11/12/25 Duval County Legislative Delegation Meeting

[transcript] All right. Good morning. The meeting is commenced. This is the November 12th, 2025, organizational and general public hearing meeting of the Duval County Legislative delegation. I want to welcome you all today. Please rise for the invocation to be conducted by Representative Black. Men and women of faith, please bow your heads as I pray. Dear Heavenly Father, creator of us all, we gather here, Lord, citizens, family, friends, countrymen all, and we ask, Lord, that you would imbue us this day and bless this meeting with your divine presence. Lord, that we would humble ourselves to you, Lord, that we would submit ourselves one to another in love out of reverence for you who love us. Heavenly Father, may all that we say and meditate here today, honor and glorify you and bring us together eternally and Lord grant us your wisdom which comes from beyond the ages and give us the courage to carry that out. This we pray to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. Amen. Please remain standing. Ron Trez, Lloyd Jr., from the Children's Home Society will lead us in the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible for liberty and justice for all. Please be seated. Thank you both. Miss Natalia, please call the roll. Senator Davis, excuse. Senator Jawbrough, representative Baker, representative Black, representative Daniel, representative Duncan, representative Michael, representative Nixon. We have a call. Thank you. Okay, our first order of business is to adopt the agenda which our delegation coordinator Miss Natalia circulated to all of us. Can I get a motion to adopt the agenda? Is there a second? Thank you. All in favor? I show the agenda adopted. I want to begin with some opening remarks and give you all a roadmap on how this meeting is going to go today. We have 64 speakers who have signed up to speak today and we have a hard stop to be out of these chambers at 2 p.m. So we are going to begin with two and a half minutes for each speaker to present. But as we get closer to the end and it looks like there might not be sufficient time, please be aware that we may further have to restrict your time to speak. I would ask each of you to be respectful of the time for those of the people coming after you. I will further clarify that the delegation operates under the rules of the Florida House. Florida House's rules are different with respect to public comments than city council. The chair will have complete and total control over decorum issues, length of speaking and the like. So again, we would ask that each of you be respectful of our rules and of the process. We will also have time at the end for additional speakers for those people not listed on the agenda to speak, assuming there is time left over for additional speakers. Please restrict your comments to the delegation as a whole. Please do not address comments to any particular delegation member. All materials that you submitted when you signed up to speak just so you know are in a three-ring binder here in front of us. So we have copies of everything that you submitted you do not need to provide additional copies. If you have additional materials that you did not submit, you may provide them to our staff in front of us and they will distribute those copies to us as we speak or as you speak. The rules of the Florida House prohibit the use of props or exhibits in public comment if you intended to utilize any such prop or exhibit other than what you submitted that we have in our book. You will not be allowed to do so and if you cannot comply with that, you will not be allowed to continue speaking. Members, you will be able to engage in questions of any speaker at your desire. You will have to be recognized by the chair just as we do in committee in the Florida House. Please be concise, recognizing how many speakers we do have in the time limitations. I will remind you that the contact information of every speaker is in your book in case you want to have further discussions with any of the speakers. You can do that offline. I ask everybody to remain, remember to silence your electronics and members as a reminder, when you press the microphone button to speak, the cameras will automatically focus on you. So when you are done speaking, please remember to push that microphone button in the off position. Members, are there any other opening remarks? Seeing none, thank you. Okay. We will now move to the election of the chair. The chair of the delegation is a one-year term and my term ends today, so we will elect a successor. I will open the floor for nominations for chair of the coming year. Speak your Doug and you are recognized. Thank you, Madam Chair. For the last time, I will address you as Madam Chair. Thank you for your service to our delegation this year. It's been exemplary. I would like to nominate for chair of the delegation Vice Chair Representative Michael. Thank you. Is there a second? Senator Yarborough, you are recognized. Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to second the nomination for Representative Michael to be chair of the delegation for the coming year. All right. We have a motion and a second to nominate Representative Michael as chair of the Duval delegation. Are there any other nominations? Okay. Seeing none, is there a motion to close the nominations? All right. Senator Speaker Duggan moves we close the nominations and they are so close, we will now proceed to a voice vote on the nomination of Representative Michael to be chair of the Duval delegation. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? No. All right. That motion passes. Congratulations. Representative Michael as the new chair of the Duval delegation. Thank you members. I especially want to thank you Representative Baker for your service to this community and for your service as our chair of the Duval delegation. I would like to express our gratitude by giving you this award. And the award reads, represent it to Representative Jessica Baker with sincere appreciation and recognition of outstanding leadership and public service as the chair of the Duval delegation, legislative delegation for Duval County. 2025. Thank you very much. Thank you. I would like to recognize that Representative Angie Nitson has now joined us. Thank you Representative Baker. Our next item of business is the election of Vice Chair. I open the floor for nomination for Vice Chair of the Duval delegation. Representative Blake, you are recognized for motion. I nominate Senator Clay Yarbrill. Representative Blake represents Senator Yarbrill. Thank you. Is there a second? Representative Baker, you are recognized. Thank you Madam Chair. I second the nomination for Senator Yarbrill as Vice Chair of the Duval County delegation. Representative Baker seconds the nomination. We have a motion and a second to nominate Senator Yarbrill as Vice Chair of the Duval delegation. Are there any other nominations? We have a move to close. We so move. I'm sorry. Senator Jackson. All right. Representative Dagon seconds the nomination. We now close to, we now move to close the nomination and we are so closed. We will proceed with a voice vote on the nomination of Senator Yarbrill to be Vice Chair of the Duval delegation. All in favor, say aye. Opposed no. The motion passes. Congratulations, Senator Yarbrill. Now we will move to our public comment portion of our meeting. I would like to re-enerate. We have many speakers today and is very important. We keep to our time frame. We have a hard stop at 2 p.m. Accordingly, we will limit each speaker to two and a half minutes. I do one allocate time for this members to ask questions as needed. We will call three speakers at a time so you will always know who is upnates to speak. If you hear your name called, please make your way to the aisle and form a line behind a petition or a podium and I will recognize each speaker to begin. Our first three speakers are Justin, Jackie Loney, Chief Deputy Supervisor of Elections. Followed by Jennifer Casey. Followed by Melanie Boldood, School Board member. You are recognized. Thank you Madam Chair. Justin, Chief Deputy Supervisor of Elections for Duval County. Here on behalf of Supervisor Holland and the Florida Supervisor Elections Association, what you have in front of you are the 26 legislative priorities of the association and I'm here to answer any questions that you may have on it. I'm also here on First Supervisor Holland to discuss legislation that he believes will be coming back to y'all in 2026 with regards to the participation of automated, independent audit change. What this really is is basically a machine audit of our tabulation system to do 100% audit. We believe this will be coming back around. It was introduced last year. Kind of his stance on it where we're at right now is 31 counties in the state currently have this system. It is a very expensive system. As you can see with the quote in there, the first year for Duval County would be about $392,000 will be impacted and then close to $100,000 year after year for the software maintenance and everything. Should that get passed, we would like the state to if they mandatory this piece to provide some funding for that to the counties around that are not too far because of financial constraints from that. He does believe that the hand count currently in place is sufficient. This machine audit will not alleviate the groups that believe that don't trust the machines and stuff. The hand audit actually allows them to come in. We can show them that the machines are tabulating correctly and it helps build confidence in our elections. So with that, that ain't question. I recognize Representative Nick. Representative Baker, you're recognized. Thank you, Madam Chair. Can you elaborate a little bit more on the differences between the two systems? You're recognized. Madam Chair, to the representative. Yes, so there's two ways that you can do it. One is a random sample of a hand count. So we'll do a certain percentage of a race of the precincts and we go through hand count and we have teams set up for us depending on how many ballots we have to go through to be anywhere from two teams of three to four teams of three. The machine audit is 100%, so every ballot is going through a separate machine to be tabulated or to be compared to the actual tabulation of the image and stuff on that. And then the discrepancies stuff we can look at on the machine. Representative Nixon, you're recognized. Thank you, Madam Chair and congratulations on your election. Hi, Deputy. I have a question. Does your office, this past election cycle, does your office believe that the election that you all held was safe and secure? You're recognized. Madam Chair, to the representative. Yes, ma'am. Follow up. Thank you, Madam Chair. And finally, in regards to mail-in ballots, does your office believe that the way in which you did the process of mail-in ballots that there was in fact safe and secure? You're recognized. Madam Chair, to the representative. Yes, ma'am. No further questions. Thank you. Dear further questions, members. Thank you. Thank you. Good morning, Madam Chair and the Honourable Members of the Devall delegation. My name is Jennifer Casey. I'm the Director of Education and Outreach. Supervisor Holland has asked for your support of proposed legislation to allow Florida high school students to serve as poll worker assistance. This request comes before you because under current Florida law students under 18, a service poll worker is only if they are pre-registered to vote and meet all other qualifications. As you know, election day means working a full 14 hour day. There is no provision in the law for students to volunteer in a more flexible, supervised capacity while earning community service hours. Why does that matter? Well, our work is to conduct elections and to do that requires a strong and persistently growing poll worker base. We're concerned about the potential of poll worker shortages, not today, but in the years ahead. The average age of a poll worker nationwide is 61 years old. In Duval County, it's 67 years old. Many of our most experienced workers are retiring and we need to build a pipeline of future election workers now. So what would this legislation do? Supervisors of elections in Florida are currently prohibited from accepting personal services related to election administration from individuals, including students. So the proposed language in this bill will allow Florida high school students ages 16 plus who are registered or pre-registered to volunteer assisting poll workers for community service hours, which many students need for college applications and bright future scholarships. The intent is that they would serve limited hours with appropriate supervision and training in a structured way serving on the weekends during early voting to avoid interfering with school. We believe this will support our existing election boards with nonpartisan, energetic and tech savvy student assistance. And most importantly, it will prepare our students for hands-on civic education that will inspire them to return as future poll workers. Earlier this year, we were welcomed into public and private high schools across Duval County for our county-wide student voter registration competition. We spoke to thousands of students and registered them to vote and we spoke to them about the opportunity to serve as a poll worker. As we moved from school to school, a powerful theme emerged. Students understood that one day their vote would matter, but they didn't realize that they could be trusted to participate in democracy right now. To see that spark of realization hit them that the adults in their lives don't just tolerate them, but welcome their contributions now. And not only that, but see a future where their service is essential, that reaction stuck with us. It reminded us that civic engagement doesn't just magically begin at 18. It begins when we offer the opportunity for a spark. When we show them that their voice and their service matter today, with this bill, you have the opportunity to create sparks of light and the fire of civic engagement in our young people. Thank you. Representative, you're recognized. Thank you, Madam Chair. Hi, Ms. Casey, a really quick question. Where would these students be recruited from? How would they have, how would they be chosen? Yeah. Sure, the primary method would be as we go into the schools for our annual county-wide competition. We had 1,700 students registered to vote during that competition last year, and so if only 3% of those expressed interest, that's more than 50 new poll workers' assistance. And over time, we know that that will mean a lot more poll workers. Hello. Thank you, Madam Chair. Is there any type of criteria because if you get an overwhelming response, just want to make sure folks know like the application process and that type of stuff. You're recognized. Through the chair, they would be subject to the same code of contact and application that our regular poll workers do. They would be subject to the same training. And so all of those requirements would be the same. Just the amount of time of their service would be different. Thank you. You further questions? Thank you so much. You are recognized. Good morning. Melody Valdus. Duval County School Board. I'm good morning, Madam Chair and the members of the delegation. It's an honor to be here representing our school board. And I want to thank you for your partnership and your continued support of our students and of our schools. We truly appreciate first your support or a jable or local authority to retain independent legal counsel that steps strength in transparency, accountability and will enable greater efficiency and fiscal stewardship. And then the next item is a dedicated district model for the family empowerment scholarship. And that's about simplicity and fairness and fiscal clarity. Right now, the flow of funding and student data moves through several systems. And then that creates a necessary complexity and potential duplication. A statewide district model would streamline that process, enrollment, ensure real-time enrollment tracking and help both public and private providers operate with accuracy and stability. We're also asking for funding to launch a student safety fusion center. You guys saw that last year. So we're asking again this initiative would connect our schools and our first responders. It would be the first time this is done. It would allow real-time camera access and communication to our first responders. And it'll allow Florida to continue to lead the nation and proactive school safety technology. Duval already has the groundwork in place to pilot that successfully. So we're hoping for your support in that again. Our students are also already using AI tools. So we're asking for help funding professional development for our teachers so that they can keep up with our students and with everything that else that's happening on the world stage. We want to guide our students responsibly so that we can future-proof our instruction. And then the item on facility planning addresses the fish reporting system. On paper some of our schools look full even when principals can point empty classrooms. The data doesn't always match reality when you consider some of our students needs, some of our classrooms are smaller because of CSS and some other things other programs. So right now there's no currently no formal appeal process. So we'd like for modernization and flexibility so capacity decisions reflect actual on the ground capacity in our schools. And finally we're asking for increased spending for ESD and ELL. Thank you. No questions? Thank you very much. Up next we have Bill Olson, followed by Carnell Oliver, Shamari Gloucester. If you can make your way to the podium. Mr. Oliver, not here. Yes, my name is Carnell Oliver, address is on the file. I'm going to tell you all the floor of the legislature right now. I'm in favor of a redistricting process. But this is my reason why I'm in favor of Article 1 Section 2 of the Constitution says we're supposed to have one representative, her 30,000. And then the 10th Amendment of the United States Constitution, you have the state power to honor what the Constitution said. The problem with our country when it comes down to the power of the people, the people I never heard. Because you maintain the power structure of the people at the top. As a black American in this community, that's on the verge of self-discovery. I want my voice heard. I want black American voices heard. Not just in Congress, but also in the state legislature and on a local level. Because the power that you've given away from the people to the interest of special corporation, interest groups, NGOs is undeniably the truth. You took an oath of office each and every last one of that you will respect the interest and the power of the people. But Republicans, it's like a talking point. To Democrats, they have to get serious about this stuff. But for me, as a black American, I want my voice heard very clear and very precise. You know me. I'm not a gatekeeper, but I'm somebody that bust the door wide open and shine light on everything. You broken that covenant of relationship with the people you serve. If you go out there and you go for another redisking process, you better uphold the principles of the Constitution. And if you don't, it's a slap in the face to the people of this community. You can look at the clock if you want. It's because I'm telling the truth. You felt me and you felt the people because the people just don't know the truth. But I do. And you're going to show your true colors when the legislative session happens again. You're going to bow down to the crown. You don't have the guts to do the right thing. I yield my time. It's Mr. Bill Olson, not here. Okay, we move on. Show him it's not being here. Shamari Gloucester, up next. You are recognized. Good morning, Madam Chair. And congratulations, Madam Chair, Mr. Vice Chair. And to the Duval delegation, thank you. Early we were led in the pleasure of allegiance by this gentleman, my right, Mr. Ron Trez, Lloyd Jr. He is an outstanding student at the Edward H. White High School, a community partnership school program here in Jacksonville, Florida. Regionally, we're led by Kimberly Baird, our executive director and the community partnership school is led by Christopher Stone, the senior director. To the Duval delegation, we say thank you. We appreciate your continued support for over the last 10 years, making certain that the community partnership school a model that has demonstrated success, improving student behavior, increasing academic achievement, graduation rates, and strengthening parent involvement in schools throughout Duval County and the state. We say thank you. Throughout a collaborative approach, this model position schools is central hubs to address child well-being and interrupt barriers like counseling, medical needs, dental, tutoring, after-school enrichment, mentoring, and so much more. By integrating these supports, the community partnership school creates learning environments that expand opportunities and increase the likelihood of success for our students all throughout Florida. So that way they're greater contributors to our economy. For the 2025-20026 fiscal year, your support has impacted over 50 schools throughout our state. Team Duval, we truly appreciate this delegation. We truly appreciate your continued support and connecting us to all of the resources that help us do the work that we do. At CHS, we do good and because of this delegation. Thank you. Thank you very much. Up next we have Don Gilman, Catherine Ross, Katie Hathaway. Please make your way towards the podium. Don Gilman, Catherine Ross, Katie Hathaway. Okay, we move on. Please make your way. Come for it, please. You are recognized. Hello, my name is Catherine Ross, my address is on file. Florida stands to lose as much as 3.5 million acres development in the next 50 years, including 2.2 million acres of agricultural land. Residents across the political spectrum have made it clear they want this out of control development to stop. You listened to our voices last year and passed the State Parks Reservation Act. I urge you to do more to protect what matters to Florida in the coming legislative session. An important start would be to appeal sections of SB 180. Well, the new law is well intentioned certain provisions are proving to be a disaster in the making for communities across the state. And must be fixed in 2026. I ask you to reject HP 105 and SB 208. Fills within by and for developers in special interest food and support SB 240, which would give local governments the ability to regulate single use plastics in their community. It is vital for the legislature to fully fund Florida forever program at $300 million, as well as to provide $150 million for swing restoration for current allocation for all woefully short. Our state has some of the most diverse unique ecosystems in the world. To lose them forever would be a tragedy. They must be protected. You have the power to leave a lasting legacy for current and future residents. Please save wild Florida. