West Alabama Legislators Push For Ban On Weather Manipulation

If a bill pre-filed in the upcoming legislative session passes, Alabama will join Florida and Tennessee as the only states that have approved bills banning any type of artificial manipulation of the weather.

HB25 was introduced in the 2025 session but did not pass. It would have banned the intentional injection, release, or dispersion of chemical compounds or other apparatuses for the purpose of affecting weather, temperature, or sunlight intensity. 

Tuscaloosa County Republican Legislative Delegation members Ron Bolton and Bill Lamb are among the sponsors of the bill proposed for the session beginning January 13th.

The prefiled bill assigned to the State Government Committee mirrors the previously proposed legislation.  Violations would be a Class B misdemeanor and would carry a fine up to $700,000 for each violation.

"[Cloud seeding] was recently brought to my attention by some of my constituents who had concerns," Rep. Lamb told the Tuscaloosa Thread. "My main objective is to create transparency. I don't want to restrict anything that is beneficial scientifically, but I just want whoever is doing it to be honest and above board with what they are doing and why."

Get our free mobile app

From deadly flooding in Kentucky to the Florida and North Carolina monster hurricanes of 2024, many Americans have amplified increasingly conspiratorial explanations for extreme weather events. This past summer's deadly flooding in Texas's Hill Country and subsequent political commentary have amplified the discussion.

Cloud seeding has been possible since the 1940s, but experts say it produces only small, very localized increases in precipitation, and not devastating downpours. There are nine western states with active cloud seeding programs, and all have experienced serious drought conditions over the years. None of the cloud seeding there has corresponded to flooding.

"The bill tries to eliminate the chance of people attempting to experiment with weather, trying to change the temperature of the earth to make sure they are not causing damage to other people and farms," Rep. Bolton added to the reasoning for bill sponsorship.

GOP state lawmakers in at least 20 states have recently introduced legislation regarding weather manipulation and modification, covering a range of topics from cloud seeding to solar geoengineering.

Weather modification has become entangled in political debate and right-wing conspiracy theories, with bombastic GOP Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene claiming a year ago in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that Democrats can "control the weather." She even posted a map alleging that weather control can impact an election.

Rep. Lamb says he doesn't necessarily buy into the conspiracy theories, but he does want to ensure public safety is maintained and the air is not polluted.

For more coverage of local news and west Alabama legislators, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.