DeSantis rebukes Republicans for backing bill for carbon sequestration task force: 'Absolutely embarrassing'
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis described it as "embarrassing" after the Sunshine State's GOP-dominated House Natural Resources and Disasters Subcommittee voted to advance a bill that proposes creating a carbon sequestration task force.
The subcommittee favorably reported the measure in a 15-2 vote on Tuesday, April 1.
Just two Republicans opposed it, while 10 Republicans and all five Democrats voted in favor of it.
"Is this Sacramento or Tallahassee? Absolutely embarrassing," DeSantis asked when commenting on the vote result.
The task force would "provide recommendations for the development of a statewide carbon sequestration program," according to the measure, which defines carbon sequestration as "the long-term storage of carbon in plants, soils, geologic formations, and the ocean through land and aquatic habitat management."
In a video posted on social media the day before the vote, DeSantis called carbon sequestration a "scam" that is a facet of "climate ideology."
"Don't indulge the left with carbon sequestration," he declared.
The text of the governor's tweet described the prospect of dumping carbon into the soil, aquifers, or the ocean floor as a "non-starter."
But Democratic Florida state Rep. Lindsay Cross pushed back, tweeting, "We aren't pumping carbon anywhere."
"#CarbonSequestration is Science & happening all around us. Plants pull carbon from the air & store in their roots/soil. We aren't pumping carbon anywhere. This bipartisan bill will make FL a leader; ready to leverage private investments to conserve & manage natural & ag areas," she wrote in response to the governor.
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