TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. DeSantis issued his first veto Friday, rejecting a bill to ban plastic straw bans by local governments.

The provision was folded into a bill with several environmental regulations (HB 771), but in his announcement, DeSantis took aim specifically at the straw provision.

DeSantis pointed out that 10 local governments had already banned the straws, and so far those ordinances had not "frustrated any state policy or harmed the state's interests." DeSantis also said that even the Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection had encouraged Floridians, schools and businesses to reduce plastic straw use.

"The State should simply allow local communities to address this issue through the political process," DeSantis said. "Citizens who oppose plastic straw ordinances can seek recourse by electing people who share their views."

A Florida legislative analysis attached to the bill lists the following local governments as enacting straw bans:

  • St. Petersburg
  • Town of Fort Myers Beach
  • Coral Gables
  • Village of Pinecrest
  • Town of Surfside
  • Miami Beach
  • Hallandale Beach
  • Delray Beach
  • Fort Lauderdale
  • Deerfield Beach

The analysis also points out that many big businesses have been phasing out or reducing the use of plastic straws, including SeaWorld and Royal Caribbean Cruises.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says trash, packaging, and improperly disposed waste from land sources accounts for 80 percent of debris found on beaches during cleanups and surveys, and up to two-thirds of that comes from single-use disposable plastic packaging, including cups, bottles, straws, utensils, and stirrers.

Reporter Troy kinsey contributed to this report.