Florida’s last bear trophy hunt was an unmitigated disaster, yet Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) is gearing up for another. The 2015 hunt was widely condemned, and the state was forced to end it early after its quota of 320 bears was nearly met in just two days. In the eastern Panhandle nearly triple the state’s quota of bears for that region were killed. It’s time for Floridians to speak out in a unified voice and make clear to Gov. DeSantis and his wildlife commission that our state’s treasured wildlife, including the iconic black bear, must be protected for future generations.

For the last 10 months, Floridians have been living under a law that bans abortion before many people even realize they’re pregnant. Patients and families have made a decision for themselves, their health, and futures to access an abortion, only to be told that here in Florida, politicians took that right away. 

That’s why we need your urgent support of House Bill 1139/Senate Bill 870: a bill to end Florida’s near-total abortion ban. Florida’s ban is dangerous, unnecessary, and unpopular with voters who, in November of last year, supported overturning the ban with 57% of the vote. Although Amendment 4 fell just short of the 60% necessary for passage, we must continue fighting for our freedoms. As supporters of abortion access, we are the majority, and we aren’t going anywhere. 

Thanks to citizen-led ballot initiatives to amend the state Constitution, Florida voters have raised the minimum wage, enacted term limits for politicians, protected our beaches from oil drilling, legalized medical marijuana, established a taxpayer bill of rights, created universal voluntary pre-kindergarten for children, and passed many other reforms when politicians in Tallahassee have refused to act.