As December comes to a close, we are reminded of the love, hope, and power cultivated in our work over the last twelve months. This list features only a few of the memories that made 2021 so special, and each one fuels our spirits for the journey ahead. We want to reflect on the highlights with you, and thank you for making this impact possible as a proud member of Team Anna! So here it goes, in no particular order: Our 21 moments of 2021!
1. Prioritizing Public & Mental Health: Adapting in Moments of Urgency
If there was a theme for the year, “Health and Wellness” would definitely be a top contender. In the spring, we joined forces with the Florida Division of Emergency Management and a slate of community partners to coordinate “Get Out the Vaccine” drives in communities of need impacted by transportation and language barriers, issuing over 1,300 COVID-19 vaccines from our Legislative Office alone. We also partnered with UCF to host a virtual vaccine hesitancy conversation, and elevated conversations around mental health year-round while we fought for public and mental health funding during the 2021 Legislative Session.
2. Keeping Equality a Priority: Serving as an LGTBQ+ Accomplice
This past legislative session had a lot of bad bills on the House floor, but few were as ugly as the Majority Party’s agenda to attack trans kids. As always, we were proud to challenge ignorance with facts, and to lead with our values — not just on policy debates, but with the State Budget too. In addition to attacking trans kids, our Governor also vetoed funding we secured in the state budget for both The LGBT Center and Zebra Coalition. We not only pushed back against this decision but helped to raise money for these organizations to make up for the gap, too. In June, we recognized the five-year remembrance of Pulse and have continued our policy efforts to end gun violence in America. Back home, I was proud to become a Board Member with the Orlando Gay Chorus and to reconnect with thousands of you during the return of an in-person Orlando Pride!
3. Fighting to Protect Abortion Rights: Expanding Reproductive Freedom
This year saw the most extreme anti-abortion bill become law in Texas, banning abortion after six weeks and creating a bounty hunter system to go after anyone who helps someone end their pregnancy after six weeks. A Florida version of this law was already filed, and in October we said no to any new restrictions on abortion by marching through Downtown Orlando with over one thousand people. Similar events were held around the state and country. We proposed legislation to remove Florida’s current anti-abortion bans and continue to demand increased access for all those who may choose to end a pregnancy regardless of gender, sexuality, incarceration, disability, or documentation status. We also hosted virtual events to support people of all backgrounds and faiths in ending the stigma around abortion, so we can champion reproductive freedom together, without medically unnecessary interference from politicians.
4. Reimagining Constituent Services: Supporting Floridians Near & Far
Although I represent the great people of House District 47, I’ve always celebrated the opportunity to serve folks across Florida, knowing we share a vision for a brighter state. This year, we responded to nearly 8,000 voicemails at our legislative office as we supported residents from every county of Florida, simply doing their best to navigate a hard year burdened further by government systems designed to fail. While the GOP took the lead on disinformation and fear tactics, we were taking action to solve real problems. We coordinated community canvasses to share resources, hosted 47 (!!) distinct virtual events, and responded to over 1,000 submitted questions during virtual town halls every single week.
5. Giving Back in Big Ways: Showing Up for Our Neighbors
When we say our power is collective, we mean it, and we get to see it in action whenever we share a community drive. With the help of folks across Central Florida, we were able to support local organizations including the Central Florida Diaper Bank, Zebra Coalition, Coalition for the Homeless, A Gift for Teaching, Harbor House, Conway Community Market, United Against Poverty Orlando, and Nathaniel’s Hope, all from our district home on Concord Street. We were even fortunate to partner with groups like Generation Ratify and Conway Community Market on programs of their own, too. A thousand thank-you’s to everyone who delivered in a big way, all year long!
6. Celebrating Diversity & Community: Finding Joy in Our Lived Experiences
One of our favorite things about HD47 is the diverse, vibrant influence of our neighbors of all backgrounds. There’s a chance you caught a glimpse of Team Anna in-person at the Puerto Rican Day Parade, the #SOSCuba protests, the MLK Keynote at the Frontyard Festival, or even virtually as we celebrated AAPI month, toured the Hannibal Square Heritage Center, and honored the Persian New Year, Norouz! Following a wave of hate crimes against the AAPI community, we’ve also filed a bill to require Asian-American history be taught in Florida’s K-12 public schools and have continued to champion the incredible diversity of small business owners in Central Florida, too.
