I'm forced understanding inside the Florida Capitol.
Right now it is a balmy 73° with the air
conditioner.
But outside, the days are getting warmer and warmer and
that is driving up concern about this new legislation that
continues to move through the chambers,
which would strip local cities and counties of their ability
to create heat safety rules.
Take a look.
Is the hot hot sun of the Sunshine State gets
warmer?
Workers getting ready to swelter underneath it,
please reports Yes for House Bill 433,
favorably, That's just state lawmakers move a bill stripping cities
and counties of their ability to create heat safety rules
for local businesses,
things like mandatory water and shade breaks.
It's less regulation and less government.
That's Rep Tiffany Esposito, who's carrying the bill.
Not only does it preempt local government,
it requires the state to come up with its own
heat safety standards if federal officials don't do it.
By 2028, and I'm infuriated that any local government thinks
that they can do a better job of management managing
my employees.
Republicans in committee felt the idea was a move toward
less red tape and more freedom for Florida businesses.
That's His opponents called the change dangerous.
This is personal for me.
This is more than just a number for me.
Laura Munoz was brought to tears telling lawmakers her adopted
father died in 2014 during a workplace accident.
Related. In Part 2, years of poor heat stress protections,
this pain I'm still dealing with,
of not having that support of my mom's struggle.
Her being without her partner of me growing up without
my father,
Me knowing that I won't have my father in my
wedding.
And today they could make a decision so that other
people don't have to go through that.
Laura's pain and concern later echoed by Democrats.
We just had the hottest summer on record,
and we know it's only about to get hotter.
So why would we not do more to protect our
workers?
The legislation now needs to clear one more committee in
both the upper and lower chambers to reach Florida's governor.
All right, so here it is.
Whether he'll sign isn't clear,
but Governor Ron DeSantis has supported numerous bills preempting local
government,
he says, to keep Florida free.
Now, one other thing that these bills will need if
they want to reach Governor Ron De Santis is alignment.
So far, the Senate version is a little bit different
than the Houses.
It lacks that requirement that the state sets some safety
standards.
If the federal government fails to do so,
We'll have to see which chamber comes out on top
as these pieces of legislation continue to move forward.
That's the latest out here at the State Capitol on
Forest Saunders reporting.