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Message from the Leader
Thank you for visiting the Florida House Democratic Office Web page.
We will keep this site updated. Throughout the year,
here you will find interesting news about our caucus, including legislative agendas of our members and details about significant policy proposals.
Our aim is to improve the health and wellbeing of every
Florida resident. We appreciate your participation in the
legislative process.
Our state faces historic challenges. Our caucus
of 44 House Democrats is determined to work toward solutions. We will provide honest assessments of the state of our state, and deliver hope for a bright future.
We encourage you to return to this site frequently. And
feel free to contact our office at 850-488-9622 should you have any questions or need more information.
+
¡Bienvenidos! En Español.
House Democratic Caucus Membership Directory
Caucus News
Representative
2009
Newsletter-- We made significant
strides on some critical issues highlighted in
this newsletter. I am pleased that I sponsored,
and the Legislature passed, a number of laws to
protect our children from sexual predators,
strengthen government ethics, improve healthcare
awareness and more.. +Read More
Representative Keith Fitzgerald's End of
Session 2009 Newsletter -- The 2009
legislative session has ended, and it was one of
the toughest on record. I am honored to
represent you and our community in the Florida
House of Representatives during this challenging
time for our state. My priorities throughout the
session were Florida’s economic recovery,
creating new jobs, improving public education
and fighting for working-class Floridians. +Read More
Representative Ronald Brise's
4-21-09 Newsletter -- After much effort
by the Miami-Dade Delegation, Miami-Dade County
Commission and City of Miami Commission, the
Port of Miami Tunnel project has been revived.
We will take a look at some of the specifics of
this project, its benefits to our community and
what will need to happen for the project to move
forward. +Read More
Representative Joe Gibbons's 5-11-09
Newsletter -- I am very unhappy with
this budget because, again, this budget does not
reflect the values and priorities of our state
and people. I continued to ask myself and my
colleagues, “Does the bad outweigh the good? and
in this budget, the bad clearly outweighs the
good. I was opposed to a 2% cut to state
employees who make over $45,000.00 annually;
these individuals have not received a raise in
four years, why would we deduct their pay? +Read More
Representative Keith Fitzgerald's
5-12-09 Newsletter -- The legislature
finished up its work in an extended session last
Friday, and I wanted to send my constituents a
final update on what has happened in
Tallahassee. Below you can read about next
year’s state budget and the final status of some
of the bills I sponsored this year. +Read More
Representative Rick Kriseman's 5-13-09
Newsletter -- It’s great to be home!
The extended legislative session has finally
concluded, and as you know, this has been a very
difficult session for both our state and its
citizens. Despite the fact that the budget
dominated my time in Tallahassee this session,
your District 53 office was able to claim a few
victories for Floridians. +Read More
Representative Kelly Skidmore's 5-8-09
Newsletter -- The 2009 Legislative
Session finally came to a close today with a
final vote on the state budget. The $66.5
billion budget, which passed the Legislature
today, raises taxes, fees and university
tuition, drains trust funds, relies on federal
economic recovery monies, cuts state employee
salaries, trims vital programs, and fails to end
inequities in the tax structure. +Read More
Representative Alan B. Williams'
Post-Session Newsletter -- The 2009
Legislative Session has ended, and I wanted to
give you an update on some of the issues
addressed. The 2009 Session was extended for a
week primarily to vote on the 2009-2010 Budget.
I voted against the budget. I was disappointed
that the legislature chose to cut funding for
many important programs in order to balance the
budget. +Read More
Letter to Governor
Crist from State Representative Mark S. Pafford,
District 88 -- I write to express my
grave concerns about proposed severe cuts to the
Department of Elder Affairs budget. As I have
previously mentioned to you, I would hope that
you veto the General Appropriations Act as it
will adversely affect more than 29,000 frail and
low-income elders throughout Florida.
Unless you take action, vulnerable Floridians
will continue to be neglected and some will be
left alone to suffer and die while on waiting
lists for services. +Read More
In Case You Missed It --
A St. Petersburg Times Editorial "Cold-hearted
Republican leadership JOBLESS LOSE AGAIN."
The Times Says: "With Florida’s
unemployment rate at a 30-year high, it’s
impossible to fathom why state lawmakers may
forgo collecting $444 million in federal
unemployment compensation for those out of work.
