From our friends over at CFCW (Captions for Clean Water)
governor DeSantis Vetoes SB 2508, Thanks To YOUR Efforts!
A message from our founders:
Today, Governor DeSantis proved that he heard the voices of thousands of fishing guides, boat captains, business owners, and concerned citizens throughout Florida by vetoing Senate Bill 2508.
In early February, the Florida Senate filed SB 2508 late on a Friday night as a budget-conforming bill intending to quietly fast track major policy changes that would write into law the preferential treatment of the industrial sugar industry. This sneak attack undermined the proper legislative processes and short-circuited the opportunity for public input.
Captains For Clean Water organized and responded with massive public awareness campaigns and public action opportunities, leading the groundswell of opposition against the bill.
Over 50,000 Captains For Clean Water supporters like YOU expressed opposition through 156,000 emails to legislators, 1,500 phone calls to legislators, 50,000 petition signatures, and multiple trips to the State Capitol, forcing the Florida Senate to amend the bill twice removing most of the harmful Everglades language and the proviso language that held hostage $300+ million in state Everglades funding contingent on passage of 2508.
Dozens of fishing guides canceled booked charters and lost thousands of dollars of income to travel to Tallahassee to publicly oppose Senate Bill 2508. At the first committee hearing for the bill, Senate leaders used intimidation tactics claiming guides had been misinformed, misled, and did not understand the nuances of legislative language.
When we produced videos and social content to inform the public about the corruption unfolding, proponents of the bill attempted to censor us, threatening legal action. They deployed slander campaigns against Captains For Clean Water and targeted Floridians with misinformation materials.
Time and again, they tried to silence our voices and tip the scales against us. This only made us stronger. Together with our supporters, we kept going and we fought harder.
Capt. C.A. Richardson said it best in his remarks to the Florida Senate Appropriations Committee, “They don’t quit when they’re tired. They quit when they’re done…and they are not done.”
To Capt. Richardson and all of you, your efforts have absolutely paid off. Today, we are “done” with the SB 2508 battle.
Thank you to our supporters—every fishing guide, boat captain, outdoor brand, business owner, and citizen who signed our petition, contacted lawmakers, traveled to Tallahassee, and came together to urge Governor DeSantis to oppose Senate Bill 2508. You were the groundswell that finally swamped Senate Bill 2508.
Sincerely,
Capt. Daniel Andrews & Capt. Chris Wittman
You can read their latest release to find out what exactly it means here: https://captainsforcleanwater.org
We support the efforts of CFCW here at Flats Nation and other awesome groups, all working in concert to help protect and improve our Marine Ecosystems around the World. If you have a group that would like some more exposure, please feel free to reach out to us!
We invite you to take in a few Flats Nation Podcast Episodes to help "Scratch that Fishing Itch" when working or traveling and you cannot hitch up the Skiff and go, on these links:
Our main podcast page works great for your mobile device since it will stream on your phone/tablet. It can be found by clicking Here
The YouTube channel can be found by clicking Here and sharing them with family and friends if you find them Entertaining and Educational! We have some great guests in the works and planning stages on a wide range of topics and product coverage soon.
Tight Lines, and God Bless!
Dave at the Team
