Florida Legislature chips away at powers of your local leaders

[TexasTowelie]

With the Florida Legislature's regular session over, the state's counties, cities and towns have found themselves in a familiar situation.

Lawmakers in the Florida Senate and House this year continued to chip away at the power of local governments to control everything from home-based businesses to cruise ships.

"There's a part-time (Florida) Legislature that says, 'We know better. We're going to make a decision for you,'" said Richard Radcliffe, executive director of Palm Beach County League of Cities. "They don't get stopped in Publix, like every local official does by their constituents. (Local officials) have a pulse on the people."

Among home rule measures, lawmakers this spring passed a cap on impact fee increases; a bill preventing local governments from placing greater restrictions on home-based businesses; and a bill banning cities and counties from regulating the sale of firearms; and a bill regarding cruise ships.

Read more: https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/politics/2021/05/30/home-rule-florida-legislature/7468205002/

[USAFRetired_Liberal]

1. Seems like all over the country in these Republican led states

Republicans from white, rural and less populated areas are trying to control the diverse, urban and populated areas..

[Dreampuff]

2. They need to be voted out, but like was mentioned, the smaller rural areas will keep them in office.

Even when something has come to a vote and passed, they find a way to mess it up. Medical marijuana or gambling or the $15 an hour wage increase, among other things, they always want to mess with it and think they know what the voters meant when they passed something by a 60% margin. Remember the law we passed with felons being able to vote? They even had to get their grubby hands on that one after it once passed and add more hurdles to it.