Thread by @FloridaEA

At 9am, SB 1014 will be up in committee. This bill attacks freedoms that educators currently enjoy, and educators are fighting back.

Teachers and staff from all over Florida have cut short Spring Break & arrived in Tallahassee to voice their opposition to the committee.

Upon the conclusion of the meeting, there will be a press conference featuring some of the educators who made the trip up to Tallahassee to address SB 1014.

In the meantime, we'll be following along the committee meeting when it starts at 9am and provide updates in this thread.

Since the Florida Senate remains closed to the citizens of Florida, the educators are gathering at the Civic Center where they hope to provide remote testimony on SB 1014.

As always, you can watch live via @floridachannel thefloridachannel.org

But, you don't have to wait any longer to hear from educators themselves. The @FLAFLCIO has begun a livestream that you can watch here: fb.watch/4hIxj2jgHi/

Educators are streaming into the Civic Center where they will stand united and voice their opposition to SB 1014

And now educators are being turned away!!!! The Civic Center has "reached capacity" and educators who have driven from as far away as St. Pete are being told, You can't publicly address your officials today.

Video soon.

The one thing in Florida that isn't open? The People's House. Educators are being turned away today as they line up to testify to the Senate Government Oversight and Accountability Committee!
@isaray
@JoeGruters
@debbie_mayfield
@kellistargel
@SenStewart
@FLSenatorTorres

100 educators, many of whom have given up their Spring Break to travel to Tallahassee, are being told they can't address the committee they came to address today.
@isaray
@JoeGruters
@debbie_mayfield
@kellistargel
@SenStewart
@FLSenatorTorres
@dennisbaxley

The committee meeting has now begun. There is an extensive agenda. We'll be monitoring the meeting and provide updates when SB 1014 is taken up.

You can watch live via @floridachannel thefloridachannel.org

Here's the current line of speakers being denied admission and the ability to address SB 1014 in committee.

It was an eight-hour round trip to Tallahassee for these educators who the Senate Government Oversight and Accountability Committee refused to listen to.
@isaray
@JoeGruters
@debbie_mayfield
@kellistargel
@SenStewart
@FLSenatorTorres

A picture from inside of the "full" room at the Civic Center. Meanwhile, people are being let in if they want to speak on other bills on today's agenda, just not SB 1014.

Here a member of the Senate staff tells the people in line they can head in if they want to speak on ANY OTHER BILL than 1014. Those who want to speak on 1014--"just wait."

As we said earlier, there is quite an extensive agenda today. There's just over 90 minutes left in the meeting and discussion has still not begun on SB 1014.

Expect questioning, debate and public input to be stifled even further than has already happened.

There is a little bit of confusion when SB 1014 is taken up at its sponsor Sen. @dennisbaxley seems unaware which bill he is presenting.

Now that he has clarity, he's presenting SB 1014.

Sen. @LindaStewartFL asks, "There are other things than can be deducted from paychecks just not union dues. Is that correct?"

Sen. @dennisbaxley: I don't know. I really don't know anything about this bill.

Sen. @FLSenatorTorres, "Why do we need to tell the union the exact language they should put on their membership forms?"

Sen. @dennisbaxley: (paraphrased) "We must protect teachers. They can't decide things for themselves. The gov't must step in and help."

Sen. @debbie_mayfield suggests a time certain vote at 11:15, and her proposal passes. There will be one hour total for discussion, debate and public input.

First from the public to speak is a professor from @UNFUFF who urges the committee to vote no.

She's followed by a teacher from @debbie_mayfield's district. She tells the committee to vote no on this bill which is an "infringement on her rights."

"Management and union working together can get things done," a CEO from a "highly unionized workforce" tells the committee. He concludes, "please put SB 1014 on the shelf."

"I'm a proud Republican educator from Marion County," Mary Rivera tells the committee. "I'm opposed to big government and offended you think you should tell me how to direct my pay. I do not need to be dictated to."

LaTonya Starks is next. "I'm a 4th grade teacher from Lee County here on my Spring Break. I am deeply uncomfortable with this...please say no to SB 1014. Please do not add additional complications to my career."

A middle school teacher from Columbia County tells the committee, "Myself and my colleagues advocate for individual students with names, faces and stories. Don't make it harder for us to advocate for our students. Vote no on SB 1014."

"Prior to my career as a teacher, I was an Army officer ready to travel anywhere in the world to protect freedom. Please don't limit my freedom," an Osceola County Educator tells the committee.

Sen. @dennisbaxley's first amendment has passed. We now return to the main bill for questioning, public input and debate. There are no questions.

Chair @isayray says there are 80 speakers for public input. Each person will have 45 seconds.

"There's a room full of teachers right here and a whole bunch more outside. They are the heroes of what we've been through over this past year, and what this bill does is strip them of their rights," @rtemplin tells the committee.

