Florida - will you join the fight for freedom, justice, and equality?
This legislative session has made our state more dangerous and less free. From permitless carry and bans on reproductive rights to attacks on our public education and diversity initiatives - we must fight back with one strong voice. The urgency of this moment calls us to stand together.
Join Florida Dems in Tampa on May 7 as we demonstrate a united movement and raise our voices against the divisive and dangerous legislation passed in this session.
Bring your voices, friends, banners, and flags to show our movement is united. Sign up here to join the mailing list for updates. If your organization is interested in joining as a partner, please email to http://[email protected]
CALENDAR
Saturday, April 22, 2023
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Earth Day Celebration, Sebastian Riverview Park. Volunteers needed to help provide voter information and sell Democrats of Indian River Merchandise. Contact Caryl at [email protected] or call (772)226-5267
Monday, April 24, 2023
5:30 p.m. - SDIRC School Board Meeting.
J.A.Thompson Administrative Center, 6500 57th St., Vero Beach 32967
Saturday and Sunday, May 6 & 7, 2023
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. - Annual Treasure Coast Seafood Festival, Indian River Fairgrounds. Volunteers needed to help provide voter information and sell Democrats of Indian River Merchandise. [email protected]
Democrats of Indian River
Thursday, April 20, 2023
6:00 p.m. - The Democratic Club will meet at the Kilted Mermaid (so NO potluck). We can share dinner, drinks, conversation and you can stay for their Thursday night Trivia if you want. Volunteer sign-up sheets will be available for Earth Day on Saturday, April 22 and for the Treasure Coast Seafood Fest May 6 & 7. We will have a tent and table and provide Voter Registration and Vote-By-Mail forms and sell Democrats of Indian River merch.
Friday, April 28, 2023
2:00 - 4:00 p.m. - Democratic Women's Club Book Group will meet at the Brackett Library on the IRSC Mueller campus and discuss “THE ROSE CODE” by Kate Quinn. Any questions about the Book Group should be sent to [email protected].
SAVE THE DATE:
Saturday May 13, 2023
11:30 a.m. - DWC LUNCHEON at Bent Pine features Samantha McGuire, Marine Biologist at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute,
on Marine Mammals & their Dolphin Spotter Program at Harbor Branch.
More Information to follow.
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Paper version of our newsletter is now available in the office and in all Indian River County public libraries.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
What have we learned since Sandy Hook?
I remember when the horrible gun massacre of Sandy Hook happened and Americans were sad upset and angry.
Wayne LaPierre, head of the National Rifle Association, counseled calm as he said these emotions by Americans were temporary. He and his loyalists, including many in Congress, went back under their rocks. The calm came again and again and again and ad infinitum.
Nothing changed except the names and rising numbers of preventable gun-massacred children, teachers and grieving families.
Joan Fox, Vero Beach
DeSantis peddling conspiracy theories
I worked at The Federal Reserve Bank of New York for almost 10 years and in the financial services Industry for more than 40 years. I can tell you unequivocally that Gov. Ron DeSantis' rantings about how the Federal Reserve will create a currency that it will utilize to control how much gasoline you can purchase and to limit your gun purchases is pure fantasy. I wonder if he is just making stuff up to rile up the far right-wing base or does he really believe these wacky conspiracy theories? Either way, he is demonstrating that he is unfit to be president of the United States.
Richard Sheehan, Vero Beach
GOP lawmakers, jurists taking away our freedoms
We now live in a world where an ultraconservative judge in Amarillo, Texas, feels he can ignore the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and issue a stay on the sale of an abortifacient medication that has been safely used for 23 years.
Thankfully, his usurpation of power has been negated by a more learned judge. The far-right religious conservatives in this country have been at work for more than 30 years to take away the right of a woman to make decisions concerning her own body and they are now on the cusp of succeeding in their total assault on women's rights.
There has been no comprehension of the cause of a certain pregnancy or any empathy for the circumstances that a woman might be facing in order to continue a pregnancy. These are private decisions between a woman, her partner and her physician.
There are laws in this country today that forbid an elective abortion even in the cases of rape or incest. There are laws being sought that would even prosecute those women who would travel across state lines to receive needed medical care.
This ridiculousness is simply about control. The "threat' of women being autonomous, of being strong and powerful in the workplace, of being capable of decision-making on their own, has some wishing for a return to the days of keeping women "barefoot and pregnant" to control them.