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Ross. There is a question, please. Representative Duggan, you're recognized. Thank you, Madam Chair. Ms. Ross, this is my delegation meeting. I believe you've spoken and everyone. You and your mother were one of the first people I met when I was first elected to the house. I just want to commend you for your civic engagement, starting as a young student and now growing into an adult, a young adult, and you're an excellent role model and an example of what homeschooling can produce. So thank you for that. Thank you, Madam. Follow up. Thank you, Ms. Ross. Ms. Kati, Kati Hathaway, followed by Gloria Eisting and Lindsay Raw. If you can make your way towards supporting Ms. Hathaway, you are recognized. Good morning. Thank you all. I'm Kati Hathaway, a proud Duval County public school parent and advocate. I'm here to ask you all to stand up for Duval students, our teachers, in our community, and put our children in public schools first. Floridaians deserve transparency and accountability for our tax dollars. Our current school choice model lacks both. The new schools of hope rule has completely veered away from its original purpose, and it now strips local communities of control of their own schools. Here in Duval County, 25 letters of intent from just one charter operator are already on the books to co-locate inside our public school buildings. Brent Free was your oversight. That's an imminent threat to our neighborhood schools and an outrageous case of overreach. Families didn't ask for this and our locally elected school board members have no authority to stop it. That isn't hope, it's a hostile takeover and it needs to be repealed. We also need to fix the voucher program. Florida has projected to spend five billion next year on vouchers, and that's billions being pulled away from the public schools that serve the most of our children. And nearly 70% of our new voucher users were already in private schools. That is not choice. That's a taxpayer subsidy for the wealthy. Every voucher student should have a Florida education ID number, so we can follow the money and ensure oversight. And we can't talk about shrunk schools without talking about our awesome teachers. Florida ranks dead last in teacher pay. That's unacceptable. Our teachers are professionals in heroes, and they shouldn't have to work two or three jobs just to stay in the classroom. Finally, we cannot ignore the dangerous idea of eliminating property taxes, which fund nearly 60% of Florida school budgets. Doing so would blow a whole in public education funding and ship the burden to families through a sales tax that could reach up to 12%, which would be one of the highest in the nation. Public schools are the heart of every community. They're where we come together and where we build our future. We need policies that strengthen them, not schemes that strip them for parts. It's time to protect what ours, our students, our teachers, and our public schools. Thank you all so much. Thank you. And congrats, Brett Michael. You may come forward to the podium, please. You're recognized. Good morning. My name is Lindsay Roth. I live in Jacksonville and Senator Davis and Representative Baker's District. I'm here to tell you about my unique family and how education choice is helping us thrive. We have three children. Elin, not Luke and Cole. All three are diverse and learned in different ways, thanks in part to the flexibility of Florida's education choice scholarships. We moved to Jacksonville eight years ago. All three of my kids attended a small Catholic school. When it was time for middle school and my two oldest, Luke and Cole, I knew we needed a change. My oldest Cole experienced some very intense bullying and my Luke has dyslexia and ADHD. We needed new environments where they could feel safe. We toured many of the great learning opportunities in Jacksonville for Luke and we found the Discovery School, a project-based Montessori Ivy School and Jack's Beach. My youngest Elin joined him and my oldest is now attending the Episcopal School of Jacksonville in 11th grade. Running my kids to all three of these different environments is a lot, but it is so worth it. Our family would not have been able to afford to customize our education in this way without the financial assistance of the Florida scholarship program. As Luke approached high school, I knew our choices were limited for our son who learns differently. These experiences with my kids inspired me to get more hands on myself. A good friend and I started a micro high school. Called the Colossal Academy of Jacksonville. We're currently serving 20 students. Some full-time and some part-time, including my son Luke. Without the scholarships over half of our students would not be able to be a colossal. We are divided into an upper and lower classes with two full-time teachers. We focus on project-based learning with check-ins and with mastery for math. Our science, we follow the guy Harvey Curriculum. It hands on creative way to learn science. All of our kids are creating their own small businesses from the ground up. And some are even learning how to become boat captains by going out on the water to earn their working hours. My three kids are amazing and I'm so proud. Any questions? You can finish your sentence. Oh, thank you. All three of my kids are doing great. When Cole grows up, he wants to move to Chicago and become get into commercial real estate. My son Luke, the one with dyslexia, hopes to own his own business possibly get into the trade. And my daughter, Elin, is inspired by her journey with Lyme disease. Is inspired by her journey with Lyme disease so much that she has dreams of getting into medicine to help others the way that they helped her. And short, my family and our small business is living breathing proof that the new world of public education is here in Florida and it's working. When you let parents make the best choices for our kids, there are no limits to what these amazing kids can do. I want to thank all of you. Here in the delegation today who support education choice in Florida, an urge you to continue supporting the families like mine. Please help us give many of these kids as possible the unique learning environment that they need to thrive. Thank you very much. I'm amazed we have Lanella Filman. You can make your way towards the podium. Linda Levin. Cynthia Rogers. You are recognized. Hi. Good morning. I'm Lanella Filman, president legal and the voters. Jacksonville first coast with members across clay. Evolve, Nassau and St. John's counties. League was founded over 100 years ago. And we have a nonpartisan mission of empowering voters in defending democracy. I'm here today with a simple ask. We ask you to say no to mid-dictators. We already have made it abundantly clear that they don't want political districts drawn with a partisan intent. We ask you to say no to bills that make it harder to vote or register to vote. Voting is a right. We urge you to respect that right by posing any efforts to make voting harder or more onerous. We ask you to fully fund elections administration. We ask you to ensure that the secretary of state and local supervisors of elections have the necessary resources to run fair secure and efficient elections in each county from rural communities to large metropolitan areas and everywhere in between. Florida families expect the need are elected leaders to focus on kitchen table issues affecting our daily lives, not divert millions and tax dollars to a rushed and unnecessary redistricting process that does not address their daily economic reality. Redistricting is not free. The last statewide process costs for audience millions and consultant fees, staff time and new technology. For audience overwhelmingly supported the fair districts amendment in 2010 and sent a clear message to elected officials in Florida. District maps should be drawn fairly. Maps must not be drawn with the intent to favor disfavor any political party or politician and districts must follow existing political and geographical boundaries when possible, such as city or county lines. Redrawing congressional districts in the middle of a decade on partisan grounds without new census data defies the will of the people and undermines the Florida Constitution. Changing electoral maps have hazardly creates confusion reduces accountability and weakens the connection between those elected to serve and their constituents. From the panhandle to the keys stable electoral maps means community can count on consistent representation to address their local concerns to include clean water and disaster recovery at federal level. Constant redrawing of electoral maps risk instability of democracy erodes over confidence and elections causes confusion and makes it harder for communities to elect their preferred candidates for their particular needs. The lead looks forward to your leadership on these issues. Thank you very much. Thank you. This Rogers. You're recognized. My name is Cynthia Rogers and I am a resident and registered voter here in the beautiful city of Jacksonville Florida. I am speaking today as a service to both you and the community and my hope is to convince you that labels are for products and not people. And that things are seldom as they seem as I'm sure you will know. The number of people labeled as sex offenders in Florida has grown dramatically because Florida has created scores of new sexual fences. Many of which are not offenses in other states or in other countries in 1994 when the sex offender registry originated only people who raped and physically heard others were on the registry. Now people are on the registry who were in their home trying to help their autistic son or daughter who had inappropriately touched someone and they delayed going to therapy now both the parent and child are on the registry for life in Florida. People who had inadvertently were out of curiosity clicked on a sex advertisement online and didn't delete it. People who met someone and had consensual sex of heading only to find that he or she was a minor. People who were lonely and responded to a sting operation thinking they were communicating with someone who cared about them only to be arrested by a SWAT team. People who texted friends sexy images which are particularly a problem with middle and high school age children. I'm sure we can think back to times that we did things that may be considered inappropriate now. People who unwillingly committed sexual offense which is often a sign of certain kinds of dementia currently there is no assisted living or nursing home care facilities in the state of Florida that will accept a person on the registry. Surprisingly given the broad range of sexual offenses recidivism of a sex offense is 1% according to recent Florida Department of Corrections independent data analysis 2020 through 2023 and supported by academic evidence based research. Many people that have been labeled as a sex offender didn't actually intend to break the law. Sex was not the driving factor. The truth is registry squander law enforcement resources and created distinctive report sex. Thank you for taking the time to hear me today. Thank you very much. Upnates we have Billy Bradford Taylor Roberts director of government and community relations. If you can make your way to the podium please. You can come for it. Please identify yourself for the record. My name is Billy Bradford and I'll be speaking on long term sentence in the state of Florida. Florida prisons need relief and they need it now. There's a bill in drafting in the house with representative Chad Johnson and I'm happy to send you over to that. For you review as it still needs a sponsor. This long term sinacing act would provide incarcerated individuals serving long sentences and opportunity to be paroled after they've served a minimum of 10 years for an offense which did not result in the death of an individual or 20 for the benefits that did result in death this bill excludes sexual predators and individuals with death. The bill is a conservative approach to reducing our prison population without risking public safety and there is plenty to support the bill including these reports. Florida commission of Finder's review annual report 2024 found that in 2023 100% of parolees have successfully completed their parole supervision without revocation within the first three years of relief. A 25 year study by the elder by elder crime patterns and current trends found that people who commit violent crimes may actually be less likely to commit another serious attempt. Recidivism rates declined dramatically as people aged of those convicted of violent crimes only 4% released between the ages of 45 and 54 reoffend further 1% released at 55 or older were re incarcerated for new crime within the three years and among people previously convicted of murder these rates fell to 1.5% and 0.4% effective. This was in a study done by understanding violent crime recidivism. Philadelphia 174 people were recent and released after having been sentenced life without parole for homicides committed as children. After they had been in the community for an average of 21 months only to 1.1% had been reconstructive any offense or others were re-arrested but their cases were dismissed. In Maryland 188 people serving life without parole mostly for murder or rape were released after serving 30 or more years because a court ruled that the jury instructions in their cases had been unconstitution. That was found by a case study in reducing long term prisons and saving tax payers dollars. Thank you for your consideration and your time. Thank you very much. Next up is Brennan Turner. Good morning. Madam Chair and members of the delegation. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Brennan Turner and I represent the National Association of Social Workers Northeast Unit. I'm here today to talk about a critical opportunity for Florida. One that affects our workforce, our communities, and our ability to deliver essential mental health resources across the state. Last session, the House showed unanimous support for the social work interstate licensure compact, while unfortunately it did not advance in the Senate. Florida is being left behind. 30 states have already joined this compact, making Florida the only southeastern state bill excluded. This gap weakens our ability to attract and retain qualified social workers at a time when the need for mental health has never been greater. The Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce, housed at USF, has projected that by 2035 Florida will have a shortage of three to 4,000 licensed social workers. The workforce is growing, but demand is growing faster. The compact is designed to expand access to care, ensuring continuity of services, when clients move or travel, and creating a strong more connected workforce. Without the compact, Florida risks falling behind. We're already seeing season professionals bypass our state through the lengthy endorsement procedures and high fee. According to mental health America's 2025 ranking the states, Florida ranks 34th overall in mental health while being, but when it comes to access to care, Florida slip from 43rd to 44th, placing it among the states with the least access to insurance and mental health services. That's why we're urging both chambers to pass House Bill 13 and Senate bill 74, the social work interstate licensure compact in the 2026 session. The bill will strengthen Florida's workforce, attract top talent, ensure that every community and all corners of the state have access to the care that they deserve. Thank you for your time, your leadership, and your commitment to the people of Florida and Duval County. Thank you, Taylor, Roberts, ma'am in the back. Are you on the schedule to speak? No. Mr. Roberts, you will be followed by Brendan Turner. I think you just spoke. Sarah Fibic, Rachel Gray, please make your way to the podium. You are recognized. Thank you, Chair Michael. Good morning to the Duval delegation. My name is Taylor Mejia Roberts. I'm the director of government and community relations at Florida State College of Jacksonville. I'm here on behalf of our president, Dr. John F. and Donna and our board chair, Rod Odom. They are actually just a few blocks over at our downtown campus right now, having their monthly board of trustees needing so they do send their regards. But this morning I'm able to share our priority projects on their behalf. First, I'd like to thank you all as a delegation for your support last session with your help. FSEJ was able to secure $2 million in the state budget for a new burn building at our fire Academy of the South. That project is under design right now. And we look forward to inviting you to the ribbon cutting once it's finished looking forward to 2026. FSEJ's priorities are focused solely on the workforce needs of our community. Our number one priority project is going to be our Cecil training institute that'll be a new building out at the Cecil Commerce area. It'll be focused on expanding our career and technical education. So thank welding, HAC, electrical, advanced manufacturing. Our second priority project is the Career Connection Center that will be located on our downtown campus. We'll be open to our students are graduate as well as the community as a whole and it will help them find job placements internships prepare their resumes and get ready for interviews. It will also house a career closet boutique where students can come in and find clothing that they might need for a new job or for an interview. The last on the list is a policy that the council of presidents of the 28 college presidents throughout the state of Florida are supporting this and that would be increased funding for the college program fund. FSEJ has not raised her tuition in many, many years so to keep our programs and classes affordable for our community as well as the end program areas that we need to go into increase program funding is really what we're speaking at the state level for help for that. And with that, I will just say thank you for your continued support and I look forward to seeing you in telehassy in 2026. Thank you. I'm sorry representative Nixon has a question if you could return this Rogers to the podium. Hey Taylor, quick question through the chair. When is the barn building going to be done? Thank you, care Michael, representative Nixon. So it is in design right now. We are still working on finalizing a term sheet and getting that signed with the city of Jacksonville. We have three and a half million that's going into the project, but we anticipate 12 to 16 months. Thank you so much. Thank you. Today I only want to put before you the fact that Florida law does not allow the courts to consider dementia or neurocognitive diseases as there