But that is what the Legislature’s cold-hearted
Republican leadership is poised to do as the
annual session winds to a dismal close." +Read More

House Republicans Violate No-Tax Pledge --
After voting to cut education and healthcare and
draining state funds for housing and
transportation, several Florida House
Republicans on Friday also violated their pledge
to vote against increasing taxes.
Twenty-one Republican members of the Florida
House signed a pledge to taxpayers created by
Grover Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform, and
in an act of hypocrisy on Friday, those same
members voted for almost a $1-billion in tax
increases. Norquist’s organization has
repeatedly stated that any increase in a fee
that goes into a general fund rather than the
cost of providing a specific service is a tax
increase.
Floridians will not be fooled by House
Republican attempts to disguise their tax-hike
votes.
The House Republicans who violated their
so-called “no new taxes” Norquist pledge
include:
House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala;
Representative Janet Adkins, R-Fernandina Beach;
Representative Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park;
Representative Jennifer Carroll, R-Jacksonville;
Representative Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt
Island;
Representative Clay Ford, R-Pensacola;
Representative Rich Glorioso, R-Plant City;
Representative Doug Holder, R-Sarasota;
Representative Paige Kreegel, R-Punta Gorda;
Representative Carlos Lopez-Cantera, R-Miami;
Representative Seth McKeel, R-Lakeland;
Representative Marlene O’Toole, R-Lady Lake;
Representative Steve Precourt, R-Winter Garden;
Representative Bill Proctor, R-St. Augustine;
Representative David Rivera, R-Miami;
Representative Julio Robaina, R-Miami;
Representative Ken Roberson, R-Port Charlotte;
Representative William Snyder, R-Stuart;
Representative Baxter Troutman, R-Winter Haven;
Representative Charles Van Zant, R-Palatka;
Representative John Wood, R-Haines City.
While Florida House Republican have raised taxes
on working Floridians, House Democrats have
proposed alternatives that would have balanced
the state’s budget without making radical and
reckless policy changes.
These Democratic proposals, which Republican
leaders have blocked from being debated in the
Florida House, include closing tax loopholes for
the rich, collecting sales taxes on purchases
made over the Internet, and deleting certain
outdated sales tax exemptions.
“Republicans apparently think that balancing the
state budget by taking money from the pockets of
hard-working Floridians is preferable to having
an open and honest discussion about alternative
revenue sources,” said Representative Ron
Saunders (D-Key West), the House Democratic
Ranking Member on the Full Appropriations
Council on Education and Economic Development. +Read More
Taxpayer Dollars Wasted Under House
Republican Leadership -- “Our
Republican colleagues have lost focus and have
lost sight of the middle class,”
Democratic Leader Franklin Sands said.
“Floridians would prefer that the Legislature
enact solutions to economic woes that have been
exacerbated by Republicans’ failed
`trickle-down’ tax policies.
“Floridians are worried about the economy,”
Leader Sands said. “More than 8 percent of
Floridians are unemployed and minorities are
suffering considerably higher levels of
joblessness.
“It’s essential that Republican leaders stop
posturing and start writing a new state budget
that takes into account the difficulties facing
Floridians.” +Read More
The Florida House Republican Anti-Worker
Secret Ballot Plan: It’s a Trojan Horse --
House Joint Resolution 1013 is the Florida House
Republican’s newest Trojan Horse. Like the
Trojan Horse of Greek legend, HJR 1013 seeks to
catch people off guard by creating a distraction
from the Legislature’s top priorities.
When will House Republicans focus on the
priorities that concern Floridians, like how to
resolve Florida’s budget crisis, improve the
economy, grow new jobs, and improve schools and
health care for all Floridians? According to the
ancient story, the Greeks built a giant hollow
horse and hid soldiers inside.
The Trojans thought it a gift and wheeled it
into their city. When the city was asleep, the
Greek soldiers emerged and attacked the
defenders from inside. Instead of HJR 1013,
Florida House Democrats would prefer to address:
THE STATE BUDGET CRISIS +Read More

Jim Greer Should Just Read the State
Constitution -- Representative Oscar
Braynon, the Democratic Ranking Member of the
Florida House Governmental Affairs Policy
Committee, issued the following statement in
response to today’s Republican attacks on
Democratic lawmakers who voted to defend
workers’ rights to organize:
“Chairman Jim Greer’s frothing today over
Representative Adam Hasner’s anti-worker
legislation exposes fundamental flaws and deep
misunderstandings about the real agenda behind
House Joint Resolution 1013.
