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On Friday, at the Bay County Chamber First Friday breakfast, former Congressman and current Stand Up For North Florida Chairman Steve Southerland presented the first two 2019 North Florida Champion awards to Senator George Gainer and Representative Jay Trumbull. [Read more…] about Stand Up For North Florida Announces 2019 Champions
Former Congressman Steve Southerland, Chair of Stand Up North Florida, today made a presentation to a Florida Senate committee about the ongoing economic and environmental needs of North Florida, particularly those related to recovery from Hurricane Michael. [Read more…] about Southerland Makes Strong Case for North Florida
Leaders from North Florida today gathered at the state capitol to announce an expanded mission for Stand Up For North Florida, a coalition formed earlier this year to focus on the water and conservation needs of North and North Central Florida. The group’s chairman, former Congressman Steve Southerland, was joined by a cross-section of local leaders from across the region to announce that the group has filed to become a 501(c)(4) organization, which will allow it to have a stronger presence and influence during the upcoming legislative session.
“Stand Up For North Florida exists to ensure that the volume of our voices in Tallahassee is just as loud as those from the rest of the state,” said Southerland. “Florida is a big state with a lot of interests competing for attention here in the capitol, and we believe that the time has come for an organized, united effort to protect the vital natural resources and the best interests of the citizens of North Florida.”
“When we started last year, we said that inequitable funding was going to be a problem, and, indeed, that is the case,” continued Southerland. “With 85 percent of the money designated for regional specific projects in the 2017-18 budget going to South Florida at the expense of the rest of the state, up from 75 percent the previous year, it is clear that that’s not right, and we have had enough. We plan to work together with members of our legislative delegation and stakeholders from across our communities to make the case that North Florida is a crucial part of our state and our policy priorities should reflect that.”
“I look forward to working with these dedicated local leaders and my colleagues in the Legislature to protect our important natural resources and to look out for the interests of the hardworking men and women of North Florida,” said State Representative Stan McClain (R-23).
Stand Up For North Florida board members Wayne Harris, former Okaloosa County Commissioner, and David Biddle, Gilchrist County Republican State Committeeman, also made remarks in support of the coalition’s expanded priorities.
The following leaders also attended the press conference:
Tom Barnette from Hernando County, President of Euro-American Tours
Wanda Range from Gadsden County, Mayor of Midway
Leslie Steele from Gadsden County, City Manager of Midway
Maureen France from Volusia County, former Deland City Commissioner
Christine Dobkowski from Marion County, Mayor of Belleview
Charlotte Barber from Leon County, retired teacher
Kathryn Babcock from Leon County
Tom Barber from Marion County, Legislative Aide to Rep. Stan McClain
Former Congressman Steve Southerland, Chairman of Stand Up For North Florida, will host a press conference today, Monday, December 4, at 2:00 p.m. to announce the group’s expanded mission as a 501(c)(4) organization ahead of the 2018 legislative session.
Southerland, along with board members David Biddle and Wayne Harris and other coalition members, will discuss the group’s objectives, which, in addition to equitable distribution of state conservation dollars, will now include ensuring that North Florida has a strong voice on other issues like transportation and taxation.
Who: Former Congressman Steve Southerland, SUNF Chair
Wayne Harris, former Okaloosa County Commissioner, SUNF Board Member
David Biddle, Gilchrist County Republican State Committeeman, SUNF Board Member
What: Announcement of Stand Up For North Florida’s expanded mission and change of status to a 501(c)(4) organization
When: TODAY, Monday, December 4, at 2:00 p.m.
Where: The Capitol, 4th floor, outside the House Chamber
For additional information, please contact Lori Hutto at (850) 222-8156 or [email protected].
Stand Up for North Florida announced today the addition of 16 leadership committee members from around the state who are 
joining the group, which was formed last year to focus on the water and conservation needs of North and North central Florida. The coalition has voiced concern over Senate President Joe Negron’s plan to use farmland in south Florida to build a multi-billion dollar reservoir project to address Lake Okeechobee’s water filtration needs.
“Today, the Florida Senate continued to show that they are prioritizing South Florida’s needs over those of the rest of the state,” said former Congressman Steve Southerland, the coalition’s chair. “SB 10, as amended, will still bond $1.5 billion dollars, creating huge debt, and establishing a project that could cost mulitple billions of dollars. This project will undoubtedly jeopardize funding for conservation projects for not only North Florida, but all of the state’s important water issues.”
Southerland continued, “Our coalition’s message is resonating with people around the state, not just in north Florida. Obviously, we originally formed to protect our own area of the state, but these new coalition members, a cross section of men and women from all over Florida, recognize that President Negron’s plan won’t solve the problem and will have a detrimental impact on the state as a whole. We look forward to working with them as we continue to highlight this issue and work toward a solution that is effective and fair to all Florida taxpayers.”
The new coalition members include:
