Orlando
State Rep. Daisy Morales Condemns Gov. DeSantis’s Congressional Map, Disney District Dissolution Bill
Published
4 years agoon
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN) – State Representative Daisy Morales (D-Orlando) issued a strong statement Thursday after participating in a sit-in on the Florida House floor in protest against Florida governor Ron DeSantis‘s Congressional map and went on to slam his campaign to dissolve Disney’s special districts.
State Rep. Morales’s Statement on DeSantis’s Congressional Map
“Our democracy is being attacked. The governor eliminating two Black Congressional seats is a power grab and it’s wrong. Stripping seats from Black representation is the same as saying the Black voice–the Black vote–doesn’t matter. With this map passing, I’m deeply concerned because it means he’ll likely target the one and only Puerto Rican representing Florida in Congress next, Darren Soto, all in the name of catering to his party. We don’t want to disenfranchise the 1.2 million Puerto Ricans in Florida.”
Rep. Morales joined African American State Representatives Yvonne Haynes Hinson (D-Gainesville), Travaris McCurdy (D-Orlando) and Angie Nixon (D-Jacksonville), along with several others, in protest against DeSantis’s map erasing two African American Democratic congressional districts.
Rep. Morales, now the most senior elected Puerto Rican in the Florida House, was the sole Hispanic that protested alongside her African American colleagues on the House floor. She held a sign that had a powerful rebuke: “Legislators: Work for the people, not for the party.”
She went live on Facebook sharing her reaction to the new Congressional map during the sit-in in Spanish and English.
Rep. Morales’s Statement on Governor DeSantis’s Bid to Strip Disney
Rep. Morales went on to condemn Governor DeSantis’s current bid to strip Disney of its self-governance status in her official statement.
“I also oppose the decision to strip Disney of its special districts. Disney provides jobs to thousands of people. If it’s successfully stripped, central Florida taxpayers would face a greater cost for fire, water, road improvement, and first responder services to the tune of nearly $1 billion.”
SB 4-C, the controversial bill passed by the legislature on Thursday, would eliminate the Reedy Creek Improvement District, Disney’s special district that functions as its own government, and several other similar districts by June 2023. The bill does, however, allow for the districts to be reestablished in the future. The bill is now on DeSantis’ desk to be signed into law.
Rep. Morales closed out her official statement with a promise.
“I will continue to fight, I will continue to hold the line with my colleagues until we get justice.
“Voting is a right, not a tool to be manipulated. Our sit-in at the Florida Capitol is what democracy looks like: civil disobedience in the name of standing up for what’s right. Democracy never sleeps. The fight isn’t over yet. Governing by revenge is a recipe for chaos.”
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Mellissa Thomas is Editor for Florida National News. | mellissa.thomas@floridanationalnews.com
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