Legislative Update

 Housing continues to be the top issue for Florida residents.   We are experiencing a multi-year rental crisis, while politicians are working hand in hand with corporate lobbyists from Florida Realtors, Florida Apartment Association, and Florida Home Builders Association to make housing even more expensive. Last year they passed HB 1417 - a direct attack on our community's efforts to organize towards real #JusticeOnEveryBlock. HB 1417 took away already existing tenants’ bill of rights ordinances, rent stabilization measures, and source-of-income protections.

But, Representatives Anna Eskamani and Dotie Joseph, and Senator Victor Torres are aiming to change that with HB 985 and SB 1244. 

A comprehensive statewide Tenant Bill of Rights would be able to…

 Reverse previous legislation that restricts tenants' rights 

 Establishes the right to counsel for tenants

 Increase notice of rent increases as well as stronger eviction protections

 Create more accountability for slumlords and establishes the “Right to Repair” 

 BAD BILL ALERT SB 1530, sponsored by Senator Jonathan Martin, has a hearing TODAY!

This bill would criminalize unhoused people by making public sleeping and camping a crime. In the midst of a housing crisis, with homelessness on the rise, rather than taking meaningful action to address poverty and skyrocketing housing costs, right-wing conservatives are instead claiming people with no place to go are criminals.

Contact your elected officials in the State Senate TODAY and tell them to oppose

SB 1530!

 BAD BILL ALERT HB 355, sponsored by Representative Rick Roth, has a hearing TODAY!

This bill would make it harder to pass ballot initiatives such as Amendment 4 (2018) which restored voting rights to returning citizens. It raises the bar from 60% voter support to 66.7% (a ⅔ majority) in order to pass a constitutional amendment. This undermines democracy and changes the law so that the minority can effectively veto the majority vote. We defeated this bill last year, but right-wing extremists with an anti-democracy agenda keep bringing it back.

Contact your elected officials in the State House of Representatives TODAY and tell them to oppose HB 355!