Louisiana Passes Bill to Ban 'Chemtrails'

Newsweek

02-06-2025

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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A bill that would ban "chemtrails" has passed in the Louisiana state House of Representatives, clearing the way for it to go to the state Senate.
Republican state Representative Kimberly Landy Coates defended the bill, which passed 58 votes to 32.
What are Chemtrails and Are They Real?
The existence of chemtrails is a conspiracy theory which claims that the government or another secretive organization is using commercial or military aircraft to release chemicals or metals into the atmosphere, visible in the white lines aircraft leave behind in the sky. People have claimed these are used for a range of things from weather modification to mind control.
19 March 2024, Saxony, Dresden: An airplane leaves contrails in the blue sky.
19 March 2024, Saxony, Dresden: An airplane leaves contrails in the blue sky.
Photo by: Robert Michael/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images
The scientific consensus, as explained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is that the white lines observed behind aircraft are contrails — condensation trails — which form when hot exhaust from jets meets cold, humid air at high altitudes. The EPA states these are a natural result of flight and pose no risk to weather patterns.
Federal agencies, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), have publicly denied undertaking or planning any weather modification experiments such as those described by chemtrail advocates.
Despite this, some lawmakers in different states have advanced legislation about so-called chemtrails and health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. has spoken about them.
What To Know
Defending the bill, Coates claimed agencies use chemicals to conduct weather modification experiments.
The measure also directs the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to record reported chemtrail sightings and pass complaints on to the Louisiana Air National Guard. Lawmakers removed penalties for violations, opting instead for further investigation and documentation.
What People Are Saying
Speaking to Newsweek, Mark Shanahan who teaches American politics at the University of Surrey in the U.K: "The norm in mature democracies is that voters elect skilled representatives who act in our best interest, and thus for very many decades potential legislators have striven to prove their intellect, their balance and their ability to weigh evidence. But that changed with Trump's election to a situation where politics is much more about celebrity than credibility and cranks from the margins of political ideas are now lauded front and centre. Whether it's RFK at Health, or MTG in the House, wild and wacky ideas, with no basis in truth, are being raised and argued as if they were true - often with little or no media push-back. The president sets the tone, and so far, Donald Trump has encouraged and enabled the circus of craziness. While US government is more about ratings than effectiveness, this disconnect from reality is set to continue."
Kimberly Landry Coates, State Representative (R-Ponchatoula): "This bill is to prevent any chemicals above us in the air, specifically to modify the weather."
Florida State Senator Ileana Garcia, who introduced similar legislation in Florida previously told Newsweek: "The bill essentially repeals outdated provisions related to various aspects of the weather modification law, including definitions, licensing requirements, and the processes surrounding the application and issuance of licenses."
Robert F Kennedy Jr. on X in August about chemtrails: "We are going to stop this crime."
We are going to stop this crime. — Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) August 26, 2024
What Happens Next
The bill will now advance to the Louisiana Senate who will either approve it, reject it, or push through amendments.