Regulations Coming On Plastic Drinking Straws In Florida?

March 2, 2019

A Florida Senate committee Monday will take up a proposal that would prevent local governments from regulating distribution of plastic straws, amid a broader national debate about discarded straws causing pollution problems in oceans and other areas.

The bill (SB 588), filed by Sen. Travis Hutson, R-St. Augustine, will be considered by the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee. It would give regulatory power over single-use plastic straws to the state — a practice known as “preemption” of local government authority.

“A municipality, county, or other local governmental entity may not adopt, enforce, or implement any ordinance, rule, or law that would further restrict a food service establishment from distributing single-use plastic straws to customers,” the bill says.

The bill would restrict restaurants and other establishments to only providing single-use straws if the straws are requested by customers. But that restriction would not apply to such things as take-out orders, delivery orders and orders placed with apps.

An identical bill (HB 603) has been filed in the House by Rep. Randy Fine, R-Palm Bay, and Rep. Anthony Sabatini, R-Howey-in-the-Hills. The bills are filed for the legislative session that starts Tuesday.

by The News Service of Florida

Comments

15 Responses to “Regulations Coming On Plastic Drinking Straws In Florida?”

  1. David Huie Green on March 3rd, 2019 5:40 pm

    My bad.

    It wasn’t George, it was John, John Wesley Hyatt.

    “First invented in 1870 by an American named John Wesley Hyatt, the first plastic products were made from a material called celluloid that imitated animal products like ivory. ”
    https://www.google.com/amp/s/relay.nationalgeographic.com/proxy/distribution/public/amp/environment/2018/07/news-plastic-drinking-straw-history-ban

    Understand that you are free to reuse your straw. It’ll gather bacteria and other contaminants, but who wants to drink from a sterile source, anyway?

    David for the falling skies

  2. Stumpknocker on March 3rd, 2019 5:29 pm

    Like California has done , outlawed straws, but they pass out syringes like candy that’s all over their streets which ends up in the storm drains which happen to run off in the ocean. This is just an easy target for politicians to have the ability to claim to have done something for the environment, how bout tackling some of the tough issues like China and they dispose of their waste.

  3. David Huie Green on March 3rd, 2019 10:03 am

    REGARDING:
    “Who is the genius that decided they had to be made if plastic? I never needed a straw that could outlive me.”

    Wasn’t it George?

    You mean the way they would break when you pushed them in or would convert to pulp or otherwise collapse before you finished your drink? Yes, I remember them well. Useless things made of dead trees and petroleum based wax.

    David for the better life of plastics

  4. Amber Knight on March 3rd, 2019 1:35 am

    Now I get why we didn’t get straws at the 2 places we ate today. Even our to go drink had a top but no straw

  5. BRENT on March 2nd, 2019 1:26 pm

    PINHEAD POLITICIANS – NEED TO FIRE THEM ALL AND START OVER

  6. Good Thing on March 2nd, 2019 12:39 pm

    This is actually a good thing… it’s a bill that PREVENTS local governments from making nonsensical laws banning straws, etc.

  7. David Huie Green on March 2nd, 2019 12:34 pm

    “INVASION OF THE PLASTIC STRAWS”

    coming NEVER to a theater near you

    People who oppose plastics don’t seem to understand what they replaced. Plastics are basically inert, just like glass, ceramics and metals.The difference is that they require less energy to make and are less likely to cut you if you step on them.

    David for better living through chemistry

  8. anne1of2 on March 2nd, 2019 12:06 pm

    Anyone remember paper straws? Who is the genius that decided they had to be made if plastic? I never needed a straw that could outlive me.

  9. mat on March 2nd, 2019 10:31 am

    Are they going to outlaw cigarettes as well? I see cigarette butts on all the sides of the roads all the time. During the rain, these butts get washed down the drains and into the ocean.

  10. Just a thought on March 2nd, 2019 10:04 am

    Bob your right there are many pressing problems that need to be addressed and thankfully there are individuals who have picked up the gauntlet to address them. Environmental issues are also becoming important matters that need to be addressed as well. Small things such as straws that we might deem insignificant can and do make major impacts on our environment.

  11. Flaguypl on March 2nd, 2019 9:21 am

    Straws is crazy only if you have nothing better to do. 1st illegals. Then drugs, how about crime etc with all the real important thing you pick straws. Thats a joke. Do the important things 1st and when you get bored then pick on Straws .. WAKE UP

  12. Taree Huggers on March 2nd, 2019 9:00 am

    It’s a slippery slope. Once they take away our plastic straws they’ll come after all the other single use products we love to toss out the windows of our cars and boats. We love our litter down South and don’t want no Yankees or California types telling us we can’t fling it where we want to.

  13. Snukey26 on March 2nd, 2019 8:55 am

    I can understand this, plastic materiel is killing our earth if people don’t recycle all their plastics. It’s an issue now and it will be even worse in the future. People say they want the best for their children but complain when it comes to something such as this, well if we ALL did our part in keeping earth beautiful then no one would have to step in but common sense isn’t that common. Just like warning labels; they’re common sense you world think that adults would know better but they don’t DO better.
    That is why we have others tell us what to do, because of the ones who have no “Get Right”.

  14. bob in baker on March 2nd, 2019 7:18 am

    We have a lot of pressing problems in this state that need attention by the legislature. Plastic straw restrictions is NOT one of them.

  15. Sedition on March 2nd, 2019 6:49 am

    Jeez, does Big Brother have to have his nose in every aspect of our lives?