is no wording in statute that states that courts may consider dementia. Florida statute only states that insanity may be considered by the courts. A neurocognitive disease is not synonymous with insanity. Neurocognitive diseases are degenerative and not curable. There was a time when someone could fake dementia, but that is no longer true with brain imaging and blood tests that show biomarker. I know that Florida citizens do not want people with a neurocognitive disease such as Alzheimer's, frontal temporal dementia, vascular dementia, Parkinson's and so on who have their medically documented dementia to be ignored by the courts. I emphasize the words medically documented. I was asked by a state legislator last year to bring a bill to him. This has been done, but we need more health than just from one representative. I do realize the limitations placed on you with a number of bills that you can file. This bill is not asking for a get out of jail free card only that courts, probation and registries can take dementia into consideration. I would then be up to the judge or prosecutor if the dementia can be considered. I have met with the CEO of North Florida Elder Source who has said they would back such a bill, one that would allow courts to consider dementia. If sponsors can ever be found for such a bill, I will be reaching out to other groups such as the Alzheimer's Association for support. They are all huge proponents for those people with dementia and there will be no problem obtaining their support. If you live with someone who has a neuro-cognitive disease, you will know that holding them to the same standards as a person without the disease is inhumane. Thank you. Thank you so much. Hard to misgage coming forward. If Gloria at Ice Dean or Linda Levin is here, please make your way to the podium following Ms. Grage. We will have Beverly Low. Carmen Martinez. Gretchen. Carmback. If you can make your way to the middle aisle. Ms. Grage, you are recognized. Good morning, delegation. My name is Rachel Grage. I'm a community advocate from Jacksonville Beach and Canada for Congress and Florida's Fifth District. Thank you so much for your service and for hearing from residents today. Like so many Duval families, my homeowners insurance bill has skyrocketed in recent years. In February, the Tampa Bay Times reporter Lawrence Mauer published a series of investigations based on a state commission report that almost no one outside the industry had seen. That report showed that while many Florida based insurance insurers reported hundreds of millions and losses, their affiliate companies made billions in profits. Those profits often came from management and reinsurance fees paid to sister firms owned by the same executives, money flowing out of the regulated insurer and into private affiliates. When this came to light at the start of session, Speaker Perez promised Florida ins that lawmakers would get a few hearings were held, but by session's end, many legislators still hadn't seen the report. And when I called Perez at the end of session to follow up, I got no answer. And since 2022, the period covered in the report, more industry back bills passed, framed as relief for insurers covering, recovering from their losses. But if affiliates are earning billions, homeowners deserve to know what, know that before another dollar of relief goes their way. I'm here in Duval families are deferring roof repairs, skipping medical medical care or selling their homes because they can't afford coverage. So today, I'm asking this delegation to finish what Speaker Perez promised to start and report back to citizens on what was contained in that report. Number one, require full public standardized reporting of all related party and affiliate transactions, including reinsurance arrangements so we can see where our premium dollars are actually going. Number two, give the office of reinsurance regulation the power to dig into those affiliate payments and stop companies from adding profits. Number three, only allow rate hikes when companies can prove real claim losses, not paper losses created by shifting money between their own affiliates. And if there's nothing to hide, that's great. We like to see that too. Number four, strengthen basic consumer protections, require insurers to pay claims on time, give homeowners a fair chance to appeal denials and stop dropping customers unless there's a real documented reason. And five, expand hardening and mitigating mitigation grants to cover middle income families, condos and townhounds. Thank you. Please speak. You may approach the podium. Please speak your name. My name is every low. Thank you. You are recognized. As a Florida citizen, I want to see our legislators make decisions based on research, not on emotions or myths about those on the sex tender register. There's abundant evidence showing a low reoffence rate people with the past sex. There are multiple categories on the sex agenda registry where the sexual reoffence rate is 3% or less, mostly one. I do not advocate for anyone who's committed a sex offense served out their sentence and continue to commit sex crimes. They belong in prison. I advocate for tens of thousands on the Florida sex offender registry who are now leading lives of law-biting citizens. It is time to use validated risk assessments in removing people from the registry who are not a threat to society. The registry is like continued incarceration. Money and manpower both should be focused on high risk individuals, not swandered on those contributing to their families and their communities. Florida is reactive rather than proactive. School should educate young people on what constitutes a sex crime. Teach the consequences of committing a sex crime, which research shows is the biggest deterrent. Teach about sex things, things, so they learn to stay out of chat rooms with anyone claiming to be a minor. Since most sex offenses against minors are committed by someone the child knows, educate the parents on what they should do to prevent the crime from happening. Prevention is the appropriate avenue to take. Education, knowledge of consequences, and increased victim services. Don't perpetuate peer-based policies that are not grounded in. Our state needs to remove from the sex offender registry, those individuals who are not a risk of sexually reoffending focus on the high risk individuals and start a program of prevention through education. Thank you. Thank you. Ms. Martinez, may I approach? You're recognized. Good morning. My name is Carmen Martinez, and I'm the secretary for the Republic of Liberty Caucus. And I'm here to talk about several subjects, so I'll be brief on each property taxes. People came to this country initially throughout the whole history of our 250 year history, because there was freedom. There was freedom of religion, and there was freedom from freedom to own property. It's stated in the Constitution that we have the right to own property. Right now, we don't have that right. We rent our properties to the county, to do Val County. And I'm an advocate of getting rid of these horrible taxes. I favor Ryan chain representative Ryan Chamberlain's plan for no taxes whatsoever. I know that that's not on the amendment list, so anything closer to that is a good thing. Secondly, I want to point out that I bought my house, and the taxes were $3,800 a year. They are up to $10,000, and that is enough to make some people lose their houses, and that is not a good thing. Secondly, I want to talk about election integrity. There is some legislation that's being presented about only citizens voting. I support that. There's also problems in Florida with chain of custody. There are 16 counties in Florida, where there is no chain of custody. We are not one of them. Thank goodness. And lastly, I want to just mention that mail-in ballots have to be reigned in. We cannot have the situation where you just mail in your ballot. We don't really know who you are. It's a signature that may be 20 years old to verify that person. That is not working, and it needs to be reigned into people who are truly unable to get to the polls. Lastly, I want to talk about blood transfusions. Right now, blood is screened for many things. CIFLIS, it's screened for hepatitis B, other things. We need to screen it for spike protein, which is a toxin. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Ms. Karmak. Ms. Martinez, if you could return to the podium. Hi, Ms. Martinez. Oh, through the chair. Hi, Ms. Martinez. Hi, Ms. Martinez. Thanks for coming out to speak. Were you here earlier when the chief deputy supervisor of election stated that the Duval County elections were safe and secure? Yes. No, I got here about 10 and 15. Jerry Holland spoke here today. No, the chief through the chair. The deputy chief spoke, and I asked him specifically around mail-in ballots where they safe and secure. And he stated yes, they were. Well, and he's opinion. Yes, and they are somewhat safe and secure, but they're not really. Because what you're comparing is a signature on a card that was signed how many years ago we don't know. And you're comparing that to a signature that just came in. And those are often very different. Follow-up. Thank you very much. Follow-up behind Ms. Karmak. We have Ron Eleanor. Jane Frances. Judy Shekland. If you can make your way to the L. You are recognized, Ms. Karmak. Hi, thank you. Yes. My name is Gretchen Karmak. I live in Jacksonville Beach. And I am the lead organizer of Reclaim Joy-Supporta. I'm here today to urge you to support. A commitment for MP1 wasこの year and year and year 256 year0 one file by Representative Kelly Stydmore. And SB2 for 2 file by Senator Kristin Aryington. Both bills repeal the Florida pregnancy care network. Now today, that network fundalls almost 30 million dollars of public funds into anti abortion centers. patients, they delay care, and they pressure people into decisions. Now the state does that it's looking to root out waste brought in abuse. Well, this program is literally all three. These centers waste patients time to push people personally past the six-week abortion ban. They commit fraud with deceptive advertising and dangerous misinformation. And while everyday Floridians are struggling to pay their bills, these centers abuse taxpayer dollars to exploit people in their most vulnerable moments. And on top of all of that, there's no medical or safety standards. And I know not all of you may sit on a committee that would hear either bill, but you can urge your colleagues to support them. And perhaps maybe someone here is on the health professions and programs, subcommittee, and you actually have the power to give the bill a fair hearing. So at the end of all of this, my ask is simple, please support HB6-001 and SB242. And please end this taxpayer-funded deception. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Allenoff, you are recognized. Morning. My name is Dr. Ron L. Oneoff. I have the privilege of serving our public here since 1971 as a licensed aid. Although I'm not in private practice anymore, I feel I'm involved as a volunteer with them and Salis Barker, I've been primarily with River Gardens in your nursing home. I want to extend the heartfelt thanks to those members of the House of Representatives to overwhelmingly supported HB21, central therapy, legislation last. Unfortunately, in the Senate, I guess somehow that got mixed up with some larger bill dealing with rural issues, and it never came to the floor. Hopefully this year that won't happen, and it will come. Access to moral health care and Florida was among the worst in the nation. 65 of Florida's 67 counties have dental health professional shortage area. Millions of Floridaans don't receive dental care. In fact, Florida leads the nation for people using emergency departments for preventable dental pain and infection. This has increased over 25% since 2021. Even more shocking, hospital buildings have increased 77% to almost $1 billion to spend here in emergency departments of our hospitals in the state of Florida dealing with preventable dental issues. This has all wasted money because the only thing that happens in the hospital emergency department, they're given antibiotics, pain medications, and the patients still need to find dental care for their problem the next day. On the way in here this morning, I was listening to the mayor was on the NPR program in the morning and she was talking about how telemedicine has helped so much in terms of freeing up dollars from the emergency departments in our hospitals here. Unfortunately in dentistry, telemedicine doesn't work. You need to see somebody to get treatment taken care of. A key part of the solution to Florida's moral health crisis is authorizing dental therapists to practice. Thank you for your territory. We have a question about representative Blake. Representative Blake, you're recognized. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, Dr. for coming out today. Just for clarity, say, is it your position today that you support the creation of dental therapists as a stand-alone expansion of the scope of practice, or do you mean for them to operate under the supervision of a licensed dentist? You're recognized. Is there a question? So, well, representative Blake, my advocacy is not to have an independent individual study of practice. They will be working under the auspices of a dentist in the dentist's office. They will be taking the same examinations as a dentist takes a teacher that they would be committed to. And it's up to the dentist if you want to hire somebody or not, but the direct supervision would be under the auspices of a licensed dentist. Thank you, Dr., that answers my question. Thank you so much. Please state your name for the record. Yes, I'm Gene Francis representing Mom's Demand Action of Greater Jacksonville and Jack Speaches. After the Parkland Massacre, the Marjorie Stoman Douglas Act was passed on a bipartisan basis. In the recent legislative sessions and again proposed for this upcoming session, the Florida House has tried to water down this life-saving act. Some are using the fact that an 18-year-old can join the military as justification for lowering the age to purchase firearms back to 18, although 18 to 20-year-olds commit gun homicide at three times the rate as older people. Also in the military, whether one is 18 or 21 or 45, there is not the kind of unfettered access to weapons that is being proposed. Weapons are locked, ammunition is counted, and most importantly, extensive training is given before anyone even thinks about firing a weapon, and this training continues throughout their career. If the military is being used as a rationale to change the law, there also should be willingness to enact the military stringent firearm safety measures. The governor and others have said the sky won't fall as we adopt open carry. One of your colleagues has said we don't want to be like California or New York. While these two states have many things that we may not like, we should be envious of their gun death rate. While Florida's gun death rate is 13.6 for 100,000, California's is 8.2, and New York's is 5.0. The fifth lowest gun death rate in the country. Florida's gun death rate has increased by 19 percent from 2014 to 2023, while our gun laws, gun safety laws are being watered down or loosened. While future generations, when future generations walk through our cemeteries and see all the young lives lost to preventable gun violence, they are going to say these people did not love their children enough to do something. We are calling on you to do something and act. Stop the assault on the Margarice Film and Douglas Act. Task legislation to allow families to petition for extreme risk protection orders, a proven tool to help decrease gun suicide. Over 60 percent of gun deaths in Florida are due to suicide. Strengthen the requirements for gun storage of firearms in homes and in vehicles. And finally, consider if open carry is really necessary. Visible guns do not make anyone safer. They raise tension and too often turn small conflicts into deadly encounters. Thank you. Following Ms. Shekland is Kenneth Green, Joshua Miteswell, Sharon Dykes, if you can make your way to the podium. Ms. Shekland, you are recognized. Thank you. A good morning. My name is Judy Shekland. My address is on record. I am here today to speak in support of reproductive rights and against the civil liabilities bill as well as the parental rights bill. In the last election, 57.2 percent of Florida voters voted in favor of abortion rights and despite a misinformation campaign designed to defeat this amendment, again, it had 57.2 percent of your constituent supporting it. Currently, SB 164, the civil liabilities bill would grant an embryo the same rights as a living person. This bill would strip health care decisions from pregnant patients who face the loss of emergency care or cancer treatments simply because they're pregnant. Lawyers not doctors would be in charge of these decisions and not one of us would want a lawyer making our health care decisions. This bill would increase the litigious climate that has already driven countless numbers of OBGYNs from Florida. It also could lead to cessation of IVF, the investigation of pregnant people for miscarriages and open the door for abusive partners to file lawsuits to punish their victims. I hope you vote against this bill. I would also like to speak against SB 166, the so-called parental rights bill. This bill limits minor's access to treatment for STIs, mental health resources like suicide prevention, hotlines, birth control, or even to take a health survey without parental permission. As a retired school counselor, I worked with dozens of students who lived at Daniel Memorial, children's home society, whose parents had lost parental rights or they were in limbo. They had no parents to help them in these decisions and they were also at greater risk for self-harmoned depression because a parent is unable and willing or unavailable to provide support for their children. Young people must not be placed at risk for self-harm, nor face deadly barriers to health care because of the lack of parental involvement. Thank you. Thank you. Upnates, we have Kenneth Green. You're recognized. Good morning. I'm Miss Kenneth Green and I am asking for your support on a piece of draft legislation that would provide expanded access to nursing home care. Each year hundreds of people in Florida die alone on the streets or in the woods, some in families, arms, some in hospitals because they cannot access nursing home care. Why? Because they are on this Florida sex offender registry. The legislation I am asking you to support would allow people who are permanently incapacitated to petition to be removed from the Florida sex offender registry so they can access nursing home care. This proposal is the same as Georgia's existing law. Currently nursing homes are forced to turn away registrants, not because they pose a threat but because of the orders I'm sorry. Not because they propose a threat but because of Florida's skill nursing regulations, our residency registry restrictions and the stigma that follows registrants and the facilities that care for them. Residents who are forbidden or are bedridden in advance that dementia or terminally ill are denied nursing home care. Families care for loved ones at home without proper resources. Hospitals keep patients for months due to no Florida nursing home availability. This is not a small problem. The Florida registry is basically for life. Hence our registrants are rapidly becoming elderly. Almost 7,000 are 65 or older. 