DeSantis Signs Bear-Killing Bill, Vetoes Left-Lane Driver Fines
Governor Ron DeSantis on Friday signed a highly controversial measure that will bolster self-defense arguments for people who kill bears on their property.
Simultaneously, he vetoed a bill that would have fined motorists for driving too slowly in the left lanes of highways.
DeSantis’ office announced Friday night that he had signed 14 bills from this year’s legislative session and vetoed three. Among the other bills he signed was a measure (SB 7014) that revamped ethics laws.
The bear-related bill (HB 87) provides a sort of stand-your-ground defense for people who shoot bears to defend themselves or their property. However, bear hunting has long been a contentious issue in Florida.
Opponents of the bill argue that it will lead to an increase in the deaths of these once-threatened animals. These opponents are considering legal action to try to halt the law, which is scheduled to take effect on July 1.
Under this new bill, shooters must notify the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission within 24 hours of killing a bear.
According to the source, they are also prohibited from possessing or selling bear carcasses. Legal immunity will not be available to people who provoke or lure bears.
Similar bills have been proposed in the past but failed to pass the Legislature. This year, however, the proposal sponsored by Rep. Jason Shoaf, R-Port St. Joe, and Sen. Corey Simon, R-Tallahassee, gained traction after Franklin County Sheriff A.J. Smith highlighted the issue in his rural community, stating that it was “being inundated and overrun by the bear population.”
Shoaf and Simon represent Franklin County as part of sprawling, largely rural districts. Animal rights activists, however, are strongly opposed to the bill, fearing it will create an “open season” on bears.
“Increasing the killing of Florida’s iconic black bears under the guise of self-defense –– without requiring proof of actual danger –– poses serious public safety risks and undermines responsible wildlife management,” said Kate MacFall, Florida state director at the Humane Society of the United States, in a prepared statement.
MacFall added that the bill conflicts with the regulations of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which has the constitutional authority to manage wildlife.
She emphasized that her organization “will continue to explore our options moving forward to ensure Florida’s bears are protected.”
Opponents of the bill believe that the state and communities should focus on securing garbage so bears will not be attracted to homes.
The commission’s BearWise program outlines steps such as not feeding bears, clearing grills, making trash less accessible, removing bird feeders when bears are active, and not leaving pet food outside.
Sierra Club Florida has also argued that the bill usurps the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s constitutional authority, calling it “a dangerous solution to an imaginary problem.”
The current law prohibits people from possessing, injuring, or shooting bears but allows for non-lethal means to scare away bears that may be on their property or rifling through trash.
With the state’s growing population, human-bear conflicts have increased. Between 2009 and 2018, the commission euthanized an average of 38 bears annually due to public safety risks, primarily as bears sought out unsecured garbage or other food.
The Senate approved the bill with a 24-12 vote, while the House passed it with an 83-28 vote. Rep. Allison Tant, D-Tallahassee, noted that bears threaten farmers’ livestock in her district, which includes rural Madison and Jefferson counties.
“We do have bear-proof garbage cans,” Tant said in March. “And you know what, oftentimes, after the garbage is picked up, the tops are not secured again. So, the bears come back and come back and come back.”
In contrast, on Friday, DeSantis vetoed a bill (HB 317) that would have prevented drivers from cruising in the left lanes of highways with at least two lanes and speed limits of at least 65 mph.
The bill included exemptions for drivers passing other motorists, preparing to exit, turning from left lanes, or being directed to left lanes by officers or traffic-control devices.
“Are we going to be pulling people over for that? How would that work?” DeSantis asked. In a veto letter, DeSantis stated that the bill was “too broad” and that it could result in motorists “being pulled over, ticketed, and fined for driving in the furthest left lane even if they are not impeding the flow of traffic or if there are few or no other cars in the immediate area.”
DeSantis added that the measure, which was unanimously approved by the Senate and received only three dissenting votes in the House, could “potentially increase congestion in Florida’s urban areas as drivers may decide to not utilize the furthest left-hand lane at all for fear of being ticketed.”
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