Flood the Zone - Action Alert April 14, 2025

We Can Flood the Zone Too

The Trump administration's unrelenting attacks on the democratic principles foundational to this country are grounded in an age-old authoritarian playbook. These actions are designed to shock the system with a "relentless assault on rights, governance and public trust," exploit division, and demoralize the opposition, preventing the formation of a united front. Except it's not quite working out that way.

The National Day of Action on April 5th demonstrated a groundswell of opposition across the country and globe, pushing back against the Trump/Musk/MAGA agenda. Rallies took place in blue cities, red towns, and purple suburbs—the Villages! Thousands were expected, and millions showed up. The fight for democracy isn’t over — it’s just getting going.

Congress headed home last week for a two-week recess after 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 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. We need 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 the two senators and tell them you are outraged that they are considering cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and other critical programs to give massive tax breaks to the rich. Reach Scott's Jacksonville office at 904-479-7227, and Moody's DC office (we couldn't find a local number) at 202-224-3041.

• 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!

More Protests and Rallies! 

50501 Northeast Florida will stage a protest along Town Center Parkway on Saturday, April 19th, targeting the economic chaos caused by Trump's reckless tariffs and irresponsible fiscal policies. The goal of the protest is to call attention to the administration's actions and how they hurt everyday people. The event starts at 10 a.m. Bring signs, umbrellas for shade, folding chairs, and water to share! 

50501 is a nationwide coalition of grassroots community groups formed to uphold the Constitution and fight executive overreach. 

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Sierra Club Northeast Florida will hold a Save Our Parks and Rangers rally on Wednesday, April 23 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine. The event will protest layoffs of federal land management staff, funding freezes, and rollbacks on equity and environmental justice initiatives. National parks staff and facilities have been impacted severely by DOGE cuts, which means public lands can't be maintained, and restrooms can't be cleaned. This can lead to reduced hours of operation and closures. Find more information and RSVP here.

BAM Meeting: Fight Medicaid, Public Health Cuts

Katy DeBriere, legal director of the Florida Health Justice Project, provided a primer on Medicaid at the BAM meeting last week, and warned against believing GOP and Trump administration promises that

the program -- along with Social Security and Medicare -- would be protected against proposed federal budget cuts. Funding reductions, she predicted, will come under the guise of eliminating waste and fraud, providing flexibility to states through block grants, and imposing restrictive work requirements. All of these strategies would result in less coverage for fewer people. If you missed last week's BAM meeting, you can find a recording of Katy's informative presentation here.  Audience discussion also focused on the impact of recent staff and funding cuts in the nation's public health system and the measles epidemic. What can we do? Speak out and urge elected officials to oppose these public health cuts using this information from 5 Calls.

More To Do!

Florida Legislature Week 7: Cutting Taxes

• The FL House, Senate, and Governor all want tax cuts as they negotiate the state budget during the final weeks of the session. On the table are possible reductions in the state sales tax, property tax cuts, and some combination of the two. Unlike the Governor's proposal to cut property taxes, House Speaker Danile Perez's proposal to permanently roll back the state's regressive sales tax rate by .75% would benefit working Floridians without hamstringing local governments and school boards. Contact Rep. Kiyan Michael and Senator Clay Yarborough and voice your support for the House proposal to reduce sales taxes.

  
  

DOGE X2

• The next meeting of the Special Committee on Duval DOGE is Tuesday, April 15 at 12:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers. The City Council Rules Committee is also scheduled to vote today (Monday, April 14) on a resolution by Council member Terrance Freeman volunteering the City for an audit by the FL DOGE set up by the Governor. And they say this is not a witch hunt.

  
  

Beaches DEMS Meet Tuesday - Legislative Update

• Join the Beaches Democratic Club on Tuesday, April 15th at 6:30 p.m. at the Adele Grage Cultural Center located at 716 Ocean Blvd, Atlantic Beach for its monthly meeting. Guest speaker is Rachel Grage, former candidate for State House District 16, who will discuss current bills working their way through the legislature. RSVP here.