"I've been teaching for 10 years in St. John's County. There are real problems that we are facing. This bill creates a solution to a problem that isn't real. Focus on the real issues, please and vote no on SB 1014," says the next educator.

"I have been teaching in person since August. I've been able to do so safely b/c my administration and my union have worked together to ensure our safety, leaving me free to focus on teaching. Please don't make things more difficult," says a middle school teacher.

"I am a US Coast Guard veteran. I took an oath to protect freedom. This bill takes away freedom. Please, please vote no on this bill," says a teacher from Brevard County.

"Just like I can deduct donations for United Way and for my healthcare from my paycheck, I should be able to deduct my union dues. Please don't take that right away says an educator from St. Augustine.

Next is a teacher from Nassau County, "I'm an adult, a Republican, and a teacher. I can make these decisions for myself and do not need the government to 'protect' me."

(Sen. Baxley introduced this is a bill to "protect" educator paychecks.)

"I have been a Republican since Barry Goldwater ran for president in 1964," says another educator from Nassau County, "but I don't support what you are trying to do here. Please don't support SB 1014."

"Please vote no on this bill and let us keep the rights we have," says a teacher from Brevard County who then reminds @debbie_mayfield they've worked together for education in the past and she should support educators now by voting no on SB 1014.

"I'm a Republican from Bay County, and I see this as such a government overreach. We sign up to have things deducted from our paychecks all the time. We don't need you to limit our freedom," says the next speaker.

"By supporting my love of teaching, you are supporting my students," so please support us all by voting no on SB 1014 says the next speaker.

There still hasn't been a single person to speak in favor of the bill.

"I am an ESE school bus driver from Walton County, a conservative Republican and a God-fearing person. My union has helped me to stay safe with PPE. These are different times. As a worker I urge you to vote no on SB 1014," says the next speaker.

It is announced there are still well over 50 people who would like to speak, but that there will be less than 30 minutes left before debate.

Speakers are now limited to 30 seconds each.

"SB 1014 is unnecessary red-tape. Nobody is asking for this bill. Please lean into your values and vote no on this bill," a Polk County teacher tells the committee.

Next up, "I'm a middle school teacher from Escambia. I do not understand why this bill attacks only education union members. Please do not support this bill."

"Not only am I a conservative Republican, over half of the members of my local education union are Republicans," a EBD classroom aide from Okaloosa County tells the committee asking them to vote no on SB 1014.

A third veteran of the US military has spoken to the committee. "This bill is antithetical to American values and the freedoms I signed up to protect," an educator from Jackson County tells the committee.

"I've taken an 8-hour one way drive on my Spring Break to tell ask you to continue to allow our freedom of association without government interference," an educator with 20+ years of experience tells the committee.

A music teacher from Escabmia County tells the committee "I ask you not just to listen to us, but to take action to support us. Please vote no on SB 1014."

St Johns, Okaloosa, Walton, Marion, Brevard, Escambia, Nassau, Lee, and Collier are just a few of the counties that have been represented so far today.

This truly has been an outpouring of opposition from all across the state.

"I want to ask a question. Why during this time of unprecedented need are we adding more paperwork to educators and trying to take away educators' rights?"

Some good questions from a Marion County educator.

A reminder, if you want to watch live you can do so here:
thefloridachannel.org

"I'm a high school teacher from Hernando County. In 14 years this has been my hardest year. I don't need anyone, especially a government body to authorize my choices," says yet another in the string of educators opposed to SB 1014.

Still not a single person to speak in favor.

"If these additional requirements are so great, why do they not apply to all unions? Why are just attacking educators," asks a veteran teacher from Leon County.

"Our main purpose right now is to make sure our students feel safe. Their parents feel safe. We don't need anything else added on to us right now. Please vote no on this bill!"

(I didn't get the teacher's county)

"I'm entrusted to protect my students if an active shooter arrives on campus. I'm entrusted to protect students from Covid. But I can't be trusted to decide for myself if I want to be a member of my union? Why? Please vote no on SB 1014."

There are still dozens and dozens of educators left to testify, but @isayray ends public testimony due to time constraints.

First in debate is Sen. @LindaStewartFL who says, "I will definitely have to oppose this bill."

"This bill is unnecessary and unwanted," Sen. @FLSenatorTorres says in debate. "We don't need to take their choices away. There is no way I'm gonna support this bill."

Sen. @kellistargel (not surprisingly) says she will support the bill because she knows better what educators need than every single one of the educators who spoke.

Sen. @isayray also says he will support the bill.

And as she has done in every time a similar bill has been heard on committee, Sen. @debbie_mayfield remained silent.

Sen. @dennisbaxley closing on his bill which greatly expands government says, "I want you to have every liberty. This is about getting government out of the way."

Sen. Gruters had an excused absence today, so he didn't vote.

With that one exception, every (R) below voted yes, and every (D) voted no.

SB 1014 passes and heads to its next committee.

Don't forget, there will be a press conference at 11:45 today to discuss this attack on educators' rights.

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