906 are over the age of 80. This proposal to create Florida statute 943.04355 allows sex offender resources to focus on higher risk individuals, not on people who are presently incapacitated and need nursing home care. Thank you very much. Thank you. Joshua Maxwell. Followed by, Upnates, we will have Sharon Dykes, Carol Brady and Tammy Brooks Evans. If you can make your way to the aisle. Mr. Weiss, Maxwell, you are recognized. Thank you. My name is Joshua Maxwell. I'm a local ocean engineer here in Duval County. I work for Bellingham Marine. We manufacture about $45 million worth of floating docks and marinas here locally and distribute them from Maine to Texas all throughout the Caribbean. Today I'm primarily here to represent two organizations that I sit on the boards for. I'm currently the president marine industry of Florida as well as sit on the board for the marine industry of North Florida. The marine industry obviously from my profession is near and dear to me and there's a few things that will be coming forward to you later this year. There is always bills regarding marine safety, marine theft. I want to let you guys know that I'm here local in Duval County. I'll make myself available to come meet with you and your chambers, you know, prior to legislative days. Our group will be in Tallahassee for legislative days. Most of you are probably more familiar with our lobbyists, Missy Timmons. So she'll be taking us through and scheduling some meetings with some of you guys. If there's any bills that come up, please reach out. There's billions and billions and billions of money spent whether it be in boat sales, storage, repairs. There's over 7,000 jobs in the state or 7,000 companies in the state of Florida that are all based around the marine industry and I'm here just to make sure that anything that happens in Tallahassee is for the positive of our industry and also to protect our voters. One of the things I'd like to just kind of see if you all are interested in it because if there's a positive feel from the delegation, I'll turn next to the school board, but there is a approved education for outdoor recreation that's been approved by the state of Florida and that's part of the handout I provided to you today. It would teach kids some basic voting safety, outdoor recreation safety and unfortunately in a community that has been plagued with some voting tragedies. You know, I feel that it would be great if we could get some of the kids in our public school system to understand how to be safe when on and around the water, especially since we have so many inter Coastal rivers, creeks, lakes. It's a real big push for me. I've got two kids in the school system here. I'm very active in scouting, so they will be learning all of this at home and at scouts, but I can't reach every kid and neither can my organization. So I feel if we can bring some of this into the schools, it will just hopefully get kids more interested in our parks. I'm a recent transplant from South Florida, came up about a year and a half ago. Oh, sorry, thank you for your time. Thank you very much. I like to recognize Representative Kim Daniels is now in attendance. Sharon Dykes, he's approached the podium. You're recognized. Thank you. My name is Sharon Dykes. I'm the current executive director from the Center for Independent Living Track. Today, I'm here to let you know a little bit about our services. We provide transition services to people out of nursing home and isolation, and we provide the transitions of the vacant ones, comfortably in there. We also provide thousands of dollars of free medical equipment to our community. We also support five counties. We are also across the stability. That means we serve any disability, regardless of what it might be. We would ask for your continued support to fund the Centers for Independent Living and the work that we do. We also provide interfaith services not only for the cities that are surrounding businesses. We empower people with disabilities to give off the benefit, to give a job, to work full time. I personally have two jobs and disability, but it doesn't stop us. It doesn't stop us from providing the services that are needed, but what does stop us is a lack of funding. So I would ask that you continue to support the Centers for Independent Living and the State of Florida. Thank you. Thank you very much for coming and speaking this morning. Please state your name for the record. Thank you, Madam Chair, members of the delegation. My name is Carol Brady. I'm a member of the leadership team of the Beaches Activist Movement. As part of our Get Out the Vote effort, I have an opportunity during elections to knock on a lot of doors. Most of those doors belong to people who don't always vote. They're low propensity voter. The people who answer are generally polite and most agree after hearing my pitch that voting is important. They offer lots of reasons and excuses as to why they stay home. They're too busy. They don't know enough about the candidate. They're not interested in politics. During the last election, amid all the excuses I heard, one comment really struck me. A gentleman told me he didn't vote because the deck was stacked. That's a terrible assessment and a comment to hear in our democracy. A democracy that has a foundation of suffrage and fair election. A democracy whose success depends on people. People's willingness to show up and exercise their right to vote. In the upcoming session, you are being asked to stack the deck again. Absent updated population information from the census. The sole justification for mid-decade redistricting is to gain partisan advantage. Florida's current congressional maps, thanks to the governor, are already distorted, offering virtually no competitive districts and watering down the representation of minority. I urge you to oppose any effort to undertake mid-decade redistricting in the upcoming session. It is unprecedented. It violates the state constitution. It goes against the intent and the spirit of the fair district amendments, which were overwhelmingly supported by Florida voters, and according to a recent poll, it is opposed by the majority of voters in Florida. My request is simple. Don't stack the deck. Thank you. Thank you. Following Ms. Brook Evans will be Jessica Rice, Nancy Stats, Dr. Stats, Katie Bauman. You are recognized. Good morning delegation. My name is Tammy Brook Evans, and I'm a national board certified teacher. I've been certified for over 20 years, and I serve as the president of Duval Teachers United. I represent teachers, classroom teachers, ESC teachers, site coaches, speech and language pathologists, psychologists, and many, many others. I also represent peer professionals who support our ELL class, our ESC students, and our general education population. I represent our UOPD, which include our clerical, truancy officers, and security. Ladies and gentlemen, we fund what we value. We fund the things that we value. We are asking that you consider increasing the FEP by $1,000 per student to allow us to maintain classroom teachers and to also try to recruit teachers to fill positions that are open here in Duval County. As of last week, we had 363 teacher positions that were open. 98 of those positions are ESC position. 166 peer professionals who support the classrooms and 56 clerical positions. When you say 363 openings, that means we have 363 subs and classes teaching and working with our students. Those students deserve to have a certified teacher. We need more money in Duval County to be competitive to recruit the best and the brightest to come to our district and to get them to stay in our district and fill those classrooms. Teachers who are not working under 10-year contract have a year-year contract. Those teachers deserve to have some stability in their work. They deserve to have multiple-year contracts and we're asking that you consider to change the things the way they are now when you're dealing with new teachers. They literally are worried if they will have a job coming to next school year. If you want people to be dedicated to the work, they need to feel secure in their position. We're asking you to consider having multiple-year contracts for our education. Care professionals deserve to make a living wage. I am absolutely sure many of our care professionals qualify for SNAP. They don't make enough money to take care of their families. They work multiple jobs. DTU offers professional development for them on Saturdays, but we can't get them to come because they have another job. So they can't even come and get assistance in doing the best they can for the students that need them the most because they need to have a second job. We need more money to pay them better. Thank you. Please state your name for the record and you are recognized. Thank you Madam Chair and members of the delegation. My name is Jessica Reese and I am also a national board certified teacher. I certified back in 2005. I'm also the vice president of Duval Teachers United. You just heard from who we represent. It's over 8,000 teachers, paraprofessionals, and clerical staff here that work for Duval County Public Schools. My goal along with that of all of my colleagues is to ensure that our students are well prepared for their future. Whether they advance to the next grade level pursue higher education, intervocational trades, or join the workforce. When we work together to meet this goal, the possibilities for our students are endless. No matter where we work or what our roles are, we care about the future of our children. We can all agree that more work lies ahead. Teacher and staff shortages persist. You just heard the numbers for Duval County and that those numbers are pretty on par for around the state. So you want to look at all the other districts around the state to see what are their vacancies first. Teacher and staff shortages persist. Florida's average teacher pay ranks 50th in the nation. Many educators are working multiple jobs just to make ends meet and enrollment in college teacher preparation programs continue to decline. People are not wanting to go into education based on what they see going on. Additionally, the statute's governing public education continue to grow as do the burdens that the teacher and the students face. It's crucial that we carefully examine solutions to these issues to maintain the strength and prosperity of public schools and the students we serve. As you consider education policy during the session, we would like to offer several recommendations to address the challenges based in our classrooms and on our campuses. You've heard this before, but this is a piece that is very important. We need to assign every student in Florida a student ID number. So they can be regardless of where they go to public school, private school, homeschool, charter school. This way we can ensure that students are accurately counted in the state funds genuinely follow the student no matter where they go. It will help prevent issues like experienced during the 24-25 school year where there were nearly 22,000 students who were double counted. Resulting in public schools missing out on vital funding for their students when they were educating and also retains, identify strategies to retain our educator. Thank you for your time. Thank you very much. Dr. Stats, you are recognized. Thank you. Good morning delegation. My name is Dr. Nancy Stats. My address is on file. I'm a board certified medical doctor with decades of clinical experience. I thank you for your time and attention. I've provided you with seven pages of documents, including references and photos of vaccine-preventable diseases. On September 3rd of this year, our Surgeon General announced a proposal to eliminate all mandatory vaccines. And I'm quoting now, all of them. Every last one of them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery, unquote. To state the totally obvious, this is very radical thinking and it's completely unscientific. We, if such a proposal and the entire medical community is already rightly alarmed, in fact most of our community is rightly alarmed. To give you a little national context earlier this year, RFK Jr. fired every single member of the advisory committee on immunization practices, ASIP, replacing them with his maha supporters. Many of us feared the worst, but guess what? They met in September and recommended only two minor changes upholding every other mandatory vaccine recommendation. This proposal by our Surgeon General World's Florida way back, taking us way beyond current national standards, we would be a testing ground for radical anti-vax policies, but we don't need to do the test. We know what's going to happen. If it's not mandated, the rates will plummet, the insurers won't cover it, and it will be unaffordable for most families who want to get the vaccine. Very soon our communities will have disease outbreaks, and those with the weakest immune systems, that is children under the age of one, will suffer at most. I am asking this delegation, please follow the ASIP national recommendation. Please listen to the Florida Medical Association and 78 other highly respected medical groups. Do not eliminate any mandated vaccine. These have been regulated, including those by the DOH, they have been mandated because the disease causes significant illness and even death. I actually believe Dr. Latapoe should be removed from office, but absent that, I would ask you to please, please resist removing vaccines. This proposal must be stopped before it's too late, before we are burying our babies who've died from completely preventable illnesses. Be happy to entertain any questions if you have them. Thank you very much. I ask everyone going forward to please hold your paws so that we can get through every agenda or be speaker is heard. Thank you very much. After Katie Bowman, who is policy manager for Surfrider Foundation, we will have Jacqueline Steele, Nancy Cobb and Sarah Stroymeyer. If you can make your way to the out, you are recognized, Miss Steele. Thank you. I'm Katie. I'm sorry. Thank you. Good morning. Good morning. Thanks for the opportunity to speak today. I am Katie Bowman, a Duval resident, also Florida Policy Manager for the Surfrider Foundation. Surfrider is a nonprofit dedicated to protecting and enjoying the ocean waves and beaches for all people through a grassroots network. We have 12 volunteer led chapters in the state, including the first coach chapter here in Duval County with many members living here. I'd like to highlight a few of our top priorities going into the 2026 session, coastal resilience, water quality, and marine debris and plastic pollution, all of which directly impact livelihoods and communities here in Duval. On the resilience front, we hope the legislature will prioritize legislation for nature-based solutions for our protecting our coast. These solutions include wetlands protections, living shorelines, and where appropriate main grow restoration and replanting. All of these are dynamic resilience options that serve as buffers from flooding and sea level rise, while also providing significant ecological benefits. We need to strengthen our state laws to encourage these methods and to provide more regulatory clarity and incentives and funding for those pursuing these methods for resilience. We also urge the legislature to repeal sections 18 and 28 from last year's SB 180. These sections of the law as applied prohibit local government planning that is more restrictive for burdensome. This law has paralyzed local government land use and development planning actions across the state, and these consequences have extended our beyond post-disaster recovery measures. On the water quality front, our beachgoers, tourists, and local communities are still vulnerable to getting sick, because there are inconsistencies in how our beach and coastal water is tested and how the public is notified. We ask that you support legislation and funding for water quality monitoring in the upcoming session. And finally, regarding the growing and expensive problem of plastic pollution and marine debris in our waterways, ocean, and beaches. We have long advocated practical measures to reduce these waste management and plastic pollution crises across the state. It is bad for our health, bad for our tourism and economies, and bad for our environment. Thank you very much and we look forward to working with your offices. Thank you. Please state your name for the record. Jacqueline Steele. You are recognized. Good morning, Delegations. My name is Jacqueline Steele, and I serve as the North Florida Field Manager for Equal Ground, a Black-led voting rights organization, committed to protecting our democracy and increasing civic engagement across Florida. I'm honored to be here today in Duval County to place a rich in history, culture, and resilience. Jacksonville has long been a hub of progress and possibility, where the voices of people from every neighborhood, from the north side to Mandarin, from the east side to the beaches come together to shape Florida's story. That is exactly why we are here to ensure that every voice continues to count. Democracy only works when voters choose their elected officials, not when district lines are drawn to favor a political party or protect incumbent, so let me be clear. I'm not asking for racial jereminders. What we're asking for is fairness. Maps that follow the law reflect Florida's fair district amendment and give voters the power to choose their leaders. Floridians pass these amendments because we demand fairness, accountability, and transparency, not partisan manipulation. Right now, Florida's congressional map stands at 20 Republicans and eight Democrats. That imbalance raises real questions about whether the process fully reflects the will of the people. When district lines are drawn fairly based on equal population, compactness, and keeping communities together, every Floridian, including those here in Duval County, have a genuine voice in shaping our future. We also strongly oppose any intent to redo the census before 2030. What we need is a complete and accurate count, when that time arises not in four. And while redistricting is essential to democracy, it's not the only issue voters care about. Families across Duval County and part here this morning are concerned about rising property insurance costs, the need for affordable housing, access to health care, quality education, livable wage jobs, protecting our children's health and so forth. We also urge you to make yourselves available beyond session and delegation meeting. True leadership requires listening you around. When elected officials engage consistently, it builds trust and trusted the foundation of democracy. Finally, we ask you to use the people's money wisely and not have a repeat of last session. Thank you so much. Thank you. Up next is Nancy Cobb. Followed by Siri, Sarah Strawmiker, Willie Lee. You are recognized. Hi, I am Nancy Cobb, and I'm a Jacksonville lifelong resident. I graduated from high school, from public high school, back when Elvis was still alive, and I graduated from UNF back when they graduated on the green. That's all I'm going to tell you about how old I am. I've been here a long time, and I am the proud parent of an amazing young man with Down syndrome. And that's why I'm here. John is 45 years old, and he is a true success story. A lot of what goes on in the community, you have to go, oh, why did that happen? You can be proud that John is a successful young man, and it is greatly in part to the agency for persons with disabilities. That's the APD. There's a lot of letters here. He is in a program called Consumer Directed Care, which is CDC plus, which is part of the MedWaver Eye Budget program. And I said all that to say that there's a movement to perhaps do away with that program, to move to a managed care program. And I'm here to ask you not to do that. At least not for people that are successfully on that program. And it wouldn't be fair if I didn't tell you a little bit about John's success, and tell you a little bit about why. He receives job training, job coaching, transportation. He also gets therapy for speech. He's had therapy for occupational music, equine mental health counseling, in-home support. I could go on, lots and lots of services, and they're all through CDC plus. Because he got all that support, John lives as a valued contributing member of this community. He lives in his own home with his dog Maggie. That's what he wanted. He didn't want a group home. He wanted to be on his own, and he lives successfully. He hunts, he fishes, he swims. Today he's not here because he's playing pickleball. He goes to church, he travels with his family and friends. He loves music, he plays the piano, he's learning to play the cello and the violin. He's a die-hard Elvis fan, and he attends Elvis Festival's every option, every opportunity he gets. He cheers for the Jags and the Seminals. He's worked and volunteered in the community for many years. He recently retired after 17 years of working in the same school here in Jacksonville. I could go on and on, but thank you for your time, and thank you for supporting this valuable program. Thank you. Thank you. Sarah Strowmeyer, not available. Okay, following Mr. Willie Lee will be Laquitra Elliott. Janina Perez, followed by Judy Bapanino. Mr. Lee, you are recognized. Good morning. My name is Gerald Parrott. Sarah asked that I speak in this slot for her, or speak in her spot. My name is Gerald Parrott. I'm Cameron Parrott's father. I came here to thank you, at least those of you who voted to end Lord is free kill law last year, particularly Senator Yarbrow for your support. Please do not direct any comments towards any. I'm sorry. What? Please do not direct any comments towards the representatives. Okay. Thank you for those who did, and those not. The fact that 93% of Florida lawmakers agreed to end Florida's free kill law demonstrates that our government can work together. When Governor DeSantis vetoed the bill this summer, I started end free kill now. The purpose of which is to educate the millions of people in the state of Florida that have no idea that when entering a Florida medical facility, they have no rights. And hold those politicians who do not vote to end this law accountable. The campaign is working. The billboard we are running on I-95, welcome to the free kill state