While yard signs are coming down, holiday lights are going up as we lean into a season of reflection. This year demanded endurance and empathy, but we stretched to meet the mark every time. Team Anna has been so honored to spend this year with you and to call you a part of our chosen family. In no particular order, here are 22 highlights from 2022!
1. Earning Your Vote in District 42 This November, we won our re-election to the Florida House by a landslide, winning 56.63% of the vote in the new House District 42. In fact, our district experienced 11% higher voter turnout than the Orange County average – a strong indicator that hard work builds trust and yields results. We knocked on 22,000+ doors, made 23,000+ phone calls, and delivered 1,750 yard signs, and owe it all to 340 committed volunteers. We are constantly reminded that our village is a mighty one and never take a single moment for granted. I am humbled to remain your Happy Warrior and am ready to make you proud during our third term in the Florida House!
2. Winning with Love, For Equality The GOP wielded constant disinformation against the public this year and centered many of their shameless attacks on the LGBTQ+ community. Whether pushing back against the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” bill or distributing advocacy resources at Orlando Pride and working alongside our service providers and coalition partners, we will never back down when equality is on the line. And while the Board of Medicine pursues dangerous rules to restrict gender-affirming care, our team partnered with Equality Florida and SPEKTRUM Health to host a virtual discussion based on science and professional expertise. We were honored to be invited to the White House for a collaborative conversation focused on the fight for LGBTQ+ equality, as well as being recognized as a Community Champion in 2022 by the Orlando Pride Chamber for defending the civil rights of all Floridians. We can’t do any of this without you. Thank you for reminding the world that love always wins.
3. Defending Abortion Access Power to the people; keep abortion legal. On the 1st day of the 2022 Legislative Session, GOP leadership made their intentions clear to ban abortion, then went on to pass an extreme 15-week abortion ban with no exceptions for rape, incest, or human trafficking. In the months before and since Roe fell in June, we hosted 17 community canvasses, virtual workshops, and emergency rallies dedicated to discussing reproductive justice, training health center escorts, and understanding the history, and future, of abortion access in Florida. In the days following the Dobbs decision, we turned out over 6,000 people across two action-oriented rallies, making it clear that there is no such thing as a moderate abortion ban and that Floridians overwhelmingly support access to safe and legal abortion. Decisions around someone’s pregnancy are private and belong to them, their family, their doctor and their faith — NOT politicians. We’ll always fight like hell for abortion access in our state.
4. Confronting the Housing Crisis Floridians are facing a housing crisis and we are fighting beside you to demand solutions. Our team works firsthand with residents living in hotels, motels, vehicles, and shelters as they seek resources from a hostile system wrought with stigma, red tape and lack of funding. This year, we sponsored legislation in Tallahassee to challenge the regressive “pay to play” system when facing an eviction, hosted emergency canvasses centered on eviction/foreclosure diversion & rental assistance, and were proud to support the Orange County Rent Stabilization Ordinance and advocate for a Renters Bill of Rights. We hosted virtual programs to combat housing discrimination and to exercise renters rights, while also keeping several folks housed with generous community donations, too. In addition to confronting rental costs, we helped residents navigate the long overdue Homeowners Assistance Fund and served tenants and landlords statewide in efforts to access Emergency Rental Assistance programs.
5. Presenting Property Insurance Solutions Floridians cannot afford Florida, but if you listened to some of my colleagues, you’d think we were all elected by insurance companies versus everyday people. During the Regular Session, I joined House Democrats in calling for property insurance reforms because residents were contacting our team seeking help. Although we returned to Tallhassee twice, our legislature failed to protect consumers, but we never gave up. Most recently, I introduced an amendment that would stop executives and directors of insurance companies from increasing their own salaries while raising your premiums; our constituents deserve insurance that is nothing less than affordable, available, and accountable. We presented ideas to expand the MySafeFLHome program to the full state and implement protections against eviction & foreclosure in the aftermath of natural disasters. This summer, we also hosted a virtual program to outline the state of property insurance and hustled to host another on filing a property insurance claim after Hurricane Ian as residents suffered historic wind and water damage.
