Florida lawmakers react to tariffs announced by President Donald Trump Wednesday, and a bill that would increase fines and punishments for people modifying the weather advances through the state Senate.

Florida lawmakers react to Trump's tariff announcement

Markets around the world have been reeling after President Donald Trump’s latest round of tariffs on more than 180 countries.

They range from a baseline 10% tariff on goods imported to the U.S. for example, to as high as 50% on products coming to the states from China.

Florida Democrats are blasting Trump’s tariffs as massive tax hikes on U.S. citizens that will drive up costs for consumers.

Republicans are celebrating the president’s plan, arguing the levies will strengthen the U.S. economy in the long-term.

Democratic Rep. Darren Soto spoke out against the plan.

“Last year, our economy was the strongest on the planet," he posted on X. "Unemployment & inflation were low, growth & investments were high. Pres Trump wrecked it in less than 100 days due to his tariffs, deportations & chaos."

“His costly tariff scheme will make life more expensive for everyone,” Rep. Kathy Castor said.

The double digit tariffs on virtually all imports to the U.S., including major allies like Great Britain and the countries of the European Union, begin at 10% and go up from there.

The president’s allies argue stock market uncertainty will be short term and that the long-term goal is to create more jobs in the U.S.

“The President is making sure is that we have manufacturing in our country, that we actually have domestic supplies in our country, that people actually have high-paying jobs here in America associated with those industries,” Rep. Byron Donalds said.

“Democrats are asking you to suspend common sense and believe that it’s bad for President Trump to fight for American workers and fight foreign tariffs with our own tariffs … Democrats are too weak to fight against anybody other than their own citizens,” Rep. Byron Mast said.

In addition to the tariffs on exports from more than 180 countries, tariffs on automobile imports also began Thursday, and taxes on auto-part imports are scheduled to take effect next month.

Senators introduce bipartisan bill for Congress to oversee tariffs

With global stock markets plummeting following President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariff announcement, a bipartisan pair of senators introduced legislation Thursday that would require Congress approve most new import taxes.

The Trade Review Act of 2025 would command the president to notify lawmakers of any new tariffs within 48 hours of them being imposed.

“For too long, Congress has delegated its clear authority to regulate interstate and foreign commerce to the executive branch,” Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said in a statement Thursday. 

Introduced with Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., the bill is to reassert Congress’ constitutional role and ensure it has a voice in trade policy, Grassley said.

“As a representative of one of the most trade-dependent economies in America, I disagree with President Trump’s tariffs,” Cantwell said Wednesday following Trump’s announcement of reciprocal taxes on U.S. trading partners that will go into effect in the coming days. “Ultimately, consumers will pay the price. It’s time for Congress to take action to counter the president’s trade war.”

The top Democrat on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Cantwell said the tariff on foreign-made vehicles alone would increase car prices by as much as $15,000. Her state is the largest importer of Subaru vehicles in the United States through its port in Vancouver, Wash.

The Trade Review of Act of 2025 is an amendment to the Trade Act of 1974, which gave the president authority to negotiate and implement trade agreements. The proposed legislation requires the president to notify Congress of any duties on a good imported into the United States, including an explanation of the reason it was imposed and an assessment of its potential impact on businesses and consumers.

It allows a new duty for a maximum of 60 days unless Congress approves of an extension. The bill also gives Congress the ability to end tariffs at any time by passing a resolution of disapproval.

Anti-weather modification bill passes through Florida Senate

Currently being considered in the Florida Legislature is a bill that would ban any and all efforts to modify the weather.

Today the Florida Senate passed the legislation, while the governor has spoken out about the version of the bill working through the House.

With the passage in the Senate, Senate Bill 56 is getting closer and closer to becoming law.

If passed in its current form, the proposal would institute a $100,000 fine for anyone convicted of tampering with the weather.

There would also be a call for a second degree misdemeanor charge.

“I have a problem with people spraying perfume massively sometimes. You do have a problem with people spraying things into the atmosphere that really have no type of of empirical data,” State Sen. Ileana Garcia said.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has said he likes the Senate version of the bill. He has also criticized the House version, saying that it is too moderate.

According to the U.S. Office of Government Accountability, roughly 10 U.S. States have banned or are attempting to ban weather modification.

Meanwhile, officials at NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, say the organization does not participate in any efforts to modify the weather, and notes that with the exception of cloud seeding, the technology to do that does not exist in the first place.