A.G. Gancarski
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ agency bill (SB 700) has passed the Senate largely on partisan grounds.
But not before two days of robust discussion about public water systems and additives.
Democrats likened the move to dump “proven” fluoride from the water supply to “anti-vax” theories, but the argument didn’t carry with Republicans. Democratic Sen. Tina Polsky said the bill would lead constituents to “suffer.” But those arguments from her and others didn’t move the Republican supermajority.
Republican Sen. Keith Truenow, the bill sponsor, noted during his close that the bill “does not specifically speak to fluoride” but intends to address “how medicines or vaccines are delivered in the future.”
“We’re here to hydrate, not medicate,” Truenow said ahead of the 27-9 vote.
The bill otherwise covers a lot of ground, including criminalizing flying drones over farmland or harassing people with drones anywhere in the state in what Truenow called a “gathering together to essentially attack people with groups of drones.”
It also would ban psychedelic mushrooms and the representation of a plant product as milk or meat, which brought up discussion Tuesday of “impossible meatballs” and other fakes.
“It’s not hard to change the labeling,” Truenow said of plant simulacra of animal products, though there’s a mitigating “compact with the southern states to do all of this at the same time.”
The legislation would also offer a ballot initiative where voters could choose to exempt agricultural lands from property taxes. The measure would provide grants for fiscally constrained counties to get electric vehicle charging stations.
It would also allow schools to maintain agricultural spaces for the Future Farmers of America and the 4H Club by exempting the schools from local zoning that would otherwise ban it.
Mail theft is already a federally banned activity, but the bill would give the state enforcement ability.
This bill is supported by Heritage Action, the Heartland Institute, the National Rifle Association, the Florida Agritourism Association, the Florida Feed Association, the Florida Poultry Association, the Florida Farm Bureau Federation and the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association.
Similar legislation is moving through House committees currently.
