Faith in Florida’s Protecting Democracy Program Will Not Back Down Amid SB 7050

Tallahassee, FL.– Senate Bill 7050 passed both the Florida House and Senate and will now go to the governor’s desk to be signed into law. Yet another attack on democracy by Governor Ron DeSantis and his allies in the Florida State legislature. This law follows SB 90, which passed in 2021, making it one of the strictest voting laws in the nation. Now, SB 7050 will further penalize third-party voter registration organizations and include provisions that make it more difficult for first-time voters to vote.

“I have dedicated my life’s work to being a champion for issues of civil rights and voting access in the State of Florida. Voting is the bedrock of our democracy, yet we continue to put up barriers that make it harder for eligible citizens to cast their ballots. If we think back to Jim Crow-era legislation and analyze the strategies that the government was using to disenfranchise the black vote. We can see those same strategies used today,” said the Director of Democracy for Faith in Florida Dr. LaVon Bracy.

Faith in Florida has a protecting democracy program that seeks to expand the electorate in favor of the people, to bring about change and create power. The protecting democracy team has worked in rural and Black and Brown communities registering and educating voters. The passage of this bill will directly impact the work the voter fellows are doing across Florida.

“It will severely affect our ability to organize and register more voters in a timely manner. It is as though they don’t want new voters registered,” said Protecting Democracy fellow of Faith in Florida Pastor Karen Sims.

Even though in 2020, Governor DeSantis said Florida had the most flawless election in the country, these costly provisions were passed in the State. Nothing in these bills increases funding and resources for the Supervisors of Elections Offices or establishes a system that clearly states who is eligible to vote.

No matter who we are or where we come from, all Floridians deserve the freedom to vote easily. We believe SB 7050 will cause voters more confusion, and any form of confusion is a form of voter suppression.

Executive Director of Faith in Florida, Rev. Rhonda Thomas, says Faith in Florida will continue its protecting democracy initiatives.

“No weapon form against us shall prosper. Faith in Florida will not let SB 7050 or SB 90 hinder our work for being champions for democracy. In 2024, we will go even harder in our democracy work. We are not backing down.”

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