of Florida, has been featured in the Orlando Sentinel, Florida politics, various podcasts, nine different TV station, news markets in the state of Florida, and on the first coast news here, right here in Jacksonville. It's been trending on national and international social medias. Just one podcast on Reddit received 567,000 views. Donations have come in from as far away as Texas and North Carolina, and advocates have signed up to support our cause in this next legislative session, thousands of them, all over the state of Florida. We are building an army. The way to end this campaign quickly and easily is to override Governor DeSantis veto. Florida loses credibility as this goes on. Liberty and justice are all. That's what we said when we spoke here. Thank you very much, sir. Upnates, do we have LeKedra Eloat? I'm actually really pleased, so I think maybe we got out of. I'm sorry, you're recognized. Thank you. So I'll start by giving a little bit of why I think this program is important. Give some background on myself. I am a native of Jacksonville graduate of high school. I grew up as a serial athlete, and I assume my only way to get to college was athletic scholarship. That ended up being true. Dusty Rhodes over at UNF gave me the opportunity to play baseball for him, and the why comes into this story. When I got to UNF, a grace were good, and I had the opportunity to major in electrical engineering. Well, electrical engineering is not built for athletic, so the core classes are right in the middle of practice. Dusty Rhodes, Coach Rhodes made a decision to allow me to major graduate in electrical engineering, even though his starting center filter and lead off batter would be serially late to practice every Tuesday and Thursday. And that one decision totally changed the rest of my life. I have had the opportunity to have a great career in technology, traveling the world, most recently working with a group of researchers out of Dubai doing immersive technology, AI, robotics, and last semester, a friend of mine from FAMU asked if I would come lead a cohort of 10 students doing AI training because the technology is just moving so fast that traditional curricula, curricula improvement by the time it gets approved, you know, outdated, and I agree. And no good deed goes undone, so when President Trump released his AI challenge, I was asked to lead a group of high school students, and then later, asked to lead a group of students out of Jackson, and then just again, lead a group of students out of Reebok. And so I was talking to John, he said, hey, you got to come lead a group of students out of Pensacola. And I'm just like, hey, you know, it's just, that's his way too much. And he said, hey, you just come, I can get you to get in front of the right people to explain what you're doing. Maybe they can help expand what you do. As you know, this is important. I'm going to change the world Amazon just, you know, the layoffs and all the hype around it. So I'm going to do this for these eight students. The only question is, is it going to be eight? It's going to be 80, 800, or 8,000. Thank you for your time. Thank you very much. Next up is the key trail load. Please state your name for the record. Good morning, chair, members of the delegation. My name is Lakita Elliott. And I'm the program director of the National Center for Secure AI Education. And I'll build on what my colleague presented about the efforts that we are doing currently to advance AI missions in Florida. And throughout this, I want to request your support in expanding AI education and workforce readiness programs across Florida's public schools and colleges. Before you today, in your binders, our materials outlining what Mr. Lee mentioned in both our AI and industry internship program and the AI presidential challenge initiative. These two programs are designed to bring hands on real world AI learning experience to students across the state, ranging from high school to college. We have successfully completed our first internship this past semester with Florida A&M's University Cyber Policy Institute. Also students from FSU, the University of North Florida, Clemson, Valdosta State, Texas A&M, Texas Arcana. And we worked with a company here in Jacksonville called CSI companies to produce a solution built completely with AI. This organization is nationally and internationally recognized. During the internship, students gain practical experience applying AI to workforce challenges and saw firsthand how these technologies drive innovation across industries. What we discovered was eye opening and kind of disturbing. Even among juniors and seniors at the collegiate level, many of them lacked familiarity not only with building these AI tools, but also being able to use them effectively. These tools are now essential in every field. And according to the Florida Chamber Foundation's Florida Workforce 2030 report, 77% of businesses anticipate the artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies will disrupt and completely change their operations. That means that our students at the high school and collegiate level need to begin to get prepared now, not later, in order to remain competitive. We're actively working with Rebalt High School and Andrew Jackson High School here in Jacksonville to integrate AI education into their classrooms through the presidential AI challenge initiated by Donald Trump. We recognize though that this education must continue beyond this challenge, although it's not something that has been stated statewide, we do believe that students should have access to it. We're asking for your support of legislation and funding in the upcoming session to support those things operationally and technologically. Thank you. Representative Daniels has a question. Thank you very much, ma'am. Can you give the name of you have an appropriation in it? Can you give the name that's on the actual appropriation? Is it the organization's name on there? What's the name of the appropriation? You're recognized. The AI in industry experiential learning program. And the name on it is the National Center for Secure AI Education. Follow up. Thank you very much. Next up is Janina Perez followed by June Babanoo and Brooke Babanoo. Please make your way towards the aisle. You're recognized. Hello. Good afternoon. My name is Nina Perez. I'm the Florida director at Moms Rising, a national online on the ground organization with a network of thousands of families across the state, including here in Jacksonville. I'm also a mom here in Jacksonville, Florida. And over the last three years, I've talked to moms here in Jacksonville and across the state. And it's clear that Florida's a state where families are not just struggling to thrive but to survive. And one of the things that we've been hearing about is the inability to access high quality affordable child care. In our conversations with our network across the state, we consistently hear it as the top issues impacting families in our state. In fact, recent data shows that 13% of children born age five in Florida lived in families where someone had to quit, changed or refused a job because of problems with child care. And the cost of child care rose 5.5% in Florida between 2024 and 2025. So we're talking recent recent numbers. And Florida families are being hit even harder because families and child care providers are dealing with some of the highest inflation in the country, some of the highest housing costs that are squeezing our families to the limit. But instead of increasing investments in early learning, they decreased by nearly 6% this year. And as more families became eligible, worsening waiting lists. And voluntary pre-K funding stayed flat threatening program quality and access. And as I'm sure I don't need to tell anyone here when funding stays flat, it's essentially a cut to the program as costs are increasing with inflation. What families are asking is that we make investments to stabilize child care programs and make it possible for them to pay their early educators and families providing wages. And to have reasonable benefits for the vitally important work that they do, as parents, we want those caring for our children to be able to care for their own families. And moms and families in Florida are urging you to increase school readiness funding to eliminate waiting lists and support working families, to raise VPK-based student allocation to attract and retain high quality early childhood educators, and to make high quality affordable child care statewide priority for families and providers. We urge you to take action this session to ensure families and children in Duval can thrive, not just survive. Thank you. Thank you very much. If I'm sorry, Rob Nissen, you have a question. You're recognized. Thank you, Madam Chair. Hi, Ms. Perez. Do you know roughly about the average cost of early childhood education for a family per year? You're recognized? Absolutely. It depends on the age of the child and how many children you have, right? And so the average cost for infant care exceeds college tuition rates in Florida. And so when you compound that with families who have children in a variety of ages, it becomes thousands of dollars. We get reports from families that it exceeds their mortgage costs, their rent costs, and all their household costs. And that is regardless of family size, of course, it gets harder if there are multiple children in the household using child care. And that includes aftercare. So we go straight into public school years as well. Follow up. Thank you very much. Thank you. If June Babano and Brooke Babano can make their way to the podium, please identify yourself for the records, please. My name is June Babano. My records on my addresses on file. And I want to welcome the delegation. Thank you for your service. And ask that today, you also consider doing whatever you can to help all Canadians to have health insurance. Realizing that the Affordable Care Act is federally regulated under the current administration without health insurance from the ACA with tax credits, many families would not be able to afford health insurance and fall into poverty due to health costs alone. I have real concerns for children in particular. And they are the innocent victims who have no voice. And I don't stand alone. The number of children under the Affordable Care Act marketplace is 9% of the total marketplace. Total enrollment in Florida has been increasing since then. As of 2024, the percentage of Florida children living below the federal poverty level in Florida was 17%. Consider that there are another 38% of children living in households that are asset limited income constrained employed, which is the acronym Alice threshold. The Alice threshold families spend more than 30% of their income housing on housing, highlighting the Affordable Care a housing crisis. If they if currently the Affordable Care Act insurance with tax credits goes away, we have a health crisis. Add health costs without insurance and you have more Florida families living in poverty. In 2024, 55% of families were fell under the Alice threshold in and including the poverty level. If or when the ACA with a tax credit goes away, just a few of the state level actions that are Senate and our representatives could consider. One would be Medicaid expansion, expand Medicaid to cover nearly 800,000 uninsured Floridians. You may finish your consideration. You may finish your sentence. Consider state subsidies for programs and offer state specific marketplace. For health insurance. And I just wanted to say that the effects on children if we don't take care of this are extremely detrimental. And they are our greatest natural resource. So we must do something. Thank you. Thank you very much. Sprick Babano followed by Denise Rose, followed by Mike Ludwick, if you can make your way towards the middle aisle. Good morning. You're recognized. I'm Brooke Babano, my address and information is on record. I came here to talk to you about a simple, a simple issue, an issue that's about public safety and economy. And it's something that most people do not know exists. It's an underrated part of virtually every government. And that's called civil engineering. And the way civil engineering works is between stop like the stop like if someone travels at the speed limit or slightly below, you always hit a green light. That's economy. That's safety. None of the road rage issues happen. But the ignorance of civil engineering and how it mandates the speed flow to economy and to safety is pretty much prevalent. And I'm suggesting that the government take that issue and proliferator and educate the public to save them money, to save them safety and to provide much more efficiency on the road service. And it would be very simple to reach out to the different media and have them a regular advisement as to safety and economy and following the traffic lines. Speed limits. It's a limit. It's not a goal. It's not something to overcome and it's not something to surpass. Because everyone if we travel safely and economically at speed limit, problems reduce, just imagine that if you were on the road and you didn't see people cutting in and zooming. And then guess what? For the time you reach the next stop light, there's a whole crowd waiting. We could eliminate that easily but educate the public and use the media to help. Thank you for your time. Thank you very much. Denise Rose, you may approach the podium please. You're recognized. Good. Good evening, members of the delegation. My name is Denise Rose and I know 11 men from Duval County sentenced to life without parole. And they have been imprisoned since the 90s. I stand before you with a simple plea. Bring back hope to Florida's justice system. I'm asking you to support the Florida CARES Long Term Sentence Act. Allow that would give deserving men and women a chance, not a guarantee, but a chance to be seen for who they've become, not just for what they once did. According to the Florida Department of Corrections 2019 report, the recidivism rate for murder and manslaughter is only 12.3% the lowest of all the offenses. And among people age 50 and older recidivism rate is the lowest ranging from 19.4 and decreasing as they reach 60 years and older. These numbers prove what so many families, chaplains and correctional staff already know. People can and do change. These aren't the same people they were decades ago. Time, maturity, remorse and rehabilitation have changed them. But today, many of them are serving life without parole, what we call death by incarceration. It's like being trapped in a glass casket. You can see the world moving on without you. The world can see you, but your frozen in time can them to die in a place meant to correct, not to bury. Everyday men and women behind those walls are earning degrees, mentoring younger prisoners and finding faith. They face their past and embrace accountability. But no matter how much they change our system tells them you would never be worthy of another chance. The long-term sentence act is about mercy, not leniency. It says that if a person has truly changed through years of introspection, education and rehabilitation, we should at least look again because justice without hold is not justice at all. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Please hold your paws. Please. Following Mr. Mike Ludwood, we have Rob Lall with space, Florida President. He's the CEO. Kelly Cooper, Adrian Berg, if you all can make your way towards the out, please state your name for the records and you are recognized. Good afternoon. My name is Mike Ludwick, I'm a proud member of the Northside Coalition of Jacksonville. We show up and speak out against all forms of social, racial, economic and justice with a focussed on the Northwest. Jacksonville, our president Kelly Frazier cannot be here today and ask me to share these words with you. First, we urge you to reject any redistricting plan that undermine fair representation. Do not further dilute the voices of black voters and erase decades of hard-won progress. Democracy demands transparency and equity, not political manipulation. Second, we ask you to reverse expansion of the schools of Hope program. This program diverts critical funding from our public schools and hands it to private operators with little accountability. Our children deserve fully resource classrooms and not a two-tiered system that leaves vulnerable students behind. Third, we ask you to reform the punitive restrictions on third-party voter registration groups like the Northside. These rules don't protect voters, they suppress them. Let's remove unnecessary barriers and affirm that civic engagement is a right, not a risk. Fourth, we need clarity and compassion in how we treat returning citizens and formally incarcerated. The current system for restoring voting rights is confusing, costly, and unjust. Let's build a process that honors redemption and encourages participation. And finally, we must expand Medicaid. Florida has left hundreds of thousands of people uninsured while federal dollars fit on the table. Not just a policy failure, the moral one we can and must do better. We ask you to lead with courage, reject policies that divide and diminish, and invest in the people who make Jacksonville strong. Our communities are watching and history will remember where you used it. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Love Lake. Up next is Rob Lowe. You are recognized. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you for the delegation for the time today. I am Rob Long, President CEO of Space Florida. And it's a great opportunity for me today just to share a little bit about aerospace activities here in the state and what we're looking forward to in the coming legislative session. As we look across the last year, we've seen anywhere between two and 20% growth and aerospace activities depending on the sector specifically related to those different activities. And nowhere is that more evidence than here in Northeast Florida and Duval County. A couple quick examples just to give you some further insight. We recently closed out a project with BAE Marine Systems for a ship lift activity, a $250 million investment by BAE here in Duval County. It's a great project and it's something that was long time coming and we were very fortunate for us to be partners in that project and close that up this last year. As well as work with Cecil Faceport on their utility quarter development. And that kind of investment is key when we look at some of the upcoming aerospace companies that are interested in places like Cecil, companies that are on a cutting edge like Otto Aviation, Hermius, of course, long-standing partners like Boeing Aviation. And when you look across Duval County, which you'll see also is just a vibrancy of the space technology community as well, anchored largely by Redwire Technologies here in Jacksonville. And up and coming new startups, like StarCatcher, we just recently demonstrated a world record setting transmission of over one kilowatt of solar energy and a test to demonstrate their new technologies. So it's an exciting time to be part of the aerospace industry and support the aerospace industry growth across the state, of course, here in Duval County. We have several initiatives that we'll be going forward through, a legislative session that will help us further accelerate and be more efficient and effective in supporting industry as we go forward. And with that, I look forward to working with all of you throughout the legislative session and welcome any questions. Thank you, Mr. Long. You have Kelly Cooper updates following by Adrian Burke and Charlie Crore, if you can make your way towards the out. You're recognized. Please state your name for the record. My name is Kelly Cooper. Good afternoon, Mr. President. Again, my name is Kelly Cooper, and I'm in Duval County. I am grateful to live in a law in order to state that we must fund the back-and-stress of corrections or justice. Correct. Secretary Dixon has not only constitutional requirements, but also public safety. Today, he's managing 10,000 more inmates in 2021 with the same staff. We have a staffing. There's 70% of officers with less than three years of experience. Half on probation or in training. Excuse me. Can you hold, can you move closer to the marketplace or a whole public closer towards you so we can hear you? Is that better? Yes, thank you. So, half on probation or in training, 19-year-olds are supervising 150 inmates alone. Those with five years experience oversee 1,500 2,000 lives, jobs once requiring 12 to 15 years experience. The result, assaults on officers up 49% inmate on inmate up 50%. Burnout feels turnover. 