2007 FLORIDA LEGISLATIVE WRAP-UP

2007 SESSION DEEMED A GOOD ONE FOR AGRICULTURE

The regular Florida legislative session ended May 4, but the impasse between the House and Senate versions of a property tax relief plan nixed any chance of lawmakers getting away without a special session. A number of important developments did occur in the regular session, however, that are likely to affect the state’s agricultural industry.

Bills tracked by FFVA included those involving property rights, trespass, agritourism, the sales tax exemption on electricity, and environmental issues.

Rep. Debbie Boyd’s, D-Newberry's springs protection bill passed the House, but died in the Senate.

Environmental legislation was a hot topic. Lawmakers passed the Lake Okeechobee Protection Program (Senate Bill 392), which creates a Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie River Watershed Protection Program and provides for the sale of bonds to pay for the plan. For agricultural producers, it means making sure nutrient and water management Best Management Practices take the front burner. It also means that if producers are thinking of forging any water storage agreements, now’s the time.

The House unanimously passed House Bill 299, which would have created a nine-member Florida Springs Stewardship Task Force to collect data on the state's 33 largest springs. The original bill from Rep. Debbie Boyd, D-Newberry, was more ambitious, calling for a detailed study of the springs and the development of policies to protect them. But with a $25 million price tag, it had little chance of passage. She scaled back the measure, but it didn’t help. The bill died in the Senate on the last day of the session

Rep. Bryan Nelson, R-Orange County, sponsored the electricity sales tax exemption bill, which extends the agriculture electricity sales tax exemption to include electricity used indirectly for production and processing of ag products.

Two measures dealt with wetlands. HB 197, which revises DEP wetlands permitting, survived the session. SB 2082/HB 957, which would have removed certain permitting requirements, failed on the last day.

In the property rights arena, legislators authorized private property owners to prohibit or regulate ballot initiative activities on their property (SB 1920). 

The Legislature also took up trespass issues, giving property owners immunity from liability for injuries to those who trespass on agricultural land and increasing penalties for certain offenses. That measure (SB1522/HB 553) passed as an amendment to an agritourism bill (HB 1427) that directs the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to help agriculture operations offer fun, educational programs to the public and eliminates complicated licensing requirements.

Also headed for Gov. Charlie Crist’s desk is HB 1199, which extends the electricity sales tax exemption passed last session to include electricity used indirectly on a farm for production and processing of agricultural products.

FFVA Director, Government Affairs, Butch Calhoun is available to answer Producer Members' questions regarding any Florida legislative issue.

A general agriculture bill (SB 1372) passed as well, revising pesticide registration fees and permitting requirements for milk operations and authorizing FDACS to conduct tomato food safety inspections.

Other legislation of interest included HB 1039, which adds two members to the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s governing board, and a bill that relocates the boundary between Broward and Palm Beach counties.

SOME THINGS ARE BEST LEFT ALONE … AND WERE
 
Some of the bills that failed – and FFVA didn’t support – included a measure (SB 2456/HB 119) that would have denied agricultural classification and assessment for growers who hired unauthorized farmworkers.

Another bill (SB 514/HB 1367) would have changed provisions governing the classification of ag lands for tax purposes and criteria for Greenbelt designation. The bill never went anywhere. Nor did SB 1784, which would have removed the sales tax exemption for ostrich feed.

“All in all, this was a good session for agriculture,” said Butch Calhoun, FFVA’s director of Government Affairs. “We were able to pass more than half of the bills we supported, and we defeated all of the bills that we opposed.  Nothing really bad passed, so that by itself is a win.”