TALLAHASSEE, Florida — State Sen. Stan McClain (R-Ocala) says he is working to protect “Old Florida,” but some environmentalists say his bills put Florida’s natural areas and rural communities at risk.
As chair of the Senate Committee on Community Affairs, McClain has filed more than 10 bills dealing with development and housing, including several that have cleared his committee despite opposition.
Gil Smart, executive director of VoteWater.org, calls the 2026 legislative session a “blitzkrieg” and an “onslaught of pro-development legislation” led by the senator.
But McClain told POLITICO he’s only trying to protect property rights while tinkering with the development approval process to put new construction where it belongs — within urban areas.
