Bills

• Returned home for the holiday season
• Will resume January 2023

• Bill has been delayed

SB522 will be heard in the Senate Rules Committee this Wednesday, April 20th @ 8:30 AM. Although the bill has been amended, the principle still stands against...

After the Senate scaled back its version of the bill, the House Ways and Means committee met on Monday 3/22/2021 and postponed consideration of a measure that...

HB219 has been added to Ways & Means Committee agenda, for meeting on 03/22/2021 12:30 PM

The Senate Appropriations Committee amended SB 522  ahead of their most recent meeting before finding the bill favorable and sending it to the Rules Committee....

Senate Bill 522 was Favorable today by Appropriations Subcommittee; YEAS 13 NAYS 5.  Going forward in the process it will be passed to the Rules Committee. There...

Two weeks after Senate Bill 522 was found Favorable by Regulated Industries Subcommittee, it will be on the agenda for the next Senate Appropriations Committee...

Efforts by state legislators to take vacation rental away from local officials are before the legislature this year, after similar bills died during the last...

The bill will now be heard next in the Senate Appropriations Committee, rather than Commerce and Tourism. Normally, bills do not  get reassigned to a different...

As online platforms such as Airbnb have grown in popularity, regulation of short-term rental properties has become a perennial fight in the Legislature. READ...

Senate Bill 522 was Favorable by Regulated Industries Subcommittee; YEAS 6 NAYS 3.  Going forward in the process it will be passed to the Commerce and Tourism...

House Bill 219 was Favorable with CS by Regulatory Reform Subcommittee and is being passed to the Ways & Means Committee. There is currently no date set for...

Florida Lawmakers Move to Scrap Local Governments’ Vacation Rental Regulations. Read more about it here: https://flaglerlive.com/160828/short-term-rentals-2021/...

The state legislature has initiated its annual battle with local governments over vacation rentals. Read about it in the Anna Maria Sun newspaper:...

Home Rule survived the 2020 Legislative session. Both bills (SB1128 and HB1011) to defeat Home Rule were “TP’d” (Temporarily passed - which really means...

Apparently an overwhelming number of local authorities showed up to testify against SB1128 on Monday before the Rules Committee. Hearing from all those who showed...

Thank you Governor DeSantis for questioning the wisdom of the one-size-fits-all mentality rampant in the legislature. Read more about it HERE.

Jay Daigneault, an attorney for several beach towns in Pinellas County, calls these bills (CS/HB 519 and CS/SB 1766) to alter the Bert Harris laws a nuclear bomb....

The South Florida Sun Sentinel illustrates one of the many problems caused by vacation rentals in residential areas - illegal advertising on AirBnB and other...

Well over 100 city officials and private citizens showed up on Tuesday to the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee to voice their opposition to SB1128 which...

HB1011 passed the Government Operations and Technology Subcommittee by a vote of 8 to 5 on 2/4. An amendment was added as follows: “For the 2020-2021 fiscal year,...

Beautiful Lido Key, home of the famous shopping mecca St. Armands Circle near Sarasota on Florida’s west coast is the latest to fall into the clutches of...

Senator Manny Diaz has again introduced a bill (SB1128) that would preempt all local Vacation Rental rule ordnances and decimate vulnerable local...

In case there is any doubt as to what really motivates our elected representatives, please read the article below. It is easy to correlate the names mentioned in...

Some state legislators seem to be numb to what Florida residents really want. The results of 2 recent surveys can be viewed HEREand a more recent one HERE

A constitutional amendment has been proposed that would require a 2/3rds majority to enact Home Rule preemption measures at the state level. SJR164 filed by...

Rep Halsey Beshears was recently appointed by Governor DeSantis as Secretary of Business and Professional Regulation. Rep Beshears has not been a proponent for...

This article quotes some legislators of being skeptical of Vacation Rentals driving out residents:Click HERE

An article in the Sanibel-Captive IslanderClick HERE

Last year, in a huge conflict of interest, sponsor of current HB1383, Jamie Grant, spoke on behalf of the Vacation Rental Management Association which is a...

