Central Florida News
Ruth’s List Florida Endorses “Ineffective” Orange County Lawmaker in HD 44 Race
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) – The voters in Florida House District 44 will vote in a rematch election between former State Representative Daisy Morales and incumbent State Representative Rita Harris as the 2024 Primary race begin to heat up over Ruth’s List Florida endorsement of Harris.
Morales campaign recently fired off a press statement responding to a news article written in FloridaPolitics.com announcing Ruth’s List Florida endorsement of Rep. Harris, a first-term lawmaker who defeated Morales during the August 2022 Democratic primary.
The Honorable Jennifer “Rita” Harris, Florida State Representative (2022-2024) Photo: Florida House
Morales continue to slam Harris as “ineffective” and called her the “worst lawmaker in the Orange County state delegation.”
Rita Harris’ 2023 Report Card: Bills Passed 0
“With a disastrous record of zero wins in passing seven different pieces of legislation in the Florida House, Harris recently filed for re-election, kicking off her campaign as an ineffective lawmaker,” Morales stated previously.
Daisy Morales’ Campaign full statement:
“Ruth’s List is wasting its time endorsing an ineffective candidate and showing its partiality ahead of the 2024 election,” said former State Representative Daisy Morales.
In 2014, I was first elected to countywide office and trained with Ruth’s List several years ago like other women candidates; and stood alongside Ruth’s List on the front lines to support them, yet while I was the only woman running against four men in 2020, they still choose not to endorse me, despite how much I supported them. As the only woman—and only Puerto Rican woman—running for a State House seat at the time, endorsing me would’ve been a powerful sisterhood statement on their part and showed what it means for Puerto Rican girls who want to make a difference in the Democratic Pro-Choice women movement. Ruth’s List missed a prime opportunity.
The Honorable Daisy Morales, Florida State Representative (2020-2022) Photo: Florida House
“As for the disinformation still being spread about me, I didn’t break with my Party on a handful of bills. One, that’s vague.
Do the homework and specify which bills because while the announcement in Florida Politics links to HB 1033, the incorrect bill is typed out, showing “HB 1220” instead. Two, I also love how the 2021 tax bill, HB 15 taxation legislation, I co-sponsored with nearly 10 Democratic lawmakers, is used as an example of me breaking with the Party when in fact Democrats voted in favor of the Senate companion bill (SB 50) since it included a tax break for Floridians.
Since the Republicans are the majority, there will be times when we vote with them on bills. It happens.
“What is the magical number for how many times you choose to make a bipartisan vote or not vote at all that suddenly makes you a problem in the eyes of the Party? Because there are many examples of other Democrats voting with Republicans on legislation or not voting, yet I don’t see anyone else getting ostracized or smeared.
“I was voted a pro-Floridian lawmaker by two Progressive organizations, Progress Florida and Florida Watch, based on my voting record, which includes reproductive freedom. My voting record was graded at 97 percent in 2022 in the top three percent of 56 Democratic lawmakers along with Rep. Anna Eskamani, Rep. Ben Diamond, and then representative Carlos Smith, above many of the most prominent names in the Party. As a rookie lawmaker at that. I’m not sure how anyone can paint a broad brush saying I don’t vote with my Party.
“Now that Harris’s first Legislative Session (2023) is behind her, the voters of District 44 and the state of Florida have something to measure her by: her legislative record.
In her first term, she delivered sound bites, but not results for the people of District 44 and the people of Florida. Out of her seven sponsored bills, one had no Senate sponsor, and one, the Holocaust Bill, only made it through one committee, though it should’ve made it to the House floor and been signed into law by the governor.
Morales Highlight Legislative Accomplishments
“As a freshman lawmaker, I was able to move my very first piece of legislation, the Barber Services bill (HB 855), to the House floor with bipartisan support (with seven cosponsors) and it got signed into law in the middle of the pandemic. The language for my Commercial Telephone Solicitation bill (HB 857) was included in another piece of legislation that was signed into law, also during the pandemic. And while my Educational Opportunities for Disabled Veterans bill (HB 1347) passed on the House floor (with nearly 20 cosponsors) and the Senate companion bill died in 2021, I re-introduced it (HB 45) in 2022 and it was signed into law.
“Also in 2022, my Property Tax Exemption bill (HB 13), which was added to the massive historic taxation bill (HB 7071) and signed into law, gives widowed, widower, blind, and totally disabled Floridians an increased homestead tax break from $500 to $5,000. Plus, my Specialty Tag legislation (HB 213) for those with Down Syndrome was added into the larger Specialty Tags legislation that was signed into law.
“That’s results, and that’s what matters to the voters.
HB 1033 / SB 1076 Reproductive Health Protections Rights Bill Received Lukewarm Support from Democrats
“Ruth’s List called Harris a ‘champion’ for reproductive rights, but her reproductive bill wasn’t signed into law. She—and Ruth’s List—couldn’t even get the Party to fully get behind her to cosponsor her reproductive rights bill, and there are plenty of Democrats in the Florida House to back her. Three, Reps. Eskamani, Casello, and Edmonds, out of 34 Democrats cosponsored the bill. The Democrats in the Florida Senate didn’t cosponsor the companion bill. It was dead on arrival. There are 12 named Democrats in the State Senate—male and female alike—who tout themselves as very passionate about reproductive rights, yet none of the other 11 cosponsored that bill.