“Despite today’s hostile Republican rhetoric,
this resolution is not about the secret ballots
that voters rely upon on Election Day. Secret
ballots at the voting booth are already secure
under Article VI, Suffrage and Elections, of the
Florida Constitution.
“Perhaps Chairman Greer can put his press
releases on hold until he studies the state
constitution.
“Leader Hasner’s proposal is a smoke-and-mirrors
game that doesn’t add any real protections for
voters. Rather, his plan puts voters’ rights at
risk by subjecting constitutional protections to
potential new legal challenges.
“Today’s deliberations raise a question: Is
Representative Hasner’s resolution an attempt to
boost his political career by getting state
lawmakers drawn into a debate on federal issues?
“This resolution doesn’t protect workers and it
doesn’t protect voters. It’s nothing other than
an anti-worker campaign. +Read More
Rep. Mary Brandenburg (D-Lake Worth) and
Alonzo Mourning of the Miami Heat Fight for
Floridians with Kidney Disease --
Roughly 11,000 Floridians under the age of 65
need kidney dialysis to stay alive. Because they
have limited insurance options, kidney disease
can easily bankrupt a family.
House Bill 675, which is co-sponsored by
Representative Mary Brandenburg (D-Lake Worth)
and supported by former NBA/Miami Heat star
Alonzo Mourning, aims to alleviate the financial
burdens of these Floridians.
“Zo” Mourning joined the Miami Heat in 1995 and
was named a NBA All-Star seven times and the
Defensive Player of the Year twice. He played on
the US Olympic basketball team in 2000. He was
diagnosed in 2000 with a degenerative kidney
disease, underwent a kidney transplant, and then
returned to play with the Heat, where he
continued as a star performer.
Today, Mr. Mourning met with legislators in the
State Capitol, where he advocated for passage of
HB 675.
+Read
More
Florida House Democrats Elect Representative Ron
Saunders as House Speaker Designate --
Members of the Florida House Democratic Caucus
elected Representative Ron Saunders (D-Key West)
to serve as Speaker-designate for the 2010-2012
term of the Florida Legislature.
“The election is over, and we are a united
team,” said Representative Saunders. “Thank you,
thank you. I look forward to working with each
one of you.”
Representative Saunders served in the House of
Representatives from 1986 to 1994. He was
elected again to the House in 2006 and 2008. He
served as House appropriations chairman from
1990 to 1992. He presently is the Democratic
Ranking Member on the House Full Appropriations
Council on Education & Economic Development.
+Read
More
Leader Franklin Sands Applauds President
Obama's Reversal of Restrictions on Stem Cell
Research -- Florida House Democratic
Leader Franklin Sands today endorsed President
Barack Obama’s expected signing of an executive
order reversing restrictions on federal funding
of embryonic stem cell research.
President Obama’s executive order is expected to
be signed on Monday.
Long a strong proponent of stem cell research,
Sands (D-Weston) has proposed creating a fund
for Florida to invest in embryonic stem cell
research. He has fervently argued that such a
fund would deliver an economic boost to Florida
and allow nationally-recognized research firms
to draw investment capital as well as National
Institutes of Health monies. +Read More
HOUSE DEMOCRATS WELCOME PRESIDENT OBAMA
-- Florida House Democratic Leader Franklin
Sands joins the House Democratic Caucus in
warmly welcoming President Barack Obama to the
Sunshine State on Tuesday for a discussion about
the nation’s economy.
The economic recovery plan that Congress is set
to finalize will create and save jobs in the
near future. Just as important, the plan
addresses long-neglected needs that are crucial
for building a foundation for a strong economic
future.
“It is time for our national leaders to move
swiftly and to end the political rancor for the
good of our state and the nation’s economic
recovery,” said Democratic Leader Franklin
Sands.
"Florida House Democrats are pleased that
President Obama is coming to our state to
highlight the purpose for this bold economic
measure."
+Read More
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