7. Building New Leaders: Growing the Team Anna Family
It’s those people in the trenches with us, whether online or in-district, who energize us with their optimism and bravery, while reminding us of our shared values and bold vision. For those volunteers, students, graduates, and interns who joined our work from 21 schools through the legislative lens, over in the campaign team, or beside our new initiatives at People Power For Florida: thank you! You’ll always be a part of the Annaverse and our movement is profoundly stronger with you in it, too.
8. Hosting Our Reelection Kickoff: Calling All Jedis
I never thought I would run for office, but the urgency of the 2016 Presidential election changed everything. Now, five years later, I am humbled to serve House District 47 every day and energized by the opportunity to run for reelection in what would be our 3rd term in the Florida House, fueled and funded by people like you — not corporations or special interests. We’ve built a movement that transcends political party, class, race, and yes, even galaxies. Graced by Jedi master Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, we launched our 2022 campaign this fall beside over 200 virtual guests and all left with one essential reminder: the force is with us.
9. Supporting our Veterans: Making Their Priorities Our Own
Our state and nation are forever indebted to the sacrifices of our service members. We were honored to recognize our local veterans in the City of Orlando Veterans Day Parade, but serving our veterans is a full-time commitment from our elected leaders. Earlier this year, we hosted a virtual event with the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs to share resources available to our veterans statewide, and we fight year-round for increased access to mental health funding, employment, dedicated affordable housing, and systems for sexual assault prevention and reporting.
10. Keeping Florida Beautiful: Preserving Our State for the Future
Florida’s environment is worth fighting for, and we’re not letting up. Throughout the year, we have hosted virtual events centered on protecting our planet and the creatures that call it home, including panels around turtle conservation, water quality, and the ongoing manatee crisis. Around Orlando, there’s a chance you saw us hosting community cleanups, too. In Tallahassee, we refiled our legislation to transition Florida to 100% renewable energy and are pushing a bill to grant legal rights to the natural environment. We’ve also been vocal critics of crony capitalism, and the gross influence (and corruption) of companies like Florida Power & Light and Mosaic. We’ve got your back, Mama Earth!
11. Supporting Small Businesses: Bouncing Back Together
Our district boasts some of the best small businesses in the state, and this year, we did everything possible to show up and stand with our small businesses. We hosted a virtual workshop around accessing PPP loans, and led with our values during the special session to protect small businesses’ right to require vaccines to keep their customers and employees safe during the ongoing pandemic. As some owners approached us to promote events, others needed support with state-level licensing and federal relief programs.
12. Expressing Gratitude for Nonprofits: Stepping Up During Uncertainty
We know far too well that nonprofits often have to step in when the public sector falls short and the private sector is honed in on the bottom-line, and we are overwhelmed with gratitude for those nonprofit professionals that call Florida home. From the groundbreaking of Hospice House in HD47, to site tours with Boys & Girls Club and Harmony Healthcare, we saw community partners stepping up at every turn to deliver community-based services. I was proud this year to join groups like Limbitless Solutions for their ribbon cutting, and the Florida Prison Education Project for their virtual open house, both initiatives that began at UCF! We also secured funding in the State Budget for multiple nonprofits, including The Lifeboat Project to prevent human trafficking and support survivors. I also became a Board Member with the Winter Park Playhouse, and our office partnered with nonprofits across the state and country to bring resources straight to you
13. Confronting the Housing Crisis: Taking Action in Moments of Urgency
Florida Democratic lawmakers recently called on Governor DeSantis to declare a State of Emergency due to our shortage of affordable housing, rising property insurance rates and exploding rental costs. Meanwhile, we have been working nonstop to support Floridians in accessing rental assistance through the city, state, and county. In addition to filing (and refiling) legislation to restore some local control on issues like rent hikes, we have fought hard all year to expand tenant rights and level the playing field for Florida renters. We’ve hosted virtual workshops on housing issues and Renters’ Rights and what to do when faced with an eviction notice. I’m also a proud co-sponsor of Miya’s law in honor of Miya Mercano, which seeks to improve employee background checks and increase requirements around accessing apartment units.
14. Launching People Power for Florida: Registering & Empowering Voters
There are few things more central to our democracy than the power that comes with exercising our right to vote. We launched People Power for Florida in the spring, an organization entirely dedicated to registering Florida voters, updating voter registrations, and closing turnout gaps at the polls, so all voices are represented in our state. While GOP lawmakers succeeded in increasing barriers to voting and restricting our right to protest, we are working double-time to organize our communities and reach those who are yet to be registered through phone banking, canvasses, virtual trainings, and more. With the support of over 200 volunteer leaders, we are on track to register 1,000 voters by the end of the year!