16 panhandle prisons are near Alabama, which pay $35 an hour while Florida's pay 22. Additionally, those incarcerated have too much time on their hand, an idle mind is the devil's playground, and a proven trigger for assaults on officers and other inmates. One superintendent in another state summed it up. Good praying, good playing, good food, and good medical make a good prison. We're failing on most account. For long-termers like my son, starting of 40-year sentence, options are scarce. He's locked out of most programs and jobs, left with 21 hours a day of nothing. Education, recreation, work, all gutted by chronic understaffing. We say we're tough on crime but we've become a state-run nursing home for the elderly and a warehouse for the mentally ill. That's not corrections, that's abdication. Case in point, 573 people locked up 20 plus years for unarmed robbery, costing taxpayers over $20 million a year. Are they still dangerous? Have they been punished enough? Meanwhile, in 24, the Florida Commission on a Finder review released for all these was 0% of citizenism zero. They let's trust the experts. They've life sentences for those we truly fear, rehabilitate the rest with real programs, real work, and real sentences. Thank you very much. I'm not just Adrian Berg. It's not you. Charlie Croy, followed by Denise Scott and Ryan Chandler. Please identify yourself for the record please. Hi there. Good afternoon. My name is Charlie Croy. My pronouns are they them and I live here in the beautifully diverse DuVol. I'm here today with the quality Florida or statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization to urge you to represent all your constituents this session. Stop attacks on DEI and the states war on freedom and prioritize the health of our community. Trans people, immigrants, people of color, and other marginalized communities are not your enemies, where your neighbors. Diversity, equity, and inclusion aren't bad words. They've been twisted and weaponized by extremists to rob hard working Americans of equal access to opportunity. Yesterday was Veterans Day and tomorrow starts transgender awareness week. So I'd like to bring your attention to all the brave Trans Military Service members currently banned from serving as legal challenges. I thank them for their service. There is no freedom and government dictating what we can read and who we can be. Real freedom lets educators teach actual history allows parents to make the best decisions for their children and allows doctors educated experts provide care. Last year over six million Floridians voted to restore reproductive rights. That's two million more votes than DeSantis received to become governor in 2018 by the way and sent a resounding message and opposition of government interference with healthcare decision. Respect the will of the people, saving lives, reducing healthcare costs, and building healthier communities are values shared across party lines. Deep federal cuts have put lives at risk by creating critical gaps in HIV testing, treatment prevention, and support. The state must take action to fill these gaps. Cutting funding now would undo decades of progress and endanger thousands of Floridians. We all deserve a healthier, safer, and more equitable Florida where every family is treated with dignity and respect. This session, remember these critical issues and in November, we'll remember who stood with us. Thank you. Thank you. Next is Denise Scott. If you could identify yourself for the records, please. Good afternoon. I'm Denise Scott. First off, let me say I want to thank Representative Angie Nixon for her tireless leadership and on her commitment. I'm not addressing her. I'm making a statement. I like to thank her for her leadership and what she does for this city. She's always on the front line and we appreciate her. I see that my representative showed up late, but she does. She's a no-show for the people. Why is this Republican legislature always- I call for order, please. Please make sure that you're- you're going to stop my time, please. Please make sure that your responses are respectful. Thank you. My responses are respectful. It's my truth. This is Republican legislation always diluting black representation with Gerald Mandy. Why aren't you defending what's right and representing the people? It's like some of you are- you only defend what benefits you. Quit it racing black history. Stop allowing this governor to teach that black folks benefited from slavery. Teach the truth. Slavery happened and it was bad. Slavery is white history and how my ancestors divide that black history. Pope Leo says it best to be called woke in a world that sleeps through suffering is no insult and I'm glad to be woke. You have inconveniences in entire state with your greed, your hatred and your allegiance to a tyrant and I'm not talking about the president. I'm talking about this governor. As I told the city council and the schoolboy, if you see Charlie Kurtz racist- if you don't see Charlie Kurtz racism, it's because you don't see your own. Having statues and oncologists and universities for racist community dropout is no different than when they allowed community confederate monuments to be erected. We the people are sick and tired of your continued racism and white superiority. You all took an off to uphold the Constitution and to represent the people. When will you start doing that? You have always- you have already weakened our public school system when you thought it was wise to do this voucher program for the wealthy. So now you think it's wise to allow a for-profit artist. Thank you very much. But see you got your tools and picking tools in your left. Thank you very much, your out of order, please. You're up next, please. Please identify yourself. Good afternoon. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today. My name is Ryan Chandler and I'm the chair of the Association of Qualified Organizations. We provide waiver support coordination services to individuals with developmental disabilities. I wanted to thank you for your support of the APD iBudget waiver and waiver support coordination last session. I'm here today because the future of the iBudget waiver which has supported this vulnerable population in Florida for more than 30 years is at risk. There are proposals to move the waiver program to a managed care system. On paper, managed care may sound efficient and may work for some individuals with less complex needs, but our population has diverse needs that cannot be fit into a managed care box. The devastating effects of managed care for this population with regard to dental and applied behavior analysis services is currently being experienced and should not be the only option for this population's daily services that they rely on to safely function in the community and at home. As waiver support coordinators we don't just connect people with these services. We know our consumers personally for years and sometimes decades. We guide families through the Medicaid re-determination process, SSI, SSDI, SNAP and other vital third-party benefits. We connect them to community resources. We are a consistent point of contact and a complicated system. We have no incentive to delay, deny or reduce services referred to as the achieved savings rebate and the managed care model which is currently 7.5%. We are paid the same regardless of the services the individual receives so we have no bias in advocating for the best interest of the clients we serve. Another important consideration is the CDC plus program, the self-directed option within the waiver. Currently there is no true equivalent under managed care. The proposed alternative offers fewer services and far less flexibility. Stripping families of the control they rely on to tailor supports, especially in more rural areas where there may be a shortage of providers. Florida has an effective waiver program. It requires adequate funding, support and responsible management, not dismantling. We request that you protect the eye budget waiver and the CDC plus program so that it is always an available option for this very vulnerable, diverse and complex population. Thank you. Thank you very much. Up next we have Joy Burgess, Samantha series, Mason Burham. I would like to remind everyone we will maintain order in decorum. If not, I will strike that gavel and you will be escorted out. Ms. Burgess? No, Ms. Samantha. Ms. Burgess is not here. Okay, your Ms. series. Yes. Please identify yourself for the record. Samantha series, I am concerned to do all resident and I request the repeal of sections 18 and 28 of Senate Bill 180. We need to preserve Florida's ecosystem, wildlife and public lands. We already have a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission whose primary interests are in land development, real estate and private profit. I implore you to protect Florida. We need to take responsibility for our environment. SB 180 freezes community planning across Florida for three years. It bans any local, any new local regulations that could be seen as more restrictive or burdensome than what existed before August 1, 2024. We cannot protect Florida with these sections of SB 180 in place. These restrictions make it harder to reduce flooding, protect water quality or manage over development. The overdevelopment in Florida is putting us all at risk. Recently, Lake Okeechobee, which is our largest freshwater lake was found to be the most polluted in the country. Florida cannot be a concrete slab and here in Jacksonville, 90% of our drinking water comes from the Florida aquifer. Again, please repeal sections 18 and 28 of Senate Bill 180. Thank you. Thank you very much. May I approach the podium? Please state your name for the record. Hi, my name is Mason Burnham. I'm a mom, a community advocate and a fourth-generation Jacksonvillean. I love the city. I love the state, but I'm shocked and saddened by what's happened to our state under Governor DeSantis. Florida has always prided itself on our live and let live attitude. We weren't perfect by any means, but we were definitely making progress. Sadly, now our state government seems to be focused on cruel culture wars, ignoring advice from experts refusing to really listen to or meet with constituents and pushing for legislation that benefits donors and corporations at the expense of everyday Floridians and to the detriment of Florida's future. There are numerous examples that we've heard about just today, attacks on the environment, attacks on local sovereignty, attacks on voting rights, on DEI, on health care, on public education. But specifically today, I want to call out SB164 sponsored by Senator Grawl and HB289 sponsored by Representative Greco, the abuser's bill of rights. Women's reproductive health care is already at risk thanks to the draconian six-week abortion ban in Florida. We've already suffered from a shortage of OBGYNs in the state and now this awful bill threatens mother's emergency care, cancer treatments and in vitro fertilization. At least one in four pregnancies end in miscarriage and now our elected leaders want to punish women dealing with a pregnancy loss, with investigations and lawsuits, it's unconscionable. We've all seen how these awful laws have been used in other states, especially by domestic abusers. So please don't mention the carve-outs because we all know that government officials and lawyers should not be involved in our reproductive health care. Florida risks losing female college students who don't want to risk their health by going to college here. Our state's toxic policies regarding women's reproductive health care will harm our ability to attract and retain young professionals who do not wish to risk investigations and lawsuits should they have a miscarriage. Lastly, I hope this delegation will listen to the majority of Florida voters who call for commons since gun laws, the humane treatment of hardworking migrants who are critical to our state's economy and an end to the persecution of the LGBTQ community. Our governor and many even on this delegation talk about their Christian faith but what would Jesus do? He would stand up for women, for children, the poor and marginalized. So please stand up for everyone in Duval County during the upcoming legislative session. Thank you very much. Up next, we have Beth McCallum, Christian, Abba Rahul, if I mispronounce that, I apologize, followed by Wells Todd. If you can make your way to the podium, please state your name for the record. My name is Beth McCallum. I'd like to thank you all for welcoming us. Hearing us out, my son lives in Duval County. He started on the Agency for Persons with Disabilities Program when he was seven. He is now 34 years old. We have spent all this time hoping him to begin more and more independent of which we have accomplished tremendous gains with him. He also has been able to live now on his own, which is an instrumental thing that I was told. He would never be able to do when he was diagnosed at age three. Without this program, enforced into a managed care system, as he was when he was younger, would dismantle his entire life that we have built. I am getting older. I'm not going to be here forever. He's probably going to outlive me. So we have made preparations and prepared for his life. Please, please stop the time until we get our mic together. Can you move it closer to you, please? Sure, okay. Yes, we can go ahead and start time again. Thank you. Thank you. So if he was to be forced into a box that does not fit him, because managed care did not when he was younger, what would happen to him then? Will we be looking at institutionalization again? Because managed care will not meet his needs. He will lose other benefits by being forced into a managed care system also. Because once we join a managed care, he no longer qualifies for these other resources that he has available to him. There are a lot of decisions to make whenever you're deciding what kind of system to offer our individuals because they are so complex. And that leads into dental. When the waiver was providing dental services, my son was able to get his dental cleaning twice a year. Now we're getting them once a year. We have to travel to Stewart, Florida, maybe Daytona, maybe Gainesville. People who the local dentist will not cannot provide sedation in their office and they will not provide it under the Medicaid system. Even without sedation, there's no dentist that are taking the current policies that are being offered. So people's teeth are no longer being cared for. Managed care has often not offered a better system for our individuals. We have gone backwards with the system. We have seen that with the PCA for children. They lost their services quite a while ago. Behavioral, dental, what else is next? Our individuals don't fit into a box. We can't put them into that box. And I would appreciate you whenever you consider bills and they're being out there, whether you're on the committee or not. You do still have to vote for them. So I would ask you to really consider the lives of our individuals. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. There are representative Daniels has a question. If you can return back to the podium, Ms. Gala, may Calum. Representative Daniels has a comment. Thank you very much Madam Chair. I'm making a comment because I came late and I'm getting ready to leave early. I usually don't address situations when people are uninformed, but I have an 82 year old aunt and an 83 year old mother. Their heat went out. They live in Sherwood. And so before I came here, I went to put some temporary heat together for them. And now the electricity just cut that out. So if you will excuse me and they are black and they are part of black community, they are seniors and they come first. So I just would like to just say that I would like to excuse myself. I just got a call from my mother. And I think sometimes we need to find out what's really going on before we attack people that are going through stuff. Because I need your prayers. It's the blessing to me to even make it here. It's very hard, but I'm going to leave now. Because I understand that even when you make a sacrifice, sometimes vote, don't care. God bless every one of y'all. Thank you. Thank you very much. Dear recognized, please state your name for the record. Thank you, Madam Chair and delegation. My name is Christian Gonzalez Arpegozo, a North Florida regional director for Florida Rising. Florida Rising is an independent political organization that builds power in black and brown and working class communities across state and Florida. We seek to organize, mobilize and activate communities to shape their future. During the 2025 legislative session, we called on our elected representatives to act in the best interests of their constituents, not corporations, by supporting policies that put people over profit and that advance racial and economic justice. Our legislative agenda is shaped by over the 1000 dues paying members here in the state of Florida and across the six seven different counties. This year are priorities that our members are demanding for their legislation or the follows. One, to expand democracy and protect fundamental right voting rights through comprehensive bill, they'll reverse attacks on democracy and restricted ballot access. That is the heritage, the more voting rights act. Second, we're working, we encourage our legislators to work on climate justice and hold investor-owned utilities accountable by supporting bills that guarantee energy and utility services necessary to live our lives than they are publicly owned, like J.A., and not leveraged by the millionaires that are price gouging us after natural disasters. This is specifically will be done and our goal for you to support a transparency of the public service commission bill, so I'll be coming into this upcoming session. Third, we want our legislators to allow all immigrants and families to live without fear. My passing legislation now will make Florida a more welcoming state for all people, especially our immigrant communities, for the Economic Transparency and Immigration Act. And finally, to ensure that our local public schools and community needs are adequately funded by abandoning the attempts to avoid property taxes. Again, I encourage the delegation here to remain steadfast in your integrity even when one of the kings are threatening to remove every person thinks for themselves. Thank you again for time. We look forward to y'all hearing from a few more of our Floridaizing members later in today's agenda. Thank you. Up next is Wells Todd, followed by yes, Mina White and Debbie Payne. If you can make your way towards the out, you are recognized. Could you identify yourself for the record, please? My name is Wells Todd, and I'm a member of Take Them Down here in Jacksonville, Florida, and I'm here to speak into a pose House Bill 125, House Bill 113, and Senate Bill 174. These three bills are proposed to honor Charlie Kirk. Kirk's job was to reinforce racist stereotypes on campus colleges, college campuses, and high schools. His job was to mock empathy and lift up the notion that cruelty matters the most. His job was to convince white youth that living under an economic system that exploits them is better than fighting for one that provides the needs of the people. By now, we all know the divisive, miserable things Kirk said on his podcast and at college, he did nothing to improve the condition of humanity. Honoring Kirk will be the continuation of the belief and the false ideology of white supremacy. W.E.B. DeBoist coined the phrase the psychological wage of whiteness. DeBoist was referring to the non-monetary benefits, like the sense of social status and superiority that white individuals receive by being part of the dominant racial group. It is this belief that fuels attacks on the African-American community from Albany, New York, to Jacksonville, Florida. These bills need to be voted down. Thank you. Up next is Yasmina White, followed by Debbie Payne, and then Helena Kemp's Steward and Susan Kahn. You are recognized. Please identify yourself. Hi, good afternoon. Yasmina White. Early childhood education is the precursor and true foundation of indicated 12 education. When we failed to invest in our youngest learners, we set the stage for an equity long before they even enter into the classroom. I ask you today to find it in your hearts and in your legislative priorities to introduce and support strong, compassionate policy that uplifts one of our most vulnerable populations for those children. Families across the state are struggling to afford childcare. The third, the three-hour school readiness voucher simply isn't enough. Parents need real help. Equally, many communities still lack access to high quality early learning centers, especially in neighborhoods where opportunity is already limited by zip code. At the same time, our K-12 system continues to be gutted, stripping away meaningful public choice for families like mine. It's unfair and frankly preposterous to continue pushing legislation like schools of hope that dismantles neighborhood schools instead of strengthening them. I want to make sure you all understand I am a proponent of school choice, but not when it undermines and under funds another institution. Right now, Ford