With a star-studded roster of top consultants and former state officials, how can the sugar industry lose?     How many lobbyists does Big Sugar have in Tallahassee? To get your way in the halls of power, you need insiders, arm-twisters, influence-peddlers. You need lobbyists. We wondered how many lobbyists Florida’s preeminent special interest, Big Sugar, has roaming the capitol, so we looked. The answer: at least 48, including 21 registered to lobby for U.S. Sugar Corp., and another 21 registered to lobby for Florida Crystals. Among them are some of the top lobbyists in the state, and indeed the nation. They include two former Presidents of the Florida Senate and a former Speaker of the Florida House, among others. With heavy hitters like this, how can Big Sugar lose? That’s the idea. For a closer look at Big Sugar’s 2024 lobbying roster, check our latest blog post at VoteWater.org. READ MORE PLEASE SUPPORT VOTEWATER   Friends keeping an eye on the Florida Legislature They're up to no good in Tallahassee, you know. But our friends at Friends of the Everglades are keeping a close eye on the 2024 Legislative Session now underway, tracking more than four dozen bills that could have an impact on clean water and the environment in general, for better — but mostly for worse. You can sign up for alerts, or take action on select bills. The list of legislation is constantly updated and Friends will issue a mid-session report when we get to the halfway mark, and an end-of-session report when it's all over. Visit Everglades.org for more information. Water, water everywhere; when is it coming our way? Pounded by rain, Lake Okeechobee keeps rising. On Wednesday, Jan. 17, Lake O stood at 16.18 feet, the highest it’s been at this point in the year for the past five years at least. On Jan. 17, 2019, the lake was at 12.34 feet; on that date in 2020, it was at 13.01 feet; in 2021, 15.64 feet; in 2022, 15.23 feet; and in 2023, 16.13 feet. You can see the clear trend of the lake being higher in recent years; and this in fact has triggered concern from lake advocates, who are clamoring for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to do something to get the water level down and improve ecological conditions. That “something” may well be discharges, later this year. Indeed, with this El Nino winter in full swing, we’re not expecting the lake level to fall significantly any time soon. That means almost certain discharges in 2024 — the only question is when. BECOME A MEMBER DONATE VoteWater 3727 SE Ocean Blvd Suite 200-A Stuart, FL 34996 | (772) 212-2939 VoteWater | 3727 SE Ocean Blvd, Suite 200-A, Stuart, FL 34996 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected] powered by Try email marketing for free today!