💰Showdown & ⏰Shutdown - Action Alert, September 22, 2025

beachesactivistmov
Sep 24
5 min read

Speak Out: Jax Budget Vote Tomorrow

The Jax City Council will take final action on Mayor Deegan's 2025-26 budget tomorrow (Tuesday, September 23) at 3 p.m. at City Hall. On the table again are a token cut to the property tax rate and three divisive amendments addressing DEI, immigrants, and abortion. The vote comes on the heels of hastily released state DOGE recommendations calling for even deeper cuts in the millage rate, along with accusations of overspending with little back-up.

The original measures, adopted by the Council Finance Committee, failed a full Council vote last week, due largely to the absence of one council member. The Mayor wrapped up a series of Town Halls, including one at Fletcher High School (photo, below}, to review and gather input on the proposed spending plan.

The 1/8 mill reduction --- pushed by the GOP majority --- will save property owners an average of less than $20 a year, but will result in the loss of more than $13 million in funding for programs and services, like housing, healthcare, and Meals on Wheels, that Jacksonville residents need and depend on. The Mayor has called the cut "fiscally irresponsible," and the Civic Council, as well as the police and firefighter unions agree. The amendments are an attempt by Beaches Council Member Rory Diamond to insert national culture war policies, previously vetoed by the Mayor, into the city budget.

This is our last chance to speak out in support of the Mayor's reality-based priorities. It's pretty clear the GOP has one thing on its mind --- the 2027 election --- and will do anything it can to undermine the Mayor. Act today!

Demand the City Council vote NO on the millage cut and Diamond's amendments. Find all the information you need to call or email the council members here.
Speak out at the September 23 City Council meeting. The meeting starts at 3 p.m. You can fill out a comment card until 4 p.m. Find info here. Need some tips on the issues and crafting your comments? Check out this recording of the Indivisible Riverside Jax how-to workshop. Need a ride from the Beach to the meeting? Text Kris at 904.699.0943.

The Clock is Ticking: Demand a

Bipartisan Budget Bill

So far Congressional Democrats are holding fast as the clock ticks down on a federal government shutdown. Their chief demand for giving the GOP the votes needed to pass a stopgap spending resolution: an extension of Obamacare subsidies to ensure health insurance remains affordable for working families. That's good news for Florida, which boasts the nation's highest number of individuals utilizing the ACA Marketplace. Over one in five Floridians depend on a Marketplace plan to secure healthcare coverage. This means Florida will be the state most harmed if subsidies are allowed to expire by the end of the year --- more than 1.4 million are expected to lose coverage.

Take a minute to remind our senators -- Rick Scott and Ashley Moody -- what's at stake. Remind them that THEY own the shutdown if the GOP doesn't come up with concessions on healthcare subsidies and other spending proposed by the Democrats. Call (202.224.3121) or email them TODAY (clicking on their names above) and demand they commit to a bipartisan funding process. Here's a script you can adapt and use.

One Million Rising: Join BAM in Taking Action!

Join BAM in taking action as part of Indivisible's One Million Rising initiative. The goal? To build a mass civil resistance movement that leverages the overwhelming response to the June No Kings protest and creates sustained, strategic action over time. We've taken the first step by setting priorities and outlining ways we plan to take action over the next few months. You can find out more and get involved by signing up for one of these BAM Action Groups!

Rapid Response Team: Interested in participating in spur-of-the-moment advocacy opportunities? Sign up for the BAM Rapid Response Team! We’ll let you know about quickly organized, short-term actions. Pick and choose to participate based on your availability and interests.
Immigrant Justice: Trump's cruel mass deportation efforts are threatening members of our immigrant community and robbing them of due process. We'll work with the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Coalition and other groups to fight back against state detention centers and companies enabling these efforts. Sign up here for the Immigrant Justice Action Group.
Youth Voting: We're planning a full-court press, partnering with the Youth Action Fund and others to register young voters and make sure they turn out for the mid-term elections. Sign up here for the Youth Get-Out-the-Vote Action Group.
FL Redistricting & Roll-back of Vaccine Mandates: The Legislature is looking at mid-decade redistricting to further gerrymander the state. The Governor and state Surgeon General also want lawmakers to eliminate vaccine requirements for Florida school children. Join the Legislative Advocacy Action Group to get involved in speaking out against these issues in the upcoming session.

Reach out if you have questions. Help grow the movement and save our democracy!

Be Loud to Support Freedom of Speech!

As terrifying as it was to first learn of Trump's and his FCC chief's threats against ABC and the corporation's near-simultaneous decision to permanently sideline Jimmy Kimmel, there are compelling signs that perhaps this time they've gone too far. With Ted Cruz calling the threats "unbelievably dangerous," andCarl Rove and Tucker Carlson speaking out in protest, it seems possible the First Amendment is one aspect of normal American life people across the political spectrum can still agree on. Let's build on that hope.

National Indivisible has offered a number of steps we can all take to make a stand against this kind of authoritarian overreach:

Cancel your Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ subscriptions until Jimmy Kimmel Live! is reinstated. Then, use the customizable sample posts in our social toolkit (or create your own!) to let Disney and your network know with the hashtag #BoycottDisneyABC.
Send a direct message to ABC/Disney that we won’t stand for cowardice and corruption. If you've canceled a service or postponed a Disney vacation, let them know.
Protest in person. If we learn of actions planned in Orlando, we'll let you know. Meantime, start planning now and recruiting friends and neighbors to make the upcoming NO KINGS DAY our largest national protest yet.

Order Your BAM T-Shirt Now!

New BAM t-shirts are here just in time for No Kings Day 2 protests! Click the button below and request t-shirt info and we'll send you information on sizes, payment options, and pickup. What better way to show your support for the movement and to let people know progressives are alive and well, and RESISTING at the Beach. Get yours for a donation of $25.

Request T-Shirt Info