Florida Republicans detail plan to combat rising sea levels
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Florida state lawmakers unveiled an "aggressive" plan to combat sea-level rise in the state’s history Friday.
House Speaker Chris Sprowls and fellow Republicans announced a proposed legislative package while visiting USF St. Pete, which they are calling "Always Ready." It would give tax breaks for people who jack up their homes to avoid flooding and sets aside $100 million a year for counties and cities to fight rising sea levels.
Their proposal would also make USF St. Pete the main information and research center on fighting this crisis.
Speaker Sprowls called the plan "the most aggressive" in the state’s history.
"The reality is Florida homeowners across the state, both coastal and inland, are facing massive raises to their insurance and property rates," Sprowls told FOX 13.
Critics say the proposal is a start, but not proactive enough, and say they want to see more action to reduce carbon emissions by cutting fossil fuel use.
The proposal falls in line with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ $1-billion proposal to fight sea level issues at the local level over the next several years.