Former U.S. Sen. and Florida Gov. Bob Graham discussed the benefits of voting for the Florida Water and Land Conservation Amendment on Thursday.
At the public forum in Pugh Hall, Graham and David Hart, vice president of governmental affairs and political operations from the Florida Chamber of Commerce, debated the pros and cons of passing the constitutional amendment, which would provide funding to protect and manage conservation lands.
Amendment 1 would create a legacy for preserving rivers, lakes and springs for the future, Graham said at the forum.
"The amendment would be the key to protecting Florida’s water supply," he said.
Attendees also contributed to the discussion by asking questions to both panelists.
If another recession were to hit, the government would have to cut funding elsewhere, Hart said.
"We don’t want our beaches looking like Coney Island on the Fourth of July," Graham said.
Voters will be able to vote on the amendment this November.
Jenna Goldman, a 21-year-old UF history and political science senior, said she was still in favor of Amendment 1 after the debate.
"Knowing that we’ll always have money going toward the environment in Florida is really important," she said.
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 9/5/2014 under the headline "Graham holds forum on lake, river conservation"]
Former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham listens as Jon Mills, dean emeritus of the Levin College of Law, reads a question from the audience Thursday night at the Bob Graham Center for Public Service.
