Who are these guys, and why do they hate clean water?

We've scrutinized some of the worst ideas emanating from Tallahassee — but this week on our web site we take a look at the legislators behind some of these terrible proposals and do some digging into their campaign finances to see who gave them money — and whether that's a reason behind their decision to sponsor dirty-water bills.

Empty seat watch: When will DeSantis fill the vacancy on the SFWMD Governing Board?

It's now been seven months since Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch, seen above, vacated her seat on the Governing Board of the South Florida Water Management District after the Florida Senate declined to reconfirm her. As we've noted previously, the seat remains empty, and Gov. Ron DeSantis has not nominated anyone to fill the position.

Why, and when will this change? Perhaps now that he's suspended his presidential campaign DeSantis might turn his attention to this key position; if so it'll be just in time, as Lake Okeechobee has continued to trend higher and damaging discharges look increasingly likely this spring.

Fill the seat, Governor — we need to be at full strength if the deluge comes.

ICYMI: Everglades science over politics?

You may be aware of the ongoing legal case against Tom Van Lent. The former top scientist for the Everglades Foundation, he left the Foundation in 2022 to work for our friends at Friends of the Everglades, and soon found himself the subject of a legal action filed by his former employer who claimed Van Lent stole "trade secrets" on his way out the door.

This week in a Miami Herald op-ed (paywalled), two eminent scientists and experts in Everglades restoration decry the "persecution" of Van Lent — and the idea that there should be "trade secrets" when it comes to science.

It's a key point, because if there ARE "trade secrets" — it can only undermine the multi-year, multi-billion dollar effort to restore the "River of Grass."