Did time run out in Tallahassee?

Incorporation bill receives unanimous approval of one committee before being ignored and fading away; Save Siesta Key wants answers

By John Morton

It was like making the show but never seeing the stage. Indeed, Save Siesta Key had what one could call the “green room” experience from hell as members of the team seeking incorporation of the island watched its House Bill 923 sit in limbo for more than five weeks before fading away into nothingness during the recent meeting of the Florida Legislature that concluded May 5. How this bewildering development, or lack thereof, took place is unknown but the board members, who waited two years and spent more than $265,000 to get to this point, will now be seeking answers.

Most puzzling of all was how the bill, assigned to three committees in advance of what would be votes by the House and Senate pending their approvals, shot out quickly with flying colors. On March 29, the Local Administration, Federal Affairs & Special Districts Subcommittee voted 17-0 in favor of it, with the Ways & Means Committee and State Affairs Committees up next. But, despite what appeared to be plenty of breathing room on the calendar, those committees never put the matter on their