Florida 2023 Legislative Session is OVER with Successful Results
The gavel is DOWN, the Florida Legislative session is OVER and the concerning, damaging bills were NOT passed into law.
- No 24-hour notice on vacation rentals (HB 833)
- No Red-Lettering on Driver’s Licenses (HB 1085)
- No green, fluorescent license plates (Book’s Amendment to SB 1252)
Thank You to….
- EVERYONE who contacted their legislatures through emails, phone calls, and letters.
- EVERYONE who communicated the injustices of the proposed bills through social media, press releases, and TV/News interviews.
- EVERYONE who responded to our calls-for-action and SHARED those actions with friends and family
- EVERYONE outside of Florida who raised their voices in defense of fellow citizens and families in Florida
We can all pause and reflect today on how we demonstrated strength in numbers.
But our work is not over. The 60-day Legislative Session is the final stage of a 4-part annual cycle. After a break, we will focus on all stages of the Legislative process, and continue the momentum to advocate for positive changes in the laws.
- Scheduling teams to visit their legislators in the district offices (during Stage 1 – May-July)
- Organizing Lobby days in Tallahassee (in Stage 2 – Aug-Oct)
- Building a Speakers team to represent FAC in the Legislative Delegation Meetings (ready to present in Stage 3-Nov-Dec)
- Planning accommodations for full-time presence in Tallahassee during the next 60-day session (Stage 4-Jan 9, 2024-March 2024)
To join the Legislative Team or participate in any of the annual stages described above, [email protected] or talk to your FAC County Coordinator.
WITH UNITY COMES CHANGE
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I took the list of all senators/representatives and placed in an excel sheet and made it into a Mail Merge sheet. This allowed me to easily send 1 email to all 160 senators, and their full name was in each email. I will use this in the the future as well.
I’m from Massachusetts, but these unjust laws apply to everyone, so everyone must contribute.
I received a few replies, some from the aides and others from the senators.
Well done to everyone who helped!
Joel 123, can you please provide step by step instructions in how to do the mail merge thing? Thanks!
Guys, I just got the nicest email from a Senator I wrote to during the last week of the legislative session. Not an aide – Senator Stewart herself. I cried. Even if they don’t respond – or respond right away – they DO hear, and there is HOPE.
I just wrote her back too.
I said she’s Courageous and Fair.
An inspiration for me to be an even better person. I thanked her. I wont forget her name and would vote for her if I could. But my family can if she ever needs it;)
Senator Linda Stewart!
Just got the same email.
Very nice of her.
Worth thanking her for her response.
@Lauren
That is great news, there is hope for us after all. Sometimes we find allies in those we least expect. I use to live in an HOA neighborhood and there was a lady who was always nice to me. One day I asked her why she was so nice to me and she explained her 19 year old son was in prison for having an underaged girlfriend.
She said people do not realize that it can happen to anyone and if your family won’t stand with you through the struggle, who will?
Not at all saying anyone, even family would approve of a sex offense, but the way we all are thrown onto a hate list that puts all of our household in fear of harm and death is incomprehensible.
And Finally:
TRACKED BILLS
CS/CS/SB 1252 (2023) Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/01252
SENATE – Died on Calendar
Hopefully it can rest in peace.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/sex-offenders-being-targeted-by-phone-scammers-police-in-capital-region-say/ar-AA1aNBv9
I know people get scared and do not think things through.
#1 Law enforcement would not ask for money and especially never gift cards or money cards. Unless it is an officer on the take, that is a whole other story.
#2 Not only report the incident to your local law enforcement but also ask them if it is real which they most likely will verify it is a scam.
#3 Hang up on the person and do not give them ANY personal or really any information. If you think it is real, let the person know you will meet them in the lobby of the Sheriff’s or local police department.
#4 Don’t feel bad as I even saw a story about a cop getting scammed in a story a while back. Some of these people are professional scammers and they know so much about the person they choose that they fall for it.
This is a pivotal moment for our collective movement that must be seen for what it is.
– The Florida Action Committee has officially ARRIVED and come in to it’s own with this series of victories!
– There is more public and political sympathy with our cause than was initially assumed.
– WE are a force that IS BEING HEARD!!
– Career celebrity victim Lauren Book has been STOPPED in her tracks and her hateful and unconstitutional publicity stunts SHUT DOWN!
In my 26 years on the registry I am not aware of anything like this ever occurring in our favor and I actually feel, dare I say, hopeful.
This is the end of the beginning folks.
Deep and heartfelt thanks to those working tirelessly behind the scenes on behalf of us all!
I am putting a $100 check in the mail today with my annual membership renewal.
Still seeing employment oustide of florida with my skillets of heavy equipment mechanic and hyaudrulic pneumatic troubleshooting. Anyone know a job in other state connect me ill send my resume. Strong mechanic ASS certified also FAA certified.
But every month since i heard of FAC I donate auto 5 dollars a month and try to do 500 every year around xmas. Got kids too do wish I was rich FAC would just need to text me what the cause was and i would send money to fund it. They do great work and give hope in this really unconstitutional state.
Also thank you too all SO who helped this year and this is key THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ARE NOT ON THE REGISTRY!! Who called emailed texted or even just supported their RO. Thank you!!! That was not yelling caps more for attention
Gives hope
Very well said🙏🏽 are you eligible to petition to get off registry? God bless
With current gov in no but once out I could yes
Apparently not…..
To me the registry is like a disease to which there is no cure. Some diseases eventually get a cure and I/we are hoping and praying our breakthrough will come sooner than later.
I also donated $100 through their site last week. Great to hear everyone contributing towards justice!
So did the bill the lady senator was trying to pass get shut down? We don’t have to worry about being targeted to change our plates on our cars or have red letters on our license?
@Matt
According to a previous post by FAC, ALL of the bills for this session that were targeting us IE. Green plate, Red lettering on drivers licenses and the ONE day notification law, were all cancelled.
If they have learned anything, hopefully they will not try and re-introduce them next year.
There is one point that needs to be driven home in regards to the State ID card marks.
In both the Loisiana and Alabama cases, the courts had specifically stated that the marks were compelled speech in general. It must be emphasized that ALL marks, no matter what they are, are compelled speech, whether it is a letter, a number (including a statute code), or a color. Prince changed his name to a completely made-up symbol, and yet we see that symbol even today, we know what it means.
In regards to green car tags, one thing that was seemingly never mentioned anywhere is how many green car tags there are.
You might want to keep these things in mind as I suspect they’ll make a return next year.
So IML passport stamps, which I just got the damn notice for after 10 years on the registry, is also compelled speech. There has to be some way of beating IML. We all know, with the common sense in our brains, that a law cannot brand everyone ‘dangerous’ especially after they’ve already served their punishments, yet it’s so difficult to properly convey this in a court of law.
@Joe123
What is madly funny is, the other countries do not want to block us. Most of them are more open minded and give second chances. It is the U.S requesting we be turned around, refused entry and sent back home. So, why allow us to pay and leave anyway just to get sent back. And guess what, there are NO refunds since you took the flight. And since you did not show up at your hotel, you are a no show so good luck getting that back either.