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Even in the aftermath of the worst mass school shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, the GOP has doubled down on their pro gun policies. Governor Ron DeSantis has vowed that he will make Florida a so-called constitutional carry state . This would allow people to publicly carry firearms WITHOUT PERMITS . DeSantis has pushed hard on conservative issues in his quest to become the Republican Presidential nominee in 2024. Serving red meat to his base, his list includes a 15 week abortion ban, prohibiting transgender equality, protecting children from the word GAY and book banning through false claims of CRT. Does he really believe these positions make children safer? If DeSantis really wants to protect the children of Florida he should look directly to his gun policies. There is no logical reason to allow people to carry guns in public without a permit , criminal history check or safety training. DeSantis claims to have a commitment to freedom and goes so far in saying “In Florida, we have to put freedom first”. How free are we if we can’t go to work, the grocery store, church, concerts, nightclubs or schools without the fearing that we might get shot? When will we learn? When will HE learn? Why are our lives less important than your weapons? DeSantis fails the children of Florida. He claims he wants to protect our children, but his policies do not. Governor DeSantis, when will you put your own desire for power ahead of the lives of children? It’s time for the voters in Florida to say ENOUGH ! Flip every local seat by voting BLUE down the ballot. Protect the children with your vote. Send a message. Vote them out so our children can be safe. SHAME ON YOU RON!

"What do Cuba and Florida have in common? Book-banning, censorship — and, added into the mix this week, state-mandated school indoctrination for political purposes. They’re hallmark practices of the Communist Party-led regime in Cuba, tools used for six decades to keep Cubans isolated and in the dark about information that falls outside of what the ruling party’s ideology commands people to believe. Ironically, after this year’s GOP-dominated legislative session, the same manipulative tactics are now pillars of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ public education system. Math textbooks and literary books are being banned because some comité a la Cuba — aka “Moms for Liberty,” made up of citizens jazzed and empowered by Republicans into a state of hysteria — deemed them inappropriate and sounded the alarm." read more

According to Tampa Bay Times and the Miami Herald reporting, the Florida Department of Education has not clarified why 54 of the 132 books submitted for review were rejected. Governor DeSantis continues to assert that a review of math textbooks submitted by publishers included "indoctrinating concepts like race essentialism, especially, bizarrely, for elementary school students". There is one problem with DeSantis' claim: It was completely and unequivocally false. No reviewer of Florida math textbooks for elementary school students found any instances of CRT. The truth is that each of the reviewers explicitly stated that they did not find any instances of CRT. In other words, he falsely claimed they found Critical Race Theory. It is worth noting that across all grade levels, just TWO of 70 reviewers claimed to find evidence of CRT related to high school textbooks. One of the reviewers, Chris Allen, is a member of Moms for Liberty, a group that is trying to get a biography of MLK Jr excluded in classrooms in Tennessee. Her objections to the text included that the author "talks about climate change as if it's fact." Allen seems to believe if there is a passing mention of race it means it's CRT. Moms for Liberty is a right-wing activist group that focus on ginning up controversy about the alleged infiltration of CRT in classrooms. In Tennessee, for example, Moms For Liberty members attempted to ban a biography of MLK Jr, claiming it was CRT. The other reviewer who claims to have found evidence of CRT in a high school math textbook doesn't live in Florida. He's a right-wing college professor in Michigan. The textbook ban has left only one approved publisher by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Department of Education for K-5 mathematics. This publisher is Accelerate Learning , a company out of Houston, Texas. Accelerate Learning, was acquired by Virginia Governor Glen Youngkin’s Carlyle Group in 2018. It is worth noting that Youngkin has also joined the GOP in their false cries against CRT. How could this hurt Florida students? The College Board's Advanced Placement Program said that it will remove the AP designation from courses when required topics are banned, a move that would jeopardize the ability of Florida high school students to earn college credit for success in those courses. The children of Florida deserve better. Texts books should be selected based on the ability for students to achieve. Hand selecting textbooks by the right wing GOP is THEIR form of indoctrination. Educators should be free to teach. Pro Life Republican Ron DeSantis does not care about educating students. He is campaigning at the expense of educating Florida’s students. Shame on you Ron!