This lengthy, in-depth article in Wired magazine shows what we as Florida residents are up against in our fight to preserve our communities. Through well funded...

A poll of 1400 people conducted by FloridaPolitics.com shows that 70% of Floridians want local control over short term rentals.  This message needs to...

By defining a vacation rental as a “residence” and prohibiting any change to grandfathered regulation, the state has severely tied the hands of local government....

We are beginning to hear from more seniors who came to Florida hoping to enjoy retirement in a quiet neighborhood. To their peril, they find that...

Once a vacation rental is legally in a residential area, there is little the local government can do. It’s up to the state to restore home rule authority to local...

As illustrated in this article, it seems like vacation rental advocates will stop at nothing to preempt local government's role in controlling investor owned...

This Editorial from South Florida makes an excellent point that lobbyists now have increased power in the State Legislature as the result of term limits. It's a...

Neither one of the House or Senate bills are currently scheduled to be heard by committee which is confirmed here by the Senate's...

In taking the old Sausage factory adage, the recent actions in the House of Representatives are examined in this editorial. It could be comedy. The problem is...

Here is a stark contrast illustrated in the following between two approaches to regulating vacation rentals. The first is Senator Hutson's defense of his...

The Editor of the Sarasota Observer is complementary of Sen. Steube's stand for individual rights and a rational argument. However, he points out that the 1968...

The Orlando conference of Mayors rebel against the threats to their constitutionally guaranteed right to home rule posed by legislation now working its way...

The TDC which is Manatee County's advisory board designed to promote tourism in this coastal community is firmly opposed to regulation of vacation rentals at the...

In spite of over 20 local governments expressing opposition to Senator Steube's SB1400, this committee votes overwhelmingly in favor of moving it forward. Even...

This article from the Sarasota Herald Tribune offers some disturbing insight into Senator Steube's real motives when introducing legislation for statewide...

During the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which took place from June 23-26 in Miami Beach, a bi-partisan group of mayors from around the country agreed that...

More TV coverage like this is needed elsewhere in our...

Here is a link to a survey conducted by the Florida Chamber of Commerce. It was found by one of our more active members in Flagler County. It is an opportunity to...

Sen. Steube has vowed to continue his crusade even though defeated in the last Legislative...

Apparently Sen. Steube didn't heed the advice offered in the editorial on May 4 in the Observer papers (and posted below) that advised him to recalculate his...

This editorial finds merit in Steube's willingness to stand up for his beliefs. However, the article also illustrates the unfortunate part is that his beliefs are...

As seen in this article, other places in the US seem to be way ahead of our...

This article summarizes the various sides in this controversy:http://floridapolitics.com/archives/tag/house-bill-425Missing and conveniently overlooked in this...

The proponents of HB425 and SB188 keep arguing for a "level playing field". We wonder how these people feel about how level it really...

SB188 was heard in the Community Affairs Committee in the Senate yesterday. It passed with an amendment that effectively neutralizes the onerous effects that the...

The Editor of the Business Observer as an ardent free market advocate looks at both sides of the argument and takes a stand. He points up: "We all have learned...

This article makes one wonder why Tallahassee thinks they know better than those closest to the problem. The Legislature isn't offering a solution, only saying...

A Miami Herald article refers to Airbnb rapid growth coming from "commercial"...

The Sarasota Herald Tribune calls SB188, sponsored by its home town Senator a Big Government...

The author points up an interesting dichotomy. If you build a large house and want to operate it as a B&B, you are not allowed to do so in a residential area....

Here's the latest from some Anna Maria residents who are not against vacation rentals, but just want some...

Download the full "Denver recognizes that commercial rentals in residential areas destroys the integrity of a neighborhood" PDF article »

Flagler County Commissioner Frank Meeker wrote a strong and impassioned op-ed in The Daytona Beach News-Journal in 2014 on the importance of home rule. It was...

This great article by Tom Aposporos (who is a licensed real estate broker) written in 2014 in the Sarasota Herald Tribune offered some direct facts about how the...

