By: Trimmel Gomes
Florida's legislative session - which begins Tuesday - has already made headlines as a conservative majority pitches bills to expand gun rights, ban diversity programs, make it easier to sue the news media, and further restrict abortions.
One coalition says this isn't what everyday Floridians are asking for.
Ruth Moreno, deputy director of the statewide group "Florida for All," said the average person is looking for the opposite of what's about to happen in Tallahassee.
Moreno said she also wants Gov. Ron DeSantis and legislative leaders to end
what she sees as a corporate-driven agenda that benefits the wealthy.
"We cannot get away with not paying our taxes in Florida, yet corporations
in the state of Florida do all the time, right?" said Moreno. "And
they don't pay their dues. So, with the
People's Budget it's asking the question. It's offering a platform for everyday
Floridians."
Lawmakers are preparing to advance bills that would require private companies
to check their employees' immigration status, along with sweeping changes to
limit lawsuits against businesses.
Moreno's group and others planned a virtual news conference today at 11 a.m. -
to highlight their demands for "a government that works for the
people."
The groups are calling for solutions to rising housing costs. And Moreno said
they want to see an end to political interference in schools and universities,
and criminal justice reform, to name a few priorities.
"The culture wars, the anti-protest bill" said Moreno, "these
are things that are not real issues for people, right? The real issues that are
impacting folks are, 'Is the school that my child's going to
well-funded?'"
The prospect of lawmakers curtailing their current agenda is slim during the
annual session, which runs for 60 days.
With a Republican supermajority, lawmakers have so far given every indication
that they'll grant the governor's wishes, to give him a broader platform for
his expected 2024 presidential campaign.
No comments:
Post a Comment