Before COVID19 hit Florida, Representative Eskamani and her team were wrapping up the 2020 Legislative Session. In no particular order, here’s a quick review of some top moments from the 2020 Legislative Session.
Protecting Affordable Housing
In 1992, the Sadowski Fund was established to supplement affordable housing initiatives in Florida. Unfortunately, the Florida Legislature often uses these funds for other purposes, depleting the account. However, I understand the need for affordable housing all too well, as our city and district are in the midst of one of the worst housing crises in the country. That’s why we fought hard against diverting any money from the Sadowski Fund this legislative session. And as of March, the Sadowski Fund was fully funded at $370 million — for the first time in over a decade. Unfortunately the Governor made the decision to veto millions of these dollars, but we’ll continue to keep advocating for affordable housing dollars and programs.
Standing with Florida Teachers
Our educators are some of the most influential and essential members of our communities, yet their salaries have not reflected their true value: Florida teachers’ pay ranks only 42nd nationally. That’s why we were proud to stand in solidarity with the Florida Education Association as they bused teachers, parents, and public education supporters to the Florida Capitol while the Senate Education Committee discussed how to increase teacher pay. This effort alongside ongoing advocacy, helped secure a $500 million increase in teacher pay this session. Our team has fought for Florida educators since I took office, even co-sponsoring a bill to boost teacher salaries last session, so it was empowering for us to watch this legislation finally move in the right direction.
Accountability for FCADV
Last fall, reports surfaced that Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence (FCADV) President and CEO Tiffany Carr received a salary of $761,000 and had ordered employees to divert unused grant money into her personal accounts. This caused many advocates, ourselves included, to question the financial planning and decision-making of the organization. In October 2019, we sent an official letter to House Leadership calling for an investigation to assess the transparency of the FCADV. During session, the House pursued an investigation, too — ultimately passing legislation that removed the organization’s power to oversee Florida’s domestic violence centers and utilize taxpayer funds. I have always stood with domestic violence survivors, and this instance will ensure state funds only go to those in need.
Pushing for Home Rule
We strongly believe that local residents often know what’s best for their communities. For this reason, they often preempt local government from taking certain actions. This session, our team was proud to push back on many of these preemptions, not only in committee and on the House Floor, but in our legislation as well. We sponsored bills that would give local governments more options when it comes to regulating single-use plastics, 5G communications, and more. We fought hard against efforts to pre-empt chemical sunscreen bans too, which will negatively impact your coral reefs.
Fighting for Inclusive Schools
We sponsored House Bill 45 to fight for the rights of all children in Florida, including those who identify in the LGTBQ community or who may have a disability. We took a position to say “public dollars cannot fund discrimination,” and we never backed down. Following a report from the Orlando Sentinel that 156 anti-LGTBQ schools receive public funds, some major corporate donors to these programs were even inspired to withdraw their support — and millions of dollars, too. This journey is not over until our schools are free from shame and prejudice, and every child can study in Florida schools as their brilliant, authentic selves.
Continuing to Protect our Environment
The fight to protect our environments is one of the most pressing issues today, and I have been on the frontlines of this fight the entire legislative session. We proposed HB 97 (again) which aimed to put renewable energy efforts into action to combat climate change; we resisted attempts by bottled water company Nestle to pump millions of gallons of water out of Ginnie Springs; and we proposed legislation that would allocate funds towards restoring Florida’s Urban Wetland Corridor. Through policy, we placed the value of Florida’s natural resources and habitats at the forefront. Although not every push yielded a victory, our advocacy helped keep our vulnerable ecosystem top of mind.
Defended FEECA at the PSC
Florida Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act declares that it is critical to utilize the most efficient and cost-effective energy conservation systems in order to protect the health, prosperity, and general welfare of the state and its citizens. During committee weeks of the 2020 Legislative Session, I pushed back against efforts by the Public Service Commission (PSC) to completely eliminate Florida’s energy efficiency goals. We were successful, the PSC announcing that they would maintain the current efficiency goals versus place them at zero. This fight continues.
Speaking Up for Juvenile Justice
After 6-year-old Kaia Rolle was arrested at her Orlando charter school last year, our team felt compelled to take lasting action. Children deserve dignity, too, and arresting should always be a last resort. That’s why our team sponsored HB 949 which would prevent arrests of children under age 12 — the age most courts consider the youngest a child can intellectually grasp “right from wrong.” While this bill didn’t pass, our advocacy led the legislature to add the Kaia Rolle Amendment to HB 7065, which bans the arrest of children under age 7. This bill almost passed, so we still have work to do on this issue and are proud that our efforts made a difference to precious children like Kaia.