Ron DeSantis takes credit for tax relief? Oh no you don't Ron! Let's set the record straight. $5.8 billion in federal funds from President Biden’s CARES Act helped Florida avoid a deficit in FY2019-20 and FY202-21. The Biden Administration’s CARES Act boosted economic recovery much quicker than anticipated and another massive influx of federal aid allowed the 2021 Legislature to pass the largest budget in history. This left DeSantis with a record amount of reserves to provide tax relief. Part of this additional federal funding is $5.3 billion of the $8.8 billion in federal stimulus aid the state is expected to receive from the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund (CSFRF) in the American Rescue Plan . DeSantis announced tax cuts calling his tax break package, "the largest in state history". He neglects to mention that without support from the Biden Administration he would not accomplished this for Floridians. It’s no surprise that DeSantis assailed Biden’s stimulus plan as wasteful but is now eager to take credit for its successes. It should be no surprise that DeSantis carved tax relief to large businesses and corporations heading into an election season The tax cut package also includes favors for businesses, who often double as campaign donors. Shame on you Ron DeSantis! #THANKtheDEMOCRATS

We know where our current Governor and his Republican Legislature stand on Roe vs. Wade and Women’ s Freedom. It has never been more important that we defeat Ron DeSantis and ensure a Democratic victory in 2022. Overnight reporting from Politico stated that “The Supreme Court has voted to strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, according to an initial draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito circulated inside the court” If this ruling stands, each state will be a battleground over a woman’s choice, meaning a governor will be the strongest safeguard against anti-choice legislation in their state. Only the state will be able to codify a woman's right to choose into state law. FLORIDIANS RIGHTS ARE AT RISK ! This ruling will impact women in our state looking for abortion services at places like Planned Parenthood and no doubt would bring new laws to Florida. The overturning of Roe empowers each state to make its own laws restricting a woman's right to choose. Many already have some form of abortion ban laws in effect that would be triggered by the ruling. The results will be catastrophic for women who are young, poor, and from marginalized communities. Many of these women will not have the time, resources, or ability to travel out of state. Roe has been law for almost 50 years, and Democrats — who almost universally support it — have won five of the past eight presidential elections. Our current Supreme Court is legislating from the bench and we cannot expect them to stop with the freedoms of women. According to Forbes and Gallup the vast majority of Americans support the right to choose in some or all cases. Ron DeSantis and his Republican Legislature has chosen to ignore the majority of Americans and want to severely restrict access to abortion. They must be defeated. What will the women of Florida do and how will their allies support them? Democrats must ensure that DeSantis and his Republican Legislature lose their reign of power. Our “true” freedom will die at the voting booth if Floridians don’t vote them out. Vote like your rights depend on it. Organize, educate and GET OUT THE VOTE!

This week Governor DeSantis signed an election security bill into law. “We need to do more to ensure our elections remain secure. We have ended ballot harvesting, stopped drop boxes and the mass mailing of ballots, and banned Zuckerbucks, and this bill will give us more resources to make sure bad actors are held accountable,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. Nothing changed about the ballot drop boxes except the name. So now Florida taxpayers have to foot the bill for the name change all across the state so Ron has a talking point for his presidential run. See More