has approached to education has become as the old saying goes, penny wise and a pound foolish. We have since today by underfunding public education only to pay dearly tomorrow and loss of potential and workforce shortages and in the well-being of our children. Please prioritize paying teachers a living wage, funding all schools equitably, and preserving the integrity and school choice of families who choose public education in this state. Thank you representative Nixon for always being a child care champion. I look forward to commending the same for others as early childhood education as a bipartisan issue. As a mother of two young children, please fund our child's education from cradle to graduation equally. Thank you. Thank you. Debbie Payne is not here. Alina Camp Stewart. Not here. Susan Conn. Followed by Nancy Murray Settle. And Monique Stewart, you are recognized to speak. My name is Susan Conn. Good afternoon members of the devile delegation. As a newer resident of Jacksonville, a member of indivisible Jacksonville Riverside and a concern public health professional, I'm here to encourage you to advance several bills that will improve access to and quality of health care. Specifically, care received by Florida residents enrolled in managed care plan, including health maintenance organization. So despite the crisis of affordability, so many Floridian space and the premium increases in surprise bills, there are many things that we can do. We have all seen the headlines documenting how managed care plans, rules for prior authorization result in the denial of medically necessary care. Even the health care professionals among us cannot follow all the coverage details in our benefit documents. House bill 137 will ensure that young female residents in Florida ages 25 to 40 perceive medically necessary supplemental screening for breast cancer. Following the latest American College of Radiology guidelines. Senate bill 114 addresses the crisis in continuity of care that occurs when sick patients, including pregnant women, become the collateral damage in managed care and provider negotiation. By requiring health plans and providers to provide up to six months of ongoing treatment, patients will be able to continue care while finding a new doctor. For pregnant women, they will not lose access to their chosen OB in the middle of a pregnancy. These are common sense regulations that will enable Floridian to receive the care they need, and for which they and the state are paying health insurance plans to provide. I urge you to support them. Thank you. Please stay tuned out for the record. My name is Nancy Murray Settle. I am a life-long citizen of Jacksonville, Florida, and I'm on the leadership team of Indivisible Jacks Riverside. I'm here today to ask you to support Senate bill 112, which is limiting the redistricting to two years after our next census. We're about to enter what the most dangerous season they call in Florida, the legislative season. And I'm scared. Last year, the GOP super-minority, majority attack free speech, voting rights, reproductive freedom, immigrants. I want to introduce myself as a proud anti-fascist, as my father was in World War II. But then I looked and I'm like, oh my gosh, we have an administration at the federal level that's saying that people who are anti-fascist or terrorists, you GOP members, you need to get on your party and tell them to stop attacking citizens that are not fascists. I don't understand. I'm a little person with a little voice. You guys are elected. And it's scary to me that you're not standing up for that. Over 63% of Floridians voted in 2010 not to redistrict or jerrymandor and that's in the Constitution. I see oaths being by some of you guys saying, teachers, to take oaths. Well, you took an oath to protect this federal constitution and the state constitution. 2010, state constitution passed by 63% of Floridians says no redistricting at mid-decade. So why aren't you standing up saying no, put a stop to this? I don't, you know, my dad, I said he was anti-fascist, he was also a Republican. We disagreed on a lot of things, but I think he would stand up to the abuse of power and the corruption that has happened in our government. Now, I have to ask you why aren't you doing that? There was a speaker that made a really good argument. Jacqueline Steele about redistricting, I agree with everything she says. I'm trying to convince you to look in your heart and do the right thing for the United States of America. I know you're a patriot of people. Why are you letting this happen? Thank you very much. Up next is Monique Stewart, Barbara Beacham, Dr. Christine Crawford, followed by Lindsay. I'm all right. You can make your way to the podium. You can come forward. Please state your name for the record, please. Can you hear me? Yes ma'am. Okay, Barbara Beacham. You are recognized. Thank you. Thank you for allowing parents such as myself to speak. My husband and I are 30 year Jacksonville area residents. We have three sons with developmental disabilities, specifically autism spectrum disorder, and one who has a genetic disorder. Two are on the med waiver fee for service, the iBudget program, and one is on the wait list. They, two are 25, one is 35. Our sons are not medically complex, but they need community companions, behavioral therapy, community volunteerism, supported employment, and community socialization, and language therapy. They are not to be medically catered to on the home front, but rather experience the requirements of public interaction. There are no real work employer incentives to hire them except some tax write-offs through vocational rehabilitation. These services describe the med waiver fee for service. The support coordinator assists my husband in designing the correct hours for the needed services. The support coordinator is instrumental in keeping us up to date on all changes and legislative decisions. There is nothing like this in any healthcare program. We can pass the savings of a middle organization directly to the providers utilizing our budget fully, and therefore allowing them to earn a competitive wage. By going from CDC to managed care, this could be an increase of as much as 25%, which could reduce the number of hours allocated to my sons. As parents, we have been waiting to see the efficiency reports on the pilot managed care program, but as of today, I don't believe FCC has produced any. Why would legislators allocate more money towards this before examining the return? We all deserve to have choices managed care or APD fee for service. Thank you very much. Thank you. Dr. Christine Crawford. Lizzie Aromat, you can make your way to the podium please. You are recognized. Thank you. And good afternoon. My name is Lindsay Amaro, and I am one of the many faces of Alzheimer's disease. This is my second year at this meeting, and as a caregiver to both of my parents for the last decade, I want to thank you for the opportunity to speak today. Many in this room have been touched by the harsh realities of Alzheimer's and dementia. Over half a million Floridians are living with Alzheimer's disease. Over 17,000 alone in Duval County. That's over 12% of our 65-and-up population. Due to y'all's commitment, Florida has been a leader in dementia care and support. With our aging population, we must maintain this momentum. I'm proud to advocate along Alzheimer's Association, and with your support, we remain optimistic as we propose our 20-26 priorities. First, raising awareness on what to look for and when to seek medical advice. It's essential. We are advocating for $1.5 million to fund a comprehensive statewide public health awareness campaign. It's time to break the stigma surrounding Alzheimer's disease. We now have FDA-approved blood tests to aid in diagnosis and treatments that can slow progression. Yet, Florida remains one of the few states that have not invested in a public awareness campaign. Now is the time to act. We ask for continued support of the Alzheimer's brain bus. The mobile outreach program travels throughout the state, providing information on brain health, warning signs, and resources for caregivers. We have consistently been able to reach all 67 counties in Florida thanks to that funding. And lastly, we must do more for our Florida caregivers. We have over 870,000 caregivers in the state of Florida. Over 66% of them are managing their own chronic conditions. Dimension care and navigation and respite services are critical programs that help caregivers get desperately needed support on this dark journey. These services also help to allow individuals living with Alzheimer's to remain in their own communities. We are asking the Florida Legislator to codify the Florida Alzheimer's Center of Excellence, the FACE program. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Members, that concludes our speakers listed on the agenda. Natalia, do we have any? That a request into speak. Thank you. We have Chris Kernen. You can make your way towards the podium. Sarah Momman. I apologize if I'm mispronouncing your name. Rosebury, Rosemary McCoy. You can make your way towards the Al. We have a little bit more time, so you are recognized. I think that you all need to be the beacon of light for the people, with all the people redistricting our future for proper education. It actually harms us more than it helps us. The educators that are not nominated for the elementary school teacher of the year here in Duval County are simply amazing. Some of the educators here in DCPS have multiple master's degrees and doctorates. We need to pay them what they deserve. There is no reason that we are one of the lowest in the nation when it comes to teacher salaries. Our valuable teachers are fleeing Florida to find higher wages. Parents shouldn't be forced to live day-to-day paycheck to paycheck in fight or flight, not knowing where their next meal will come from. On top of that, the amount of families that are paying for aftercare for VPK is wild. We are drowning. Some families are paying up to $400 a week or more for aftercare or wrap-around care for VPK, which should be free. That is approximately $1,400 extra a month per child. I am dealing with this personally. Our public school programs are compromised and need direct intervention. We are pulling and trusting you. We will verify your work and we will continue to show up. Constant divisive redistricting causes chaos, confusion, and ultimately further voter suppression. There is a very little difference between redistricting and redlining, which has been deemed unconstitutional. We are just delivered in a different manner. Don't get me started on Florida health care for all middle-aged people, such as myself, cannot afford insurance for ourselves, though we have it for our children. I rely on grant programs myself for healthcare due to lack of affordable access to healthcare. Creating solutions to problems that don't exist is not what Jacksonville needs, nor what Florida needs, attempting to put Confederate monuments back up rather than ensuring affordable housing, the expansion of VPK, allowing women to have body autonomy, encouraging and vaccinations, creating access to healthcare, protecting our election systems. I can continue to go on. You are wasting tax payer times with unnecessary court laws, parental right bills, sidewalk bills, keeping historical monument up bills, rather than actually helping us. We need to be objective when creating laws and guidelines. The ultimate justice is intentionality. True leadership does not lead by fear mongering, leading through servant leadership is what you should be doing. As I say to all elected officials, you are in a position of power and with that come specific obligation. Thank you. Thank you. Please state your name for the record, and you are recognized. My name is Saadah Mahmoud. I was proudly born and raised in Duval County. I'm Florida Rising's Digital Manager, and I want to talk a little bit today about the city we call. Jacksonville is a beautiful city, one that holds immense cultural legacy. Much of that thanks to the historical black community that calls our city home. And with all the beauty for that our city has to offer, it also knows struggle and strife. Jacksonville was named the Viction Capital of the State, and part or result of the preemption of local laws that regulate relationships between landlord and tenant to the state level. This isn't just statistic when we say that Jacksonville's Viction Capital of the State, that means 14,000 residents in Duval County residents and families were made homeless in the last year because of the Viction filings. We're also a city that is home to countless immigrant communities. I myself, I'm a birthright citizen, born to two parents who are now naturalized citizens. And the fact that many who target our loved ones conveniently forget is that many of our families, like I just stated, are of mixed status with families holding anything from citizenship to refugee set with family members holding anything from citizenship to refugee status. That means when you target our loved ones instead of passing policies that support all communities, regardless of immigration status, you're showing that your priority is harm and violence instead of serving the people you claim to represent. And Jacksonville is a city that knows the desire of corporate greed to take control of our utilities and maximize profit or expense. But thankfully, those attempts to sell J.E.A. has failed. But while that is true in our city, the majority of Floridians or customers afford a power in light, which is currently in front of the Public Service Commission to request the largest great hike in history, even while families across the state are struggling with cost of living and a government shutdown, impacting wages and benefits. So I come to you today to ask some basic things instead of focusing on culture wars, focus on the economic issues that are going to help the cost of living for all residents in Florida. That includes focusing on requiring the Public Service Commission to be reformed and to hold investor owned utilities accountable so they're not putting our profit or they're not putting power and profit over people. Passing the House bill through 15 and Senate bill through 28, which is the Economic Cross Veridian Immigration Act, which would impact the lives of all Floridians regardless of immigration status. And finally, support voting rights by enacting the Heritage and Harriet Bemore Voting Rights Act. Thanks again, voting rights for all Floridians. Thank you. Thank you. Please state your name for the record. Rosemary McCoy. Following Rosemary, we will have Carrie Bates, Kathleen Murray, Katie Bonnet. If you can make your way to the podium, please. You are recognized. Good afternoon. My name is Rosemary McCoy, and I am a mother, community leader, maybe trying to citizen it, a disabled veteran, a founder, heritagma freedom fighters, and a stand before you and a represent equal grounds, border rising, heritagma freedom fighters, and black voters matter, and the unassured community and the population. Today, I'm asking you to turn the page of darkness. When I say darkness, I'm speaking of the history of Florida, voter suppression long. We can go back. You can research on your own. It's easy. 318, 65 enslaved people were denied all civil rights. And I forgot to say, I am a descendant of enslaved people. Only white male at own property provoked. And somebody's laws trying to take us back. 1845, 1920, four white men and white woman were excluded from voting. 1920, still a copie, masquerade. On election day, people were murdered just because they were trying to vote. Jim Crow laurels, 1970, 1990, felony disenfranchised and trans. 2000, role, they perched the role saying that these people were felons, which was alive. 2018, here we go. Amendment 4, nearly 65% of the people voted. 19 to restore voting rights for return of citizens. 2019, SB 766, under my voting amendment 4. 2021, SB 90, signed into law, restrict voting by mail. We move in backwards instead of forward. Present today, Jerry Mandarin. Then now we have why is why is the Florida voting right at matter? Repel, suppressive laws like SB 90, expand voting by mail. The same day registration required pre-clarance for counties with history of suppression. Ensure language access of non-English speaking voters. So I'm asking you today to support the Florida right bill. Thank you. Thank you. May I approach the podium? Please identify yourself for the records. And you are recognized. Good afternoon. My name is Carrie Bates. I'm the CEO of the Art Jacksonville and also I serve as the board chair for the art of Florida that represents over 55 organizations across the state that support individuals with an election development. Thank you for your time and attention through the very end. I know this is a long way for you all. If you could stop the time for one moment, excuse me. Can you move the mic up a little bit? Let's see if we can get it working. Go ahead, you're recognized. I want to highlight two local projects that support the art Jacksonville specifically individuals with an election developmental differences in the Northeast Florida area. First, our workforce innovation program, which prepares individuals with an election developmental differences for in-demand careers in our area. This program has been growing over the last years and we feel like we really found great community partners and organizations that are seeking employees and we've been able to prepare individuals to both meet workforce shortages and help the individuals with IDD achieve their lifelong goals of just contributing to their community. Secondly, our IDD family support and navigation pilot. This is a program that's unique to this part of Florida. Our Jacksonville is the only organization in Florida currently offering a program like this. If you have families that come to see you that are really struggling with enrollment onto the APD wait list or getting Social Security or any other benefits that someone with a significant disability might have, this program helps connect families to all those resources and really navigate really an extremely complicated process. But it goes beyond that and helps individuals really plan for life after their caregiver passes, which is critical for the whole system long term. Statewide, I want to express our support for both continuing to move people off the APD pre and enrollment or wait list and also advancing the IDD managed care program with safeguards to ensure that rates aren't reduced and services remain available for individuals. Providers across Florida are facing unprecedented challenges in the IDD space right now. Our Jacksonville just received a 29% increase on our health insurance which will equate to about $200,000 of expenses that we are not anticipating. Without rate changes, these are essentially unfunded increases that we have to manage. More than two-thirds of providers across Florida stated in a survey recently that they are running deficits and that's only increasing. Families gaining eligibility really does little if there's not providers to provide services. Thank you for supporting the IDD community in Florida and for strengthening services that families rely on. Thank you very much. I'm going to check the mic here. Thank you, Ms. Murray. You are recognized. Thank you. Congratulations, Chair Michael and good afternoon, Duval delegation. Kathleen Murray, State Education Director for Citizens Defending Freedom, here to speak in support of the following legislation. First, SB 164 which strengthens Florida's wrongful death act by recognizing the loss of an unborn child as a compensable tragedy. Families facing such heartbreak deserve the same access to justice as any other grieving parent. This bill closes an outdated gap in our law reflecting both fairness and compassion because every life lost due to negligence deserves accountability. Second, CDF strongly supports harmful to minor's legislation which closes the Miller test. The bill ensures that obscene materials cannot be distributed in our schools. It's a common sense measure that protects children, supports parents, and upholds community standards throughout Florida. In addition, CDF also supports the following legislation. SB 426 to keep government spaces neutral. It blocks political or ideological flags while preserving national, state, and historic symbols, also while protecting public spaces for everyone. SB 430, which reinforces public trust in our education system, and ensures that those guiding our children are committed to the highest standards of professional, independent, and nonpartisan service. CDF supports SB 408 because it holds vaccine manufacturers accountable for misleading advertising, gives harmed individuals a pathway to justice and strengthens consumer protections in Florida. Additionally, CDF strongly supports SB 166. This bill has the opt-in for student surveys and expands parental rights in the area of medical freedom for