We wrote earlier today about SB 1196, a bill working its way through the state Legislature that would shield developers from having to fix faulty roads, drainage, and utility systems after they're built.
The bill says that homeowners should be confident that their new houses are up to snuff, but any expectation for roads to work or drainage systems to drain things "goes beyond the fundamental protections that are necessary for a purchaser of a new home" and "creates uncertainty in the state's fragile real estate and construction industry."
So we decided to check up on the senator who introduced the bill, Senate President Pro Temp Mike Bennett, and found that members of that "fragile real estate and construction industry" provided almost a quarter of his campaign funds in his last election.
Bennett, a Republican who mostly represents parts of Manatee, Charlotte, and Lee counties, raised about $376,000 in the 2008 election cycle; of that, $87,886.91 came from construction or real estate sources, according to state records.
We've put a call in for comment from Bennett's office but haven't heard back. You can check out his 2008 contributions below; donations we classified under real estate and construction are highlighted in yellow.
