Budget Rallies This Week! Action Alert April 21, 2025

Recess Budget Rallies This Week!

Both houses of Congress are on a two-week recess after each passing a draconian budget resolution that likely includes cuts to vital programs like Medicaid and SNAP to pay for billionaire tax breaks. The U.S. Senate will start the reconciliation process after this recess. BAM is joining Indivisible groups in Jacksonville and across the country in holding our elected leaders accountable and calling attention to the impact of proposed budget cuts on children, seniors, students, veterans, and disadvantaged and vulnerable citizens. These cuts will have a devastating effect on health care, the environment, national parks, economic development, education, international relations, and a host of other areas. While our elected officials are home we have a great opportunity to fight back! Join us on April 24th at 4:30 p.m. for two simultaneous rallies outside the local offices of Senators Rick Scott and Ashley Moody. Our demand: Stop the Cuts!

Get involved! Here's how:

• Grab a friend, make a sign and join us on April 24th! Sign up on Mobilize for a protest outside FL Senator Rick Scott's OR Senator Ashley Moody's office. We want a great turnout at both sites!

• Call both senators and tell them you are outraged that they are even considering cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and other critical programs in order to give massive tax breaks to the rich. Reach Scott's Jacksonville office at 904-479-7227, and Moody's Jacksonville office at 904-354-4300. (We finally got a call back from her DC office with the number!)

• You can also email Scott and Moody using this easy form.

• Bonus action: Request a meeting with one of the senators or one of their aides in their Jacksonville office. We'll be calling daily! If you get an appointment, email BAM with the details, and we'll give you all the support you need!

Make Corporations Pay Their Fair Share

While the Legislature and the Governor continue to debate who should get tax breaks and how, a report issued last week by Florida For All offers a potentially $2.4 billion solution

neither side is currently promoting: closing corporate loopholes that have made Florida a corporate tax haven.

Their detailed report, points to an outdated tax reporting loophole that enables large corporations to shift profits to other out-of-state companies they own to avoid paying Florida state income tax. Per their findings, 1 out of 5 corporations making over $50 million a year consistently paid ZERO dollars in income taxes here. Among the giant corporations taking advantage of these tax loopholes are Amazon, Best Buy, Ebay, Disney, Target,

Home Depot, and more. Closing this loophole could give our state resources to devote to improving public education, access to healthcare, affordable housing and more. Use this convenient form to tell our legislators it’s time to quit cutting services for working Floridans and make big corporations pay their fair share.

Florida Legislature - Week 8

While you're communicating with our reps in Tallahassee, weigh in on other priority bills:

- SB 7016/HB 1205 - Could Virtually End Citizen-led Amendments

Since the House version has passed, our last chance to stop this bill is the coming week's Senate vote.  You can also use this form from Progress Florida to urge our Senators to vote no on SB 7016.

- SB 1284/HB 1517 - Criminalizing Women's Healthcare

Similar laws in other states have been used to ban abortion entirely, shut down fertility treatments like IVF, harass survivors of abuse and more. Learn more here and contact your senator today to oppose this dangerous bill.

- SB1288/HB1505 - Bans Birthcontrol For Minors

The original bill restricted minors' access to birth control, STD testing & treatment without parental consent. The bill passed by the House would allow STD testing without parental involvement but retained the other limits. Our public health system should help young people take responsibility for their health and proactively minimize health risks. The bill has already received bipartisan opposition in the Senate. Help your Senator say NO.

-  SB920/HB759 - Rolls back age to purchase a firearm from 21 to 18

Gun violence is already a crisis, with someone killed with a gun every 3 hours in Florida. Why make it worse? The House version has already passed by a 78-34 vote. Let's remember that in 2026, and urge our Senators to oppose this deadly bill now.

- SB1708/HB1267 - Invites Charter Schools INTO Public School Buildings

This bill to allow the "co-location" of charter schools on public school campuses is one more unnecesary assault on Florida's already embattled and underfunded public schools. The bill is moving now in the House and both Kimberly Daniels and Kiyan Michael are on the relevant committee.  Call or contact them today using the Florida Education Association's online form and ask them to oppose SB 1708!

Hope Florida

If you're coming in late, the Hope Florida scandal continues to deepen and this Florida Phoenix overview will catch you up. Original reporting showed the Hope Florida Foundation has failed to file tax returns or its annual audit with the state, and has no adopted code of ethics. Recent testimony at House hearings suggests the organization appears to have been part of an organized effort to divert $10 million from a Medicaid managed care company's settlement with the state to fund ads opposing Amendment 3 last fall. Protecting taxpayer dollars is a bipartisan issue so it's encouraging to see Republicans in the Florida House using their oversight powers to get the answers that the people of our state deserve. If you're tired of writing critical emails to our Republican legislators, here's your chance to thank them for looking into this issue - and to keep sharing what they learn.

Volunteers Needed! Arts in the Park on Saturday

If you've been looking for a chance to motivate people beyond your circle of friends to do something about what's happening in Washington, come help with the BAM table at Arts in the Park on Saturday, April 26th!  We'll be encouraging people to register to vote, sign up for Vote-by-Mail, and learn more about opportunities to get involved with others concerned about what is happening to our democracy!  Help us out by volunteering for an hour or two. The festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Johansen Park in Atlantic Beach. It is always a great outreach opportunity! Sign up here to volunteer!

JAX Joins Nationwide Protests Again

As theNew York Timesput it "thousands of demonstrators rallied at hundreds of events on Saturday to speak out against the president’s handling of immigration, civil liberties, job cuts and many other issues." Thanks to everyone who attended last weekend's protests in both St. Augustine and St. Johns Center. Our voices are making a difference!