Today marks the end of the 2024 Florida Legislative Session and Florida Republicans have proven they went to Tallahassee to do absolutely nothing. At the begging of this week, most of the 10 items included in the GOP’s legislative wish list were either dead or dying, proving that DeSantis' "war on woke" is a failed approach to governance.

Instead of using this legislative session to address the property insurance crisis, Ron and his Republican supermajority tried to roll back child labor laws, repeal Parkland-era gun reforms, protect confederate monuments, and add unnecessary barriers to unemployment insurance.

In this week's newsletter, we're offering ways for you to get involved and make a difference by helping us register voters and support candidates who align with our values in the upcoming November election. Your help could really make a difference!

And lastly, for those who have RSVP'd for our Blue Wave Bash, we look forward to seeing you next weekend!

Special Note: The next newsletter will be delivered March 22. There will be no newsletter March 15.

Last week, Senator Mitch McConnell announced his intention to retire as leader of the Senate Republicans in November — sparking speculation that Rick Scott may run to replace him. In addition, Rick Scott voted last Thursday against a continuing resolution that prevented a government shutdown.

The stakes in Florida’s U.S. Senate race have never been higher. Florida was already ground zero in the fight for the Senate majority, but now the November elections could also decide the next Senate Majority Leader. Rick Scott’s personal ambition could open the next front in the ongoing Republican civil war and a Senate under Rick Scott’s leadership would be a nightmare for Americans everywhere — he’s made no secret of his desire to sunset Social Security and Medicare and take away reproductive rights nationwide. 

With Mitch McConnell retiring this year, the last thing Americans can afford is another extremist holding the gavel — which is why it’s so important for Florida to elect a Democrat this fall and send Rick Scott into retirement.

We hope you will join us at https://democratsofindianriver.org/volunteer/ as we work tirelessly to send Rick into retirement and save us all from the future he wants to create.

Following news of a measles outbreak in Broward County Schools, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo issued guidance to parents that ignores accepted medical practice. Once again, Florida’s Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo is pushing guidance that can be harmful to Floridians. Ron’s politicized choice for Surgeon General is putting the health and well-being of Florida children at risk with guidance that flies in the face of public health standards.

Experts believe that measles cases in Florida are rising due to the anti-vax sentiment being encouraged by Florida Republicans. Dr. Ladapo should leave his personal politics out of things and stick to established medical principles.

The following guidelines are crafted from guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control:

• Measles can be dangerous, especially for babies and young children.

• The CDC recommends that unvaccinated children diagnosed with or experiencing symptoms related to measles remain home for up to 21 days.

• Individuals are considered contagious up to four days after a rash occurs. 

• Parents and others should continue to monitor their children for any symptoms, and continue to follow CDC guidance to help prevent the spread of measles.

Every Tuesday at 6pm-7:30pm, the Voter Registration Department at FDP will be hosting voter registration specific virtual phone banks on Zoom. They will be doing these phone banks through October 7, 2024 (the registration deadline for the 2024 general elections).
 

⭐️ 🚨 SPECIAL PHONE BANKS FOR MARCH 5 + MARCH 12 🚨 ⭐️ The Florida Dems are teaming up with the Candidates & Campaigns Department on their Take Back Local program for the March 19, 2024 Municipal Elections across the state. 

For March 5 and 12, they will be doing vote-by-mail ballot chase calls using the auto-dialer (no need to use your personal phone number!) to make calls!

A new poll released this week by Voters of Tomorrow and Generation Lab founds that Biden leads Trump 42% to 29% in a head-to-head matchup among Gen Z voters, or voters ages 18-to-29 nationwide. 

In a congressional ballot test, 48% of Gen Z voters said they’d vote for a candidate from the Democratic Party if an election for Congress were held today, white 26% said they’d vote for a candidate from the Republican Party.

The poll found that young voters are particularly skeptical of Trump because of his legal troubles. 

Democrats of Indian River is currently seeking to strengthen our committees that interact with the community and participate in local government meetings. We are searching for individuals to spearhead the following teams:

• Get Out The Vote (phone/text banking)
• Poll Watching
• Vero Beach City Council
• Sebastian City Council
• Fellsmere City Council
• Indian River County Commission
• Indian River Neighborhood Association

Passionate about politics and skilled in crafting engaging social media content to drive online engagement? If so, we want you to join our team! As we gear up for the 2024 election year, we're on the lookout for a talented and dedicated Social Media Intern to help us spread our message, engage with voters, and amplify our impact online. This is a part-time, paid internship opportunity. To apply for the Social Media Intern position, please send your resume to [email protected].