Which state legislators put people ahead of powerful special interests and which did not? Find out at FloridaReportCard.com
TALLAHASSEE – Public interest groups Progress Florida and Florida Watch today unveiled their 2023 “People First” Report Card, grading Florida lawmakers on key floor votes cast during this year’s legislative session. The report card’s grades take into account how each legislator voted across a wide spectrum of issues including reproductive freedom, civil rights, public education, government transparency, safeguarding democracy, housing affordability, environmental protection, and more.
The “People First” Report Card grades every state legislator on key floor votes cast in their respective chambers – 28 votes in the House and 27 in the Senate. To achieve a passing grade, lawmakers had to consistently vote to put “People First.” The report card provides Floridians with a valuable tool for determining if their elected officials in Tallahassee are fighting to put their constituents’ priorities first or are bowing to powerful corporate interests and anti-public interest partisanship.
Some of the votes factored into lawmaker grades include the near-total abortion ban (SB 300); the taxpayer giveaway to unaccountable corporate voucher schools (HB 1); the anti-immigrant bill (SB 1718); a new predatory fee for renters (HB 133); expansion of the “Don’t Say Gay” law (HB 1069); the radioactive roads bill (HB 1191); and an attack on public worker unions (SB 256), among many others. The complete list of bills scored and their descriptions can be found at FloridaReportCard.com
Here are the fourteen state legislators who earned a “People’s Champion” Award for their 100% “A+” voting records:
| Sen. Lori Berman (D-Boynton Beach) Rep. Daryl Campbell (D-Fort Lauderdale) Rep. Joe Casello (D-Boynton Beach) Rep. Lindsay Cross (D-St. Petersburg) Rep. Anna V. Eskamani (D-Orlando) Rep. Ashley Viola Gantt (D-Miami) Rep. Rita Harris (D-Orlando) | Rep. Dianne Hart (D-Tampa) Rep. Yvonne Hayes Hinson (D-Gainesville) Rep. Angie Nixon (D-Jacksonville) Rep. Michelle Rayner-Goolsby (D-St. Petersburg) Rep. Felicia Simone Robinson (D-Miami Gardens) Rep. Patricia H. Williams (D-Fort Lauderdale) Rep. Marie Paule Woodson (D-Pembroke Pines) |
“With Florida’s deepening affordability crisis and escalating attacks on the freedoms that allow Floridians to pursue the American dream and determine their own life’s path, it’s more important than ever to know how our state legislators are voting on key issues,” said Progress Florida Executive Director Mark Ferrulo. “The ‘People First’ Report Card offers an easy to access and understand tool for Floridians to educate themselves on what’s happening in the Capitol and how those decisions impact their quality of life.”
“This session was a punch to the gut for the people of Florida,” said Florida Watch Executive Director Josh Weierbach. “Too many legislators acted as little more than rubber stamps for Governor DeSantis’ non-stop assault on our freedoms, as illustrated by their passing of a near-total abortion ban, dangerous permitless carry of loaded, concealed guns that will make us less safe, and relentless attacks on LGBTQ+, immigrant, and Black communities. Now, taxpayers are going to be left to pay the bills for this relentless onslaught of unconstitutional legislation that did nothing to address the real issues facing everyday Floridians.”
Florida House and Senate Members Earning an “A” on the “People First” Report Card:
| Sen. Rosalind Osgood (D-Tamarac) Sen. Tina Polsky (D-Boca Raton) Sen. Bobby Powell (D-West Palm Beach) Sen. Geraldine Thompson (D-Orlando) Sen. Victor M. Torres, Jr. (D-Kissimmee) Rep. Kristen Aston Arrington (D-Kissimmee) Rep. Robin Bartleman (D-Weston) Rep. Christopher Benjamin (D-Miami Gardens) Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis (D-Orlando) Rep. Hillary Cassel (D-Hollywood) Rep. Kevin D. Chambliss (D-Miami) | Rep. Fentrice Driskell (D-Tampa) Rep. Lisa Dunkley (D-Lauderhill) Rep. Jervonte Edmonds (D-West Palm Beach) Rep. Michael Gottlieb (D-Plantation) Rep. Christine Hunschofsky (D-Coconut Creek) Rep. Dotie Joseph (D-North Miami) Rep. Johanna López (D-Orlando) Rep. Allison Tant (D-Tallahassee) Rep. Susan Valdés (D-Tampa) Rep. Katherine Waldron (D-Wellington) |
“We applaud the legislators who put ‘People First’ one-hundred percent of the time, despite pressure from Governor DeSantis and powerful special interests. It is important Floridians recognize these lawmakers who fought for our families and defended our freedoms, not just with rhetoric, but with their votes,” said Ferrulo.
The interactive 2023 Progress Florida “People First” Report Card can be viewed at FloridaReportCard.com.
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For more information, go to FloridaReportCard.com.
Progress Florida is a statewide organization working to build a Florida that works for all Floridians, not just the powerful and politically connected. Learn more at www.ProgressFlorida.org
Florida Watch is a communications and research organization dedicated to holding the powerful accountable. Learn more at www.FloridaWatch.org.
