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To the editor:
Very quietly our Florida legislators are destroying average citizens' right to petition their government, a fundamental right that allows citizens to peacefully ask for their grievances and concerns to be heard. This is an essential right that allows citizens to participate in governmental change, legislators can be held accountable, and that all of this is done peacefully. Florida HB 1205 has already passed and SB7016 looks to be passed soon. The compromise bill that emerges will then go to Gov. DeSantis for his signature into law.
Members of the Florida Right to Clean Water have been trying desperately to get signatures for their petition to amend the state Constitution to make clean and healthy waters a fundamental right for every citizen. The changes to the petition process that are being pushed by our legislators will make it impossible for volunteer groups such as ours to participate in the petition process anymore. Only groups with lots of money will have even a chance. Now while you may not feel that supporting our amendment is important, though I can't understand why clean water isn't universally desired, there may come a time when an issue that you do think is important will occur. You may not be able to petition for that cause if this law takes effect.
Please don't allow a basic tenet that we have now be taken away from us and diminished.
Go to flgov.com to let Gov. DeSantis know you don't support this change. And go to floridarighttocleanwater.org to sign your petition now before it is too late.
Mary Tracy Sigman
Fort Myers