top of page
Search

Ron Con - January 27, 2025

Writer's picture: beachesactivistmovbeachesactivistmov

Act Now to Stop Attacks by DeSantis on

Citizen-Led Initiatives, Immigrants

Despite push-back from leading GOP lawmakers, the FL Legislature meets for a five-day special session starting today. The gathering, less than two weeks before the legislature's

regular scheduled session, was called by Gov. Ron DeSantis in an attempt to kneecap citizen-led initiatives like Amendment 4 even further as well as brandish his fealty to Trump's anti-immigrant agenda. The Governor has threatened legislators with political retribution if they fail to act quickly on his proposals.


Citizen-led ballot initiatives enabled Florida voters to raise the minimum wage, mandate term limits for politicians, protect our beaches from oil drilling, legalize medical marijuana, establish a taxpayer bill of rights, create universal voluntary pre-kindergarten for children, and pass many other reforms when politicians in Tallahassee refused to act. The state's current threshold to pass an amendment (60%) is already among the highest in the country and stymied efforts in 2024 to guarantee abortion access and legalize recreational marijuana use despite garnering support from a majority of voters (57% and 56% respectively). Among the changes proposed by DeSantis: the elimination of paid and volunteer petition collection, enabling the Secretary of State to kick an initiative off the ballot, and creating the ability for a voter to contest an initiative, even after the election. The proposed changes would be "the kiss of death" for ballot initiatives in Florida, according to advocates.


Efforts by DeSantis to further tighten Florida's already strict immigration laws appear little more than an attempt to cement his standing as a Trump sycophant. DeSantis has a long history of political showmanship around immigration. His proposals for the special session include establishing state crimes for illegal migration, requiring local law enforcement to fully comply with federal immigration law and devote resources to the effort, mandating voters affirm their citizenship and residency, and appointing a state immigration czar to oversee the entire process. DeSantis also wants to repeal in-state tuition for undocumented students --- a measure championed by Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez when she was a legislator. Immigrant groups call the proposed measures unnecessary and a distraction from crises like the availability and cost of property insurance which the state has failed to successfully address.


Take Action Now! It Takes 2-Clicks.
  • Tell Sen.Clay Yarborough and Rep. Kiyan Michael that Florida's citizen-initiative process should be strengthened, not weakened as proposed by the Governor. Floridians for Reproductive Freedom and other groups are organizing a phone blitz opposing proposed changes to the amendment process next week. Contact us if you want to help with this effort and we'll send you the details when they are available.

  • Urge Sen. Clay Yarborough and Rep. Kiyan Michael to address the issues that affect Floridians like the property insurance crisis, and not divert attention and resources to the Governor's anti-immigration agenda. Use our message and add your thoughts.

  • You can also sign this petition sponsored by a coalition of advocacy groups urging legislators not to pass any bills during the special session because of limits on citizen participation.


Tell FL Senators: Oppose RFK, Jr & Kash Patel

With the defection of three GOP senators, the confirmation of Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense came down to a disappointing tie-breaking vote last Friday night. But it is not over yet. This week, lawmakers will hold hearings on two more heinous picks for key administration positions: RFK, Jr, for Secretary of Health & Human Services, and Kash Patel, for FBI Director. RFK, Jr will appear before the Senate Finance Committee which oversees HHS on Wednesday (January 29), and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) the following day. Known for his anti-vax advocacy, he is opposed by leading public health organizations and medical groups. Patel will be grilled by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday (January 30). Among his bona fides: he has accused the bureau of being part of "the deep state," and vowed to clear the building on his first day. Click on the nominee to sign a petition to the full Senate through the Action Network. You can also reach FL Senators Rick Scott and Ashley Moody through Nix the Noms, a new website from Indivisible. Tell them to oppose these unfit nominees! They are counting emails and calls. And if you are looking for a great primer on contacting your elected officials --- and why you should even though they are GOP loyalists --- check out these pro-tips from our friends at Indivisible Mandarin!


Help Over Hate: You Can Still Lend a Hand!

BAM volunteers had a great time sorting and organizing donations for the Refugee Services & Resettlement Program at Lutheran Social Services last week! We unpacked a mountain of boxes at the LSS storage facility but there is more to do. Our Help Over Hate project wraps up tomorrow (Tuesday, January 28) and we still have space for a few volunteers. If you can help from 10 am to noon, email Heather Montanye for details. Thanks to everyone who volunteered and to the 50+ people who donated needed items for this effort!


February Meetings Focus on Legislative Session



The 2025 Florida Legislature convenes for its regular session on March 1st. On Tuesday, February 4th at 7 p.m., join BAM, Jax NOW and Indivisible Mandarin for a virtual preview of the session with Rep. Angie Nixon. Register today to find out how we can fight effectively for our issues! There are two additional opportunities to prepare for the upcoming session:

  • Virtual Legislative Workshop with Rep. Anna Eskamani on Monday, February 17 at 6 p.m. Click here for more info and to register.

  • Legislative Update with Sen. Tracie Davis on Friday, February 21 at 11 a.m. Mark you calendar and stay tuned for details on this virtual briefing.


More Opportunities for Action

  • Thank the Right Reverand Mariann Edgar Budde, the Episcopal Bishop of Washington DC, for her remarks during the inaugural prayer service asking Trump to "have mercy" on LGBTQ+ people and undocumented migrant workers. Take a minute to send her a note at Washington National Cathedral, P.O. Box 98283, Washington DC 20090-8283, or email her at info@cathedral.org

  • Join Indivisible affiliates across Florida on Tuesday, January 28 at 5:30 p.m. for a Statewide Collaboration (SWIFT) call and hear about plans for moving forward in the aftermath of the 2024 election. Register here.

  • Plan to attend Mayor Deegan's town hall on the city budget and her priorities on Wednesday, February 5th at the Beaches Watch meeting at the Beaches Library. The event starts at 7 p.m. and does not require registration.

  • Track Trump's Executive Orders & Efforts to Challenge Them at Democracy Forward's Response Center. From "blatantly unconstitutional" to acts of full-out revenge, The American Prospect also offers a running commentary on the firehose of actions taken by the administration (Day OneDay TwoDay Three, Day Four). This is just the beginning.

18 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Kommentare


© 2024 Beaches Activists Movement. Proudly created with Wix.com |  Terms of Use  |   Privacy Policy

bottom of page