Florida Bill to Ban 'Weather Modification' Introduced in Response to Conspiracy Theories About Government-Made Hurricanes

Florida State Sen. Ileana Garcia introduced a bill banning weather modification in the state, giving credence to conspiracy theories alleging that Hurricanes such as Helene and Milton were the product of human tampering.

Senate Bill 56 was filed by Garcia in November. It aims to protect against weather modifications including "cloud seeding", a supposed practice by which silver iodide is added to clouds in order to supplement precipitation.

"This bill aims to update licensing regulations and establish stricter oversight for weather modification activities, specifically addressing cloud seeding," Sen. Garcia told The Floridian. "It is crucial that we clarify this issue and openly address concerns surrounding it—not only in terms of atmospheric changes but also regarding the potential impact on our crops and the air we breathe."

The bill, which would repeal 13 sections of Florida's statute, prevents weather modification by banning "injection, release, or dispersion" of anything with the goal of changing the weather or temperature. A fine of $10,000 may be imposed upon those who violate the rule.

The conspiracy theory perpetuating the notion that top Democratic Party officials can manipulate the weather has been circulated by many conservative politicians. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene took to social media to support this notion.

"Yes they can control the weather. It's ridiculous for anyone to lie and say it can't be done," Rep. Greene posted to X (formerly Twitter) after Hurricane Helene made landfall.

Gov. Ron DeSantis himself has denied allegations that politicians can control the weather, indicating that such reports are baseless.

"The 'government controls the weather' crowd and the global warming/climate change alarmists are 2 sides of the same coin: unscientific, agenda-motivated, & unhelpful following a storm," DeSantis' communications director Bryan Griffin said on social media.

"Thankfully,@GovRonDeSantis leads FL in world-class storm response," he continued.

"I hope this legislation can help dispel fears about alleged chemtrails. 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," said Garcia. "We should welcome open dialogue and investigation rather than dismissing these discussions as conspiracy theories."