Dear Friends
Hold onto your life jackets—we've just dropped anchor on a HUGE win for Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve and Manatee County!
Today, March 9, 2026, the Florida House unanimously passed Senate Bill 302 (YEAS 109, NAYS 0)—the same version the Senate sent over with Senator Jim Boyd's rock-solid amendment (117522). That amendment slams the brakes on large-scale dredging and filling in the preserve, allowing only tiny, approved projects like small marinas, public boat ramps, piers, or docks. In other words: No mega-dredging for a mega-cruise port. The deep channels those big ships dream of? Not on our watch—they just ran aground!
The Senate already gave it a unanimous thumbs-up back on February 19, so both chambers are now singing from the same hymn sheet. The bill is sailing straight to the Governor's desk for signature (effective July 1, 2026, if signed). This isn't just a speed bump for the cruise port proposal—it's more like the whole idea just hit an iceberg of common sense and community power. Time to wave goodbye to those grand "all aboard" plans in Terra Ceia Bay!
And make no mistake—this victory didn't happen by chance. Nearly 20,000 of you signed the petition, shared the word, called your reps, showed up at rallies, and kept the pressure on like a steady tide. Your determination turned the tide and made lawmakers listen. You didn't just sign—you helped sink a bad idea before it could set sail and spoil our waters, wildlife, mangroves, and way of life.
From the bottom of my heart (and the top of Tampa Bay): Thank you. Thank you for every signature, every share, every "hell no" to the cruise port dreamers. This one's for the birds, the fish, the seagrass, and every Bradenton/Manatee and Tampa Bay resident who values our beautiful bay over a floating parking lot.
The fight isn't fully docked until the Governor signs, but today's passage is the nail in the coffin—The cruise port's grand voyage just got permanently canceled in this spot.
Let's keep the good vibes flowing:
Watch for the Governor's signature update.
Corey Mckeever