Florida Rep. Kim Kendall, center, says she wants to see changes in a controversial state development law. | Noah Hertz, Jacksonville Today
Published on December 16, 2025 at 3:49 pm
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A state lawmaker from St. Augustine says she supports removing some provisions of a development law that has drawn the ire of cities and counties across Florida.
In an interview on WJCT’s First Coast Connect program, Republican state Rep. Kim Kendell said she would support legislation to overwrite parts of SB 180, which limits the ability of local officials to govern development.
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Kendall voted for the original bill, which was designed to help the state recover more quickly from storms. Proponents sought to free developers from what they considered onerous rules.
But Kendall says she was unaware of last-minute changes that targeted local decision-making.
It wasn’t until after the bill was signed into law — with near-unanimous support from lawmakers — that she began hearing a common complaint: that the bill could prevent local officials from changing rules about land conservation or where homes can be built.
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“I’m a big supporter of local home rule. I actually voted against the Live Local Act because of that,” Kendall says.
The Live Local Act took effect in 2023. Although lawmakers and organizations question its effectiveness, the Live Local Act makes it easier for developers to build affordable housing, even against a local government’s wishes.
Kendall says that goes against the rights of cities and counties to chart their own course for growth and development, as does parts of SB 180, she said.
“We have our local electeds for a reason,” she says. “I don’t feel like in Tallahassee I should be deciding home rules issues from Key West to Miami.”
Development in St. Johns County
In St. Johns County, SB 180 led the state to reject the county’s updated comprehensive plan, a document that outlines long-term strategies for how the county should grow.
Among many items, the county’s plan included promoting affordable housing as well as “green building practices.”
After the plan’s rejection, County Commissioners Ann Taylor and Krista Joseph proposed joining more than 20 municipalities from across the state in suing the state over the law.
The rest of the county commission wasn’t interested. County Commissioner Christian Whitehurst said he wanted to see the matter play out at the legislative level instead.
As of Tuesday, one bill, HB 217, and a companion bill in the Senate, has been filed to tighten up SB 180. The House proposal was introduced by Rep. Shane Abbott, R-Walton County. The Senate version of the bill was filed by Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Walton County.
