Down to the Wire

Here's what you need to know this week:

This week, HB1, the union busting bill, passed in the Florida House, even with members of both parties voting against it. This comes after weeks of pressure on our legislators to do the right thing by voting no on this legislation. On Monday, the day before the bill was heard on second reading, we rallied outside of Representative Tomkow's office in Auburndale to let her know how voting for this legislation would hurt working families. Despite hearing from workers from a diverse array of backgrounds, Rep. Tomkow still voted yes. You can find out more about this effort by checking out the story in the Lakeland Ledger. Here's the total vote:

Today, the house is hearing HB 7097, a huge tax package that gives away $540 million in corporate refunds. Despite having a few good things in it, the money that this bill gives away to corporations should be directed into efforts that are more beneficial to working families around the state of Florida.

Finally, HB 7037 is also being heard today. This is the bill filed by Rep. Grant which would strip away our power to amend the constitution by increasing costs per signature, pushing back the supreme court review of amendments, and nullifying signatures after one year. This is the bill we rallied against last week outside of Rep. Grant's office.

All of this legislation is bad for workers, and we need everyone to speak up!  You can find the contact info for your state senator by clicking here, and the contact info for your state representative by clicking here. We ask everyone to call, write, or visit in person to tell them to oppose these bad bills.

Here's what's coming up:

- On Tuesday (3/10) evening, we invite everyone to jump on our statewide legislative update call. This call provides the most up to date information on all of the bills we're watching, and everyone on the call will have the opportunity to ask questions to the folks in Tallahassee who are watching these bills. The call takes place at 6PM. Here is the call-in information:

Dial-in 877-336-1274
Access code 964-7066

Keep in Mind:

Next week is the last week of Working Families Lobby Corps, and we need particpants! Most of the legislation we've been watching is down to the wire, with talks even in place of EXTENDING legislative session.  YOUR voice could be the deciding factor in whether this legislation gets passed next week! You can find the sign-up by clicking HERE (individuals interested in participation should first work with their local union).

That's all for this week! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more updates. If you would like to receive text message alerts from the Florida AFL-CIO (Msg & data rates may apply), text FLUNION to 235246!

In Solidarity,

West Central Florida Labor Council

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