news
Overview:
- Florida lawmakers are erasing climate change from laws and banning local heat protections
- Bills passed by Florida Legislature threaten broader climate efforts
- Florida legislation seeks to silence conversation about climate change solutions
- Advocates in Florida are still organizing around heat protections despite new bans
- Republicans in Florida are addressing climate change symptoms but not the root cause
Quotes:
- Senate Bill 1624, by Sen. Jay Collin, and House Bill 1645, by Rep. Bobby Payne, rewrite Florida energy policy to eliminate state goals to address the impacts of climate change and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, as well as erase mentions of climate change. HB 1645 prohibits offshore wind, empowering state officials to “bring an action for injunctive relief against any person who constructs or expands an offshore wind energy facility or a wind turbine in this state.” It also aims to remove from current law the recognition that “implementation of alternative energy can be a source of new jobs and employment opportunities for many Floridians.” Talk about sticking your head in the sand.
- SB 1624 would strike eight references to climate change in current state laws, leaving just seven references untouched, according to the Tampa Bay Times. In some instances, the bill would repeal entire sections of existing law that mention climate, including sections devoted to a grant program that helps school districts and local municipalities reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
Highlight:
There’s also a growing effort in Florida to gather enough signatures on a petition to qualify a constitutional green amendment for the ballot in 2026. Supporters of that kind of constitutional right “to clean and healthy waters” fell short of the signatures needed for 2024 but say they are motivated and already organizing for 2026. These Floridians hope to follow in the footsteps of Montana, Pennsylvania, and New York which have passed green amendments.
Read the full post at Legal Planet.
