Landowner behind 'Blue Ribbon Projects' bill gave $300K to Florida leaders before session began, records show
The donations included at least $85,000 to leaders in the Florida Senate, which has scheduled a Thursday vote on the controversial real-estate development legislation.
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After squeezing it through one final committee hearing by a single vote, the Florida Senate is expected to vote Thursday on legislation that would make it far easier for the state’s largest landowners to put city-sized developments on rural cattle pastures and timberlands.
Dubbed by supporters as the “Blue Ribbon Projects” bill, the controversial proposal has been pushed through Tallahassee by lobbyists representing a multibillion-dollar investment manager in New York that has bought up more than 80,000 acres across north Florida through more than a dozen different corporate entities.
The holdings amassed by Manhattan-based Ruane Cuniff include giant tracts around Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Panama City. And the value of those holdings could skyrocket under House Bill 299 and Senate Bill 354, which would strictly limit the power of local governments to control or manage development on properties over 15,000 acres.
The lobbying for the Blue Ribbon Projects legislation has happened through an obscure entity known as “Big Lands Transect Collaborative LLC,” which has hired close to 20 lobbyists in Tallahassee. Corporate records show that Big Lands Transect Collaborative is also controlled by executives at Ruane Cuniff.
At the same time, another company controlled by executives at the Manhattan firm — a land-holding entity called “Jax-Palakta Farms LLC” — gave at least $290,000 to Florida politicians shortly before the Legislature opened its 2026 session, according to a Seeking Rents review of campaign-finance records.
The donations included $50,000 to a leadership committee controlled by Sen. Jim Boyd, a Republican from Bradenton who will become president of the Florida Senate following this year’s elections. They also included $25,000 to Sen. Jay Trumbull, a Republican from Panama City who will became Senate president after Boyd’s term ends in two years.
That’s a combined $75,000 to the next two leaders of the state Senate — and it could help explain how the Blue Ribbon Projects bill was able to get through the Senate Rules Committee earlier this week.
The chair of the Senate Rules Committee — Sen. Kathleen Passidomo, a Republican from Naples who previously served as senate president herself — said during the Tuesday hearing that she was not originally “inclined” to hear the legislation, about which she said she has “grave concerns.”
“This bill as it stands today is not ready,” Passidomo said. “It’s too broad, not definitive, it’s full of generalities and the barest of concepts — with no enforceable condition.”
But Passidomo said she was “prevailed upon by several senators to give it a chance and place it on my agenda, which I did.” And despite her opposition, the legislation eked through on a 12-10 vote.
Senate leaders immediately scheduled the bill for a vote in the full chamber.
But the Ruane Cunniff-controlled company hasn’t just given money to Senate leaders — or just to Republicans.
The records show that Jax-Palatka Farms LLC also donated $25,000 to House Speaker Danny Perez (R-Miami). And it gave $10,000 to a Democratic leadership committee led by Sen. Tracie Davis, a Democrat from Jacksonville who is expected to become Senate Minority Leader after the 2026 elections.
The bill sponsors of House Bill 299 and Senate Bill 354 — Rep. Lauren Melo (R-Naples) and Sen. Stan McClain (R-Ocala) — took $10,000 each, too.
Ahead of Thursday’s Senate vote on Senate Bill 354, here is the full list of donations — at least those that have been disclosed so far — that Ruane Cuniff’s Jax-Palatka Farms LLC made before the start of the session:
$100,000 to Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, via Friends of Wilton Simpson
$50,000 to Sen. Jim Boyd (R-Bradenton), via the Florida Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee
$50,000 to the Republican Party of Florida
$25,000 to House Speaker Danny Perez (R-Miami), via Conservatives for a Better Florida
$25,000 to Sen. Jay Trumbull (R-Panama City), via Panhandle Prosperity
$10,000 to Sen. Tracie Davis (D-Jacksonville), via the Florida Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee
$10,000 to Rep Wyman Duggan (R-Jacksonville), via Citizens for Building Florida’s Future
$10,000 to Sen. Stan McClain (R-Ocala), via Liberty for Florida
$10,000 to Rep. Lauren Melo (R-Naples), via Friends of Lauren Melo
Sen. Tracie Davis, a Democrat from Jacksonville ( 10K) try being a better Dem and vote this down...
Why trump was elected ? No, sorry Dems is not because people were uneducated - they were
frustrated and Bernie Sanders is a better Dem than all of you combined.
Our schools are shredded by charters. Where are the Bob Grahams that made public schools a priority? Where are the teachers unions Dems? Shredded.
Guess what people, the disney landscape is NOT real. It's actually painted. So if you think we'll be able to live on disney planet with recreation areas and pretty plants AND have clean water, air , organic healthy food - you are so disillusioned!
The whole state is pay to play