Latest news with #SB56
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers pass controversial bill that could hamper weather forecasters: 'Feeding into conspiracy theories'
Lawmakers in Florida have passed a bill that would effectively ban the use of weather modification practices. On April 30, the Florida House of Representatives passed a bill that would outlaw weather modification and geoengineering in the state. First filed in November 2024 by Florida State Senator Ileana Garcia, Senate Bill 56 had quickly garnered the support of leading Republican figures in the state, including Governor Ron DeSantis. SB 56 would prohibit geoengineering and weather modification activities by banning the release or dispersion of substances into the atmosphere to alter temperature, weather, climate, or sunlight intensity. It also aims to repeal existing laws related to weather modification permits and increase penalties for violations. While Garcia addressed the Florida Senate in early April, she pointed to the idea of "cloud seeding." According to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report, cloud seeding is a decades-old technology that injects tiny particles, generally silver iodide crystals, into clouds in order to trigger rain or snow. However, the data surrounding the effectiveness of cloud seeding remains inconclusive. Garcia referred to cloud seeding as "something as simple as sending up a $30 balloon that you can buy on Amazon with specific chemicals so that you can alter the weather or solar radiation," she said. "It seems very concerning to me. I have a problem with people spraying perfume next to me sometimes," Garcia added. "Don't you have a problem with people spraying things into the atmosphere that really have no type of empirical data?" As noted in SB 56, the bill would also require publicly owned airports to file monthly reports to the Florida Department of Transportation regarding any aircraft equipped for geoengineering or weather modification. In addition, the bill also removes the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's ability to conduct studies, research, experimentation, and evaluations in the field of weather modification. Florida state representative Anna Eskamani criticized the logic behind the bill. "This bill is feeding into conspiracy theories, and I think it's important that we do not legislate under that type of pressure but that we legislate on science, we legislate on fact, we legislate not on fear but on information," Eskamai told Florida Politics. "The fact that this bill does not require the consultation of a meteorologist, the consultation of scientists to say [whether this] is suspicious activity is absolutely going to create an environment where things will be reported nonstop, bogging down the department and now potentially bogging down law enforcement who have a lot of more important work to do." Governor DeSantis has already signaled his intention to sign SB 56 into law. On April 2, the Florida governor posted a video to X in which he condemned the practice of geoengineering and other weather modifications. Do you think governments should ban gas stoves? Heck yes! Only in new buildings Only in restaurants Heck no! Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. "People got a lot of kooky ideas that they can get in and put things in the atmosphere to block the sun and save us from climate change," DeSantis said. "We're not playing that game in Florida." Once SB 56 is signed, violators could potentially face third-degree felony charges, up to five years in prison, and fines up to $100,000. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
NBC News
15-05-2025
- Health
- NBC News
Florida becomes second state to ban fluoride in public water
Florida has become the second state to officially ban fluoride in public water. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed SB 700, also known as the Florida Farm Bill, into law Thursday. The bill doesn't specifically mention the word "fluoride," but it effectively bans the chemical compound by preventing "the use of certain additives in a water system." It will go into effect July 1. "What this does with respect to putting fluoride in the water supply is it basically doesn't allow that anymore in the state of Florida," DeSantis said during a news briefing Tuesday afternoon before he signed the bill. The governor also signed SB 56 into law on Tuesday, a bill brought forward by Sen. Ileana Garcia, R-FL., that criminalizes any form of weather modification, including cloud-seeding, which is used to bring rain to places that need it. Supporters of weather modification argue that it can hinder the impacts of global warming. Garcia fainted during the briefing on Tuesday while discussing the bill but quickly recovered and continued her remarks. DeSantis called the fluoridation of water "forced medication," saying that it violates "informed consent." He also said the mineral has been proven to negatively impact pregnant women and children, inviting medical professionals, including Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, to talk about the mineral's side effects. A study published in 2019 suggested that IQ levels were slightly lower in kids whose mothers had higher measures of fluoride in their urine during pregnancy, but its research was far from conclusive. The governor argued that there are other ways residents can get access to fluoride if they'd like, and stressed that the mineral shouldn't be mandated by governments. "There's nothing preventing you in your house from adding fluoride to your water," he said. DeSantis, a Republican, signed the bill in Miami, where Mayor Daniella Levine Cava vetoed a fluoride ban that the county commission passed last month. NBC South Florida reported the commission voted 8-4 in favor of overriding Cava's veto on Tuesday. DeSantis mentioned the commission vote in his briefing Tuesday afternoon, saying that they "voted the right way." Cava, a Democrat, has openly criticized the plan to ban fluoride in the state. "I am deeply disappointed by the Florida Legislature's decision to pursue a statewide ban on water fluoridation, a decision that disregards the overwhelming consensus of dentists, doctors, and medical experts and will end a practice that has been in place for decades to protect our health," she said in a statement issued last month. Florida is following in the footsteps of Utah, where Gov. Spencer Cox, also a Republican, signed a bill in late March prohibiting any person or government entity from adding the mineral to the state's water systems, making it the first state to do so. It will go into effect on Wednesday. The anti-fluoridation movement has been gaining popularity, seemingly fueled by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has said drinking fluoridated water has no "systemic advantage." Major public health groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Dental Association, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, support adding fluoride to water, saying that drinking fluoridated water keeps teeth strong and reduces cavities. All studies have shown that it reduces tooth decay by 25%. Legislation to ban fluoride has circulated in Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Wisconsin and North Carolina. Hawaii, which has never mandated water fluoridation, has the 'highest prevalence of tooth decay in the United States' among its children, with only 11% of its residents served by fluoridated community water systems, according to a 2015 study of third graders throughout the state by the State Health Department.