Why you should Vote By Mail Convenient: No worries about weather, long lines, unexpected illness or schedule conflicts on Election Day Review candidates/issues at your leisure with ballot in hand You can track your ballot to ensure it arrived, VBM ballots are counted first. Historically, helps Democrats achieve record turn-out Who can enroll in VBM Any registered Palm Beach County voter can obtain a VBM ballot How to enroll in VBM Online at CLICK HERE By Phone: (561) 656-6208 By Fax: (561) 656-6230 Visit any of the four Supervisor of Elections Offices in Palm Beach County, for addresses and hours CLICK HERE At any Voter Registration event or Click here to download and complete a fillable pdf Vote-by-Mail Request Form . Once complete, it may be returned by mail, fax (561) 656-6230, or as an attachment to email votebymail@votepalmbeach.gov . What you need to enroll in VBM For yourself: Your full name, address, date of birth, Florida Driver License or ID number, or the last four digits of the elector's Social Security number, whichever may be verified in our records Your mailing address (if applicable; ballots cannot be forwarded. Be sure to provide your current mailing address.) Your voter registration number (optional) The election or elections for which the Vote-by-Mail ballot is being requested Your Signature (written request) For someone else: Voter's name and home address, date of birth, Florida Driver License or ID number, or the last four digits of the elector's Social Security number, whichever may be verified in our records Requester's relationship to the voter Requester's name and address Requester's Driver License number, ID number, or the last four digits of the requester's Social Security number (if available) Requester's signature (for written requests) How to check your VBM status Click on My Status with PBC SOE website, HERE to make sure you are registered to VBM. Deadline to request VBM ballot The deadline to request that a Vote-by-Mail ballot for an upcoming election is no later than 5:00 p.m. on the tenth (10th) day before election day. If you think you may have missed the deadline, you can visit one of the offices to get a VBM ballot.​ What to do with your completed ballot? Place it in a regular mailbox as early as possible to avoid delivery delays and ensure it arrives before the election. Drop it off during early voting hours at a designated drop box. Bring it to any PBC Supervisor of Election office Check the status of your ballot at HERE NOTE: Under the Republicans' new voter suppression law, you are strictly limited on the number of completed VBM ballots you can deliver-your own, your immediate family's and 2 other voters. It is against the law to deliver any more than specified. Please remember to insert the ballot into the secrecy sleeve, THEN SIGN AND DATE THE ENVELOPE VBM requests need to be renewed every 2 years Under the new FL law signed by Gov. DeSantis , your current VBM registration expires after every general election cycle (2 yrs). Voters who wish to receive VBM ballots for 2023 through 2024 elections are required to re-submit a VBM Ballot Request after Nov. 8, 2022. (Re-submit early in odd-years (2023. 2025) to avoid delays in ballot arrivals.) After Nov. 8, 2022, under the new FL law, voters must re-apply every two (2) years to Vote By Mail.

Rick Scott’s plan would raise taxes on half of Americans and potentially sunset programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. “Why would you propose something like that in an election year?” • Republicans have always favored the ultra-wealthy and large corporations. In 2017, republicans (including Scott and Rubio) voted to cut taxes for their wealthy donors and big corporations- creating a $2 trillion deficit. • Today, Republicans led by Rick Scott (the wealthiest member in congress) and Marco Rubio want to raise taxes on seniors and working-class Americans to help pay for the 2017 deficit. The Republicans think seniors are not paying enough - not paying their fair share. • Under the Republicans tax hike plan taxes will increase. If you make less than $100,000 your taxes are going up; as much as $1,000 per person. In Florida, taxes on a family earning less than $100,000 will go up 40%. 40%! In addition, households making less than $54,000 will pay 80% of the tax increase. • These are working class Floridians who are already struggling to make ends meet. The last thing we should be doing is raising their taxes. When republicans last controlled congress they lowered taxes for the richest Americans. Now republicans are promising if they control congress again, they will raise your taxes so the rich can keep paying less. • Republicans want to put Medicare and Social Security at risk in 5 years maybe even killing or reducing social security and medicare benefits Florida seniors worked all their lives paying into this safety net. • Repeal Obamacare - will increase health care costs and strip coverage for 2.7 million Floridians. • Republicans do not have plans to deal with the skyrocketing cost of food, rent, utilities, insurance and housing. They do not have plans to take on the oil companies raising prices. • In fact, they do not have any plans to reduce costs. What they do have is a clear plan to increase taxes and reduce benefits working class families have worked and fought for their entire lives.

