For Immediate Release

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Contact
Sarah Bascom, sarah@bascomllc.com, 850.294.6636
Kelsey Swithers, kelsey@bascomllc.com, 941.400.8183

Local Governments & Entities Praise Senate Appropriations Committee

for Voting Favorably on SB 770
Florida Keys Stewardship Act Invests in Florida Keys Most Significant Environmental Needs
Monroe County, Fla. Local governments and entities in Monroe County, Fla., today praised the
Senate Appropriations Committee for voting favorably on Senate Bill 770, sponsored by Senators
Wilton Simpson (R-Trilby) and Anitere Flores (R-Miami). Also known as the Florida Keys Stewardship
Act, SB 770 will invest $25 million each year for 10 years into water quality, restoration and protection;
water supply protection; and land for critical habitat protection, public safety in case of an evacuation,
property rights and military base protection.
The companion bill, House Bill 447, which is sponsored by Representative Holly Raschein (R-Key
Largo), is slated to be heard on the House floor.
We are happy to praise the Senate Appropriations Committee for voting favorably on this good bill,
said Mayor Heather Carruthers of Monroe County. With the end of session drawing near, we would
also like to thank Senators Simpson and Flores, and Representative Raschein, for all their hard work and
dedication on behalf of the Florida Keys.
We commend the Senators who serve on the Senate Appropriations Committee for understanding the
importance of investing in the future of the Florida Keys, said Mayor Craig Cates of the City of Key
West. Not only have the Florida Keys been a source of major economic benefits for our local
communities, but they have been a driving force in the states overall economy. Investing in the Florida
Keys Stewardship Act will allow the Keys to continue to be a major economic contributor now and in
the long run.
The Florida Keys are much more than a string of islands located at the southernmost point of Florida,
said Mayor Mark Senmartin of the City of Marathon. The Keys are a one-of-a-kind environmental
treasure and an economic driver for the entire State of Florida. Passing the Florida Keys Stewardship
Act is a smart investment with a significant return on investment for Florida, and we applaud the
members of the Senate Appropriations Committee for recognizing this today with their favorable vote.
The Council of Islamorada, Village of Islands, is tremendously grateful for the support that the Senate
Appropriations Committee showed toward the Florida Keys Stewardship Act by passing this muchneeded legislation out of their committee today, said Mayor Deb Gillis of Islamorada. This Act will do
so much for the Florida Keys by making investments in water quality and supply protection, as well as
land, and we are hopeful that this legislation will continue successfully.

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A vote in support of the Florida Keys Stewardship Act is a vote in favor of preserving and protecting
the Florida Keys for future generations of Floridians, said Mayor Jerry Ellis of the City of Key Colony
Beach. Thank you to the Senate Appropriations Committee for taking a favorable stance on the Florida
Keys Stewardship Act today.
The Florida Keys Stewardship Act is necessary if we want to safeguard the Florida Keys, now and for
the future, said Chairman J. Robert Dean of the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority Board of Directors.
We are pleased that the Senate Appropriations Committee joined us in supporting this sound
investment, which will address the Florida Keys most significant environmental needs, and hope that
this important measure continues to receive substantial support.
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