Which state legislators put ‘People First’ and which did not? Find out at www.FloridaReportCard.com
Public interest groups Progress Florida and Florida Watch today unveiled their 2025 “People First” Report Card, grading state lawmakers on key floor votes cast during this year’s legislative session. Each legislator received a score and corresponding letter grade based on their votes across a wide spectrum of issues including the economy, housing affordability, healthcare, reproductive freedom, neighborhood public schools, climate change, protecting public lands, immigration, ethics in government, gun safety, and more.
Lawmakers who consistently voted to put “People First” earned a passing grade. Scores and grades were tabulated based on 23 key floor votes in the House and 15 in the Senate. The “People First” report card gives Floridians a valuable tool for determining if their state legislators are fighting on behalf of their constituents or are acting at the behest of powerful corporate lobbyists working against the public interest.
Some of the votes factored into lawmaker grades include the Immigration: Discrimination in Education and Public Safety bill passed during January’s special session (HB 1C/SB 2C), Citizen-Led Amendment Barriers (HB 1205), Reproductive Health Care Criminalization (HB 1517/SB 1284), Book Ban Expansion (HB 1539/SB 1692), Assault Weapon Purchase Expansion (HB 759/SB 94), Public School Defunding (HB 1105/SB 270), Child Labor Protection Rollback (HB 1225/SB 918), Growth Mismanagement (HB 579/SB 1080), and State Parks Preservation Act (HB 209/SB 80), among others. The complete list of bills scored, and their descriptions can be found in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole at www.FloridaReportCard.com.
Florida Senate and House Members Earning an “A” on the “People First” Report Card:
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Sen. Kristen Arrington (D-Kissimmee) Rep. Angela “Angie” Nixon (D-Jacksonville) |
Rep. Michele K. Rayner (D-St. Petersburg) |
“Floridians are being suffocated by an affordability crisis that was largely ignored by legislative leadership,” said Progress Florida Executive Director Mark Ferrulo. “Instead of addressing skyrocketing costs for insurance, housing, and other essentials, the legislative majority extended session to hand out massive tax breaks to multinational corporations. This disconnect between state leaders and the constituents they were elected to serve makes the ‘People First’ Report Card a critical tool for Floridians to understand which lawmakers are fighting to improve their quality of life – and which ones are beholden to wealthy corporate donors.”
“Despite the missed opportunity from legislative leadership, we applaud the many lawmakers who stood up for hardworking families and fought to put ‘People First’ and provide Florida families and seniors the freedom to be healthy, prosperous, and safe,” Ferrulo added.
“This year provided a historic opportunity to cut taxes for all Floridians while closing loopholes for multinational corporations, and to lower costs for workers and seniors to deliver much-needed economic relief at a time when many residents of our state continue to work hard but are still struggling with the cost of living,” said Florida Watch Executive Director Natasha Sutherland. “This year’s session dragged well beyond the usual 60 days, but instead of using that extra time to address the real issues facing everyday Floridians, legislative leaders gave more handouts to their corporate elite donors.”
“We commend the legislators who put ‘People First’ despite pressure from Governor DeSantis and powerful special interests. It is important Floridians recognize these lawmakers who cast their votes to improve the lives of working families and seniors in our state. Many of these same lawmakers also stood up to defend our freedoms from government overreach by helping prevent further restrictions to reproductive and academic freedom,” added Sutherland.
The interactive 2025 Progress Florida “People First” Report Card can be viewed at www.FloridaReportCard.com, and is available this year for the first time in both Spanish and Haitian Creole.
Note: Two state lawmakers, Sen. Shevrin Jones and Rep. Lisa Dunkley, were not assigned a grade due to a number of prearranged or excused absences on scored bills.
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For more information, go to www.FloridaReportCard.com.
Progress Florida is a statewide organization working to build a Florida that works for all Floridians, not just the powerful and politically connected. Learn more at ProgressFlorida.org.
Florida Watch is a communications and research organization dedicated to holding the powerful accountable. Learn more at FloridaWatch.org.