“We need a Florida that works for all Floridians”
Advocates will gather at the State Capitol and in cities throughout Florida to “Awake The State” on the opening day of the 2017 legislative session. Labor leaders, legislators and advocates for access to health care, quality public schools, reproductive and immigration rights will provide a counterpoint to Gov. Rick Scott and his legislative allies’ agenda that rewards their corporate backers while ignoring the needs of everyday Floridians. The event at the Capitol will be part of a series of statewide actions and events promoting a different agenda: “a Florida that works for all Floridians.”
Schedule for Tuesday, March 7th:
WHO: Policy experts, lawmakers, and advocates for the Tallahassee event include the following speakers:
- Haley Gentile, FSU graduate student and advocate for reproductive rights
- Rep. Shevrin Jones
- Francesca Menes, Policy and Advocacy Coordinator for Florida Immigrant Coalition
- Aliki Moncrief, Executive Director of Florida Conservation Voters
- Rich Templin, Ph.D., Legislative and Political Director of the Florida AFL-CIO
- Karen Woodall, Executive Director of the Florida Center for Fiscal and Economic Policy
WHAT: Tallahassee press conference unveiling Awake The State’s progressive agenda to build a Florida that works for all Floridians.
Additional press events will be held in other cities across the state including Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Fort Myers, Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, Stuart, Cocoa and Ocala (details on those events are below).
WHEN: Tuesday, March 7th at 12pm (or immediately following the conclusion of the State of the State address).
WHERE: Florida State Capitol – Fourth Floor rotunda
400 South Monroe Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399
Additional events:
Brevard County
Contact: Phil Stasik (321-4 55-2221; stasik@ cfl.rr.com)
Intersection of Highway U.S. 1 and S.R. 520, Cocoa, FL
Starts at 4:30pm
Broward County
Contact: Jamecia Gray (323-617-1178; [email protected])
Office of Sen. Perry Thurston
2151 NW 6th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 32311
Starts at 12:00pm
Duval County
Contact: Pat McCulough (352-246-7717; [email protected])
Hemming Park
117 West Duval, Jacksonville, FL 32202
Starts at 12:00pm
Hillsborough County
Contact: Tim Heberlein (813-532-9846; [email protected])
Gaslight Park
400 N. Franklin Street, Tampa, FL 33609
Starts at 2:00pm
Lee County
Contact: Michelle Guerin (239-839-6118; [email protected])
Centennial Park – Main Pavilion
2000 W. First St., Fort Myers, FL 33901
Starts at 5:00pm
Marion County
Contact: Rachel Ochs (352-789-0445; [email protected])
Ocala Downtown Square
100 SE 1st Ave, Ocala, FL 34471
Starts at 5:00pm
Martin County
Contact: Mary Higgins (772-519-3820; [email protected])
River Warrior Lodge
725 NW Federal Highway, Stuart, FL 34994
Starts at 4:30pm
Miami-Dade
Contact: Lorenzo Canizares (610-308-0783; [email protected])
Government Center
111 NW 1st St., Miami, FL 33128
Starts at 2:00pm
Orange County
Contact: Mitch Emerson (805-427-4183; [email protected])
Orlando Office Of Sen. Marco Rubio
201 S Orange Ave Ste 350, Orlando, Florida 32801
Starts at 11:30am
Palm Beach County
Contact: Tom Conboy (561-412-6997; [email protected])
West Palm Beach City Hall Courtyard
401 Clematis St, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Starts at 4:30pm
Awake The State started as a Facebook page that quickly grew to thousands strong, resulting in events in cities across the state in March of 2011. Every year since, Floridians have organized Awake The State events in their communities at the beginning of the legislative session to engage their neighbors on important issues affecting our state. The Awake The State movement provides a platform for everyday Floridians to make their voices heard and fight for a Florida that works for all Floridians while pushing back against Rick Scott and the legislature’s wrongheaded priorities that reward the wealthy and well-connected.
Awake The State is a grassroots movement of everyday Floridians working to build a Florida that works for every Floridian, not just the wealthy and well-connected.