American Press
12-05-2025
- Politics
- American Press
Legislators propose 22 amendments for Louisiana
(Special to the American Press) Louisiana legislators have filed 22 proposed state constitutional amendments during the 2025 legislative session. However, only a handful of those amendments may end up on the ballot and one has already been withdrawn. Some of those proposals are duplicates and others were losers from the moment they were filed. Those that haven't been heard by a committee face tough futures. Others are rewritten amendments that voters rejected on March 29. Senate Bill 8 would make it easier to fire state classified employees who are protected by civil service. It is awaiting a vote by the full Senate. The new city of St. George in East Baton Rouge Parish would be allowed to create a school system by SB 25. It passed the Senate 26-5 and was sent to the House. The state's homestead exemption that gives homeowners a $75,000 tax exemption could be increased by $22,500 by parish governing authorities by SB 56. It is still in committee. House Bill 271 would allow parish governing authorities to increase the homestead by $5,000. It was approved 9-5 in one committee and sent to a second committee. Another bill, SB 57, would remove income limitations on freezing the homestead exemption property assessment for persons ages 65 or older. It is awaiting a Senate vote. SB 115 authorizes a new assessment level for homeowners who meet the federal poverty guidelines. It is awaiting a final Senate vote. The House has HB 269 that increases the homestead income special exemption level from $100,000 annually to $200,000 for those 65 and older, veterans and the disabled. It is still in committee. HB 300 is a similar amendment. Judges have to retire at age 70 and SB 86 would repeal the retirement age for judges. That has been tried more than once and been defeated by the state's voters. The amendment failed 12-25, its first vote in the Senate. The House has a similar bill, HB 63, that is still in committee. The spending of any foreign money in state elections is prohibited by SB 109. It passed the Senate 34-5 and is in a House committee. HB 294 says 20% of all severance taxes should be sent to parishes and eliminates dollar amounts. It is awaiting House final passage. An amendment that limits government spending, HB 295, has passed one committee and is in another one. Fire protection officers employed by an airport authority would become eligible for state supplemental pay under provisions of HB 349. It is still in committee. Two new members would be added to the five-member Louisiana Public Service Commission by HB364. They would be appointed by the governor. It is still in committee. Parishes would be authorized to exempt business inventory taxes from property taxes by HB 366. They would receive state funding if they exempt those taxes. It has passed the House unanimously and is in the Senate. HB 448 would prohibit nonprofit organizations from receiving a property tax exemption on property used for commercial purposes, even if it relates to the income-tax-exempt purposes of the organization. The bill is still in committee. Solar facilities would have limited eligibility from participating in the Industrial Tax Exemption Program by HB 464. It is still in committee. School systems would be able to provide salary increases for teachers and other school employees under HB 466, which is not an amendment. It is awaiting House final passage. Three education trust funds would be eliminated by HB 473 in order to fund teacher and support raises required in HB 466. The amendment is awaiting a final vote in the House. Constitutional amendments would be limited to one object under provisions of HB 471. It is still in committee. The Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund would be eliminated and its funds would be transferred to the Budget Stabilization Fund (the rainy day fund) by HB 678. It is awaiting House final passage. The goal is to provide legislators with additional budget funds.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Are chemtrails real? Whether they are or not Florida is about to ban them
Concerned about chemtrails? Soon, you'll have a way to report the white streaks in the sky to Florida authorities. Gov. Ron DeSantis signalled that he will sign a new bill passed by the Florida Legislature banning "geoengineering and weather modification activities" such as cloud seeding in the Sunshine State. "Florida is not a testing ground for geoengineering," DeSantis posted on X. "We already do not permit this type of activity, but we are going the next step to ensure it does not happen in this state. "As soon as it reaches my desk, I will be signing the recently passed Senate Bill 56 to prohibit the release of chemicals into our skies to alter the weather or atmosphere. The Free State of Florida means freedom from governments or private actors unilaterally applying chemicals or geoengineering to people or public spaces." The bill also requires the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to create an email and online form for any residents with concerns or to report sightings. According to an analysis of the bill, no one has applied for weather modification licenses in the state for 10 years. SB 56 bans chemtrails without saying 'chemtrails' The word "chemtrails" — the focus of a long-running conspiracy theory that nefarious people or government agencies are spreading toxic chemicals on an unsuspecting populace through the white trails in the sky left by airplanes — appears nowhere in the bill, but it did come up in multiple discussions of the bill and in social media posts shared