Resistance Report Week 8: The Final 7 Days of Session

Here’s the deal: We began this session facing a slate of 20+ anti-LGBTQ bills — an escalation of attacks on our fundamental rights and freedoms. But thanks to your unwavering support, we’ve managed to defeat or neutralize several harmful bills heading into the last week of session. Now, we’re down to the FINAL THREE that we’re fighting back against with everything we’ve got. 

With only 7 days left, we need every single person to lean-in and help us defeat these bills. 

The tide is turning with our collective resistance and public outcry. And it’s reminding some members of the legislature that they’re co-equal branches of government and do not need to continue rubber-stamping a failed agenda of censorship and government control.

The time is now to keep up the pressure and continue our advocacy efforts to send a message that we will never back down when our community is under attack.

With one week left of session, we need YOU more than ever. Your involvement, from sending messages to your Representatives to joining us in Tallahassee, is crucial in these final moments.

Our Pride at the Capitol Program is a vital part of our resistance strategy. By serving as a citizen lobbyist, sharing your stories, and directly engaging with lawmakers, you play a vital role in our fight against these detrimental bills. If you’re able, click here to join us in the Capitol during the final week of session. 

If you can’t join us in person, please consider a donation of any amount. Our Pride At The Capitol budget this year is $170,000 to help bring the resistance to Tallahassee. But as we approach the final days of session, we need help refueling the frontlines — can you donate today?

We will never stop fighting back. And we’ll continue to make headlines by resisting and making our voices heard. 

Now, we're going to take you through exactly what happened in Week #8, what's still coming next week, and how you can take action.

🚨The Transgender Erasure Bill (HB 1639)🚨

Sponsors: Reps. Doug Bankson and Dean Black

• What it does: The Trans Erasure Bill is a sweeping new assault on the rights and dignity of transgender Floridians that seeks to further disenfranchise the community, create costly new barriers to accessing lifesaving care, and increases Floridians' insurance premiums, LGBTQ or not. The bill requires all health insurance plans in the state to cover the widely debunked, fraudulent and dangerous practice of “conversion therapy”, specifically for gender identity. Additionally, it requires that government driver's license and ID card applications collect information on applicants’ sex assigned at birth rather than their gender.
   
• What happened: The Trans Erasure Bill (HB 1639) was on the House floor earlier today and PASSED with a vote of 75-33 despite bipartisan votes in opposition. Now, all eyes are on the Senate.  President Passidomo has said this bill would not be heard in the Senate, effectively killing the bill. But we will remain vigilant until the last day of session to ensure it stays dead. 

• How you can help: We need you to contact Senate President Kathleen Passidomo right away. Click here to send a message. 

The “Stop WOKE Teacher Training” Bill (SB 1372/HB 1291)

Sponsors: Sen. Blaise Ingoglia and Rep. John Snyder

• What it does: These bills would expand state censorship of viewpoints opposed by modern conservatives on racism, sexism, oppression, and privilege to educator  preparation programs or courses. They build on existing harms created by the  so-called Stop W.O.K.E. Act, currently blocked by  federal courts, while further restricting the ability of educators to lead 21st century classrooms with honest and accurate discussions that reckon with our past to create a better future for our students.
   
• What happened: HB 1291 was on the House floor earlier today and PASSED with a vote count of 81-31. SB 1372 also passed through its final stop in the Senate, the Rules Committee. Next, SB 1372 will head to the Senate floor for a final vote. 

• How you can help: We need you to contact your Senator right away and urge them to vote NO on SB 1372. Click here to send a message.

The Preemption of Employment Protections Bill (HB 433/SB 1492)

Sponsors:  Rep. Tiffany Esposito and Sen. Jay Trumbull

• What it does: The Preemption of Employment Protections Bill threatens existing and future local employment nondiscrimination protections. It would repeal or ban local governments from adopting nondiscrimination policies on "conditions of employment," which already protect 60% of Floridians. This is legislative interference with local control and a dramatic roll back of local priorities that have been in place with broad support from the public and businesses for years. The Senate version has been amended to remove broad provisions related to ”wage or employment benefits” but still attacks the freedom of local governments to protect outdoor workers from heat stress.
   
• What happened: HB 433 PASSED was on the House floor earlier today and PASSED with a vote count of 79-33. Now, all eyes are on SB 1492 as it awaits a potential vote on the Senate floor next week.  

• How you can help: We need you to contact Senate President Kathleen Passidomo right away. Click here to send a message. 

The Juvenile Justice Package (HB 1425/SB 1352)

Sponsors: Rep. Taylor Yarkosky and Sen. Jennifer Bradley

• What it does: Among various reforms, the Juvenile Justice Package mandates inferior treatment for transgender youth, who would be denied access to programming, services, interventions, and facilities that affirm their gender identities, and would, instead, be classified, under this bill, according to their sex assigned at birth, potentially suffering worse outcomes as a result.
   
• What’s happened: The Juvenile Justice Package passed in both the Florida Senate and House this week. Next, it heads to the governor’s desk for signature. 

In addition to the bad bills that moved this week, we also need to keep up the pressure on the good bills, including one that is close to passage in the Florida Senate and needs our final push!

🏆 THE GOOD BILLS 🏆

We’re keeping up the pressure on lawmakers to support and co-sponsor these bills, and we need your help. 

🏆 The PEP Access Bill (HB 159/SB 1320) 🏆

Sponsors: Rep. Gallop Franklin and Sen. Alexis Calatayud

• What it does: These bills facilitate greater access to medications that are critical to preventing HIV transmission by allowing pharmacists to dispense PEP under physician-developed protocols. The legislation recognizes the tremendous scientific advances in the fight to combat HIV and AIDS and allows people to take personal responsibility for their health, an important step towards ending Florida’s HIV epidemic.
   
• What happened: This week, SB 1320 PASSED unanimously out of its final Senate committee, Rules. Next, it’s positioned for a final vote on the Senate Floor any day!

• How you can help: We need you to contact members of the Florida Senate and urge them to vote YES. Click here to send a message.

🏆 The Health Care Freedom Act (SB 1404/HB 1283) 🏆

Sponsors: Rep. Anna V. Eskamani and Sen. Shevrin Jones

• Restores Reproductive Rights: Repeals Governor DeSantis’ 15-Week and 6-Week Abortion Bans, reinstating abortion access up until the start of the third trimester, in line with broader medical and legal standards.
   
• Protects Medical Care For Transgender People: Eliminates restrictions on essential medical care for transgender individuals, ensuring access to treatments supported by leading medical authorities like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association.

🏆 Freedom to Learn Act (SB 1414/HB 1355) 🏆

Sponsors: Rep. Michele Rayner and Sen. Tracie Davis

• Safeguards Academic Freedom: Repeals provisions of the Stop WOKE Act and the “Don’t Say LGBTQ” law, protecting the right to discuss systemic injustices and LGBTQ topics in educational settings.
   
• Promotes Inclusive Education: Requires the inclusion of LGBTQ history in public education, alongside Holocaust education, African American history, and women's contributions, and restricts book-banning practices by limiting who can raise objections to school materials to only parents of public school students.

Click here to send a message to lawmakers urging them to support the two Freedom bills. 

If you haven’t already, make sure you check out our RESIST merch – an easy way to send a message that we are all Floridians, and we aren’t going anywhere! We have pins, shirts, and flags that you can wear proudly to show your support. Click here to check out our online store! 

As we continue on over the next 7 days, we must remember that our voices matter, our actions matter, and our movement matters.

Make sure you’re following us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates. 

Together, we will resist, and we will make a difference.