Governor DeSantis Vetoes Moratorium on Local Government Plastic Straw Regulation
In a statement released late Friday afternoon, Governor DeSantis vetoed House Bill 771, which includes a moratorium on the local regulation of single-use plastic straws until 2024. Citing municipalities that have enacted ordinances prohibiting single-use plastic straws, the governor stated in his veto letter that "these measures have not, as far as I can tell, frustrated any state policy or harmed the state's interest." He continues that "the State should simply allow local communities to address this issue through the political process."
Sierra Club Florida actively opposed all legislation seeking to preempt local regulation of plastic straws citing concerns that many marine animals mistake these and other plastic items for food, and that in a survey of beach cleanups by the Ocean Conservancy, straws came in as the seventh most common type of beach trash; coastal areas are the entry points for plastics to enter the ocean and tributaries.
The Sierra Club applauds Governor DeSantis and will work to assure the legislature does not override his veto.