TALLAHASSEE, FL—For the first time since Republican firebrand Gov. Ron DeSantis took office, his conservative-dominated Legislature is publicly blasting him and his plan to construct golf courses on state parks while pleading with Floridians to "make their voices heard".
In other words, they're turning on him.
"We have worked so hard to restore, preserve, and protect our natural lands over the last decade, it doesn’t seem to make much sense to abandon that strategy in favor of amenities that can and do exist everywhere else in this state," wrote Sen. Jason Brodeur, a DeSantis-endorsee who has tried (and twice failed) to carry a DeSantis priority bill cracking down on journalists "defaming" political figures.
"I urge my fellow lawmakers and citizens to join me in protecting these parks from unnecessary development and ensuring that our natural heritage is preserved for all to enjoy," said Sen. Jay Trumbull, another DeSantis-endorsee.
On Wednesday, the Tampa Bay Times broke the news that through a DeSantis-founded initiative—this year's "Great Outdoors Initiative"—the Department of Environmental Protection has drawn up plans to construct lodging, glamping sites, pickleball courts, and/or golf courses on at least nine different state parks. During last year's Great Outdoors Initiative, DeSantis and the state purchased 260,000 acres of conservation land, most of which lies within Florida's expansive Wildlife Corridor.
Widespread backlash happened quickly; beginning (expectedly) with Democrats until Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson (unexpectedly) broke Republicans' silence, kicking off a rare cascade of conservative disapproval.
"Public lands should be enjoyed and protected, but we have to be really careful when we talk about building infrastructure on state parks,” Simpson, who has clashed with the Governor in the past, said in a statement. “Just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should do it.”
He followed up Friday morning, posting links to various DEP meetings and urging Floridians to stop the plan in its tracks: "This isn’t a done deal folks. Show up and make your voices heard."
Since Simpson's post, Rep. Adam Anderson and Sens. Jonathan Martin, Jennifer Bradley, Joe Gruters—who is currently in hot water with the party for supporting a constitutional amendment legalizing recreational marijuana—and Kathleen Passidomo, the Senate President, have all come forward and eviscerated the idea, claiming that this plan works against all of the efforts to conserve state ecosystems.
"I am open to other ideas, but from what I know at this time, the proposal should not move forward in its current form," Passidomo said.
The infighting also reached Congressional ears—and tongues much harsher than those of state Lawmakers.
"Over my dead body will there be a golf course at Jonathan Dickinson State Park!" Said Rep. Brian Mast, referring to the DEP's plan to remove an iconic observation tower located on a protected scrub habitat. He called the proposal a "slap in the face" and a "middle finger to the community", promptly posting the emails of the "decision-makers" and urging residents to "make their voices heard."
Rep. Matt Gaetz, a close Trump ally, and his father Don Gaetz, a former Florida Senate President and current candidate for SD 1, took to social media to voice their "opposition to the plan to commercialize our state parks."
"Would love to see a trove of state lawmakers join these Republican leaders in this stance," the Congressman wrote.
"I will do all I can to see that our parks are preserved," the elder Gaetz agreed.
DeSantis' press secretary, Jeremy Redfern, on the other hand, said, "The agency’s initial recommendations are based on public input and proposals — from pickleball to golf to additional bike trails and camping access; the proposals vary and may not all be approved. Finally, recommendations will be evaluated, and no final decisions will be made until the public comment and review process has been completed."
This is the most recent hint that DeSantis' "political star is tarnished", NBC reported. As a Governor who won re-election by almost 20 points in 2022, successfully pushed a series of priority bills through the Legislature in 2023, and used his sway to elect 25 school board candidates, it's interesting that after losing his presidential bid just two years later, only a quarter of his endorsed school board candidates won outright.
And now, the Republican-supermajority Legislature feels comfortable in both publicly nixing—and galvanizing opposition to—his statewide plans.