6. Fighting for Workers’ Rights I honor the memory of my mom everyday through action. Before we lost her to cancer in 2004, she worked low-wage jobs because she could not use her degree from Iran in the United States, and my dad held two jobs – one at Disney and another on the Space Coast – just so we could make ends meet. Our team fights tooth and nail for working people because all workers are valued, deserving, and deserve to feel valued. Whether at our theme parks, farms, coffee shops, or airports, every Floridian deserves a fighting chance to earn a living with dignity and respect. This year, we stood shoulder to shoulder with our unions and neighbors to urge employers to pay equal pay for equal work and commit to livable wages in dignified conditions.
7. Investing in Healthy Communities Regardless of where you live, every Floridian deserves a fighting chance to live with dignity and purpose, including our seniors. We co-chaired the Annual Caribbean Health Summit and hosted a virtual program with Senior Resource Alliance to circulate key resources though we know Florida must do more in areas like lowering prescription costs, stabilizing housing expenses, and holding long-term care facilities accountable. I was immensely honored to receive Share the Care of Central Florida’s Outstanding Advocate of the Year award to recognize our work for seniors and caregivers, especially in cases of Alzheimer’s and dementia. We also fought for expansion of mental health funding, and worked to break the stigma that surrounds mental health. Finally, we secured $75,000 for the Mothers’ Milk Bank of Florida, and collected donated baby formula to help during our nation’s shortage!
8. Funding Arts & Culture When faced with a challenge, Team Anna knows the show must go on! My journey in the arts began as a thespian at University High School, so I was thrilled to earn the distinction as an Outstanding Theatre Arts Legislator this year by The Florida Association for Theatre Education. We fought to get full funding for Arts and Culture this session, and were able to obtain $46 million in the budget for the 1st time in nearly a decade. Our work was recognized by Americans for the Arts too with a Public Leadership in the Arts Award to commemorate our bipartisan work in securing historic levels of arts and culture funding in the State of Florida. At home, we were the 1st lawmaker to participate in the Maitland Rotary Arts Festival and celebrated our creative constituents all year long who dazzled us with dance, photography, music, and more. I even performed “Hair” in The Vagina Monologues at the Timucua Arts Foundation and “My Strongest Suit” from Aida at The Renaissance Theatre!
9. Delivering Constituent Services The heart of our work has and always will be constituent services. Whether supporting those who face eviction or helping others obtain overdue state benefits, we strive to be effective, reliable, and accessible, maintaining an open door policy. Throughout the year, we hosted 28 distinct virtual events, responded to over 3,000 voicemails and fielded 100s of cases about housing assistance, food stamps, and unemployment. You may have seen us tabling at 18 events to deliver in-person constituent services, including six local libraries. We coordinated six supply drives serving local nonprofits, led community cleanups in SoDo and Curry Ford West, continued to host virtual town halls every week, and in moments of crisis, we always showed up. Following Hurricanes Ian and Nicole, our team supported debris removal, published emergency resources, delivered food assistance, and helped individuals in need access shelter. In the end, we sent three trucks of items to Southwest Florida and shared resources door to door with impacted communities. In short, it took a village and beside our non-profit partners and grassroots volunteers, we continued working for you, fighting for us.
10. Serving People with Disabilities The end of many pandemic relief programs underscored what we know to be true: Florida does the bare minimum to meet the needs of our most vulnerable. In Tallahassee, we were able to direct more funds to those who are on the waitlist for disability services. Although Republican leadership chose not to expand Medicaid that could assist in covering 400,000+ people that fall in the coverage gap, we continue to speak up about the service disparities in our state and the urgency for impacted people. While we hosted a disability sensitivity training with the Center for Independent Living and recognized the 50th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act during a virtual program in July, we remain committed every day to breaking down barriers for people with disabilities.
11. Keeping Money in Floridian’s Pockets By working across the aisle, our team spearheaded the successful initiative that made children’s diapers tax-free this year, and we are striving to maintain and expand this relief in the new year. Diapers are a necessity for Florida families, yet this regressive tax places undue burden on parents and caregivers who cannot go without. As residents were navigating inflation, we kept consumer savings top of mind, and were ultimately honored to be awarded the National Diaper Bank Network Champions Award for 2022. We are proud to have already filed a bill to expand this tax break to incontinence products and make it permanent for children, too!
