A Senate panel unanimously advanced a bill to create an enhanced criminal charges for people being cruel to animals during hurricanes and other emergencies.

“Sometimes we get to do a good thing about a bad thing, and that’s this bill,” said Sen. Don Gaetz.

Gaetz’s legislation (SB 150) comes after a dog named Trooper was rescued by a state trooper during Hurricane Milton. The dog had been abandoned and was found tied to a fence near Tampa as the rising floodwaters were closing in.

“The good news is that this dog was rescued, got medical attention, is alive and well and now has a loving home,” Gaetz said during the Senate Agriculture Committee hearing. “The bad news is there’s not always a highway patrolman around.”

Under the bill, people who commit animal cruelty during a state of emergency would face third-degree felony charges. 

Sen. Jim Boyd said he supports Gaetz’s proposal and even argued it might not be strict enough to punish people who hurt “helpless animals.”

“That happened kind of on the edge of my district. … I’m still appalled that something like that would have happened,” said Boyd, who represents part of Hillsborough County. “I think what you’re trying to accomplish here is maybe not even harsh enough, but I do appreciate the step forward and the good legislation.”

Gaetz quipped back, “Since public whipping has gone out of fashion, we resorted to a third-degree felony.”

Trooper, the 5-year-old bull dog terrier, has since been adopted, although the dog has continued to deal with medical issues.

Vets found the dog with metal and rubber in his stomach, according to recent media reports.

“With Trooper’s situation, veterinarians say it’s possible Trooper lived outside or was chained up and eating trash for nourishment or out of boredom,” CBS News reported.

The dog’s former owner, Giovanny Garcia, was charged with aggravated animal cruelty last year.

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The North Florida Land Trust (NFLT) named three lawmakers to as honorees spotlighting those who have helped the environmental conservation organization in 2025.

Former House Speaker Paul Renner, a Palm Coast Republican, is one of the honorees. So too are Rep. Sam Garrison, a Clay County Republican, and Sen. Jennifer Bradley, a Fleming Island Republican.

Jack Thornton, who donated 400 acres of property to the NFLT, will also be recognized for that contribution. And Keith and Suzanne Langenberg will be given joint credit via the Volunteer of the Year award.

“All of our award winners this year have played a big part in saving and preserving Florida’s natural spaces, and we greatly appreciate all of their efforts,” said Allison DeFoor, President and CEO of NFLT.

“We could not do what we do without the support of people like Paul Renner, Jennifer Bradley, Sam Garrison, the dedication to conservation from landowners like Jack Thornton, and the stewardship of the land from those like Keith and Suzanne Langenberg. We appreciate all of their dedication to the mission of protecting natural spaces because it is now or never.”

Renner is being honored with the Conservation Legacy Award. Both Garrison and Bradley are named “NFLT Partner of the Year.”

Thornton and his family donated their land on Amelia Island to the NFLT that keeps the property under environmental protection near Egan’s Creek and Fort Clinch State Park in Nassau County. The tract of land is now known as the Thornton Family Preserve. Thornton is only the second recipient of the Charlie Commander Land Conservation Award which was established in 2024.

The Langenbergs are being honored for all their volunteer work in serving as stewards of the NFLT’s Bogey Creek Preserve, a 75-acre stretch of protected land in the northern Jacksonville area.

All the awards will be presented at the NFLT Annual Meeting and Awards Celebration on March 30 in Ponte Vedra Beach.

The North Florida Land Trust was established in 1999. The nonprofit environmental organization has been responsible for preserving tens of thousands of acres of land in the First Coast area and in areas further inland.

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Legislation allowing the countless Floridians fed up with unwanted political text messages to sue the senders isn’t quite ready for prime time, according to its sponsor.

St. Augustine Republican Sen. Tom Leek yanked the measure (SB 588) from consideration by the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee this week.

His reason: It’s too broad.

As it’s currently written, SB 588 and its identical House twin (HB 1271) by Clearwater Republican Rep. Kim Berfield would enable people to opt out of political texts and phone calls from any person, candidate or organization. The sender would then have to immediately cease such communications.

If the sender fails to do so, the recipient would be able to sue for injunctive relief to force the sender to stop — and be compensated for any attorneys fees and costs associated with the complaint.

“As well-intentioned as this bill is,” Leek said, “I will tell you that it might be too broad at the moment, and so with your permission I’m going to meet with the stakeholders and see if there’s a way that we can narrow the scope of this.”

Leek said that he hopes to amend his measure to allow political entities to still conduct polling while keeping “the heart of the prohibition in place.”

His description of the bill is a common lament among Florida voters with smartphones: “You know how during campaign season we get those text messages, political text messages, and phone calls, and no matter how many times we reply ‘stop’ in however many words we want to use to say ‘stop,’ they just don’t stop?”

Yes. Yes, a thousand times.

SB 588, once changed, would have to clear the Ethics and Elections Committee before it advances to the Judiciary Committee, Rules Committee and then the Senate floor. Pensacola Republican Sen. Don Gaetz, who chairs the Ethics panel, will likely bring the measure up for consideration again once Leek amends it; Gaetz is a co-sponsor of the bill.

HB 1271, which Berfield filed Feb. 26, still awaits committee references.

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