Florida Senate moves to block Manatee cruise port plan. Here are 5 takeaways

The Florida Senate unanimously passed a bill that aims to stop a proposed cruise ship terminal near Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve in Manatee County.

The bill still needs approval from the Florida House and the governor’s signature to become law.

FULL STORY: Will Florida lawmakers block Manatee cruise port plan? What a new bill says

Here are the highlights:

• State Sen. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, and state Sen. Ileana Garcia, R-Miami, sponsored an amendment to Senate Bill 302 that strictly limits dredging allowed in Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve, where two companies want to build a terminal for large cruise ships.
• Boyd said his amendment is specifically intended to prevent “a large cruise port” near the preserve, saying such plans “would adversely affect the water quality, utility and long‑term health of the preserve.”
• Environmental groups including Suncoast Waterkeeper and Tampa Bay Waterkeeper said they are still evaluating whether the bill adds protections beyond what current state law already provides.
• Slip Knott LLC, which owns the proposed terminal site, has argued it holds dredging rights for the area granted by the state in the 1950s. State officials have confirmed the company’s lands are not legally part of the preserve.
• The bill now heads to the Florida House. Suncoast Waterkeeper’s executive director said in a statement Friday: “Our attention is now directed toward leaders in the House.”

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.

This story was originally published February 23, 2026 at 2:00 PM.