• Returned home for the holiday season
• Will resume January 2023

• Bill has been delayed

SB522 will be heard in the Senate Rules Committee this Wednesday, April 20th @ 8:30 AM. Although the bill has been amended, the principle still stands against...

After the Senate scaled back its version of the bill, the House Ways and Means committee met on Monday 3/22/2021 and postponed consideration of a measure that...

HB219 has been added to Ways & Means Committee agenda, for meeting on 03/22/2021 12:30 PM

The Senate Appropriations Committee amended SB 522  ahead of their most recent meeting before finding the bill favorable and sending it to the Rules Committee....

Senate Bill 522 was Favorable today by Appropriations Subcommittee; YEAS 13 NAYS 5.  Going forward in the process it will be passed to the Rules Committee. There...

Two weeks after Senate Bill 522 was found Favorable by Regulated Industries Subcommittee, it will be on the agenda for the next Senate Appropriations Committee...

Efforts by state legislators to take vacation rental away from local officials are before the legislature this year, after similar bills died during the last...

The bill will now be heard next in the Senate Appropriations Committee, rather than Commerce and Tourism. Normally, bills do not  get reassigned to a different...

As online platforms such as Airbnb have grown in popularity, regulation of short-term rental properties has become a perennial fight in the Legislature. READ...

Senate Bill 522 was Favorable by Regulated Industries Subcommittee; YEAS 6 NAYS 3.  Going forward in the process it will be passed to the Commerce and Tourism...

House Bill 219 was Favorable with CS by Regulatory Reform Subcommittee and is being passed to the Ways & Means Committee. There is currently no date set for...

Florida Lawmakers Move to Scrap Local Governments’ Vacation Rental Regulations. Read more about it here: https://flaglerlive.com/160828/short-term-rentals-2021/...

The state legislature has initiated its annual battle with local governments over vacation rentals. Read about it in the Anna Maria Sun newspaper:...

Home Rule survived the 2020 Legislative session. Both bills (SB1128 and HB1011) to defeat Home Rule were “TP’d” (Temporarily passed - which really means...

Apparently an overwhelming number of local authorities showed up to testify against SB1128 on Monday before the Rules Committee. Hearing from all those who showed...

Thank you Governor DeSantis for questioning the wisdom of the one-size-fits-all mentality rampant in the legislature. Read more about it HERE.

Jay Daigneault, an attorney for several beach towns in Pinellas County, calls these bills (CS/HB 519 and CS/SB 1766) to alter the Bert Harris laws a nuclear bomb....

The South Florida Sun Sentinel illustrates one of the many problems caused by vacation rentals in residential areas - illegal advertising on AirBnB and other...

Well over 100 city officials and private citizens showed up on Tuesday to the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee to voice their opposition to SB1128 which...

HB1011 passed the Government Operations and Technology Subcommittee by a vote of 8 to 5 on 2/4. An amendment was added as follows: “For the 2020-2021 fiscal year,...

Beautiful Lido Key, home of the famous shopping mecca St. Armands Circle near Sarasota on Florida’s west coast is the latest to fall into the clutches of...

Senator Manny Diaz has again introduced a bill (SB1128) that would preempt all local Vacation Rental rule ordnances and decimate vulnerable local...

In case there is any doubt as to what really motivates our elected representatives, please read the article below. It is easy to correlate the names mentioned in...

Some state legislators seem to be numb to what Florida residents really want. The results of 2 recent surveys can be viewed HEREand a more recent one HERE

A constitutional amendment has been proposed that would require a 2/3rds majority to enact Home Rule preemption measures at the state level. SJR164 filed by...

Rep Halsey Beshears was recently appointed by Governor DeSantis as Secretary of Business and Professional Regulation. Rep Beshears has not been a proponent for...

This article quotes some legislators of being skeptical of Vacation Rentals driving out residents:Click HERE

An article in the Sanibel-Captive IslanderClick HERE

Last year, in a huge conflict of interest, sponsor of current HB1383, Jamie Grant, spoke on behalf of the Vacation Rental Management Association which is a...