by the bill's sponsor, Miami state Sen. Ileana Garcia. Tennessee passed a similar law last year, with several legislators referring to fears from the chemtrails conspiracy. The federal government has been accused of using chemtrails for human population control, weapons testing, mind control, and more. Multiple agencies have stated that the government does not modify the weather and that solar geoengineering is "nonexistent." What are chemtrails? "Chemtrails," as described by a Harvard University report, is a conspiracy theory buzzword that refers to types of contrails, the line-shaped clouds or "condensation trails" visible behind aircraft engines under certain atmospheric conditions. Contrails are composed when hot, humid air from the engines condenses into ice crystals in the cold air, the National Weather Service says. While they often fade quickly, especially in dry weather, their appearance and durability can change depending on the conditions the plane flew through, including altitude, temperature, humidity, sunlight, wind speed, etc. Sometimes, in saturated, high-humidity conditions, some contrails may persist for hours and spread out into cirrus clouds, or last long enough for multiple airplane paths to create a crisscross effect. This normal event has been singled out by conspiracy theorists as evidence that the government, the military, or climate scientists are deliberately pumping chemicals into the atmosphere for various schemes, up to and including creating hurricanes on command. In 2024, when Hurricane Milton became the second major hurricane to make landfall in two weeks, conspiracy theorists claimed the Biden administration was controlling the weather to affect the election. Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene helped spread the rumor in an X post that has been seen 44 million times. "Yes they can control the weather," she said. "It's ridiculous for anyone to lie and say it can't be done." She posted a follow-up asking if Americans agreed to their weather being modified. Greene was ridiculed but Rolling Stone reported that meteorologists were getting death threats. The spread of misinformation became so prevalent that both NOAA and FEMA were forced to create fact-checking webpages. "No one creates or steers hurricanes," NOAA said, "the technology does not exist." Twenty-five years ago, the EPA, the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a report debunking the chemtrails theory. Other agencies, such as the U.S. Air Force, issued their own fact sheets explaining what contrails were. Conspiracy theorists have pointed to such reports as more evidence of massive collusion in the scheme. What is solar geoengineering? Geoengineering, also called climate engineering or climate intervention, refers to deliberate large-scale interventions intended to counteract human-caused climate change through carbon dioxide removal or by deflecting some portion of the sun's rays away from Earth. A NOAA report from last year lists several proposed Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) methods for reducing the amount of solar radiation, including firing small reflective aerosols into the air to increase the reflectivity of the stratosphere or low-lying clouds, thinning cirrus clouds, or even putting large mirrors in space. However, none have progressed past the research stage as scientists study the potential risks and negative consequences. Where did the chemtrails conspiracy come from? In 1996, the U.S. Air Force published a report about proposed weather modification in the future. The report itself says it contains "fictional representations of future situations/scenarios," but it triggered concerns about shadowy evil plans. The USAF later clarified that the paper was created in response to a military directive asking for future scenarios and did not reflect any plans, present or future, to modify the weather. Since then, any reports of proposed geoengineering projects, rocket engine tests, widespread sickness, or just suspicious cloud formations bring out more accusations of chemtrails and governmental conspiracy. What does SB 36 do? SB 36, Weather Modification Activities, repeals nearly a dozen provisions in Florida statutes that allow state-licensed weather modification such as cloud-seeding to cause rain, block any future innovations, and prohibit the injection, release or dispersion of any substance or apparatus into the atmosphere within Florida's borders 'for the express purpose of affecting the temperature, the weather, or the intensity of sunlight.' It also: Changes the second-degree misdemeanor for anyone attempting weather modification without a state license to a third-degree felony for any public or private corporation attempting it at all, and adds a fine up to $100,000 per violation Makes it a third-degree felony for any aircraft operator or controller involved with a fine up to $5,000 and up to 5 years in prison Bans all study, research or experimentation in the field of weather modification Requires the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to set up an email address and online form for Florida residents to report "observed violations" Authorizes the DEP to investigate reports of violations and refer them to the Department of Health or the Division of Emergency Management Requires all operators of publicly owned airports to report monthly to the Department of Transportation (DOT) the presence of any aircraft equipped with any part, component, or device that could be used for these purposes Can humans manipulate the weather? On a small scale, yes. The idea of cloud seeding, where substances such as silver iodide or dry ice