Florida baffles experts by banning local water break rules as deadly heat is on the rise
Florida baffles experts by banning local water break rules as deadly heat is on the rise
Florida's new law has shocked and angered some who say outdoor workers need more protections, not less.
Sweltering summer heat might have been more bearable for outdoor workers in Miami-Dade County under a proposal that suggested mandated breaks in the shade on the hottest days – but Florida said no.
The county's proposal to establish heat rules for workers has been preempted by a new law: Florida has joined Texas in banning such local rules for outdoor workers. Meanwhile, California, Colorado, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington have passed laws giving more protections to construction workers who work in extreme heat.
Florida's new law has frustrated and angered some experts and advocates for construction workers and farmworkers. As summers get hotter over the years, outdoor workers will need more protections, not fewer, said Luigi Guadarrama, political director of Sierra Club Florida said.
The law will primarily affect low-income workers of color, Guadarrama said: “Currently, the state legislature has no interest in protecting workers."
Other advocates also say more protections for outdoor workers are needed.
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While it's coming across as active cruelty, what this really is, is collateral damage, and TBF maybe there's no real difference. Many municipalities in Florida and Texas skew more blue than the state government, and they had taken to trying to use municipal codes to make life less shitty in general for everyone. Many had stricter COVID rules, have tried banning fracking, have decriminalized marijuana possession, have de-emphasized immigration enforcement, and a dozen other little ways to take the sting out of these state governments' obsession with making everyone live in some sort of Orwellian take on Mayberry.
If cities can enforce water breaks, they can enforce all kinds of things that make life more expensive for rich people and/or potentially more mildly uncomfortable for Evangelical assholes.
Democratic leaders in Florida are unsurprised by the new law. Rep. Fentrice Driskell, minority leader of the Florida House of Representatives, said Republicans in red states have systematically been taking power away from local governments as part of an effort to limit the influence of left-leaning cities.
Yup, Florida pulled a similar stunt before. Orange County Florida (location of Disney) got the signatures to put mandatory paid sick leave on the ballot, but the county commissioners delayed it long enough for the state government to kill it. Here's an article that goes into more detail on the bullshit pulled that time.
Yeah, I was born in Orange County, and lived in NE Florida for most of my childhood and college years. Well, north central Florida for the college years I guess, but we still got Jags games.
I was also born in Orange county, and grew up in Osceola. We got Bucs games. I moved to Minnesota for college (or rather I used college as an easy way to escape Florida), definitely a downgrade on the football team but at least they're not the Jags, lol.