Summary: Once again, the state legislature put partisan politics over the needs of every-day. Floridians. No group was spared from their cruel agenda that aims to silence us, erase our history, attack our rights and freedom. But that didn’t stop us from fighting back. Dozens of your coworkers traveled to Tallahassee to meet with legislators to help build support for legislation that will respect, protect, pay us and staff our facilities at safe levels. Here’s an overview.
Our focus this year has been to build support for this bill which offers solutions to the staffing and retention crisis, demands transparency and accountability of facility owners and protects workers from liability. We made progress on this goal because of the great lobbying work of healthcare workers who met with dozens of Democratic and Republican legislators in Tallahassee. The legislation was not approved during the 2023 legislative session, but lawmakers did include a provision in the budget that incentivizes nursing homes to retain staff. We will conduct in-district lobby visits in the coming months to ensure the bill is ready to move next year.
Failing Florida: Tallahassee’s Worst of the Worst List of Bills of 2023
Among the myriad of bad bills, these stand out as the worst of the worst
• Extreme restrictions on women’s reproductive healthcare
• Banning books will be easier
• Legislation makes it more difficult to register to vote
• Union busting bill that requires public sector unions to obtain 60%
membership to keep their certification, outlaws payroll dues deduction.
• Permitless carry allows gun owners to carry their weapon with NO permit, training or fingerprinting!
• Expands universal vouchers to erode public school funding
• Expands “Don’t Say Gay” restrictions and bans on transgender bathrooms
• Preempts rent control and tenant protections
• Law allows healthcare providers and payors to deny services based on their moral, ethical or religious beliefs.
Legislation We Are Watching That Impacts Our Work, Families and Community
