TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN) – In her legislative update with Florida National News, freshman State Representative Daisy Morales (D-48) is on track to have over 100 bills she sponsored and co-sponsored signed into law during her first term (2020-2022) in the Florida House.

Bipartisan Support

Morales, a Democratic lawmaker, prides herself as a bipartisan champion for working across the aisle in getting bills moving in a supermajority Republican controlled House. She accomplished this without supporting the Republicans’ most controversial bills.

State Senator Linda Stewart (3rd from right), sponsor of Miya’s Law, stands with members of Miya Marcano’s family as well as State Reps. Robin Bartleman (center, next to man in blue) and Daisy Morales (2nd from right) for the official announcement of Miya’s Law passing the Florida House and Florida Senate. Photo courtesy of Rep. Daisy Morales (Facebook).

Monday ended the 2022 Legislative Session for Florida state lawmakers. It also marks another successful period of bipartisan lawmaking for Rep. Morales in which she touts legislation victories for:

• law enforcement (HB 3, HB 25)
• firefighters (HB 31)
• juveniles (HB 195, HB 197)
• local government (HB 1423, HB 1431, HB 1433)
• small businesses (HB 2037)
• non-profits (HB 2189, HB 2805)
• environment (HB 323, HB 761)
• lottery winners (HB 159)
• education (HB 461, HB 1515)
• disabled veterans (HB 45)
• Down Syndrome community (HB 67, HB 213, SB 364)
• tenants (HB 577, HB 1439, SB 898)
• Ukraine (HR 1597)
• Puerto Ricans (HR 8069)
• widows, widowers, blind persons, or disabled persons (HB 13, HB 7071)

Fellow lawmakers, local elected officials, constituents, families, advocacy organizations, even government agencies call on her to be a companion bill sponsor or co-sponsor bills that are important to them, Morales told Florida National News.

File – State Representative Daisy Morales (center, holding microphone) garners bipartisan applause at the moment her Barber Services bill unanimously passes the Florida House. Photo: Florida House of Representatives.

Morales, a former Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor who represented Orange County voters for six years, was first elected to the Florida House November 3, 2020. During the 2021 Legislative Session, Governor Ron DeSantis signed 58 bills into law that were sponsored and co-sponsored by Morales.

In addition to the 58 bills, she sponsored and co-sponsored over 55 bills during the 2022 Legislative Session. These are now heading to the governor’s desk for his approval. If he approves them, Morales would successfully have over 100 bills signed into law in her first term.

“Every lawmaker has their own way of measuring results. I measure mine by bills addressing important issues for my constituents getting signed into law as well as bringing funding back to my district,” Morales said. “And you don’t have to be the loudest person in the room to get things done.”

Morales’ Most Notable Sponsored and Co-Sponsored Bills in 2022

Some bills Morales felt strongly in co-sponsoring include HR 1597, the resolution condemning the invasion of Ukraine and supporting the people of Ukraine. Russia’s war on the smaller nation has rallied support for Ukraine worldwide.

“April 2, 2022 marks the 509th anniversary of the founding of Florida by Puerto Rican ancestors and the beginning of their contributions to the state,” said Representative Morales, who is of Puerto Rican descent and the highest elected Puerto Rican woman in Florida.

She also passionately sponsored HR 8069, a resolution designating April 2, 2022 as Puerto Rican Heritage Day, a first for the state of Florida. The resolution highlights the achievements of Puerto Ricans in American history, including Juan Ponce de Leon, then governor of Puerto Rico, who first named Florida.

In her continued push to serve the special needs population, her Down Syndrome Awareness Specialty License Plate bill HB 213, though it didn’t pass on its own, was rolled into HB 67 and Senate companion bill SB 264, which includes specialty license plates for many other communities in addition to Down Syndrome.

In light of Miya Marcano’s unfortunate death, Rep. Morales has co-sponsored Senator Linda Stewart’s Miya’s Law to protect renters, and keep incidents like what happened to Marcano from happening again.

Making Big Strides in Education

As a member of the Florida House Education & Employment Committee, Morales is celebrating education victories as well. She triumphed in her second try to pass the Educational Opportunities for Disabled Veterans bill, (which passed the House in the 2021 Legislative Session, but the Senate companion bill died. The 2022 bill (HB 45) is finally heading to Governor DeSantis’ desk.

State Rep. Daisy Morales (right) stands with State Sen. Janet Cruz in the Florida Senate chambers when the Education Benefits for Disabled Veterans bill passed the Senate. Photo courtesy of Rep. Daisy Morales. (Facebook).

She also co-sponsored the Education for Student Inmates bill (CS/HB 1515), which authorizes the Department of Corrections in each county to contract with Florida College System institutions for education services for student inmates. It also authorizes use of state funds for education of state inmates who have specified amount of time remaining on their sentences.

Morales additionally co-sponsored the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program Student Service Requirements bill (CS/HB 461), which authorizes a student’s service requirements for award under Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program to be paid rather than volunteer. It also authorizes (instead of requires) a student to identify a specified interest or develop a plan for his or her service requirements.

Bills that Didn’t Make It

Morales expressed her disappointment that the Active Shooter Alert bill (HB 1271) she sponsored and Rep. Anna Eskamani’s Rent Control Measures (HB 6017) bill which she co-sponsored that would restore local governments’ ability to declare a housing emergency and take measures to limit rent hikes, died in committee.

Moving Forward

In reflection, Rep. Morales noted how much she accomplished as well as the work that still needs to be done. She praised the opportunities she had to talk with constituents who visited her Tallahassee office during the course of the 2022 Legislative Session. Conversely, she disagrees with the governor’s crackdown on local government. She believes local governments should make decisions for their own residents since they’re on the ground with them.

“I am honored to serve my constituents in Orlando and the 22 million Floridians by delivering bipartisan legislation and a record $112 billion budget to them at the state level,” she told Florida National News. “I’ve worked for the US Government for 23 years and served six years as a countywide elected official. I love serving the people of Florida.”