| 2002 Legislative Environmental Scorecard | (Back to the Index) |
During the 2002 Florida legislative session, several pieces of legislation attacked the fundamental rights of citizens and environmental organizations to help enforce environmental laws and protect the environment and their communities. The highlights of the Environmental Scores of individual legislators as they sponsored or fought against these "Anti-Citizen" bills and amendments are summarized:
SPONSORSHIP of specific pieces of legislation included: ("Yes" indicates pro-environment and "No" indicates anti-environment)
NO Senator Jim King (R, Jacksonville) sponsored SB 270, removing individual standing in the Florida Environmental Protection Act, as well as two floor amendments to staple a version of the bill onto two other bills during the final day and a half of session. Am to SB 2122 (3/21/02) and Am to HB 813 (3/22/02) Everglades Restoration.
NO Representative Gaston Cantens (R, Miami) sponsored HB 819, the House companion to SB 270, and he sponsored a pair of "strike everything" amendments. Representative Paula Dockery (R, Lakeland) moved to accept King's version of the Everglades Bill on the House floor the final evening.
YES Representatives Larry Crow (R, Dunedin) and Sara Romeo (D, Tampa) sponsored amendments to delete the anti-citizen sections of two of the bills. Senator Locke Burt (R, Ormond Beach) sponsored a similar amendment in a Senate committee.
YES Senator Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D, Pembroke Pines) sponsored and passed an amendment on the Senate floor to remove the "Florida" requirement for environmental organizations. Am to SB 2122 (3/21/02).
YES Representative Ron Greenstein (D, Coconut Creek) sponsored the Florida Amendment on the House floor the final night of session and Senator Skip Campbell (D, Tamarac) removed the mandatory attorney fees in administrative hearings which were part of the original bills. Representative Cindy Lerner (D, Miami) led the floor fight against the bill the last night.
NO Representative Joe Spratt (R, Sebring) and Senator Ken Pruitt (R, Port St. Lucie) sponsored the other set of bills limiting citizen enforcement, especially in environmental permitting, the Administrative Procedures Act HB 257 and SB 280.
YES 31 representatives had the courage
the final night of session to vote NO (HB 813) to oppose the toxic Anti-Citizen
amendment which had been attached to the bill earlier that day: Nancy
Argenziano, Loranne Ausley, Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall, Philip Brutus, Ed Bullard,
John Carassas, Joyce Cusack, Terry Fields, Heather Fiorentino, Lois Frankel,
Anne Gannon, Dan Gelber, Ken Gottlieb, Bob Henriquez, Sally Heyman, Ed Jennings,
Arthenia Joyner, Charlie Justice, Suzanne Kosmas, Cindy Lerner, Perry McGriff,
Matt Meadows, Frank Peterman, Nan Rich, Sara Romeo, Chris Smith, Mark Weissman,
Doug Wiles, Frederica Wilson, Roger Wishner.
| 2002 Legislative Environmental Scorecard | (Back to the Index) |