12. Embracing Small Businesses District 42 has some of the best small businesses in Central Florida! We do our best to be patrons at these locations and to provide assistance as needed. In 2022, we saw organizations like Florida Bakery & Restaurant, Anna’s Empanadas, and Unity of Eatonville Federal Credit Union open for business, and helped others navigate tax, license, and regulation concerns. We worked aggressively to recognize small businesses online and partnered with our City of Orlando Main Streets to drive folks to key events and activities. We will continue to advocate for and uplift small businesses while holding corporations accountable to pay their fair share!
13. Placing People over Profits We always say “we build bridges where we can and hold people (and corporations) accountable when we must,” and 2022 was no different. Despite politicians like Governor Ron DeSantis choosing profit over people, we kept our movement grassroots, raising $337,138 from 2,160 donors at an average of $96. We requested state data on DeSantis’ $264 million corporate giveaway while working to ensure no new major tax breaks were added to the tax package. Floridians need meaningful relief as so many are struggling to make ends meet, which is why we filed the Restoring Local Freedom Act, which would have put power back in the hands of the people who know their communities best. We also went toe-to-toe with utility companies who are trying to destroy rooftop solar while they increase our rates. It is time for Tallahassee and corporate interests to get out of the way of Floridians championing local solutions.
14. Expanding the Annaverse Where there’s a will to get involved, there’s a way on Team Anna! We are so proud to be the entry point of organizing for so many who realize the personal is political and just need a place to channel their energy. Between our teams, we trained 64 student interns this year from 27 different campuses. We’re so proud to say that many of our past interns are now changemakers in the workforce, support incredible nonprofits, or thrive in public service. Over 340 active volunteers made possible the clean ups, door knocking, post card writing, and more that we were able to accomplish and, y’all know, we’re not slowing down. Good leaders build new leaders and the Annaverse is investing in people power every single day.
15. Keeping Our Communities Safe In 2022, we continued to propose ways to reform Florida’s criminal legal system to ensure community safety for all. We sponsored multiple bills during the 2022 Legislative Session to reduce violence, including HB83 to ensure that people convicted of domestic abuse cannot access firearms and ammunition, and HB1515 to expand inmate access to higher education by providing a pathway to degree completion. We also advocating for human trafficking prevention dollars and programs, and were able to once more secure funds for local service providers. We continue to advocate for humane living conditions in our state facilities and increased transparency by the Department of Corrections. Our state was in a recurring state of mourning this year too as we grieved loss after loss to gun violence. Though our hearts still ache, we find hope in solidarity and the election of common sense leaders like former March For Our Lives’ National Organizing Director and my own Congressman, US Representative Maxwell Frost. It was humbling to serve as a member of the Giffords Steering Committee as well in our collective efforts to break the cycle of gun violence.
16. Protecting Our Planet & Clean Energy Clean energy is essential for our economy and our wellbeing. This year, GOP politicians introduced legislation (written by utility corporation, Florida Power & Light) to decimate net metering and create a cost burden on solar energy for everyday consumers. In response, Floridians fought back relentlessly. Our own advocacy paired with a statewide surge in dissent led to the bill’s eventual veto, keeping solar within reach for thousands of households. I was honored to participate in the Aspen Institute of Germany’s Transatlantic Democracy Laboratory program focused on climate and energy, to join my colleagues in calls to declare a climate emergency, and to amplify efforts to protect our springs, knowing that change can’t wait. We also re-filed bills to grant legal rights to the natural environment and to transition Florida to 100 percent renewable energy by 2040 — and establish a clean energy economy that introduces new high-paying jobs. We continued to challenge the act of sugar cane burning too, and have received a 100% voting record from the Sierra Club! When Mama Earth wins, we all do!
