Governor clarifies Florida beach law

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.— Florida Gov. Rick Scott has signed an executive order in response to confusion over a new Florida law, making it clear that the law doesn’t make public beaches private. A law that went into effect July 1 clarifies the process local governments must follow in order to allow public access to otherwise privately owned beaches. It doesn’t change beach ownership, though it did void a beach access ordinance passed in Walton County in the western Panhandle. Scott also directed the state to establish a website where the public can report any problems with gaining access to public beaches.