Letter to the Editor: SB 1118 Threatens Florida Agriculture and Local Control

As a seventh-generation North Floridian, a landowner, and a lifelong supporter of Florida agriculture, I feel compelled to speak out against Senate Bill 1118, which is now rapidly moving through the Florida Senate and headed next to the Regulated Industries Committee. This bill would allow high-density housing and multifamily apartment complexes to be developed on agricultural land throughout Florida — even overriding local zoning decisions and community plans. It’s being sold as a solution to “affordable housing,” but the reality is far more troubling. SB 1118 represents a clear attempt to open rural land to large-scale development under the guise of public need. It’s worth noti