Alleging that it violates multiple provisions of the Florida Constitution, an environmental group and an Orange County resident have filed a lawsuit to block the enforcement of a new state law that restricts local governments from regulating development.
It is the second such lawsuit filed in the past two weeks aimed at Senate Bill 180, a measure sponsored by Pinellas County Republican state Sen. Nick DiCeglie that passed during the 2025 legislative session and was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis ostensibly to aid in hurricane recovery.
The plaintiffs are the smart-growth group 1000 Friends of Florida and east Orange County resident Rachel Hildebrand, represented by Broward County land-use attorney Richard Grosso. They filed their request for declaratory and injunctive relief on Tuesday in Florida’s Second Judicial Circuit in Leon County…