This lengthy, in-depth article in Wired magazine shows what we as Florida residents are up against in our fight to preserve our communities. Through well funded...

A poll of 1400 people conducted by FloridaPolitics.com shows that 70% of Floridians want local control over short term rentals.  This message needs to...

By defining a vacation rental as a “residence” and prohibiting any change to grandfathered regulation, the state has severely tied the hands of local government....

We are beginning to hear from more seniors who came to Florida hoping to enjoy retirement in a quiet neighborhood. To their peril, they find that...

Once a vacation rental is legally in a residential area, there is little the local government can do. It’s up to the state to restore home rule authority to local...

As illustrated in this article, it seems like vacation rental advocates will stop at nothing to preempt local government's role in controlling investor owned...

This Editorial from South Florida makes an excellent point that lobbyists now have increased power in the State Legislature as the result of term limits. It's a...

Neither one of the House or Senate bills are currently scheduled to be heard by committee which is confirmed here by the Senate's...

In taking the old Sausage factory adage, the recent actions in the House of Representatives are examined in this editorial. It could be comedy. The problem is...

Here is a stark contrast illustrated in the following between two approaches to regulating vacation rentals. The first is Senator Hutson's defense of his...

The Editor of the Sarasota Observer is complementary of Sen. Steube's stand for individual rights and a rational argument. However, he points out that the 1968...

The Orlando conference of Mayors rebel against the threats to their constitutionally guaranteed right to home rule posed by legislation now working its way...

The TDC which is Manatee County's advisory board designed to promote tourism in this coastal community is firmly opposed to regulation of vacation rentals at the...

In spite of over 20 local governments expressing opposition to Senator Steube's SB1400, this committee votes overwhelmingly in favor of moving it forward. Even...

This article from the Sarasota Herald Tribune offers some disturbing insight into Senator Steube's real motives when introducing legislation for statewide...

During the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which took place from June 23-26 in Miami Beach, a bi-partisan group of mayors from around the country agreed that...

More TV coverage like this is needed elsewhere in our...

Here is a link to a survey conducted by the Florida Chamber of Commerce. It was found by one of our more active members in Flagler County. It is an opportunity to...

Sen. Steube has vowed to continue his crusade even though defeated in the last Legislative...

Apparently Sen. Steube didn't heed the advice offered in the editorial on May 4 in the Observer papers (and posted below) that advised him to recalculate his...

This editorial finds merit in Steube's willingness to stand up for his beliefs. However, the article also illustrates the unfortunate part is that his beliefs are...

As seen in this article, other places in the US seem to be way ahead of our...

This article summarizes the various sides in this controversy:http://floridapolitics.com/archives/tag/house-bill-425Missing and conveniently overlooked in this...

The proponents of HB425 and SB188 keep arguing for a "level playing field". We wonder how these people feel about how level it really...

SB188 was heard in the Community Affairs Committee in the Senate yesterday. It passed with an amendment that effectively neutralizes the onerous effects that the...

The Editor of the Business Observer as an ardent free market advocate looks at both sides of the argument and takes a stand. He points up: "We all have learned...

This article makes one wonder why Tallahassee thinks they know better than those closest to the problem. The Legislature isn't offering a solution, only saying...

A Miami Herald article refers to Airbnb rapid growth coming from "commercial"...

The Sarasota Herald Tribune calls SB188, sponsored by its home town Senator a Big Government...

The author points up an interesting dichotomy. If you build a large house and want to operate it as a B&B, you are not allowed to do so in a residential area....

Here's the latest from some Anna Maria residents who are not against vacation rentals, but just want some...

Download the full "Denver recognizes that commercial rentals in residential areas destroys the integrity of a neighborhood" PDF article »

Flagler County Commissioner Frank Meeker wrote a strong and impassioned op-ed in The Daytona Beach News-Journal in 2014 on the importance of home rule. It was...

This great article by Tom Aposporos (who is a licensed real estate broker) written in 2014 in the Sarasota Herald Tribune offered some direct facts about how the...