Press Release: Former Florida Governor Charlie Crist Endorses Right to Clean Water Constitutional Amendment
Proposed amendment would recognize legal rights of Florida waterways; first “rights of nature” state constitutional amendment to be proposed in the U.S.
July 21, 2021
Contact
Chuck O’Neal
Chair, Florida Rights of Nature Network (FRONN)
(407) 399-3228
Thomas Linzey, Esq.
Senior Legal Counsel, Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights
(509) 474-9761
Orange County, FL: Former Florida Governor Charlie Crist has endorsed the proposed “Right to Clean Water” state constitutional amendment. The amendment would recognize the right to clean water and the rights of Florida rivers, bays, and lagoons to “exist, flow, be free of pollution, and maintain healthy ecosystems.”
Crist, currently the U.S. Representative from Florida’s 13th Congressional District, served as Governor of Florida from 2007-2011. He is currently running for the Democratic Party nomination in the 2022 Florida gubernatorial election.
The “Right to Clean Water” constitutional amendment is being proposed by clean water advocates across Florida on the heels of the overwhelming adoption of a similar local initiative in Orange County, Florida, in November 2020. That local initiative, adopted by nearly 90% of Orange County voters, recognized the legal right to clean water, and legal rights of the Wekiva and Econlockhatchee Rivers and all other waterways within Orange County.
Crist endorsed the amendment as part of his “Clean Water for All” plan, which includes stronger regulations for agricultural runoff and reduced fertilizer use. In releasing his plan, Crist declared that “we’re going to finally get serious on agricultural runoff, wastewater management and defending critical watersheds.”
Chuck O’Neal, chair of the Florida Rights of Nature Network (FRONN), who spearheaded the Orange County initiative, declared, “This is the first time that a gubernatorial candidate of a major party has embraced the recognition of legally enforceable rights of waterways. We welcome his support as we qualify and campaign for this amendment.”
Mari Margil, Executive Director of the Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights (CDER), which helped draft the constitutional amendment, stated, “Crist’s endorsement is part of a growing recognition that existing environmental regulations are rigged in favor of those who benefit from destroying waterways. It’s time to change that system to one in which Florida’s waterways are recognized as having the highest legal protections available under law – that of having constitutional rights that can be enforced by Floridians.”
The “Right to Clean Water” initiative is one of five constitutional amendments being proposed to protect Florida’s natural environment and species. The other four recognize rights of Florida’s iconic wildlife species, including the Endangered Species Act-listed manatee and Florida panther; ban destruction of wetlands; prohibit new toll roads across conservation lands; and ban captive hunting facilities.
All of the proposed amendments may be found and signed at www.fl5.org.
###