Judge Sides With Environmental Groups That Sued Florida
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TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/AP) — Once again, actions taken by the state of Florida have been questioned and brought to a courtroom.
And once again, a judge has ruled that the state was acting incorrectly.
A Florida judge agrees with environmentalists that lawmakers didn't follow the wishes of voters who overwhelmingly approved a land preservation proposal.
Leon County Circuit Judge Charles Dodson ruled from the bench Friday that the state was using money voters dedicated to conservation land purchases and their management for other purposes.
The ruling came before a scheduled July trial.
In 2014, 75 percent of voters supported a constitutional amendment to dedicate 33 percent of an existing real estate tax for land preservation, or roughly a billion dollars a year.
Several environmental groups joined together to sue the state, claiming that it was using money on state agency operations and salaries instead of land acquisition.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)