Florida workers would not be able to count on shade breaks or water on hot days under a Republican proposal to block cities and counties from requiring those protections.
The effort comes as many states — particularly Florida — experience more extremely hot days as the climate warms, writes Adam Aton. Last year, at least two farm workers died in South Florida amid extreme heat, including a 28-year-old on his first day harvesting vegetables.
Miami-Dade County has since proposed mandating 10-minute breaks in the shade every two hours for construction and farm workers. But a bill that advanced in a Florida state House committee last week would prevent the county from imposing the mandate, with Republicans arguing such protections would harm the state’s economy.
Opponents of the bill say rising temperatures will only put more workers at risk of dying on the job.
An emotional Laura Munoz of the group Florida Student Power told lawmakers her father had died after working in the heat.