TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) _ Environmental groups are suing the Florida Legislature over how it handled a land conservation amendment.
Three groups filed a lawsuit in a Leon County court on Monday. The lawsuit asks the court to force the Legislature to set aside more money for land acquisition.
Voters overwhelmingly approved Amendment 1 last fall. But legislators last week approved a budget that includes just $55 million for land acquisition.
Florida Wildlife Federation President Manley Fuller called the final budget a “slap in the face to Florida voters.”
Amendment 1 required the Legislature to set aside money from existing real estate taxes for environmental programs including land acquisition.
Legislative leaders last week defended their actions and said they have complied with the amendment. They pointed out that they spent more than $750 million on Amendment 1 related programs.
