Florida’s state legislature has passed more than 50 laws in the past five years limiting the authority of local governments over issues ranging from land development to public health and elections, according to a review by the nonprofit newsroom Suncoast Searchlight.
The eight state lawmakers who represent Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties supported nearly every one of those measures. The delegation includes Rep. Danny Nix Jr. of Port Charlotte, Rep. Fiona McFarland of Sarasota, Rep. Bill Conerly of Lakewood Ranch, Rep. Will Robinson of Bradenton, Rep. James Buchanan of Sarasota, Rep. Vanessa Oliver of Punta Gorda, Sen. Jim Boyd of Bradenton and Sen. Joe Gruters of Sarasota, all Republicans. Robinson, who is not seeking re-election, cast the only vote against any of the bills reviewed, opposing a measure that barred local governments from running diversity and inclusion programs.
The debate has played out locally through the Live Local Act, which lets developers build large apartment complexes in areas that would otherwise be off-limits under county zoning rules. Sarasota County held a series of public workshops this year after developers used the law to propose large-scale housing projects in rural areas, drawing opposition from residents. When county commissioners sided with residents, some developers sued.
Local officials say the state has increasingly limited their authority over the past several years. In 2021, lawmakers restricted how much local governments can charge developers in impact fees, which fund infrastructure like roads and schools. In 2023, the state barred local heat-protection rules for outdoor workers after Miami-Dade County considered adopting one. That same period, lawmakers passed laws restricting local development regulations following hurricanes, including a 2023 law and a broader 2025 measure, Senate Bill 180, that extended similar restrictions to all 67 Florida counties through the end of 2027.
Former Sarasota city attorney Bob Fournier said one of those hurricane-recovery laws blocked Sarasota from closing a zoning loophole that allowed developers to add extra height to buildings by increasing the space between floors, forcing the city to repeal its own ordinance after a developer’s legal challenge.
During legislative delegation meetings last fall, then-Longboat Key Mayor Ken Schneier, also a Republican, urged lawmakers to stop passing bills that reduce local control. None of the legislators responded to his comments at the meeting, and lawmakers went on to pass 10 additional preemption bills during the 2026 session.
Lawmakers also advanced a proposed constitutional amendment during a special session that would cut property taxes, the primary funding source for city and county governments. The amendment would require local governments to limit spending to “core services” defined by the state, increase homestead exemptions for longtime residents, and set up a path toward eliminating non-school property taxes on homesteaded properties altogether. Sarasota County Commissioner Tom Knight called it “the ultimate preemption,” saying the state would simultaneously dictate how local governments spend money and limit how much they receive.
Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse said one law, SB 180, has stopped county commissioners from restoring wetland protections that a previous commission had rolled back. Manatee County Chairman Tal Siddique said he has several policies ready to introduce once the law expires at the end of 2027, including new wetland buffer requirements and a possible ban on data centers, though he said he expects state lawmakers to intervene again.
Suncoast Searchlight contacted all six incumbent lawmakers seeking re-election this year; none agreed to comment. Three face no primary opponents, and the other three have significantly outraised their Republican primary challengers, according to campaign finance records reviewed by the outlet.
Florida State University political science professor emerita Carol Weissert said Florida is at the forefront of a broader national shift in authority away from local governments and toward state legislatures, noting that the trend runs counter to the traditional Republican position favoring local control.
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