TALLAHASSEE, Florida — More than a dozen cities and counties are lining up to challenge recent state law changes that critics say bar local governments from adopting more restrictive land use regulations and development codes following hurricanes.
Lawyer Jamie Cole of the Weiss Serota Helfman Cole and Bierman law firm this week said 17 local governments have agreed to join a lawsuit challenging a law regarding emergencies that was filed after the 2024 hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton.
The measure barred local governments from adopting more restrictive regulations following the 2024 hurricanes and others in the future. The environmental group 1000 Friends of Florida said the legislation is too broad, creating confusion for local governments.
“It is the worst growth management legislation I’ve seen in my career,” land use lawyer Richard Grosso said Thursday. He wrote a bill analysis for 1000 Friends of Florida in August after the measure was signed into law.