If you care about yourself, your children and your grandchildren, why not vote for those who are more progressive and see the future of our country clearly? If you care about freedom and individualism, consider that most of the current GOP cares for neither of those ― unless it involves their own "freedom" to dictate to others.
Disney tells its lobbyists to step up fight against DeSantis and his allies in Florida
With just weeks until Florida’s legislative session ends, Disney is pushing lobbyists to step up their efforts to influence the Republican-controlled state legislature and to target land use related bills that could hurt the company, among other measures, said the people, who declined to be named in order to speak freely about the issues
A spokesman for Disney declined to comment on the lobbying effort.
The battle between the entertainment giant and DeSantis started last year after Disney opposed the Florida bill that critics named “Don’t Say Gay,” which forbids instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools for kindergarten through third grade.
Then, before DeSantis could strip the district where Disney is based of its self-governing status and replace the board that oversaw the area, a Disney-allied panel signed a long-lasting development agreement that drastically limits the governor’s control. DeSantis has said that state legislators are drafting legislation to nullify that agreement.
Republican officials and business leaders have increasingly criticized DeSantis’ salvos against the company. Former President Donald Trump and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie — two of Florida governor’s potential 2024 rivals — and even former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein have all pushed back on DeSantis for his battle with the company. Since DeSantis suggested Monday that he wanted to develop land near Disney World, potentially by building a prison, Disney announced that “affordable and attainable housing” around the park is set to open in 2026.
Republican Florida state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia warned Disney not to fight back, as he stood next to DeSantis at a news conference Monday.
“I have a couple words for Disney. You are not going to win this fight. This governor will,” Ingoglia said. “One word of advice for Disney going forward: Let it go. Just let it go.”
At the same event, DeSantis vowed to nullify an agreement that would allow the Orlando amusement park to circumvent a special governing district board filled with DeSantis appointees.
Shortly after DeSantis’ remarks on Monday, Disney executives called on lobbyists to keep an eye on any Florida bills that could hurt the company and to start aggressively working against them, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. There is a particular interest in combatting legislation related to land use following DeSantis’ remarks, this person said.
This person, who was unauthorized to speak publicly on Disney’s plans, told CNBC that one of the land-related bills Disney lobbyists are watching carefully is CS/SB 1604: Land Use and Development Regulations. Ingoglia introduced the bill in the Senate, and an identical bill was put forward in the state House.
Both chambers have introduced amendments that could affect Disney. The measures would allow a “newly elected or appointed governing body of the independent special district,” such as the DeSantis-appointed governing body of the Disney district, to review any development agreements and have the option to vote on whether that district will readopt that original development deal.
Both of those amendments were filed on Tuesday, the day after the DeSantis’ press conference where he hammered Disney, according to the state legislature website.
Disney and CEO Bob Iger don’t appear to be taking DeSantis and his allies’ latest moves lightly.
Friends of Iger’s say that the Disney CEO could be hoping that a new lobbying effort against DeSantis and allies, along with a critical public perception of the governor’s actions, might dissuade enough Republican officials from siding with the governor. DeSantis effectively controls the state legislature with a GOP supermajority.
“It’s almost like every time DeSantis says these crazy things Bob comes out ahead,” a longtime ally of Iger’s told CNBC. “He feels Disney is ready for the fight but I think he’s sort of watching the governor try to float his own boat on this one.”
A Disney spokesman told CNBC that this perception of Iger is “not accurate.”
DeSantis’ potential competitors in a presidential primary have pounced on the controversy as a chance to stick it to the Florida governor. Trump, who is running for president, and Christie, another potential 2024 candidate, have both ripped DeSantis for his war with Disney.
The Disney feud may cost DeSantis donors, too. Some Republican megadonors, who were once staunchly in DeSantis’ corner for 2024 GOP, have called the governor’s allies recently to say they might not help him run for president, according to a longtime DeSantis ally. Instead, they said they could back another possible candidate in Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., this person said.
There may be a way out of the protracted fight, however. Before DeSantis’ latest attack, Iger had hinted that he was open to trying to make amends with the governor.
“I do not view this as a going-to-mattresses situation for us. If the governor of Florida wants to meet with me to discuss all of this, of course, I would be glad to do that,” he said.
Iger has also publicly ripped DeSantis’ treatment of Disney.
Brian Schwartz, CNBC
VIDEO of the WEEK
Colbert on DeSantis v Disney, Dominion v Fox and George Santos needs $ reelection campaign
