Senate to start moving on water policy

BY THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

Hoping to reach agreement with the House on the high-profile issue, the Senate will start moving forward next week with a massive water-policy bill. The Senate Environmental Preservation and Conservation Committee on Nov. 4 will take up a 134-page measure (SB 552), sponsored by Chairman Charlie Dean, R-Inverness, in preparation for the 2016 legislative session. The bill deals with a wide range of issues involving water quality and water quantity across the state. The bill deals, for example, with issues such as natural springs, water supplies in Central Florida and water bodies near Lake Okeechobee. The House and Senate could not agree on a water-policy bill during the 2015 session, but leaders have indicated they are closer to reaching agreement for the upcoming session. Some state leaders, including House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, have made water policy a top priority. House State Affairs Chairman Matt Caldwell, a North Fort Myers Republican who is a key player in the issue, filed a 149-page water bill (HB 7005) on Monday.