Sen. Nick DiCeglie sponsored the legislation that dictates how local governments must prepare for and respond to hurricanes. The law also restricts city and county officials from adopting \u201cmore restrictive or burdensome\u201d land-use regulations until October 2027, and DiCeglie told the Catalyst that he is \u201cfully committed to making those necessary changes\u201d\u00a0 in the upcoming session.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf there is one thing that local governments should be doing, it\u2019s land regulation,\u201d Hanewicz said. \u201cI try to explain to people \u2026 how tied our hands are right now. Literally, nothing can be done.\u201d<\/p>\n
David Thompson, director of government affairs, said any changes will \u201cultimately be a struggle\u201d between lawmakers who initially opposed the ambiguous language, including DiCeglie, and representatives who fought for the current version.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Page one of the draft 2026 Legislative Agenda. Screengrab, city documents.<\/p>\n
Recent lawsuits claim that SB 180 violates the Florida Constitution\u2019s \u201cnatural resources\u201d clause by blocking local efforts to protect the environment. Oscar Anderson, a partner with the Southern Group lobbying firm, called that \u201clow-hanging fruit\u201d for stakeholders hoping to amend the law.\u00a0<\/p>\n
However, he said that defining \u201cmore restrictive or burdensome\u201d is more challenging. In addition, lawmakers often \u201cwash their hands\u201d of an issue when litigation is pending and let the courts decide.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s topic number one \u2013 that and property tax reform,\u201d Anderson added. \u201cHopefully, we\u2019ll make some progress, at least on the low-hanging fruit, this session.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hanewicz asked if Gov. Ron DeSantis, who must approve any changes, has responded to the controversy. Anderson pointed to Florida Commerce\u2019s stance, which is to tell local governments that proposed planning and land-use changes are \u201cnull and void\u201d under SB 180.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFor us, this is a critical, critical piece of legislation that needs to change,\u201d Hanewicz said.<\/p>\n
Southern Group lobbyist Jon Stewart said stakeholders should expect a \u201clittle bit crazier\u201d legislative session than the last, repeatedly described<\/a> as \u201cchaotic.\u201d He noted Florida has a \u201clame duck\u201d governor, house speaker and senate president, who are \u201clooking to cut spending even more this time.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Those anticipated cuts would further exacerbate a reduction or total loss of property tax revenue, an ongoing priority for the DeSantis administration<\/a>. That money covers about 95% of St. Petersburg\u2019s public safety costs.\u00a0<\/p>\n Stewart said the House is \u201cgoing through the motions on this, but the Senate is not playing ball.\u201d He believes the city would find a way to fund vital services, \u201cbut your Crystal Rivers and smaller cities like that would not be able to make up that cost.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s also devastating to us,\u201d Hanewicz said. \u201cThe reality is, it affects everyone.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Anderson opined that legislators will \u201cdo something\u201d regarding property taxes. However, \u201cit may not be significant.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Page two of the draft 2026 Legislative Agenda.<\/p>\n City officials will encourage state leaders to focus reforms on homesteaded properties and acknowledge the need for revenue replacement. St. Petersburg\u2019s Legislative Agenda also highlights the soaring cost of public safety equipment and urges legislators to explore ways to help mitigate those increases.\u00a0<\/p>\n Openly carrying firearms<\/a> is now legal in Florida, except in bars, schools, courthouses and state and federal buildings. St. Petersburg will ask lawmakers to extend those prohibitions to all municipal facilities, including recreational centers and fields.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Screenshot-1242-e1760640615409.png\")
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