A roundup of news items related to climate change and other environmental issues in Florida:
Florida cities want to ban noisy gas leaf blowers, go electric. Tallahassee may stop that | Miami Herald
Across Florida, cities have been making the switch from noisy gas-powered leaf blowers to electric ones, citing benefits like quieter lawn care, less air pollution and fewer atmosphere-warming emissions.
But in a last-minute move on Thursday with no opportunity for public comment, the Florida Senate introduced and passed legislation that would block future and existing bans on gas-powered blowers.
If made into law, the new policy would disrupt fledgling efforts in Miami to pass a similar ban, and potentially upend established bans in multiple South Florida cities, including Miami Beach, Key Biscayne, South Miami and Pinecrest.
Florida House passes energy changes | News Service of Florida
The Florida House on Friday passed a wide-ranging bill about energy issues, including eliminating parts of state law about reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and preventing offshore wind-energy generation. The House voted 88-19 to pass the measure (HB 1645), sponsored by Rep. Bobby Payne, R-Palatka.
A similar Senate bill (SB 1624) has cleared committees and is positioned to go to the full Senate. “Our goal is to look out for the future of Florida and say what is cost efficient, what’s reliable,” Payne said. “Renewables are not always reliable and what is the best for security in the state.”
The bill, for example, would eliminate part of current state law that says, “The Legislature finds that the state’s energy security can be increased by lessening dependence on foreign oil; that the impacts of global climate change can be reduced through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; and that the implementation of alternative energy technologies can be a source of new jobs and employment opportunities for many Floridians.”
Local heat, fair wage ordinance preempt bill passes Florida House | WFSU
A bill that could invalidate local minimum wage and heat ordinances has passed the Florida House.
The measure blocks local governments from passing labor requirements for contractors. Under current state law, local municipalities cannot pass minimum wage ordinances. But they can create requirements for businesses looking to take on public contracts. That includes stipulating the businesses must pay a living wage or give a certain number of water breaks if there is a heat wave. Several cities and counties like Gainesville and Miami-Dade have those rules.
But the Florida House voted along party lines to ban those types of ordinances, preempting all contractor regulation to the state.
If you have any news items of note that you think we should include in our next roundup, please email The Invading Sea Editor Nathan Crabbe at ncrabbe@fau.edu. Sign up for The Invading Sea newsletter by visiting here.
