Mast's Everglades Bill Signed Into Law

Rep. Brian Mast

The Floridian recently reported that both Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) and the state of Florida received a win when Mast’s bill- The South Florida Clean Coastal Waters Act- was passed easily in the House of Representatives. Rep. Mast's bill will “require the first-ever federal assessment and action plan to combat harmful algal blooms in Florida.”

In the Senate, both Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) championed the bill and pleaded for President Joe Biden (D) to sign the bill.

“Harmful algal blooms can sicken Floridians, damage local communities, and destroy ecosystems,” said the former presidential candidate. “This will help our coastal communities prepare for and mitigate the devastating impacts. I urge President Biden to sign this bill into law so we can begin addressing these challenges,” said Sen. Scott. “I won’t stop fighting to protect Florida’s beautiful waters, environment and natural resources for future generations and I urge President Biden to quickly sign this important bill into law.”

Well, the three Florida politicians do not need to ask for the President’s approval any longer. According to Mast’s press release, the bill “directs the task force to complete an assessment that examines the causes, consequences and potential approaches to reduce harmful algal blooms in the Greater Everglades region, including how ongoing South Florida ecosystem restoration efforts are impacting the distribution of algal blooms. Based on the assessment, the task force then must submit a plan to Congress for reducing, mitigating and controlling harmful algal blooms in the Greater Everglades region.”

The bipartisan bill, which included cosponsorships from representatives such as Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL) and Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL), was passed in the house by a whopping 412-7 vote.

Mast had this to say on Twitter about the passage of his bill.

“The South Florida Clean Coastal Waters Act is law! For way too long, Florida’s east and west coasts have been treated as the state’s septic tanks. This law is a huge step forward in ensuring our communities have the tools to end toxic algal blooms once and for all," stated Rep. Mast

Jackson Bakich

Born in Orlando but raised in Lake County, Florida, Jackson Bakich is currently a senior at Florida State University. Growing up in the sunshine state, Bakich co-hosted the political talk radio show "Lake County Roundtable" (WLBE) and was a frequent guest for "Lake County Sports Show" (WQBQ). Currently, he is the Sports Editor of the FSView and the co-host of "Tomahawk Talk" (WVFS), a sports talk radio program covering Florida State athletics in Tallahassee.