15. Listening to Local Voices: Fighting for Home Rule
While Republican lawmakers campaign on a platform against “big government,” the irony is that most of my colleagues in Tallahassee file, push, and vote to strip power and funds away from our cities and counties. I was humbled to receive the 2021 Legislative Appreciation Award from the Florida League of Cities because of our commitment to protecting voices back home and prioritizing the needs of local governments. Some of the most egregious bills that we fought back against include one that completely preempts voter approved referendums in Key West to protect water quality and the Coral Reefs by limiting the size of cruise ships that can dock there. Despite voters approving these protections, a $1 million donation to Governor DeSantis from a Key West pier operator propelled the legislature to pass a bill preempting it. Another home rule issue hits close to home: our bill to remove language that requires Orange County (among others) to allocate 40% of tourism revenue to advertising before funds can go towards things like housing, transportation, and infrastructure. Our local leaders — and residents — know where they want their money to go and should have the independence to make those financial decisions around their priorities, not give breaks to the biggest corporations like Disney and Universal while local governments are forced to raid other funds.
16. Demanding Policy Change: Rethinking Criminal Justice
This year, we continued our efforts to hold the state criminal justice system accountable, while ensuring we keep Floridians safe. In the 2021 session (and now again in 2022), we have filed HB83 to protect survivors of domestic violence by ensuring convicted offenders cannot own firearms and HB 6021 to repeal mandatory minimums for non-violent drug offenses, allowing judges to be judges instead of forcefully sentencing people to prison who don’t need to be in prison but need drug rehabilitation instead. In the wake of 2020’s #BLM protests, we continue to elevate racial disparities in policy, speak on issues of injustice, and demand action across our institutions, beginning in early childhood. Alongside colleagues across the aisle, we’re proud to have passed HB673, also known as “Gail’s Law,” to establish a statewide database for tracking sexual assault kits and empowering survivors with knowledge and tools for justice. We’ve also co-sponsored legislation to update Florida’s hate crime statute.
17. Supporting Arts & Culture: Increased Funding & Access
When we’re in Tallahassee, we fight hard every year to increase arts and culture dollars, knowing that they not only return that investment 9 to 1, but breathe life into our district and communities across Florida. This year, we saw the Mr. Rogers statue unveiled at Rollins College, the return of Orlando Fringe, IMMERSE, Fusion Fest, and more. In these moments, we see and feel the incredible resilience and energy that makes House District 47 the perfect place to call home.
18. Democrats Improving Lives: Strengthening Our Coalition
In January, our nation grieved a deadly coup at the US Capitol in the wake of the 2020 Presidential Election. While the inauguration of Joe Biden did not cure all the aches and pains in our country, it did create space for us to look forward. In Florida, we have seen real-world implications from a Democratic Congress, Senate, and White House, like millions of dollars funneling into infrastructure projects, the historic Advance Child Tax Credit, the first female Vice President, and an inspiring set of proposals in the Build Back Better agenda including access to child care. When our leaders focus on issues affecting everyday people, we don’t just win elections, we secure a brighter future, too. We know that many of these policies are still not a reality, but we won’t stop fighting for them.
19. Standing with Workers: Creating Space for Overdue Change
We’re proud to stand in solidarity with our teachers and I was overjoyed to accept the Cesar Chavez Action & Commitment Award from the Florida Education Association in honor of our dedication to supporting workers, combatting union busting, and demanding livable wages with dignified conditions. From pandemic protections to sexual assault reporting, we should be doing everything in our power to shepherd the needs of workers who serve as the foundation of our economy. This is another reason I filed a bill last session to overhaul our unemployment system, which has been an epic failure when it should be a reliable safety net, giving a leg up when workers are most vulnerable.
20. Holding Corporations Accountable: And the Politicians Who Consent To Them
Corporate special interests are the most powerful entities corrupting our democracy from the inside-out, and the GOP majority has especially benefited from cozying up to groups like Big Sugar, Big Pharma, and investor owned utility companies, like Florida Power & Light, an actor who has recently come front and center in a set of dark money scandals, including the funding of three shadow candidates in last year’s elections. When you follow the money, you’ll see a pattern of corporations getting tax breaks while we yearn for healthcare access, education, and affordable housing dollars. We demanded that the biggest of businesses pay their fair share and were relentless in challenging greed, pushing to end corporate giveaways, and urging lawmakers to increase corporate transparency.
21. Building Power in the Florida House
It’s been a privilege to serve in the State House, and not one I take lightly. With you, we built a stronger Democratic caucus and continue to underline the real-world problems affecting Florida. No matter where we land, Team Anna is working for you, and fighting for us.