are released into the atmosphere to increase rain or snow, mitigate hail or disperse fog, has been around since 1891 and was first put into practice in 1946. But nothing on a large scale has been found to work. "No technology exists that can create, destroy, modify, strengthen or steer hurricanes in any way, shape or form," NOAA said. There was an attempt, starting in the 1960s, by the U.S. military to modify hurricanes in the Atlantic basin, called Project STORMFURY. The project was unsuccessful and was discontinued, NOAA said. In February, researchers proposed dehydrating the atmosphere by seeding the upper atmosphere with small particles known as ice nuclei to slow climate change. But other scientists have been skeptical, and one of the researchers admitted, "We don't have a plan or the technology to do this." This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Chemtrails in sky reports: Florida bans 'weather modification'
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida Gov. DeSantis to ban weather modification, track 'chemtrail' complaints
Floridians scared of "chemtrails" will soon have a way to voice their concerns about these streaks in the sky. On May 6, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he would sign (SB 56), which would prohibit "geoengineering and weather modification activities" in Florida, including cloud seeding. It's the process of releasing tiny particles into the air to increase precipitation, a practice used in arid parts of the Southwestern United States like Utah to increase the water supply. The Senate's bill tracking website showed that the measure still had not been sent to the governor's desk. He will have "seven consecutive days" to act once he receives it, under the state constitution; lawmakers extended the yearly regular session because they did not reach agreement on the state budget. They're expected to return to Tallahassee May 12. "Florida is not a testing ground for geoengineering," DeSantis posted on X. "We already do not permit this type of activity, but we are going the next step to ensure it does not happen in this state. "As soon as it reaches my desk, I will be signing the recently passed Senate Bill 56 to prohibit the release of chemicals into our skies to alter the weather or atmosphere. The Free State of Florida means freedom from governments or private actors unilaterally applying chemicals or geoengineering to people or public spaces." Even though the federal government has stated it does not modify the weather and that solar geoengineering is "nonexistent," Florida's elected officials this session backed legislation that plays into a decades-old conspiracy theory that the government is spreading chemicals in the air, in some cases to control people's minds. Contrails on a cool March day are seen over the skies of Melbourne, Florida. "We have a right to know what is being introduced into our atmosphere and what the potential ramifications are," added Sen. Ileana Garcia, R-Coral Gables, the bill's sponsor, at an event with DeSantis in Miami. "We must demand accountability and oversight to ensure that the pursuit of technological solutions do not overcome at the expense of our health, environment and our future." Marla Maples, President Donald Trump's ex-wife, advocated for the bill, Garcia said, and Maples was at the bill signing. At the start of her comments, Garcia appeared to faint after asking for a moment to sit down, but minutes later finished her speech at the lectern. "We are sending a powerful message to the nation and the world that we prioritize the health of our environment and the right of our citizens to clean, unmanipulated skies," she said. DeSantis called Garcia "determined" for leading the effort to pass the legislation. What are 'chemtrails'? As previously reported, some believe cloud seeding, contrails and "chemtrails" are all intertwined. (The term contrail is a portmanteau of "condensation" and "trail"; chemtrail is "chemical" and "trail.") Contrails are the line-shaped clouds visible behind aircraft engines under certain atmospheric conditions. They happen when hot, humid air from the engines condenses into ice crystals in the cold air, the National Weather Service says. Some, however, believe these are "chemtrails," or evidence of the government researching solar geoengineering, a theoretical practice which would modify the atmosphere to shade Earth's surface by reflecting sunlight back into space. Tennessee became the first state last year to enact a law banning geoengineering. Other states followed suit, including Kentucky and Arizona. Iowa also is considering it. In Florida, the bill will prohibit: "The injection, release, or dispersion, by any means, of a chemical, a chemical compound, a substance, or an apparatus into the atmosphere within the borders of this state for the express purpose of affecting the temperature, weather, climate, or intensity of sunlight."" It will also require the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to track complaints and information from residents with concerns about "chemtrails." The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, has debunked the "chemtrail" conspiracy and other myths, like the government has the possibility to modify hurricanes. "No technology exists that can create, destroy, modify, strengthen or steer hurricanes in any way, shape or form," NOAA says. (This story was updated to add new information.) Ana Goñi-Lessan, state watchdog reporter for the USA TODAY Network – Florida, can be reached at agonilessan@ This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: DeSantis to ban weather modification, track 'chemtrail' complaints
