Florida - Tuesday June 11, 2024: The public interest groups 'Progress Florida' and 'Florida Watch' issued their annual 2024 “People First” Report Cards, grading Florida lawmakers on key floor votes cast during this year’s legislative session.
Each legislator received a score and letter grade based on their votes across a wide spectrum of issues including reproductive freedom, civil rights, ethics in government, public education, worker protections, environmental conservation, gun safety, and more.
To achieve a passing grade, lawmakers had to consistently vote to put “People First” across 30 key floor votes cast in each chamber. The report card gives Floridians a valuable tool for determining if their state legislators are fighting on behalf of their constituents or are instead bowing to powerful corporate lobbyists or extremist ideology and working against the public interest.
Some of the votes that were factored into lawmaker grades include the following measures:
- Corruption in Government bill (HB 1597/SB 7014)
- Climate Crisis Denial (HB 1645/SB 1624)
- Heat Protections for Workers Ban (HB 433/SB 1492)
- Polluter Protection (HB 789/ SB 738)
- Anti-Abortion Taxpayer Funded Propaganda (HB 415/SB 436)
- Predatory Consumer Loans (HB 1347/SB 1436)
- Homelessness Criminalization (HB 1365/SB 1530)
The complete list of bills scored and their descriptions can be found atwww.FloridaReportCard.com.
Here are the five state legislators who earned a “People’s Champion” Award for their 100% “A+” voting records
- Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis (D-Orlando)
- Rep. Anna V. Eskamani (D-Orlando)
- Rep. Ashley Viola Gantt (D-Miami)
- Rep. Angie Nixon (D-Jacksonville)
- Rep. Susan L. Valdés (D-Tampa)
“The ‘People First’ report card is an easy to use, effective tool for Floridians to stay informed about the actions of their elected leaders,” said Progress Florida Executive Director Mark Ferrulo. “As Florida’s working families and seniors continue to struggle under an affordability crisis that has them wondering if they will be able to enjoy a secure retirement or pay for the medical care they need, it’s crucial for the public to know which lawmakers are fighting for the people and which ones are doing the bidding of powerful special interests and anti-freedom extremists.”
“This session, Floridians were looking for their elected officials to address the real issues impacting their lives, but their priorities went largely unaddressed by Governor Ron DeSantis and his allies in the legislature,” said Florida Watch Executive Director Josh Weierbach. “Whether it is providing safe and affordable housing by cracking down on wealthy corporate landlords and developers price gouging us out of our homes, expanding access to a full range of quality and affordable health care options, or creating good paying jobs that allow families to build financial security, we all deserve leaders who put protecting our freedoms first. With the “People First” report card, Floridians can now clearly see which lawmakers are truly fighting for our freedom to be healthy, prosperous, and safe.”