Protecting Arts and Culture Funding
Art is priceless as it adds beauty to our lives and communities, grants us new perspectives on the world, and brings us closer together. That’s why our team worked hard to secure an 800% increase in arts and culture funding last legislative session, and why we’ve continued to protect it. Our community is a testament to the transformative impact of culture and art, and we are proud to push for its ongoing journey.
Fighting for Equitable Tax Structure
Our team believes in a tax structure that works for all people; one where every citizen and corporation pays their fair share. That’s why we proposed HB 6021 which would have repealed the $543 million corporate tax refund and why we also proposed HB 917, an interstate agreement to phase out corporate giveaways. We also filed several amendments throughout the 2020 Legislative Session to close corporate tax loopholes and put into place combined reporting There are millions of hardworking Floridians that pay their taxes every year, and it is time we start holding corporations to that same standards.
Advocating for Common Sense Gun Safety Legislation
The safety of our constituents is one of the top priorities of our team, and as such we’ve fought hard for common sense gun safety legislation. This session, we continued that fight by co-sponsoring HB 201 which would establish the Urban Core Gun Violence Task Force and take the first step towards centering directly impacted people in finding solutions to reduce gun violence within our neighborhoods. We also re-filed legislation to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers. I was also honored to stand with Moms Demand Action, March for Our Lives, and many other dedicated gun safety advocates at the capitol this session. No one should have to live in fear of gun violence, and through our collective efforts we have the power to make that happen.
Honoring International Women’s Day with the Bipartisan Women’s Legislative Caucus
Women hold endless potential, and the key to unlocking that potential is showing them what’s possible. That’s why we worked hard to pass HR 8083, establishing March 8th as International Women’s Day in Florida. International Women’s Day encourages Floridians to honor the achievements and accomplishments of women. Not only does this bring women the recognition they’ve historically lacked, but it helps to inspire millions of young women to pursue their passions and make a difference. We celebrated International Women’s Day at the capitol with a Bipartisan Women’s Legislative Caucus, hoping to encourage the next generation of Florida’s female leaders.
Supporting Florida’s National Guard
We care deeply about our service members, and made it a priority this year to get to know Florida’s National Guard. We toured a local armory in House District 47, met with the General to better understand budget requests, and participated in Day of the Capitol events hosted by The National Guard. We worked with Republican leadership to ensure funding was allocated, and have recently been awarded the The 2020 Mr. Charles Maddox Patriotism Award
in recognition of our work in supporting the brave service members of Florida’s National Guard.
Fighting the Rise of White Nationalism and White Supremacy
Over the past decade, our country has seen a rise in white nationalism and white supremacy, with the number of hate groups operating in America reaching a record high of 1,020 in 2018. And after tragedies such as the El Paso Shooting, Dayton Shooting, and more in late 2019, our team decided we’d had enough. That’s when we introduced HB 51 — an official condemnation of white supremacy and white nationalism by the Florida Legislature. While the resolution was never heard in committee, the discourse and continued advocacy it created helped elevate this conversation in our homes, communities, and legislative chambers, too.
Funding Essential Services & Local Nonprofits
The only constitutional requirement of the Florida Legislature is to allocate the state budget, and our team is proud to have worked hard to secure funding for many impactful local nonprofits. Here’s just a few of the institutions that were approved for funding: Adult Literacy League, The LGBTQ Center for Mental Health, Heart of United Way OUAC, IDEAS for US Wetlands Restoration, and the Pulse Memorial and Museum. Locally, these organizations will work to improve the lives and communities of countless Floridians.
Championing for Peace with Iran
Before this session began, tensions were steadily escalating between the US government and Iran as President Trump reinstated sanctions and ordered a drone strike on Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. However, as the first Iranian-American elected to any public office in Florida, I felt that it was a priority to stand up and help to prevent war with Iran. That’s why our team was vocal from the beginning, advocating in the Florida House, providing commentary in the media, and coordinating a local rally at Florida State University and in Orlando that championed peace. Although relations between the nations remain fraught with complexity, we will always seek a path of diplomacy rather than one of destruction.
Supporting Our Immigrant Communities
These past two legislative sessions have targeted immigrant communities, with Republican leaders using immigrants — especially undocumented people — as a political football. As a daughter of immigrants, I am proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our immigrant communities against legislation designed to separate families and demonize people of color.
Fighting to Protect Access to Reproductive Health
Our team firmly believes women deserve the right to make decisions about their own bodies. That’s why when lawmakers began proposing anti-abortion legislation last year, we pushed back, loud and proud. This session was no different — we strongly opposed new restrictions requiring those under age 18 to get parental consent before accessing an abortion as we already have parental notification laws in Florida, and know that this bill was ultimately designed to be a trojan horse to ban abortion statewide. Through these efforts and continued advocacy, we know we can protect and champion access to safe and affordable reproductive justice.