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25 Florida Cities and Counties Sue to Block SB 180 Limiting Local Development Rules

Plaintiffs say a hurricane‑recovery law is being used to void local plans, violating home‑rule powers.

Jimmy Hester, an east Orange County resident who helped lead the resistance to the proposed Sustanee development, surveys his sign after painting a victory message with his son, Noble, 4, and his cows, Dino and Sunset, Wednesday, January 24, 2024. The proposal to build 1,800 homes near rural Lake Pickett was rejected by Orange County commissioners at a marathon meeting Tuesday night. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
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Overview

  • Twenty-five local governments filed for declaratory and injunctive relief in Leon County on Monday, seeking to halt enforcement of SB 180 and have it declared unconstitutional.
  • The case names state officials including Commerce Secretary Alex Kelly, Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, Revenue Executive Director Jim Zingale, and CFO Blaise Ingoglia.
  • Key provisions freeze adoption of any local land-use rules deemed more restrictive or burdensome, applying retroactively from August 2024 through October 2027 to counties in federal disaster declarations for Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton, plus all municipalities in those counties.
  • Plaintiffs cite immediate impacts, including a Florida Commerce Department action rejecting 14 provisions of Orange County’s Vision 2050 plan and Windermere’s pause of a tree-protection ordinance, with the law also invoked in litigation to revive a denied subdivision.
  • SB 180 allows any person to threaten suit with a 14‑day cure window, and sponsor Sen. Nick DiCeglie has signaled the Legislature may clarify the law’s language.