Orders from on high
Florida in Five: Five stories to read from the past week in Florida politics.
This is Seeking Rents, a newsletter and podcast devoted to producing original journalism — and lifting up the work of others — about Florida politics, with an emphasis on the ways that big businesses and other special interests influence public policy in the state. Seeking Rents is produced by veteran investigative journalist Jason Garcia, and it is free to all. But please consider a voluntary paid subscription, if you can afford one, to help support our work. And check out our video channel, too.
Welcome to another installment of Florida in Five: Five* stories you need to read from the past week in Florida politics.
A few months ago, the village council in Wellington, a wealthy enclave in Palm Beach County, voted to allow gasoline-powered boats on community lakes and canals.
Nobody, it seemed, supported the move. Not even the village commissioners who cast the votes.
“I know everyone is mad about it, and I get it. I’m mad, too,” Mayor Michael Napoleone told the audience at the August council meeting in which village commissioners passed the unpopular ordinance. “But we don’t have any choice.”
This wasn’t something decided locally. It was a decision imposed by politicians more than 400 miles away in Tallahassee — where Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature recently enacted a new law that forbids communities from restricting the use of boats and jet skis on local waterways based on the kind of fuel they use.
The state law forced Wellington to repeal a local law that had previously only allowed boats with electric motors — which are quieter and cause less water pollution — on area lakes and canals.
“No one here wants gas motors on Lake Wellington,” Napoleone added during the meeting. “So I suggest you contact your representatives and complain to them about what this is going to do to your quality of life and the quality of the water by putting gasoline on the lake.”
This is yet another “preemption,” a type of state law that we’re constantly discussing here at Seeking Rents that strips home-rule autonomy from local voters and local elected officials. Preemptions are often pushed by special interests that find it far easier to influence a few politicians isolated in Tallahassee than hundreds of city council members and county commissioners spread across the state.
This particular preemption didn’t attract much attention when it passed during this year’s legislative session. That’s partly because it was stitched into a broader bill: Senate Bill 1388, which supporters branded as the “Boater Freedom Act” and was best known for another provision that prevents law enforcement officers from stopping or boarding a private boat without probable cause of a safety-law violation.
Senate Bill 1388 was publicly pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. But records suggest the “fuel-neutrality” provision may have come from Yamaha Motor Corp., which makes outboard motors — and which hired a Tallahassee law firm run by one of DeSantis’ top political fundraisers.
Disclosure records show Yamaha lobbyists worked lawmakers on the legislation. And Yamaha has been part of an effort to pass similar preemptions in state Capitols across the country, in a lobbying campaign that uses the the rallying cry of “ban the bans” and that is intended, in part, to slow momentum for electric vehicles of all kinds.
Wellington isn’t the only community affected by this.
For instance, county commissioners in Lake County — an exurban area northwest of Orlando that’s not nearly as wealthy as Wellington — were forced to repeal laws keeping gas-powered boats off of a pair of small lakes in residential areas (Lake Elsie and Blue Lake) and in a 770-acre environmental preserve (the Pine Meadows Conservation Area).
And the town attorney in Eustis, a little municipality Lake County, recently warned city commissioners that they would have to change a local law prohibiting gas-powered boats on a residential lake called Lake Gracie.
At this point, perhaps we can add Senate Bill 1388 to the list of state laws passed this year to please some powerful interest that have since spiraled out of control.
Like Senate Bill 2510 — the school-privatization legislation pushed through the Capitol in part by lobbyists for a billionaire megadonor that charter school networks are now using to try and claim rent-free space inside hundreds of public schools.
Or Senate Bill 180, the hurricane-recovery legislation that real-estate developers and Ron DeSantis aides are now exploiting to wipe out local land-planning rules.
In fact, new bills have already been filed ahead of the 2026 session to undo parts of all three laws, each of which have caused varying levels of local uproar.
Maybe — and I’m just spit-ballin’ here — maybe the governor and Legislature ought to let local communities make a few decisions for themselves?
*To paraphrase Barbossa, five is more what you’d call a guideline than an actual rule.
Education in Florida
Miami public school adopts classical education model championed by conservatives (Miami Herald) ($)
See also: UF breaks ground on Hamilton School home after $5.5 million gift from billionaire (WUFT)
See also: Florida Supreme Court justice steps down to be next director at UF’s Hamilton School (Tampa Bay Times) ($)
See also: Newly appointed Hamilton School director to be paid $500,000 (The Independent Florida Alligator)
See also: Coalition of South Florida parents, educators say new state law creates ‘shadow school system’ (WLRN)
Insurance in Florida
New Reforms, Same Old Florida Home Insurance Market (The American Prospect)
See also: Families face long waitlist for Florida’s subsidized childcare program (Orlando Sentinel) ($)
Castro would be proud
Miami-Dade commission appoints GOP lawmaker to open seat, rejecting election Miami Herald ($)
See also: UWF had 84 applicants for president. Diaz is sole finalist. (Pensacola News Journal) ($)
A do over…maybe
After lawsuit pressure, Florida advances marijuana amendment toward 2026 ballot (Florida Phoenix)
See also: Florida judge deals blow to getting recreational marijuana on ballot (News Service of Florida) ($)
Session is coming
After ‘alarming’ Guana land swap idea, Florida lawmaker files bill for more transparency (Tampa Bay Times) ($)
See also: Builders could get green light from lawmakers for more construction (USA Today Network – Florida) ($)
See also: Texas ruling heightens focus on Florida in Trump’s redistricting push (USA Today Network – Florida) ($)
See also: Why Is Indiana Resisting Trump’s Redistricting? The Senate President Explains. (Politico Magazine)
See also: Lawmaker who led Hope Florida probe aims to end public records delays (Orlando Sentinel) ($)
See also: State can’t find Hope Florida vehicles in motor pool database (Orlando Sentinel) ($)
Perspectives
$925/hr legal bills, $494,000 per degree. The costs of cronyism at Florida universities (Orlando Sentinel) ($)
Florida AG is using abortion rights as a political stunt and women will suffer (Miami Herald) ($)
In Florida school wars, are locals finally pushing back? (Tampa Bay Times) ($)
I missed this item, which was published originally in the Florida Alligator, the student newspaper at UF. Thanks, Jason. This is a hard-right time server milking the public treasury before retiring on a a state pension. And, lookee, look: He earned a raise!
"Charles T. Canady, the next director of UF’s Hamilton School for Classical and Civic Education, will earn a $500,000 salary in his new post, university spokesperson Cynthia Roldan confirmed to The Alligator.
"As director, Canady will earn nearly double what he was making as a justice on the Florida Supreme Court — his last reported salary was about $264,000."
Another sterling choice by Dee.
so - "conservatives" explain exactly why you think and assume you have "specialness" and values ? Because traditional is not exactly what you think it is. Jesus was a radical liberal. The Founding Fathers (and the women who did the hard work) were radical liberals. The women who lead the vote etc - were radical liberals.
Again, where is our Dems state leadership? What are they doing?
And, kids - guess what. I have the "freedom" not hire from Florida. You're so called "classical education" isn't what it's supposed to be.
The South shall fall once again...