Resistance Report Week 7: Floor votes ahead on dangerous bills — we can't let up.

We just wrapped up Week #7 of Florida’s 60-day legislative session — and people power, inside and outside of the Capitol, is making a real difference.

As we head into the final two weeks, three expressly anti-LGBTQ bills remain active threats to our community. Committee stops are nearly finished. From here on out, most action moves to the House and Senate floors.

These are the most dangerous days of session. This is when decisions are made about what lands on the Governor’s desk.

And while the threats are real, so is your impact. Because of sustained pressure from advocates across Florida, we’re seeing cracks in the foundation of the dangerous Anti-Diversity in Local Government bill. This legislation is drawing bipartisan concern for its sweeping and vague implications. During its final House committee hearing, Representative Michelle Salzman (R-Escambia) publicly criticized HB 1001 as “all over the place” and “incredibly vague.” And when the vote was called, Representative Chip LaMarca (R-Broward) broke ranks and joined Democrats in voting NO.

That doesn’t happen by accident. That happens because lawmakers are hearing from you.

Across the state, dozens of local elected officials are speaking out against this sweeping government overreach — warning about the economic harm and real-world consequences for the diverse communities they serve.

Pressure is building, friend. But we cannot let up now.

We know these bills are a top priority for DeSantis and his allies. The only way we stop them is by making sure every lawmaker hears from us — relentlessly. Keep flooding inboxes. Keep making calls. Keep showing up.

These final days will determine everything. Now, let’s take a look at what else happened this week.

Pride at the Capitol volunteers meeting with lawmakers ahead of critical bill votes.
Photo on the bottom right: Equality Florida’s Stephanie Schwartz with Leon County Commissioner David O’Keefe.

This week, we joined the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and Senator Rosalind Osgood for a rally on the steps of the historic Capitol to continue the protest against the state’s cruel cuts to the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). The Senate Democrats also hosted a press conference to continue raising the alarm about the devastating impacts this will have on the lives of thousands of Floridians living with HIV as the cuts now come into effect, depriving ADAP clients of critical healthcare coverage and access to highly effective medication. We heard remarks from Senator Shevrin Jones, Senator Lori Berman, Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith, and Representative Mitch Rosenwald, as well as HIV/AIDS Advocate Michael Rajner. House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell and Representative Kelly Skidmore were also in attendance to show their support.

This week’s WINNER is Senator Rosalind Osgood for keeping relentless pressure on proposed cuts to Florida’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). At a time when access to lifesaving HIV medication is on the line, Senator Osgood has refused to let this issue be swept under the rug. Throughout session, she has spoken out forcefully at press conferences, stood with advocates at rallies, and demanded accountability for decisions that put people living with HIV at risk. Shoulder-to-shoulder with colleagues like Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith, Senator Shevin Jones, and Representative Mitch Rosenwald, her leadership has kept a spotlight on what’s at stake and reminded lawmakers that lives are on the line. We’re deeply grateful for her courage, clarity, and unwavering commitment to Florida’s HIV community.

This week’s LOSERS are Senator Erin Grall and Representative Hillary Cassel for the Police State bills, which passed their final committee stops in each chamber. Under the guise of addressing "ideologies inconsistent with American principles," they continue to bypass serious concerns that this legislation could be weaponized to designate politically disfavored groups as domestic terrorist organizations. Civil rights organizations, labor organizations, and others have opposed the vagueness of criteria like attempting to "influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion." Federal law handles actual terrorist threats, but this poses a serious risk to constitutional freedoms. Read more here.

Now, let’s take you through exactly what happened this week, what's still coming, and how you can take action.

🚨OPPOSE: Anti-Diversity in Local Government (HB 1001/SB 1134)🚨
Sponsors: Rep. Dean Black and Sen. Clay Yarborough

• What it does: This bill is a state sledgehammer to stop cities and counties from any action that recognizes and responds to differences based on race, sex, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation, with limited exceptions. It would repeal existing programs, ban their funding, and threaten city and county officials with removal from office for anything vaguely labeled “diversity, equity, or inclusion.” Local elected officials have stated that its vagueness and extreme penalties would stop local governments from a range of actions like hosting or supporting Prides, offering LGBTQ+ cultural competency training, recognizing Black History Month, or having women and minority-owned business programs.

• What happened: Our Pride at the Capitol volunteers and partners packed the House Commerce committee with over 50 speaker cards submitted in opposition to this dangerous bill. The wave against this awful legislation is building, but it’s still an active threat. HB 1001 PASSED out of the House Commerce Committee by a vote of 14-7. HB 1001 and SB 1134 are now poised for full votes on the House and Senate floors.

