Black leaders from across the state of Florida met at a town hall in West Tampa on Tuesday night to share an update from their experiences in Tallahassee during this year’s legislative session.
The Hillsborough County Black Chamber of Commerce hosted several prominent Black Democratic leaders at The Grille at Bay Cannon including State House Representatives Dianne Hart and Michele Rayner, and State Senator Daryl Rouson, to name a few. Democratic House Minority leader Fentrice Driskell said she was proud to help get $25 million in the budget to protect HBCUs, but lamented a lack of leadership from Governor Ron DeSantis.
“We had a governor who was focused on his own ambition in running for president, and he was neglecting the state, and so his hand was not as heavy, if you will, on the scales this legislative session. We had the opportunity to do big things for the people of Florida; to solve these problems, and we didn’t do it. It was the session of missed opportunities. Even with the Live Healthy Act, which actually was a very good bill, and I was honored to vote for it, which moves healthcare forward and helps provide greater access to doctors throughout the state- it didn’t do the one thing- the one thing that would guarantee healthcare coverage for nearly a million more Floridians and bring down the healthcare costs for all of us, which was expanding Medicaid. Florida is the 3rd most populous state in the nation. It is time for us to lead in something other than culture wars and book bans.”
The panel called on policy advocates to come to Tallahassee ahead of next year’s legislative session in March, but after newly elected officials are sworn in following the November elections to make their voices heard on issues that they care about.
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