The county's proposal to establish heat rules for workers has been preempted by a new law: Florida has joined Texas in banning such local rules for outdoor workers.
Meanwhile, California, Colorado, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington have passed laws giving more protections to construction workers who work in extreme heat.
Federal laws already prohibit unsafe work conditions, which makes added local rules unnecessary, supporters of the new law say.
The ban on local heat rules is a part of a larger push to help businesses save money, a move that comes with assurances of protecting jobs.
Though the bill says local governments must adopt the state's stance on heat protections, Florida doesn't have any statewide standard.
The federal government does have rules about safety in workplaces that apply to summer heat.
In the coming years extreme heat will become more common all across the U.S. “This is going to affect everybody at some point. »
