Florida offshore drilling off-limits?

The subject of offshore drilling is once again in the news. According to Politico:

The Interior Department has removed the federal waters off the Atlantic coast from President Donald Trump’s upcoming offshore drilling plan after Republicans in the region pressed to keep oil and natural gas rigs away from their shores…

Senators Rick Scott and Ashley Moody in particular have sought to ban drilling near Florida. But they’ve not been entirely successful; Politico notes that under Trump’s proposal, new offshore drilling WOULD be allowed in the Gulf, but subject to “a zone of at least 100 nautical miles around Florida where Interior would not offer lease sales.”

In other words: a 100-mile buffer zone, beyond which drilling would be A-OK.

Will Floridians, particularly those on the Gulf Coast, be OK with this? How about elected officials, will they accept this — or fight it?

At VoteWater we oppose any new drilling that could impact Florida’s beaches, businesses, residents and wildlife. The proposal hasn’t even been officially released yet, so it’s not yet time for a freakout. But keep this on your radar screen — and we’ll keep you posted.

Recapping the 2025 elections and a look at ahead to 2026 mid-term vote

The 2025 election is one for the history books; our endorsed candidates didn’t win but Miami Mayoral candidate Ken Russell in particular put in a good showing, falling just 700 or so votes shy of making the runoff election between Eileen Higgins and Emilio Gonzalez now scheduled for Dec. 9.

Next year’s mid-term elections are going to be a major event, and at VoteWater we’re getting ready. We’ll endorse the best candidates, keep our “Dirty Money” database updated so you can see who’s bankrolling the candidates; we’ll poll candidates on clean-water issues and post the results online, and more.

Safeguarding Florida’s precious waterways should be a top priority for every political candidate — and with your support, we can make it happen.

ICYMI: Sugar billionaire, others kiss up by funding WH renovations

Last week we reported that J. Pepe Fanjul, part of the powerful family behind Florida Crystals Corp., was among the donors who contributed to the teardown of the White House’s East Wing to make way for a new ballroom.

We neglected to mention that the donation, the amount of which has not been disclosed, is tax-deductible. And, Fanjul wasn’t the only south Floridian on the list; another donor was NextEra Energy, parent company of FPL.

This is, of course, all about sucking up to power. As the advocacy group Public Citizen noted, more than half the donors/companies identified “are facing federal enforcement actions and/or have had federal enforcement actions suspended by the Trump administration.” Two-thirds have entered into government contracts, the companies all self-report “a stunningly wide array of interests before the federal government,” and they have a history of spending big on political contributions and lobbying.

Indeed, Public Citizen calculated that Fanjul alone spent some $9.25 million on political contributions between 2021-2025; and another $5.2 million on lobbying during that same period.

Donor “generosity” begets governmental “generosity”: this is how the game is played. And few play it more skillfully than the Fanjuls — and Big Sugar in general.

This is what we're fighting for

Placid waters on the lagoon. Worries dissipate; you can relax. Unless the estuary is getting discharges from Lake Okeechobee, and brown water that ruins your reverie.

At VoteWater, we fight for a future where Floridian can enjoy our rivers, lakes, and coasts without having to worry about polluted, toxic waters. Your support powers that fight — helping us hold polluters accountable, push for smarter policies, and elect leaders who put clean water first. Please support our work.

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