State Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, touts his efforts to boost fines for sewage spills. But Democratic challenger Katherine Norman said the Legislature has failed to take proactive steps with the environment.

Norman, who has worked closely with the Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida on building a campaign, said it’s not enough to focus on pollution after it takes place. Lawmakers in Tallahassee should work instead on building better wastewater facilities, working directly with cities, counties and private utilities.

“We need to talk about infrastructure changes,” Norman said. “We need much more broad action. There’s no reason sewage continues to come into our waterway, and it shouldn’t be swept under the rug. But what we need is to invest in more wastewater treatment plants right now.”

Gruters sponsored legislation signed into law this year that increases fines for spills by 50% for polluters, including government sources like city and county utilities. He also put leverage within legislation giving the Department of Environmental Protection leverage if the providers are investing in infrastructure improvements to prevent further spills. He made the legislation a major focus of his first television ad in the district, he said, because of the importance of clean water for every facet of life in the state.

“There is nothing more important to the future of Florida than our water quality,” he said. “Water truly is the lifeblood of Florida, and as a fourth-generation Sarasotan and a father of three young children, it has been and will continue to be my priority to protect and improve all of our waterways.”

Gruters has also worked to bring funding for red tide research, including ongoing funding for an institute at Mote Marine Laboratory, to find solutions to such algal blooms that ravaged the coast in 2018 and continue to create problems in lakes and waterways.

Norman, for her part, considers such funding a smokescreen. The cause of red tide at this point is well known, she said, and the Legislature rather should look at ways to prevent the further dumping of biosolids in Florida waterways by agriculture and development interests.

Gruters won election to the Senate District 23 in 2018 after spending two years in the House. He’s up for reelection again because he was elected to serve out the remainder of now U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota. This is Norman’s first run for office after moving to the region in 2013. District 23 includes all of Sarasota County and north Charlotte County.