Protect our right to petition
To the editor:
Anyone who has lived in Southwest Florida is well aware how degraded our area’s waterways have become, and the groundwater resources we can’t see have been depleted to a point where lawn/yard watering has been restricted. The current drought further exacerbates these issues. A citizen ballot initiative that will address these problems for all of Florida, the Right To Clean Water (RTCW), is currently collecting signatures to appear on the 2026 voter ballot.
However, the bills (one in the Senate and one in the House) are quickly winding their way to a vote that would severely limit citizen ballot initiatives by requiring, among others, a $1 million bond and excessive private information (e.g., driver’s license number). If this bill is not blocked, it would effectively eliminate RTCW and many other citizen initiatives.
As a concerned Florida resident, what can you do about it?
Sign the citizen ballot initiative by the RTCW to dramatically strengthen (and actually enforce) the existing laws that provide clean and healthy water (e.g., aquifers, lakes rivers, springs, coastal waters and wetlands) to Florida citizens. https://www.floridarighttocleanwater.org
Contact your state and local elected officials to let them know you are against any law that discourages voters’ participation in government by restricting citizen ballot initiatives (this includes the RTCW). The relevant elected officials for SW Florida can be reached here:
Senators — https://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/Districts
Senate bill — https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/07016
Representatives — https://www.flhouse.gov/FindYourRepresentative
House bill – https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/1205
Dave Bortell
North Fort Myers