Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has vetoed a bill that would have given the state the power to close beaches if tests show water does not reach the state’s health standards.

DeSantis made the call this week, despite Floridians being warned against swimming due to “fecal pollution” just two months ago.

If the bill had gone through, local authorities of beach waters and public bathing places would have had to notify the Department of Health whenever testing water was below recommended health standards.

The Department of Health then “shall require the closure of beach waters and public bathing places that fail to meet the department’s standards if it deems closure is necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public,” the bill read.

But Desantis wrote in his veto letter that the bill “suffers from a fatal infirmity” as it “grants authority to the Florida Department of Health (DOH) to close beaches, waterways, and swimming pools.”

He said: “Health Departments like DOH can serve a valuable function, but they should not be vested with the power to supersede local jurisdictions regarding the operation of beaches.

“I have made water quality and protecting Florida’s natural resources a priority and my Administration will continue to do so, but this grant of power to DOH over Florida beaches is ill-advised.”

On June 13, the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County Healthy Beaches program issued health advisories for Dubois Park, Sandoway-Delray Beach and South Inlet Park.

Sampling showed bacterial levels to be more than 71 colonies per milliliter of marine water, putting the beaches’ results in the “poor” category.

Anything that is seen as “poor” should be “considered a potential health risk to the bathing public,” according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

At the end of April, the same department told residents not to swim at several beaches, including Midtown Beach and Dubois Park, in Jupiter.

Water in these two areas had tested positive for high levels of enterococcus bacteria, which the department said “is an indication of fecal pollution.”

It added that this may “come from stormwater runoff, pets and wildlife, and human sewage” and could put swimmers at an “increased risk of illness,”

In both spots, water was recorded as “poor”, meaning it measured 71 or greater enterococci per 100 milliliters of marine water.

Infections from enterococci “are typically not considered harmful to humans, but their presence in the environment may indicate that other disease-causing agents such as viruses, bacteria, and protozoa [a microorganic parasite] may also be present,” according to the EPA.

Newsweek contacted DeSantis’ press office, via its email address, for comment on this context and was directed to his veto letter.

Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer reported Thursday that former Florida Gators guard Zyon Pullin signed a two-way player deal with the Miami Heat after going undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft. 

It’s no surprise that Pullin stayed in Florida to sign with the Heat. Miami hosted the guard in early June. Furthermore, his college production more than shows that he can hang with almost anyone in this year’s draft. 

With the Gators, Pullin averaged 15.5 points per game, 4.9 assists and 3.9 rebounds. He also set Florida’s single-season record with a 3.77 assist-to-turnover ratio, which was the best ratio by an SEC player since 2000.

Moreover, he reached double figures in 23 straight games to start his career, which set a new program record.

As a result of his terrific performances in his only season with the Gators, Pullin was named to first-team All-SEC. 

This might not be how Pullin hoped to make an NBA roster, but the most important thing is that he has a chance in the league with the Heat. 

Pullin will get the chance to learn from one of the best coaches the NBA has ever seen in Erik Spoelstra. Moreover, the Heat have a great culture and are known to give chances to anyone regardless of their draft position.  

Miami currently has multiple players who were undrafted but earned significant minutes during the regular season the past couple of years. Jamal Cain, Duncan Robinson and Caleb Martin are the most notable examples. 

Robinson and Martin have earned second NBA contracts too, which is no small feat for an undrafted player. 

The Heat are as good of a landing spot as any for Pullin. Now, the ex-Florida guard must prove he belongs.

As a two-way player, Pullin can play with both the Heat and for the organization’s G-League affiliate. However, he will not able to play all 82 games at the NBA level.

The league rules state that “players under NBA two-Way contracts may be active for up to 50 games with their NBA team.”

FLORIDA – Florida construction law is changing, cutting the amount of time homeowners have to file construction defect claims by 30%.

Beginning Monday, July 1, the time frame to report construction defects in the state of Florida will shift from 10 years to seven years.

The change in the law affects anyone who owns a home that was recently built, but it especially impacts homeowners in that 7-to-10-year time frame.

The News4JAX I-TEAM receives complaints regularly about construction defects in newer-built homes. Most recently, we heard from a Middleburg homeowner dealing with mold, humidity, and improper ventilation issues.

“It’s a brand-new house. It’s unacceptable,” homeowner Erin LePage said last year. “If we could have been here for our walkthrough, it would have been different.”

RELATED | ‘It’s unacceptable’: Middleburg homeowner says new build troubled with mold, humidity, ventilation issues

Brian Crevasse, a board-certified construction attorney, said this change will impact hundreds of thousands of people in Florida — if not more.

Senate Bill 360 was signed into law last summer changing the time limit from 10 years to seven years.

Crevasse said this is a real concern because he deals with clients who are often past the seven-year threshold when reporting construction defects.

“Oftentimes, these defects are actually concealed. And you wouldn’t be able to necessarily see that you have water intrusion, just by taking a walk around the building and looking at it, you would have to actually remove some of the exterior facade to look for the types of issues that we typically see,” Crevasse said.

The new law also changes when the countdown starts for filing claims. Previously, the time frame started when you got possession of your home or when construction was finished.

MORE | Worried about construction fraud? Here are some ways you can protect yourself

“If you are a homeowner or association that was built, you know, seven to 10 years ago, you know, you’re going to want to run out and get counsel as soon as possible to see if there’s a way to file by Monday. And then, for everybody else that may have homes that are four or five, six years old, you know, you’re just going to want to be extremely diligent about pursuing any potential issues that you might see with your home going forward so that you don’t run out of time at that seven years,” Crevasse said.

The new law starts the countdown from the earliest of the following events:

• When the building gets a temporary or permanent certificate of occupancy

• At the completion of the building

• At the abandonment of construction, even without completion