Progressives flood Leon County legislative meeting to talk climate, LGBTQ, abortion

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Progressive activists flooded the Leon County legislative delegation meeting hosted by members of the Leon County Legislative Delegation Thursday evening.

The meeting was intended for local officials and members of the public to voice their interests and concerns amongst the legislators as they prepare for the upcoming 2024 legislative session.

Sen. Corey Simon, R-Tallahassee, Rep. Jason Shoaf, R-Port St. Joe, Rep. Allison Tant, D-Tallahassee, and Rep. Gallop Franklin, D-Quincy, were part of the meeting.

About 40 people spoke at the event on a wide-ranging number of issues. Most of those represented progressive ideologies, and none were conservative-leaning.

Some members of the public who spoke included a representative from Gen CLEO, a youth advocacy group that seeks to educate people on the threat of climate change and its potential consequences.

“My ask and and Gen CLEO’s ask is not about any specific or certain bill,” she explained. “It’s to ask that you prioritize our changing climate and our environment when going into this 2024 session.”

Jon Harris Maurer, the public policy director of Equality Florida, spoke on several issues that the organization focuses on.

“There are topics that may be difficult or uncomfortable, but we all need to learn those hard truths that honors history without whitewashing our past,” Maurer said.

He added that the current Florida school system is “failing LGBTQ students” mostly due to “book bans and censorship.”

“My husband and I have already seen multiple of our peers, LGBTQ and not, leave the state because of rising extremism,” he said.

“You can not claim to be protecting my ‘parents rights’ when I’m not allowed to make sure that my daughter gets to see families like hers reflected in curriculums,” he added.

“The state is also intruding on fundamental bodily autonomy when it comes to what healthcare access you can make decisions about, including the access to abortion,” Maurer said.

Equality Florida, a progressive-leaning group, supports sex transition surgeries for minors and actively voiced opposition to separating bathrooms by biological sex.

Trenece Robertson, president of Florida A&M University’s Generation Action chapter, continued the advocacy as an “abortion storyteller.”

She explained that she was originally from Louisiana, which is a state that had a six-week abortion ban at the time when she got pregnant. Robertson added that if she were there, rather than in Florida, she would not have been able to get an abortion.

“I am asking you Rep. Franklin and Rep. Tant, because of your committees regarding healthcare, to continue your advocacy in regards to having a whole range of reproductive healthcare this upcoming session.”

Another member of the public spoke on several issues, but specifically highlighted Simon’s “nay” vote on SB 300, the six week abortion ban bill.

“Sen. Simon, you voted no on that and I see your heart,” she said. “You are a defensive tactic and we’ve got to get you on our team,” she said.

“As we move towards the next legislative session, I am here to remind you that the beautiful tapestry of Florida that I was born and raised in,” she added. “Multicultural, ethnically diverse, occupational multiplicities, religiously varied.”

“But I need to tell you, what is happening to that tapestry by our current state laws, it is removing the vibrant distinctiveness of life here in our state. One thread at a time,” she said.

Among those who spoke included school Leon County Superintendent Rocky Hanna and Tallahassee City Commissioner Curtis Richardson.

Hanna asked the legislators to “pause” on the deregulation of education in order to digest what is currently being asked for counties to comply with.

“The other thing with deregulation, and Commissioner Richardson mentioned it earlier, is home rule. Is local control,” Hanna said. “And for us to make the decisions that are best for the children here in Tallahassee and Leon County without state interference and the state running everything.”

“We know our community best, we know our children best. Less government not more government,” he added.

Hanna also mentioned that the “ship has sailed” on the issue of school vouchers. He asked for the private and charter schools to be held at the same standard as the public ones.

Simon was the lead sponsor of SB 202, a historic school choice bill that expanded access for students to participate in alternative forms of education and academic opportunities outside of the traditional public school system.

As the meeting closed, Simon remarked on how he enjoyed traveling the counties in northern Florida and listening to voters’ concerns in a bipartisan manner.

“We can disagree without being disagreeable,” Simon said. “And that’s why I think we have thrived as a delegation. Because we don’t agree on everything, but we can still come together.”

“I just appreciate you,” he said. “Those that voted for me and those that didn’t vote for me, for coming out and making sure that your concerns are heard.”

“I won’t forget them. That doesn’t mean that I will agree with them,” he added. “But I appreciate it.”

“Tant, Shoaf, and Franklin also briefly complimented the public for their willingness to share their thoughts and opinions in a bipartisan setting.”