Here's the kicker: the Florida senator who filed the bill is from a coastal city.
Republican Travis Hutson from St. Augustine filed SB 588, which says that "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."
Many St. Petersburg restaurants have already stopped using single-use plastic straws, as have most Gulfport eateries. St. Petersburg has banned plastic straws (along with foam to-go boxes and cups) and, until the ban goes into effect next year, restaurants may still offer them by request. Gulfport has not passed any such straw-based ordinances; most restaurants switched to compostable straws voluntarily after a social media campaign launched last summer by local activist Terry Foster (we should note St. Petersburg has far more restaurants than Gulfport and many St. Pete restaurants voluntarily stopped using single-use plastic straws when the city council passed the ban).
In December, Tampa leaders launched a Skip the Straw campaign as well, and even before that, many eateries also skipped the straw, including Tampa International Airport, the University of Tampa and the Seminole Hard Rock Casino (and the Seminole Tribe of Florida has committed to making all its casinos straw-free).
People with abilities that make it necessary for them to use a straw can still get straws in both cities, and, as of yet, the sky has not cracked open to reveal a horseman intending to break a heavenly seal.
The Senate Commerce Tourism committee will discuss the bill Monday. The Florida House has a similar bill, HB 603, filed jointly by two republicans: Palm Bay's Randy Fine and Howey-in-the-Hills' Anthony Sabatini. They House will discuss the bill Tuesday.
The Republican Party often uses the platform of "states' rights," insisting that larger governments shouldn't be able to pass laws restricting smaller governments.
Irony, party of one? Your table is ready.
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This article appears in Feb 28 – Mar 7, 2019.