Florida House hands developers a win in 2026 session. Here are 5 takeaways

A controversial Florida law that limits the ability of cities and counties to manage growth will stay in place after attempts to revise it failed in the 2026 legislative session.

The law, known as SB 180, also gives developers a powerful lever: they can sue or challenge local actions and, in many cases, stop city and county policies from taking effect.

FULL STORY: A win for developers? Florida lawmakers fail to restore local control over growth

Here are the highlights:

• SB 180, passed in 2025, gives developers and state agencies broad power to block local rules. Critics say it has stopped measures tied to growth limits, building-code updates and local environmental protections.
• Manatee County is a key example of the law’s impact. Officials say SB 180 blocked wetland protections, limited changes to the development boundary and triggered a lawsuit over higher developer impact fees.
• State Sen. Nick DiCeglie, a Republican sponsor of the original law, said SB 180 “cast too wide a net” and has “paralyzed” local governments. His fix bill, SB 840, passed the Senate unanimously but went nowhere in the House after being sent to a committee that did not meet again for the rest of session.
• In the House, Democratic Rep. Anna Eskamani tried to add SB 180 fixes to another bill, but leaders ruled her amendments out of order. Some Republicans stayed quiet, while others blamed a messy session and tensions with the governor for the failure to act.
• Opponents say the fight could continue through a special session later in 2026 or in court. A judge has already dismissed many claims and refused to pause the law, but a remaining case argues SB 180 created an unfunded mandate, and another allows claims that the law is vague and arbitrary.

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.