Today, Governor Ron DeSantis unveiled his proposed budget for the 2022 Florida legislative session. In response, Progress Florida Executive Director Mark Ferrulo and Florida Watch Executive Director Josh Weierbach issued the following statements.
Today is the first day of Florida’s 2021 legislative session. Gov. DeSantis just delivered his annual State of the State address. That’s why we just premiered “The People’s Response,” a video featuring a diverse group of everyday Floridians and progressive champions in the Legislature who are putting forward a people first agenda for our state.
In the 2020 Florida legislative session, who did your state legislators stand up for? Did they cast their votes on behalf of the people…or powerful special interests? Find out with our just released People First Report Card.
Since 1968, Floridians have organized, put on the ballot, and voted to pass constitutional amendments to improve our state when the Florida Legislature refused to act. Now, some members of the GOP leadership in the legislature want to make it nearly impossible for anyone other than the legislature or the very wealthy to bring constitutional amendments before Florida voters.
Florida lawmakers keep raiding affordable housing funds to help finance tax giveaways to powerful and politically connected corporations and other wealthy campaign donors, while Florida families fall further behind.
Every Floridian, including young Floridians, deserve autonomy in reproductive health care decisions. On Wednesday, the entire Florida House of Representatives will be voting on a law aimed at compromising just that, by adding indefensible barriers for young women needing access to abortion.
After nearly eight years in power, Gov. Rick Scott and legislative leadership’s economic policies have failed to deliver for everyday Floridians. It’s time to stand up and fight back for a Florida that works for all Floridians. It’s time to Awake The State.
It’s been a tough week for Florida. Hurricane Irma has left devastation and tragedy in her wake from the Keys to Naples, Miami to Tampa Bay, Orlando to Jacksonville, and so many other communities.
Year after year, everyday Floridians have stood up, fought back, and defeated efforts to open our state to the dirty and dangerous practice of fracking. Next year may be our best opportunity yet to advance a statewide fracking ban and we need your voice right now to keep this momentum going.
For too long, Florida policymakers have enacted obstacle after obstacle to prevent women from exercising their reproductive rights. Whether it’s arbitrarily contrived waiting periods, burdensome requirements on abortion clinics, patients and their doctors, or efforts to defund organizations that provide abortion care, enough is enough.