“Ruth’s List is an advocacy group, but it appears they dropped the ball on getting Democratic cosponsors for this bill. The voters would expect that reproductive rights legislation this important wouldn’t be given to a rookie to push through committee, especially in light of the Roe v. Wade reversal.
This is legislation you give to at least a sophomore or definitely senior lawmaker to make sure it gets support and makes it to the House floor for a vote. Veteran lawmakers understand the ins and outs of how to get legislation moving—including working across the aisle, which is how you get results when your party is not the majority.
“Women’s advocacy groups like Ruth’s List are much needed, but they must be fair and impartial, not a hub for cliquish behavior, because then the women of Florida suffer with no results that benefit them.
“Champions get things done and deliver results for the people of Florida.” Rita Harris is no champion to the voters of Florida House District 44.
Central Florida News
Orlando City SC & Orlando Pride Launch New Pop-Up Bar for 2026 Kickoff to Soccer Events
Central Florida News
Lift Orlando and Valencia College Launch Free-Tuition Scholarship for Jones High Graduates
By Dr. Jessica Henlon | Education Contributor for Florida National News
On January 7, 2026, Valencia College and Lift Orlando announced the launch of the Lift Scholars program, offering full tuition and fee coverage at Valencia for every graduate of Jones High School’s Class of 2026 through 2029. Whether pursuing an associate degree or short-term technical certificate, students will now have the opportunity to earn credentials without the burden of tuition.
Lift Orlando CEO Eddy Moratin called the initiative a commitment to removing obstacles: “Cost should never stand in the way of a student’s future” (Valencia College, 2026). Valencia President, Dr. Kathleen Plinske, noted that the program builds on the success of Osceola County’s Prosper initiative and affirmed that “the lives of hundreds of Jones students and their families will be transformed by today’s news” (Valencia College, 2026). Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) Superintendent Dr. Maria Vazquez described the scholarship as “an extraordinary gift” that “opens doors” for students who might have otherwise seen college as out of reach (Valencia College, 2026).
The announcement was met with tears, cheers, and celebration. Perhaps no moment captured the joy more vividly than when OCPS District 5 Board member and Jones High alumna Vicki-Elaine Felder took the mic, pointing to students proclaiming: “You get a scholarship, and you get a scholarship!” On social media, she shared her pride with fellow alumni, calling the news a “wonderful opportunity for my Alma Mater JHS🧡💚🐅🎉🥳🙌🏾.”
Building on Proven Promise Programs
The Lift Scholars model joins a national movement of place-based Promise scholarships. Since Michigan’s Kalamazoo Promise launched in 2005, more than 400 similar programs have emerged nationwide. These scholarships have shown powerful results: Bartik et al. (2021) found recipients were significantly more likely to enroll in and complete college compared to similar students without aid.
Closer to home, Osceola County’s Prosper program has enrolled over 10,000 students since its launch in 2022 and helped more than 1,100 earn associate degrees through Valencia (Mead, 2025). The initiative raised Osceola’s college-going rate from one of Florida’s lowest to among its highest, a compelling model for Lift Scholars’ potential (Valencia College, 2026).
Cost Is Still the Biggest Barrier
Research consistently affirms that financial strain is the top barrier to college enrollment. A Gallup–Lumina Foundation survey found that 85% of adults who never enrolled or who left college early cited tuition and fees as a major factor (Carrasco, 2024). Removing those costs measurably boosts participation.
Even modest scholarship programs have demonstrated impact. A multi-state study by Mayer et al. (2015) showed that performance-based aid increased both persistence and five-year graduation rates. More recently, Berlanga and Corti (2025) found that scholarship recipients earned higher GPAs and graduated at significantly greater rates than peers.
A Personal Lens: Support Must Follow Access
My doctoral research explored how financial support, when paired with meaningful engagement, drives student persistence. I interviewed first-generation online learners who described how virtual co-curricular experiences boosted their motivation, belonging, and academic follow-through (Henlon, 2025). Financial access opens the door, but relationships, visibility, and mentorship sustain the journey.
A Gift That Multiplies
For Jones High families, this is more than a scholarship. It’s a public affirmation that their children’s futures matter. It’s also a community investment with long-term dividends. As Dr. Vazquez noted, this program will empower students “to pursue their goals with confidence” (Valencia College, 2026).
When students are relieved of tuition burdens, they gain freedom to explore careers in healthcare, logistics, education, or advanced manufacturing. To dream, to plan, and to persist. And when communities like Orlando come together to send a bold message of hope, everyone benefits.
About the Author: Dr. Jessica Henlon holds a Ph.D. in Psychology with a specialization in Education. She is an Education Contributor for Florida National News. Dr. Henlon can be reached at Education@FloridaNationalNews.com or book.jessicahenlon@gmail.com.
