Proposed bill would stymie local heat ordinances
Lawmakers are considering a bill that would ban local governments from requiring companies to protect workers from extreme heat.
The proposal is in response to an effort in Miami-Dade County to protect outdoor workers during excessive heat waves. County commissioners were considering an ordinance that would have required companies to give workers regular water breaks in the shade if the heat index rose above a certain temperature, but they postponed the measure until March.
But that effort, along with any other local government efforts to enact any regulations around heat protections, led to a bill gathering support among the Republican-dominated Legislature.
Guests:
- Valerie Crowder, reporter based in Panama City.
Early look at 2024 hurricane season
This week, AccuWeather meteorologists gave an early and foreboding prediction for the upcoming hurricane season. While the return of La Niña and historically warm water across the Atlantic Ocean make for favorable hurricane conditions, it may still be too early to tell exactly what’s in store this far ahead of the tropical storm season, which begins June 1.
Guests:
- Megan Borowski, chief meteorologist for the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network.
Fact-checking claims from legislative session
With two weeks left in Florida’s 2024 legislative session, we fact-check some of the claims around proposed bills including a proposal to reverse Parkland-era gun restrictions and another requiring biological sex on driver's licenses. Plus, we get an update on one law from last year that continues to cause controversy.
- Samantha Putterman, fact-checker for PolitiFact based in Florida.
Weekly briefs
More than 60 years since the first measles vaccine was used on the general public, one of the largest school districts in the state is dealing with an outbreak.
A bill that would ban children under the age of 16 from creating social media accounts is closer to becoming law. However, it’s not clear whether Gov. Ron DeSantis will sign it into law.