• How you can help: Send a message to your Senator and Representative urging them to vote NO on SB 1134/HB 1001.

🚨OPPOSE: Don’t Say Gay or Trans at Work (HB 641/SB 1642)🚨
Sponsors: Rep. Rachel Plakon, Rep. Danny Nix, and Sen. Stan McClain

• What it does: This is grievance legislation, rooted in legitimizing deeply offensive and hostile anti-transgender speech in the workplace. It brings Florida’s culture wars directly into public and many private workplaces. It would shield employees from accountability for intentionally misgendering transgender coworkers, and even prohibits job applicants from identifying as transgender or nonbinary on job applications. The bill also seeks to block LGBTQ-inclusive cultural competency training in certain workplaces, making environments less safe and less inclusive. This bill undermines basic dignity and professionalism in the workplace.
• What's happening: We must keep the pressure on. HB 641 could be scheduled for a final vote on the House floor any day now.
• What's next: Contact your State Representative and Senator right away and urge them to OPPOSE SB 1642/HB 641.

🚨OPPOSE: More Lawsuits for Teachers & Doctors (HB 743/SB 1010)🚨
Sponsors: Rep. Lauren Melo and Sen. Clay Yarborough

• What it does: These bills hand the Attorney General sweeping authority to investigate and sue school staff and health care providers under vague and undefined standards, intensifying Florida’s attacks on transgender youth and LGBTQ+ communities. The bills weaponize state government to intimidate and punish public servants, pile new felony penalties onto care that is already prohibited, and turn Florida’s classrooms into legal minefields. Instead of protecting children or families, these bills will reduce access to healthcare for everyone, drive providers and educators out of the state, saddle taxpayers with new costs, and erode public trust.
• What’s happening: We must keep the pressure on. HB 743 could be scheduled for a final vote on the House floor any day now.
• What's next: Send an email to your State Representative and Senator right away telling them to OPPOSE HB 743/SB 1010.

🚨OPPOSE: Police State Bills (Outlawing Activism) (HB 1471/SB 1632) 🚨
Sponsors: Rep. Hillary Cassel and Sen. Erin Grall

• What it does: This legislation is an outrageous escalation of state terror for disagreeing with the government. It creates a vague, new designation of “domestic terrorist organization” for organizations engaging in allegedly dangerous activities intended to “coerce” the public or influence government policy “by intimidation or coercion.” Felony penalties apply for donating to, advising, or volunteering with an organization that one knows is a domestic terrorist organization or engages in such activity would constitute a felony, and for becoming a member of such organization with intent to further its allegedly illegal activity.
• What’s happened: HB 1471 PASSED out of the House Judiciary Committee by a vote of 13-5. SB 1632 also passed out of the Senate Committee by a vote of 5-3. These bills are now poised for final vote on both the House and Senate floors, and they’re dangerously close to making it to the governor’s desk. Keep contacting lawmakers, telling them to OPPOSE these bad bills.

• How you can help: Send an email to lawmakers urging them to oppose HB 1471/SB 1632.

Pride at the Capitol volunteers ready to testify against bad bills in committee.

🚨OPPOSE: New Barriers to Voting (HB 991/SB 1334)🚨
Sponsors: Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, Rep. Dana Trabulsy and Sen. Erin Grall

• What it does: The onerous new proof of citizenship requirements for voter registration and verification in the New Barriers to Voting bills are rooted in a false narrative about voter fraud and introduce an expensive and burdensome new requirement that will lead to more eligible voters being disenfranchised. These pose particular risk for voters who have changed their names for marriage or other reasons, whose legal name no longer matches proof of citizenship documents like a birth certificate, or don’t have a Florida driver’s license or state ID.
• What’s happening: HB 991 PASSED the full House by a vote of 83-31. Next, this anti-democratic bill heads to the Senate for consideration and a final vote.

How you can help: Email your State Senator and urge them to vote NO on HB 991/SB 1334.

🚨OPPOSE: The Education Package (HB 1071/SB 1090) 🚨
Sponsors: Rep. Dana Trabulsy and Sen. Erin Grall

• What it does: This legislation contains several concerning provisions, including a ban on school districts using state or federal funding for “social and political activism” activities by students and a revision to sexual health education content, which could introduce biased and anti-abortion information about fetal development. The Senate version would make Florida’s already limited sexual health education opt-in only, creating a new hurdle to important information.
• What’s happened: HB 1071 PASSED the full House by a vote of 82-31. Next, this bill heads to the Senate for consideration.

• How you can help: Tell your State Senator to oppose HB 1071/SB 1090 if it comes up for consideration.

As we continue over the next 12 days, we must remember that our voices matter, our actions matter, and our movement matters.