ALERT: Tell Tallahassee to Stop the GRU Referendum Reversal! 

​

A last-minute amendment to HB 1451 threatens to inject partisanship into a bipartisan bill, override the will of 75% of Gainesville voters, and undermine the judicial process. Quietly added at the bill’s final committee stop with no discussion, the so-called “GRU Referendum Reversal” clause broadly preempts any utility authority created after January 1, 2023. Though written to appear general, it is narrowly tailored in effect and aimed squarely at the recent Gainesville vote on GRU.

GRU ratepayers have spoken clearly and consistently. Nearly three-quarters of voters chose to return control of the utility to locally elected officials, not once but twice. Instead of respecting that decision, the Authority has spent over $1 million in legal fees attempting to block the outcome, and now, with a ruling from the First District Court of Appeals expected at any time, this amendment seeks to short-circuit the judicial process.

The legislature should not intervene in active litigation or erase the results of a democratic vote through a last-minute maneuver. Lawmakers should remove this provision from HB 1451 and allow the courts to do their job. Gainesville voters deserve transparency, accountability, and respect for their decision. 

Lastly, HB 1451 and its Senate companion (SB 1724) has received bipartisan support throughout the legislative process. The GRU Authority has been divisive and partisan since its inception. There is simply no reason to sully an otherwise bipartisan bill with partisanship and divisiveness. 

WE CAN STOP THIS! Call the Alachua County Legislative Delegation and bill sponsors and tell them to “Let the courts decide and keep the bill bipartisan by removing the GRU referendum reversal.” You can call 24 hours a day and leave a voicemail–legislative aides review all voicemails. 

Please call the following legislators TODAY!

• Rep. Demi Busatta (bill sponsor)-(850) 717-5114

• Sen. Jenn Bradley-(850) 487-5006

• Sen. Stan McClain-(850) 487-5009

• Rep. Chad Johnson-(850) 717-5022

• Rep. Chuck Brannan-(850) 717-5010

• Rep. Yvonne Hayes Hinson-(850) 717-5021

• Sen. Jonathan Martin (bill sponsor)-(239) 338-2570

​