Seminole commissioners warn Tallahassee bills chip away at local control after legislative update

Oscar Anderson and Kaylee Slattery of The Southern Group briefed the Seminole County Board of County Commissioners on outcomes from the 2025 Florida legislative session and county commissioners then spent more than an hour urging ongoing advocacy in Tallahassee. The presentation and discussion outlined which bills passed, which failed and which may return in 2026, and county leaders repeatedly described the session as a threat to "home rule" — the ability of local governments to set policy for their communities. The Southern Group's Kaylee Slattery, a legislative consultant, told the board more bills were filed this session than the previous session but fewer passed both chambers, and that the governor signed 246 bills while vetoing a large number of budget items. "We ended the session with a $115,100,000,000 budget, with $15,700,000,000 in reserves," Slattery said. She also reported Seminole County secured a $1,500,000 appropriation for a county project. Oscar Anderson highlighted several specific measures and policy debates of direct interest to the county. He summarized Senate Bill 180 — described in the…