🥨Pretzel Logic - Action Alert, December 8, 2025

Mingle & Jingle With Us Thursday!

It's been a rough year. Trump 2.0 has been everything we expected --- only worse. We've

rallied. We've marched. We've pushed back. Now it's time for an evening of joyful resistance!  Join us on Thursday, December 11th, 7 pm at Adele Grage Community Center for the annual BAM Holiday Party. We'll gather with friends and fellow activists, share festive treats and libations, enjoy live music, and join in a lively rendition of our much-anticipated 2025 Fractured Carols! Let's celebrate our work over the last year and get ready to redouble our efforts for the midterms in 2026! Please bring nibbles to share and an unwrapped toy or nonperishable food item to donate to Beaches charities. RSVP and bring a friend (or two!) 

RSVP HERE

Redistricting Committee Rebuffs Public Input,

Next Meeting Wednesday

Despite an overflow crowd of voting rights advocates who traveled in seven buses from across the state, the House Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting began its work last week with a 25-minute hearing, taking no public comments. Committee Chair Mike Redondo opened the meeting with a mind-boggling presentation, offering pretzel logic to justify the state's efforts around mid-decade redistricting. Their impetus, he stated, has nothing to do with partisan gamesmanship. That comment drew a spontaneous hoot of derision from the standing-room-only audience. The recent Supreme Court ruling blessing partisan redistricting opens the door for a flurry of action by states seeking to advantage each party. Stopping it will require a concerted effort on the state level.

Indivisible groups from NE Florida, including BAM, turned out in force for the meeting. Thanks to everyone who made the trip and to the League of Women Voters, Florida Rising, Equal Ground, Indivisible and other groups for organizing it.The Committee will hold its next meeting on Wednesday, December 10th, at 8 am. BAM is working with local partners to organize advocates willing to attend this and future meetings. Email us if you are interested.

👉 Meanwhile, take action to oppose GOP-led efforts to gerrymander the state further and deliver additional congressional seats to Trump. Find a list of committee members here, along with a message you can use to call and email. A reminder that Jessica Baker hails from our area --- make sure she's at the top of your list.

Baker Cruelty Camp Protest on Saturday

The Jacksonville Immigrants Rights Alliance (JIRA), in partnership with the Diocese of St. Augustine, will celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe on Saturday, December 13th, with a vigil and rally at the Baker Cruelty Camp (20706 FL 10, Sanderson, FL) from 10 am to 1 pm. Inspired by Bishop Erik Pohlmeier’s pastoral call to "see the person first" and champion policies rooted in justice, mercy, and the Gospel’s imperative to welcome the stranger, this event merges cultural tradition with direct action. Join immigrants' rights advocates at the Baker Cruelty Camp to affirm that no human being should be caged for seeking a better life. Email us if you would like to carpool from the Beach.  Need a sign? JIRA is hosting an art build at Yellow House (577 King Street) on Wednesday, December 10th at 6:30 pm.

DOH Vaccine Hearing Friday in Panama City

We shouldn't be surprised that the Florida Department of Health (DOH) picked the most remote site possible to hold a hearing on its plans to eliminate vaccine mandates for school children. The state agency has scheduled a meeting on Friday, December 12, from 9 am to noon (Central Time) at the Hyatt Place Hotel in Panama City Beach. The meeting was announced the day after Thanksgiving, and no proposed changes have been shared with the public. 

For the latest on the impact of efforts to eliminate vaccine mandates in the state and nationally, tune in to WJCT's First Coast Connect on Thursday, December 11, at 9 am. BAM Board member Dr. Nancy Staats will be part of a panel discussion on the topic. Opposing the elimination of vaccine mandates for children is a BAM legislative priority. Find out more here.

More To Do This Week

• Families for Strong Public Schools wraps up its two-week campaign December 8-12 urging the Speaker of the Florida House to repeal the harmful Schools of Hope co-location and takeover law. It just takes two minutes to send a clear message: Protect our neighborhood public schools. Click here to RSVP.  After you RSVP, you’ll receive instructions and a call script.

• Extend ACA Tax Credits: Congress is expected to vote this week on an extension of the enhanced ACA premium tax credits that expire on December 31st. These credits are a lifeline for millions of people who need to access health insurance. With only days left before the deadline to enroll in coverage for next year, Congress must act now to ensure that health insurance remains affordable for the more than 20 million people who receive their health care through the ACA marketplace. The Senate is voting next week on a clean extension of the expiring ACA tax credits, while the House only needs four more representatives to join a discharge petition and force a vote on the floor on their clean extension proposal. Click here to send a message to Congress urging them to extend the ACA premium tax credits immediately!

Need a Gift Idea? Buy a BAM T-Shirt!

New BAM t-shirts are the perfect gift for that hard-to-please friend or relative! Click the button below and we'll send you information on sizes, payment options, and pickup. T-shirts will also be available for purchase at the Holiday Party. Please bring cash or a check. What better way to show your support for the movement and engage more people in RESISTING at the Beach.  The perfect gift for a donation of $25!

T-SHIRT INFO