Activists Ready to "Awake the State"
Posted Jan. 11, 2016 08:20 am | Public News Service
TALLAHASSEE, FL -
As lawmakers prepare to return to the capitol this week,
hundreds of people across the state want to make sure
their voices are heard on the issues they believe matter
most.
From Medicaid expansion to income inequality and
immigrant rights, people across Florida plan to voice
their concerns tomorrow in what's become an annual
tradition for the first day of the legislative session.
Damien Filer, political and communications director with
Progress Florida, says the series of rallies known as
"Awake The State" began in 2011 when Gov. Rick Scott
first took office and unveiled a budget many considered
to be an attack on the middle class.
"People across Florida, who really had never been
politically active or engaged before, really wanted to
have a voice and find a way to make it known that this
government wasn't representative government," says
Filer.
Organizers say the peaceful, grassroots movement has
gained momentum each year. Protests and rallies will
take place in communities across the state on Tuesday.
More information is at
AwakeTheState.
Filer says he's encouraged by the growing number of
people turning out for these events. He says if
Floridians don't feel the state budget reflects their
values, they have a responsibility to let their
representatives know how they feel.
"I don't think we have the luxury of looking away from
the political process after we've completed our
responsibility as voters," says Filer. "It's very
important for them to understand that people are paying
attention, that we're watching, that we're concerned."
The 2015 legislative session was marked by gridlock,
with lawmakers at an impasse over health-care funding
and unable to reach a deal on the state budget.
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