Press release from Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman
MIAMI – Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman (WSHC+B) filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of SB 180, which limits the control local governments have over development regulations. The complaint was filed on behalf of 25 municipalities and counties in the Second Judicial Circuit Court in Leon County.
Senate Bill 180, passed during the 2025 legislative session, was initially presented as a measure to help Floridians rebuild after hurricanes. However, a last-minute amendment dramatically expanded the bill’s scope, effectively freezing local land-use regulations and comprehensive plans as of August 1, 2024, by declaring that any “restrictive or burdensome” zoning or planning changes made by counties or municipalities between that date and October 1, 2027, are automatically void ab initio. In practice, this strips cities and counties of their constitutional right to manage growth and development in their own communities. Local governments argue that SB 180 is unconstitutional, conflicts with Florida’s existing planning laws, and undermines the ability of communities to protect residents, plan responsibly, and respond to local needs…