comes Speak Up Wekiva, Inc. to challenge Governor Ron Desantis in federal court for violating a community’s constitutional rights to self-governance held in the Ninth and 14th amendments of the United States Constitution. This preemption also violates Florida’s Municipal Home Rule Act.In advance of Gov. Desantis’ preemption, OrangeCounty, Florida adopted a Rights of Nature amendment to be balloted in November 2020. Orange County voters will make history creating Florida’s first nature Bill of Rights for the Wekiva and Econlockhatchee Rivers known as WEBOR. This constitutionally framed law grants nature “Personhood”to exist, flourish and regenerate while free from impacts affecting the rivers.WEBOR also bestows upon the citizenry standing and rights to defend the rivers in court. Today, “We the People” have the rights and ability to follow a new paradigm to break the fixed 140-year-old regulatory system that has failed to protect nature and our dignity to live a pollution free life. The Florida Rights of Nature Network is working statewide and is here to stay.