Resistance Report Week 8: 5 days left. Everything's on the line.

We’re down to the FINAL FIVE DAYS of the most dangerous 60 days in Florida — the legislative session. 

Here’s the reality: anything can happen in this final week. Lawmakers will be moving at warp speed to push bills across the finish line and onto the Governor’s desk. The pressure we apply now could be the difference between stopping these attacks for good — or seeing them slip through at the last minute. 

Last year, we did what many thought was impossible: together, we stopped 21 of 22 anti-LGBTQ bills. Now, we have the chance to do it again — and defeat every single anti-LGBTQ bill filed this year. But it’s going to take all of us: leaning in, staying vigilant, and being ready to mobilize at a moment’s notice.

Here’s a deep dive into everything that happened this week, and how you can take action... 

This week, Equality Florida’s Board of Directors gathered in Tallahassee for an in-person meeting. It was an honor to have LGBTQ champions Representative Mitch Rosenwald and Representative Michele Rayner recognize our board and welcome them to the Florida Capitol! They also had the opportunity to visit Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith in his office and discuss what’s ahead in the final days of the 2025 legislative session!

We were excited to partner with SAVE this week for their Lobby Days in the Capitol! These tireless citizen lobbyists came from South Florida to meet with lawmakers and speak out against a range of bills harmful to our community. This is what the resistance looks like. We’re showing up and speaking out every single day until the final gavel falls.

In other frontline news: Our Parents & Families Support Manager, Jennifer Solomon, is in Washington, DC advocating for the safety of LGBTQ+ kids as a member of the Human Rights Campaign’s Parents for Transgender Equality Council!

This week’s WINNER is Senator Lori Berman, who was just elected as the new Senate Democratic Leader! Senator Berman is a longtime pro-equality champion, and we’re so excited to see her in this leadership role! She’s the sponsor of the Hate Crimes Law Expansion bill (SB 450) to ensure that crimes of prejudice based on gender, gender identity, and disability are recognized as hate crimes under Florida law. This is a testament to her long-standing commitment to protecting our community and advancing our mission of equality for all. 

This week’s LOSER is Representative Doug Bankson, who is the sponsor of the Book Banning Expansion (HB 1539) that makes it easier to remove books from classrooms. This week, Rep. Bankson failed to answer even basic questions on the floor from his colleagues, such as whether any materials with LGBTQ content would be considered “shameful” under his proposal. His refusal to provide clear answers shows just how indefensible these censorship efforts are and why we must keep resisting against attacks on free expression and access to honest education.

Now, we're going to take you through exactly what happened in Week #8, what's still coming next week, and how you can take action.

🚨Expanding Book Banning (HB 1539/SB 1692)🚨

Sponsors: Rep. Doug Bankson and Sen. Stan McClain

• What it does: This bill would increase book banning in Florida’s K-12 schools by targeting classic literary novels for censorship and rejecting a longstanding constitutional standard in order to make it easier to object to educational materials. Parents have long had the ability to challenge content in Florida’s schools, but under recent state laws, authoritarian book  banning and censoring curricula have drastically increased. Florida already leads the nation in book-banning, with over 4,500 books banned during the last school year. Further limiting students’ access to books does not protect students, it makes them less prepared to succeed.

• What happened: HB 1539 PASSED in the Florida House on party lines by a vote of 81-29 after fierce debate by several Democrats. Next, it heads to the Senate for consideration. 

• How you can help: Contact Senators right away and tell them to vote NO on HB 1539.

🚨Defunding Advocacy in Schools (HB 1255/SB 1618)🚨

Sponsors: Rep. Dana Trabulsy and Sen. Alexis Calatayud

• What it does: An alarming provision in this education bill would prohibit public schools, school districts, and charter schools from spending any state or federal funding on any programs or activities that advocate for or engage in undefined “political or social activism.” These programs and activities can help teach critical thinking and other important skills. A similar funding ban in higher education led to universities shutting down critical programs and activities that help a diverse range of students learn and thrive.

• What happened: HB 1255 PASSED out of the Florida House by a vote of 86-27 without a widely expected amendment to address concerns about its impacts to advocacy in schools. Now, both HB 1255 and SB 1618 are scheduled for a final vote in the Senate this Monday, April 28th. 

• How you can help: Contact your Senator and urge them to vote NO on HB 1255/SB 1618.

Pride at The Capitol volunteers meeting with lawmakers in the final days of session.

🚨Birth Control Ban for Minors Bill (HB 1505/SB 1288)🚨

Sponsors: Sen. Erin Grall and Rep. Rachel Plakon

• What it does: The Birth Control Ban for Minors Bill (also known as Restricting Minors’ Access to Health Care) would restrict minors’ access to birth control prescriptions, STI treatment, and more without parental consent. Our public health system should prioritize young peoples’ ability to take responsibility for their health and proactively minimize health risks. The bill has already received bipartisan opposition in the Senate.

• What happened: Earlier this week HB 1505 PASSED out of its final House Committee by a 16-5 vote, and it was immediately placed on the House Floor for a final vote. On Friday, HB 1505 PASSED out of the Florida House by a 80-28 vote. SB 1288 also PASSED out of its final committee in the Senate by a 13-9 vote. Now, we’re expecting the Senate to either consider SB 1288 or HB 1505 for a final vote in the coming days. 

• How you can help: Contact your Senator and urge them to vote NO on HB 1505/SB1288.

Our Public Policy Director Jon Harris Maurer with U.S. Rep. Darren Soto (D - Kissimmee) in the Florida Capitol.

🚨Attacking Citizen-Led Amendments (HB 1205/SB 7016)🚨

Sponsors: Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka and Sen. Erin Grall

• What it does: These bills attempt to effectively End Citizen-Led Amendments that allow we the people to change the state constitution via statewide referendum. Florida already has some of the strictest requirements in the nation for citizen-led amendments, but this legislation imposes new and insurmountable barriers that put constitutional amendments even further out of reach and consolidate power toward politicians and away from the voters.

• What’s coming: While there hasn’t been movement on this bill since last week, this is a priority of Governor DeSantis, and we know there is significant pressure for either SB 7016 or HB 1205 to have a final vote in the Senate in the coming days. We must keep up the pressure on our lawmakers.

• How you can help: Contact your Senator and urge them to vote NO on this bill.

With just 5 days left until Session is scheduled to end, we must remember that every call & email, every share, and every voice counts - and we’ll be in Tallahassee until the final gavel falls.

We must remember that our voices matter, our actions matter, and our movement matters.

Make sure you’re following us on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and TikTok for the latest updates. 

Together, we will resist, and we will make a difference. 

Onward,

Team Equality Florida