their child. This also allows parental consent for use of biofeedback devices which are closely tied to AI. Finally, citizens defending freedom strongly supports legislation to display the 10 commandments and declaration of independence in every Florida classroom, recognizing the educational and historical value of these documents. CDF thanks you for your service and thanks you in advance for support of this legislation. Thank you very much. Up next is Ms. Hannah Doppel-Eve or Bonnet. I'm sorry if I'm most pronounced you name. Not here. Come for it, ma'am. Please state your name for the record. Hi. Good afternoon. My name is Katie Bonnet. I'm here with the Alliance for Safety and Justice. Okay. Following Ms. Bonnet is much dumb. Multisa Bryan and Pam Wilson, if you can make your way towards the aisle. Thank you. You're recognized to speak. Thank you and good afternoon. Do fall delegation and congratulations, Chair Michael. As I stated before, my name is Katie Bonnet. I'm the Florida State Director for the Alliance for Safety and Justice or ASJ. We are the advocacy arm for crime survivors for safety and justice or CSSJ representing 14,000 victims of crime here in Florida and 250,000 nationwide. Thank you to the Chair for her leadership and sponsorship of Curtis' law that passed in 2023 and the support of this delegation as well. A very important law for our survivor network. This legislation ensured families who have lost a child to violence, received timely information and updates from law enforcement, deeply meaningful step for survivors and their loved ones across Florida. We're also grateful for the leadership and support of this delegation for Senator Burgess's Law in 2023, a record-sealing bill SB376. This creates a path for Floridians to rebuild their lives and contribute safely to their communities. We plan to build on that success this year with legislation, expanding petition-based record-sealing and look forward to hopefully having the all-support. I also want to recognize Post Veterans Day Rep Pat Manie and Senator Gates' bill that our survivors will be supporting this year SB50 or HB199, which you all might remember made it all the way to the House floor last year. This expands the use of Veterans Treatment Courts, which we've certainly seen success and builds upon that success year. Finally, we'll be working to expand trauma recovery centers or TRCs. These are hospital or community-based programs that provide wraparound services like mental health care, case management and victim support, helping people recover after violence while reducing repeat harm. Our appropriations request this year is for Tallahassee Memorial, but we hope for that to be an example and to have one in every community, which is what our survivors want, especially one here in Duval County. I also want to acknowledge and thank Michelle Combs and Maureen from the Christian Coalition that are here today in support of ASJ and CSJ's work, and we'll be with us throughout this next session at the Capitol. We'll follow up with each of your staffs as our bills are filed, and of course hopefully make their way through your respective committees. Of course, if you ever need a victim's perspective, we're here for you, and thank you so much for your time. Thank you very much. Thank you. You can make your way to the podium. Please state your name for the record. Hello. Can you hear me? Yes. Good afternoon, delegation members. My name is Moa Don. I'm the Education Justice Organizer with Florida Student Power. You'll see today that my shirt says, fight for students reject cuts to education, and it's that simple. That's my ask. I want to put our current education funding crisis into perspective. This time last year, our school board faced a $100 million budget shortfall. They closed schools, cut buses, cut staff, and it still may not be enough. We are currently facing a federal budget, where Duval alone has $25 million worth of education funding cuts on the line for special education, Title 1 low income schools, and educational after school programs like Head Start. Our state officials consistently remind us that education is a responsibility of the state not the federal government. But this past session, when our state had the opportunity to exercise that right, and pass a universal free school meals bill, our legislature killed it in its first committee, because it was not a priority. Two months later, hundreds of Florida schools lost their federal free school meals grant, including 37 in Duval County. Florida families are currently $448.6 million in school meal debt. Do you guys know what it's like to be in a lunch line and pick out bacon sandwich, your apple, and your chocolate milk? Just to check out and have your lunch lady replace that with a single cold cheese sandwich, because your parents owe $5, but you don't even know if your parents can even provide dinner for you that night, because I do. And if you've never experienced that, I can ensure that your constituents have. For any other initiative, our state can miraculously find hundreds of millions of dollars. Yet for education, all we get is more money to go into the hands of private and charter school foundations. If your job of Burntel Hasse this year is not to do the bare minimum of feeding hungry poor children, who are directly telling us that when it comes to education, you care about more about profit for wealthy private and charter school owners than literally feeding our future and our schools. I'm sorry, this hits very close to home. I really, really am trying to urge you guys to in this next legislative session, cut the culture awards. We don't care about Charlie Kirk statues. We want food for children. Literally, that's it. Thank you. Thank you very much. Please do not appalls. This Brian. Thank you. My name is Montessa Brian. Last Monday, our life was shattered when our 26-year-old daughter, Kira, was tragically killed by gun violence. She was simply sitting on her couch, enjoying a normal day, when a stray bullet came through her window and took her life. Kira was bright, ambitious, and on the cusp of realising her dreams. She had recently earned her paralegal degree and was already interviewing for jobs, excited to start a career where she could advocate for people. But above all, she was fiercely in love. She was preparing to get married to her girl, Fennana. Hannah had already picked out her ring and was just waiting until she had enough money to buy it. Instead, Hannah found my daughter on the ground, said her love gone in a second. I'm asking this delegation to act to do something real and meaningful to end gun violence. It is long past time. Well, families like mine are grieving. We cannot afford to see public money and energy wasted on naming schools and roads after men who believe that some gun deaths were necessary to maintain gun rights. You have the power to enact the necessary gun reform, yet you are choosing not to. Support comprehensive legislation that actually saves lives. This requires a focus on gun reform and measures that directly address the lethality and availability of weapons in our community. We need to implement universal background checks and ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines designed only for mass shootings. House bill 155 with all of the problems that it faces is a start. It's a very small start and there is so much that more that can be done. But with its funding for mental health and violence prevention programs, it can make change. We need real comprehensive gun reform that values life over ideology. My life will never be the same. My heart is gone, all because of senseless gun violence. Thank you. Ms. Brian, I want to say before you leave the podium, I'm sorry for the loss of your child. I too have gone through that and I understand the pain. And thank you for having a strong to come here today. God bless you. I'm Wilson, followed by a D.D. Walker. In K.C. Creed, I'm having a hard time reading the writing, so I apologize if that's not correct. You are recognized, ma'am, would you state your name for the record? Yes, good afternoon. My name is Pam Wilson and I'm here to give some comments focused on property tax. We consistently hear from our communities that one of the biggest concerns in housing costs recently, state officials have been floating the idea of reducing or ending property taxes to help with housing costs. This is an uninformed, non-solution to a much bigger problem. A blanket change in property taxes would not be an equitable form of housing relief. This will heavily impact low income homeowners, while renters may see a lower rent if their landlord pays less property tax that cannot be guaranteed and probably wouldn't have. Property tax pays for local services that all people in a community enjoy, firefighters, public hospitals, museums, parks, and most notably schools. Florida property tax is already lower than 27 other states, but 24 of those states have income tax to help pay for those local needs. Only one county in Florida has actually audited their homestead properties. In 2024, Sarasota County checked their homestead records for rental properties out of state individuals claiming a Florida homestead and homeowners with homesteads in multiple counties. The audit found 76 million dollars in new taxable value. For suing the individual abusing the homestead exemption would be a more profitable and fair way to increase revenue. It would also make sure that all homeowners are paying their fair share. Our legislators should look into the wealthy, accountable, not punished middle-class homeowners and local communities. Thank you for your time. Thank you very much. Please state your name for the record. My name is D. D. Wicker. My address is on file. You are recognized. Hi, I'm here as a member with Florida Rising focused on the climate and the Public Service Commission. We're fighting for a clean, safe and healthy planet and the people on it. We fight for energy democracy where private utilities can't increase rates without supporting data or oversight. Florida's Public Service Commission supervises the private utility companies who offer essential services such as electric, natural gas, telephone, water and wastewater. We can all agree utility services are necessary for health hygiene, safety. Unfortunately, investor owned monopolies can exploit residents reliance on these utilities and prowl scourge or cut corners. The Public Service Commission is supposed to protect the consumers and keep those providers in check. Utility rate increases are often improved without supporting data or oversight allowing the investor owner utilities monopolies to amass profits without any increased benefits to the consumers. Many households have long-held concerns that utility companies receive approval for unnecessary rate increases. These rate increases then place a burden on our household bills. Utility companies have historically requested rate hikes after a disaster such as the hurricane. The approval of these rate hikes allow the investor to collect larger profits and then charging more to people who are recovering from the disaster. Public Service Commission proceedings are often often invisible to the people they impact. It was a bill last session and there will be one this year that would increase transparency. Thank you for your consideration. Thank you very much. Casey Creed. I'm not sure if I'm pronouncing your last name. You're followed by Mike Todd. Cassie Creed. Okay, followed by Mike Todd, Coleman Shepherd, and Gail Krisham. If you can make your way to the aisle, you're recognized, Ms. Creed. Good afternoon, legislators. My name is Cassie Creed. I'm a youth engagement organizer with 42 powers. But more importantly, I'm a member of this community who deeply cares about our students. They are the future of this community and every decision you make should reflect that. School should be a place where young people feel safe, supported, and inspired. Excuse me. Let me stop you for a minute. Get me pull the mic a little closer. Thank you. Go ahead. They are the future of this community and every decision you make should reflect that. School should be a place where young people feel safe, supported, and inspired to grow. That is only possible when students have what they need to focus on learning. One of those one of the most fundamental needs is food. The cuts to education will cut free and reduce lunch. And for me, I was fortunate enough to have free and reduced lunch during my time in public school. But I still have family members still going through the school system and I would hate to see my family struggle due to these cuts. So today I'm asking you to remember what truly matters are students. Let's focus on things that matter and not like feeding our children and making sure they don't go hungry and not implementing turning point USA into chapters in our schools so people can harass our children. Let's put them first in every policy, every budget, and every decision. If we say children are our future, it's time we start acting like it, by protecting them and not politicizing them. Let's show them that their leaders, their community, and their state believe that they are worth fighting for. Pick our students. Not good. Thank you. Thank you very much. Please state your name for the record. Good afternoon. My name is Mike Todd. You're recognized. I am here on behalf of our dues paying membership, Florida Rising. Under Trump's second term, one of his priorities has been harmful federal immigration practices that criminalize and separate immigrant families. To accomplish this, we've seen a ton of pressure that have cities and municipalities sign 287 G agreements outlining the collaboration between local law enforcement and federal immigration and customs enforcement. We're now seeing local law enforcement contributing to the criminalization of immigrants merely for existing with many mass deportation gangs resorting to profiling entire communities in the process. This persecution of immigrants is an attempt to portray immigrants as a public enemy when our federal, sorry, our foreign policy was to go over to their countries, intervene and ruin their democracies. And then they come here and you're upset, pretty sad. There will be a bill to address many of these issues. The Economic Prosperity and Immigration Act, it will make Florida more prosperous and welcoming state for all people, especially immigrant communities. It would get rid of the requirement for hospitals to collect patient immigration status data and provide protection from discrimination based on immigration status in the Florida Civil Rights Act in 1992. It would also reinstate in-state tuition for undocumented folks and expand that coverage to graduate students. Our elected officials should be outraged that Senate law enforcement, that state law enforcement and federal immigration agents are wearing masks and not identifying themselves. This bill would push back on that as well. 35 seconds on. All right. I'll say no to Charlie Kirk, bond your kids, lunches, no redistricting. And I do want to say that it is an embarrassment to be the wealthiest country in the world and not be able to just beat our kids' lunches. This is an embarrassment. Thank you to everybody who spoke. Thank you very much. Good afternoon. My name is Coleman Shepard. I am here on behalf of Feeding Northeast Florida. I want to start by talking about the Farmers Feeding Florida program. It is a program that allows us to rescue food that would otherwise be plowed under or thrown away or wasted from Florida farmers and distribute that across our network of nonprofits and food pantries. So the Feeding Florida Association of Food Banks, we're nine food banks. We cover every county in Florida. We were able to save 4.6 million pounds across the state and distribute it into 61 of 67 Florida counties. In the 12 county region that we serve here in Northeast Florida, we were able to distribute hundreds of thousands of pounds and support thousands of households with healthier fresh Florida grown products. Like many nonprofits and organizations right now we're facing a very acute need and a lot of people are missing their benefits and their paychecks and to have the support of a program that allows us to use produce and Florida produce products to support those federal workers, those people missing their benefits. It means a lot that being said there are shelves empty on food pantries right now and it is vital that we get support to get food out into the community as people face the sharp need. The recovery from this moment is going to be a long road and it will not end just because the media stops reporting on it. So we appreciate any support for the farmers feeding Florida program because it does provide us with that fresh healthy nutrition food to support these families as they're going through a very long time. So thank you for coming and listening to us today and thank you for allowing me to speak. Thank you very much. Our final I'm sorry, Repniz, you're recognized for a question. Thank you Madam Chair. Hi. Can you tell us about roughly here in Duval County? How many families are going without food right now? Do you have those numbers? You're recognized. Without food specifically, I'm not sure. Or as it relates to through the chair, as it relates to snap, do you know, you're recognized. There's roughly 150,000 folks on snap in Duval County. You have a follow up. Thank you very much. Our final three speakers are Suzanne Pickett, Nelson, France, Gail Chisholm. I have your request for me. I believe you say on here that you do not wish to speak if you all can make your way to the podium. Oh, we have no more speakers. Members, that concludes our speakers listed on the agenda. Members, are there any announcements? Oh, Representative Nelson, you are recognized. Thank you Madam Speaker. Don't necessarily have an announcement but I guess it kind of is this is my last delegation meeting and I just want to say that it has been an honor and a privilege to serve you all as a state representative here in Duval County. I want to thank the general public for coming and voicing your concerns and your issues and I want to remind you all that your voice is your power and that at the end of the day, despite what is coming out of Tallahassee, we work for you all. And so it is very important for you all to make sure that you hold us accountable, demand the meetings, demand the town halls and it is also important to know that organized people will push back against organized money any day and you need to make sure that again that you're holding us accountable because we did take an oath to help improve the quality of life for you all and if we are not acting accordingly then you need to let us know, right? So I would urge you all to continue to work together collectively, demand that all Floridians have the opportunity to live healthy, prosperous and safe and no longer just survive but thrive. And again, I just I've been so honored to represent you all and I look forward to continuing to be on the front lines with you all. Thank you. Thank you, Representative nursing. I do have one other card that was just handed to me, Gloria Einstein. If you are here, if you can make your way to where's the podium, that is our final speaker. You're recognized. And I apologize for missing my chance earlier. Miss apprehended the time of the meeting. I want to speak about redistricting first and collocation. If I suppose everyone here remembers that the redistricting we did after the census, the legislature thought that they had gone as far as permissible and the governor pushed through an even more religious gerrymandering. Our legislative maps do not represent the voters and to consider making them even more unrepresented would be a real offense to the people of Florida. I'm also a poll worker. I see the people come out and vote. They deserve the chance to have their votes counted fairly in their districts. There's no reason to redistrict even further at this point. Let's wait for the census to see what it tells us and then hopefully do a fair job in the next decade. As for collocation, the legislature will have a chance to walk that back. It is a recipe for chaos in our schools. It is an invitation for more private corporations to use the space and the facilities that the public is paid for for their profit-making operations and to further undermine our public schools and our children's education. So I hope that the legislature will realize that the mistake has been made and corrected in this session. Thank you. Thank you very much, Natalia, any more speakers? That's it. Okay, very good. Members that concludes the speakers listed on the agenda and the additional speakers. Members, are there any announcements? Yes, okay. Well, thank you. I will lie a soul like to thank the staff and the JSO for being here today. Members that concludes our agenda seeing no further business. Representative Baker moves that we rise without objection, we are adjourned.