Florida lawmakers are moving to block local heat protections for outdoor workers under an industry-backed bill that Republicans say is necessary to safeguard the Sunshine State’s economy.
The bill passed a state House committee last week on party lines after the Republican chair limited public testimony to 60 seconds per person — outraging opponents who accused the GOP of rushing legislation that would endanger workers’ lives. A companion bill has also advanced through state Senate committees.
Laura Munoz of Florida Student Power choked back tears as she told lawmakers her father died after working outdoors in the heat: “He left every morning, and I watched him take his water and his ice — and he did everything he could to be able to go back home to us,” she said.
“OSHA failed us,” she said, referring to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. “The private market and private employers failed us. And I’m here to ask you, did my father not deserve better? Did I not deserve better? How much profit was worth his life?”