Michigan State Senator Mallory McMorrow delivers a passionate speech defending herself against the false claims made by her opponent Lana Theis. Every parent needs to step up across the country and fight with the same passion. Her passionate words were shared in her tweet and are shared below. "Senator Lana Theis accused me by name of grooming and sexualizing children in an attempt to marginalize me for standing up against her marginalizing the LGBTQ community...in a fundraising email, for herself. Hate wins when people like me stand by and let it happen. I won't. I sat on it for a while wondering why me? Then I realized... I’m the biggest threat to your hollow, hateful scheme. Because you can’t claim that you’re targeting marginalized kids in the name of “parental rights” if another parent is standing up and saying no. So you dehumanize and marginalize ME. You say I’m one of THEM. You say she’s a groomer, she supports pedophilia, she wants children to believe they were responsible for slavery and to feel bad about themselves because they’re white. Here’s a little background on who I really am. Growing up my family was active in our church. I sang in choir. My mom taught CCD. One day, our priest called a meeting with my mom and told her that she was not living up to the church’s expectations, b/c she was divorced, and because he didn’t see her w us at mass every Sunday. Where was my mom on Sunday? She was at a soup kitchen. With me. My mom taught me at a young age that Christianity and faith was about being a part of a community, about recognizing our privilege and blessings and doing what we could to be of service to others -especially people who were marginalized, targeted, who had less…often unfairly. I learned that SERVICE was far more important than performative nonsense like being seen in the same pew every Sunday or writing “Christian” in your Twitter bio and using it as a shield to target and marginalize already-marginalized people. I also stand on the shoulders of people like Father Ted Hesburgh, the longtime president of the University of Notre Dame who was active in the civil rights movement, who recognized his power and privilege as a white man, a faith leader, and the head of an influential and well-respected institution - and who saw Black people in this country being targeted and discriminated against and beaten, and reached out and locked arms with Dr. Martin Luther King when he was alive, when it was unpopular and risky, and marching with them to say, “We got you.” To offer protection and service and allyship, to try to right wrongs and fix the injustice in the world.So who am I? I am a straight, white, Christian, married, suburban mom who knows that the very notion that learning about slavery or redlining or systemic racism means that children are being taught to feel bad or hate themselves because they are white is absolute nonsense.No child alive today is responsible for slavery. No one is this room is responsible for slavery. But each and every single one of us bears responsibility for writing the next chapter of history. We decides what happens next, and how WE respond to history and the world around us. We are not responsible for the past. We also cannot change the past. We can’t pretend that it didn’t happen, or deny people their very right to exist. I want my daughter to know that she is loved, supported, and seen for whoever she becomes. I want her to be curious, empathetic, and kind. I want every child to feel seen, heard, and supported, not marginalized and targeted if they are not straight, white, and Christian. People who are different are not the reason our roads are in bad shape, or healthcare costs are too high, or teachers are leaving the profession. We cannot let hateful people tell you otherwise to scapegoat and deflect from the fact that they’re not doing anything to fix the real issues that impact peoples lives.I know that hate will only win if people like me stand by and let it happen. And I want to be very clear right now: Call me whatever you want. I know who I am. I know what faith and service mean, and what it calls for in this moment. We will not let hate win." Democrats and all Americans should be proud and stand up using the words of Mallory McMorrow, "We will not let hate win"

Florida Democrats Party Chair Manny Diaz said there was no doubt that members took their foot off the gas. "We have let our guard down — especially during off years," Diaz said. "The other side has eaten away at our margins. That's not going to happen anymore." Diaz said the party, minority leaders in the Florida House and Senate, plus third-party group Florida Alliance have started a $2.5 million plan to change things. The initiative aims to create a year-round registration effort that won't stop on Election Day. "This is a statewide effort designed to help Democrats all over the state of Florida," Diaz said. To check your status in Palm Beach County, please visit https://www.pbcelections.org/Voters/My-Status Please share with your family and friends so they can check their voter registration too!

As we have painfully witnessed over the past two decades, the Republicans have generated messages that appeal to their voters in a strong and visceral manner. As Democrats, we deeply feel that we have the correct values and policies but have not felt it necessary to explain ourselves. As we have seen, this really has not worked. We cannot revert to the Republican approach of simplistic extremes but we must do a better job of communicating what we believe. We intend on sharing facts and hope that our followers can amplify the truth as we lead into the Elections of 2022. ​