Why I will introduce the “We All Need A Heat Break Act”

*Everyone who works outside in Florida deserves heat breaks. (AI for S4F/ChatGPT)*

August 13, 2026 by David Silverberg, Democratic candidate for Florida Senate, District 28

This past July was the hottest July ever recorded, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration—and the heat isn’t stopping.

This is written in Southwest Florida on August 12 and the month has already had three days with heat advisories for temperatures in the triple digits.

There’s no doubt that the climate is heating up and we’re all suffering.

But no one is suffering like the outdoor workers of Florida—and that’s because they’re prohibited from getting heat breaks.

Let me repeat that a second time so that there is no possible misunderstanding: Florida’s towns, cities and counties are not allowed to mandate heat breaks.

This is because, two years ago an extremist legislature and governor – what I call “Big Tallahassee” – passed House Bill (HB) (and its Committee Substitute) 433. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it into it into law on April 11, 2024.

I swear that when I first heard this I thought: If Jesus had been crucified in Florida, Big Tallahassee would have denied him a water break on the way to Calvary. (And, by the way, in Florida people are prohibited from providing water to voters waiting on line in the heat, thanks to a 2021 law.)

My name is David Silverberg and I’m running for the Florida Senate in District 28 to represent all the people of Collier County, Hendry County and eastern Lee County.

HB 433 prohibited towns, cities and counties from requiring heat breaks for workers, so not only was it cruel to workers, it also pre-empted the rights and authority of our localities from making their own rules. It was intended to impose Big Tallahassee’s single, unchallengeable will on all the towns, cities and counties of Florida, no matter what the variations in their climates or circumstances.

Big Tallahassee succeeded in being both cruel and tyrannical.

That’s just wrong. Workers should be able to take heat breaks and Florida’s towns and cities should be able to make their own rules on matters like this to meet their own conditions.

There’s a very simple solution to this problem. If you elect me to the Florida Senate, I intend to introduce the “We All Need A Heat Break Act.” We’ll roll back this inhuman law and let hardworking people get the breaks they need to work and survive in Florida’s climate.

It just makes sense.

I hope you agree with me and that we can work on this together.

To learn more about my positions, please go to my website, Silverberg4Florida.com. Please donate, participate, and most importantly, vote for me, David Silverberg, in the general election on November 3rd.

Thank you for reading. Please work safely, remember to hydrate and try to stay cool.

This message is approved by David Silverberg and the David Silverberg4Florida campaign.

See Silverberg4Florida.com for more positions and opportunities to volunteer.

To donate to the campaign, please click here.