Florida is the latest state trying to ban something based on a conspiracy theory

A Florida lawmaker made headlines after she introduced a controversial new bill aiming to ban weather modification in the skies above the Sunshine State.

Filed by State Senator Ileana Garcia on November 20th, the new bill was designed to open up over alleged weather conspiracy theories according to the Floridian Press.  

The Florida-focused news outlet reported Senate Bill 56 is essentially calling for a total ban on weather modification in the state based on Garcia’s comments to the outlet. 

“This bill aims to update licensing regulations and establish stricter oversight for weather modification activities, specifically addressing cloud seeding,” Garcia told the outlet. 

Garcia is specifically focused on addressing the legitimate practice of cloud seeding, a process in which silver iodine is added to clouds in order to increase precipitation. 

Senate Bill 56 aims to “update licensing regulations and establish stricter oversight for weather modification activities specifically addressing cloud seeding,” Garcia said. 

In a statement to Newsweek, Garcia explained her bill would repeal outdated provisions in the state related to weather modification and would increase licensing requirements. 

“More specifically, it prohibits certain acts intended to influence temperature, weather patterns, or sunlight intensity within our state's atmosphere,” Garcia explained. 

The Floridan Press reported that the specifics of the new bill really do include the specifics banning “injection, release, or dispersion” of any temperature, sunlight, or weather modifying substance, which would include cloud seeding. 

If the bill passes it would remove thirteen sections of Florida statute, come into effect on July, 1st, 2025, and would see violators fined upwards of $10,000 dollars. 

A House version of the new bill has yet to be filed according to Newsweek, so banning cloud seeding may not happen soon, but Garcia’s bill may be more about awareness. 

Photo Credit: Instagram @senatorileanagarcia

“I hope this legislation can help dispel fears about alleged chemtrails,” Garcia explained to the Floridian Press before sharing her biggest concerns about weather modification. 

“It is essential to put doubts to rest by implementing safeguards that ensure weather modification is never weaponized due to governmental negligence or a lack of public engagement,” Garcia said. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Roger Schultz, CC BY 2.0

According to Newsweek, chemtrails are a conspiracy theory that claims the government or other secretive organizations are using chemicals to secretly modify the weather. 

Chemtrails conspiracy theorists believe that aircraft are used to spread chemicals that manipulate the weather, these are allegedly the visible white trails left behind by planes. 

Photo Credit: Unsplash By Rae Galatas

Garcia’s legislation comes on the heels of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, both of which devastated Florida and have conspiracy theories founded around them that claim they were both power hurricanes due to weather manipulation according to Newsweek.  

In 2024, Tennessee passed a similar law banning chemtrails and weather modification over the state, though it should be pointed out that experts at Harvard University who have studied chemtrails have found no evidence of their existence.

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Antony-22 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

According to the Floridian Press, Florida does not employ the cloud seeding technique but eleven other states and forty-nine nations worldwide do cloud seed to improve their levels of precipitation. 

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