Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried again calls on Florida to divest from Russian interests

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, on the news that President Biden has announced a ban on the import of Russian oil, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried is again calling on the State of Florida to immediately divest from Russian-backed entities.

In addition, she wants the state to take action on the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) proposed clean energy plan to move Florida towards sustainable energy independence.

“It’s extremely troublesome that a week has passed since my initial call for Florida to divest from Russian interests without any action plan shared by the Governor and State Board of Administration to do so,” said Fried.

“As I said at the time, it is imperative that we not only speak out against these attacks on democracy but that we ensure Florida taxpayer dollars are not propping up the autocratic regime in Russia,” she said.

She added that she believes it is crucial for both our national security and our environment to prioritize clean energy and reduce our reliance on natural gases.

“I urge Governor DeSantis and the Florida Legislature to immediately take action to move our state towards clean energy independence to buffer the effects of geopolitics on our state’s gas prices as well as the ever-present threats of climate change,” said Fried.