17. Sharing Solidarity with Immigrants As the daughter of two working-class immigrants from Iran, immigrant issues are deeply personal to me. Our legislative office fights every year against legislation that targets and demonizes these populations (even children) and works to empower communities through access to key resources and services. We have actively called out Governor Ron DeSantis after he spent more than $12 million trafficking Venezualan asylum-seekers and continue to oppose his weaponizing of the Dept of Children & Families to reject migrant children from our state. Meanwhile, we helped to raise funds to support local Afghan refugees, and fought to expand TPS for our Hatian community members and have stood with our farmworkers in supporting community IDs. The United States is a rich and vibrant nation of immigrants and we will continue to fight for all families to be able to actualize their own American Dream.
18. Elevating Iranian Voices As the first Iranian-American to serve within public office in Florida, it’s a privilege to have a platform to educate, engage, and empower others. In the spring, we recognized Norouz, or Persian New Year, in the Florida Capitol and on Zoom with beloved comedian, Maz Jobrani. As the year progressed, we attended numerous rallies, forums, and protests advocating for Iranian rights and have called on others to join cries in Farsi for “Zan, Zendegi, Azadi,” or “Women, Life, Freedom.” Alongside 14 Iranian-American elected officials and candidates, we released a letter in solidarity with the people of Iran as they risk their lives to advance civil rights. We also pushed for the United Nations to remove the Islamic Republic of Iran from their Women’s Commision, which they did earlier this month.
19. Standing with Veterans Our public service is only possible because of the bravery and sacrifice of our veterans. While we loved participating in the City of Orlando’s Veteran’s Day Parade, we also began serving on the City of Orlando Veterans Advisory Committee this year. In May, we hosted a virtual veterans service program and also celebrated the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs opening of a 112-bed State Veterans’ Nursing Home in memory of Sgt. First Class Alwyn C. Cashe. In September, we paid respects to local Gold Star Families who have lost a loved one through active duty service in the United States Armed Forces. We know these efforts only scratch the surface of our gratitude. We proudly represent thousands of Florida veterans both at home and in the halls of the Florida Capitol. In Tallahassee, we co-sponsored the Veteran Suicide Prevention Bill and our commitments ran deep to improve healthcare, housing, and workforce resources that serve both veterans and their families.
20. Stepping Up for Education The Florida GOP worked overtime this year to undermine public education, introducing legislation to censor discussions about race, sexual orientation, gender identity, state history, and more. While Florida educators and staff were requesting resources, the Florida Department of Education was playing political theater with math textbooks. Despite these setbacks, we urged the state to require Asian American and Pacific Islander history be taught in public schools and to implement efforts to close the school to prison pipeline, so students aren’t punished just for being kids. My own love of politics was jump started in large part by my former History teacher, Mr. Norris, so it was an incredible honor to be recognized as Legislator of the Year in 2022 by the Florida PTA, our largest statewide volunteer organization working for children and youth.
21. Welcoming Maitland and Eatonville In 2022, District 47 became District 42, which includes the beautiful city of Maitland and the historic town of Eatonville. That means we are privileged to serve over 21,000 new constituents in Orange County. It was an honor to serve those communities carved out in our new district, but our door is always open to those seeking assistance or to connect you with our colleagues in the State House! In Maitland, we find a vibrant landscape of arts and culture beside thriving small businesses and community nonprofits. Likewise, Eatonville delivers a rich history and exciting future as they recognize 135 years of existence in 2023. Eatonville was the first town successfully established by African American freedmen and is the oldest black-incorporated municipality in the United States. It’s an honor to be trusted to serve!
22. Building Democratic Infrastructure Team Anna has been hosting advocacy trainings and online events this year where anyone can further educate themselves on complicated issues and state policies. We always emphasize the importance of civic education – with nearly 300 attendees participating in our legislative workshops alone. Furthermore, our efforts at People Power for Florida registered nearly 9,000 people to use their voice and vote this cycle! In a state hellbent on keeping us down, we continue to shepard transformational change and work together to build collective power. We mobilized and engaged advocates in the halls of the Florida Capitol, in the streets of our district, and remotely across the state, knowing that grassroots run deep. When fascists tried to divide us and silence our voices, we always responded with a united call to action, knowing that the people of Florida are on our side by the millions.