A new legislative “report card” from progressive advocacy groups Progress Florida and Florida Watch ranked nearly all of the state’s sitting lawmakers on how they voted with working families — or corporate interests — during the last Session.
Thirty-two of them, or 20%, earned top marks. All are Democrats.
The groups’ annual “People First Report Card” assigned scores and letter grades to each lawmaker based on 23 key floor votes in the House and 15 in the Senate. Graded topics included health care, housing affordability, education, reproductive rights, ethics, environmental protection and economic justice.
Lawmakers who consistently aligned with policies that “put people first” received higher grades, while those who sided with “corporate special interests” were dinged.
Progress Florida and Florida Watch said the grading should serve as a guide to help Florida voters assess whether their elected officials are acting in the public’s interest or serving the priorities of lobbyists and donors.
“Floridians are being suffocated by an affordability crisis that was largely ignored by legislative leadership,” Progress Florida Executive Director Mark Ferrulo said in a statement.
“Instead of addressing skyrocketing costs for insurance, housing, and other essentials, the legislative majority extended Session to hand out massive tax breaks to multinational corporations.”
Bills weighed in the grading included:
— SB 2C, which expanded immigration enforcement roles for local governments and restricted access to public education for undocumented students.
— SB 158, which ensured cost-free breast exams for state employees on the state health insurance plan.
— SB 1080, which weakened local authority over growth management and land use.
— HB 209, which strengthened protections for state parks and conservation lands.
— HB 1105, which eased the process to convert public schools into charter schools and redirected more public school funding to charter and private school voucher programs.
— HB 1205, which created new barriers to citizen-led constitutional amendments.
— HB 1539, which broadened authority to restrict and remove books from public school libraries.
— SB 94/HB 759, which would have rolled back Parkland-inspired age restrictions on long rifle purchases.
— SB 918/HB 1225, which would have rolled back child labor protections.
— SB 1284/HB 1517, which would have allowed wrongful death lawsuits to be filed for fetuses.
— SB 1726/HB 1321, which would have made college presidential searches more transparent.
Lawmakers who earned “A” grades included Sens. Kristen Arrington, Lori Berman, Tracie Davis, Rosalind Osgood, Carlos G. Smith; Reps. Bruce Antone, Wallace Aristide, Robin Bartleman, Kevin Chambliss, LaVon Bracy Davis, Daryl Campbell, Lindsay Cross, Dan Daley, Fentrice Driskell, Anna Eskamani, Ashley Gantt, Mike Gottlieb, Rita Harris, Dianne Hart, Yvonne Hinson, Christine Hunschofksy, Dotie Joseph, Angie Nixon, Michele Rayner, Felicia Robinson, Mitch Rosenwald, Kelly Skidmore, Leonard Spencer, Allison Tant, Debra Tendrich, Marie Woodson; and late Rep. Joe Casello.
Notably, Miami Gardens Democratic Sen. Shevrin Jones and Sunrise Democratic Rep. Lisa Dunkley were not graded due to excused absences from multiple key votes.
Lawmakers earning “B” grades — all Democrats — included Sens. Mack Bernard, Darryl Rouson and Tina Scott Polsky; and Reps. Jose Alvarez, Tae Edmonds, Gallop Franklin, Johanna López.
Davie Democratic Sen. Barbara Sharief got a “C,” while Democrat-turned-independent Hollywood Sen. Jason Pizzo received a “D.”
The rest, all Republicans, received “F” grades.
“This year provided a historic opportunity to cut taxes for all Floridians while closing loopholes for multinational corporations, and to lower costs for workers and seniors to deliver much-needed economic relief at a time when many residents of our state continue to work hard but are still struggling with the cost of living,” Florida Watch Executive Director Natasha Sutherland said in a statement.
“This year’s Session dragged well beyond the usual 60 days, but instead of using that extra time to address the real issues facing everyday Floridians, legislative leaders gave more handouts to their corporate elite donors.”
Sutherland praised lawmakers who resisted pressure from Gov. Ron DeSantis and other leaders in the GOP-dominated Legislature to vote in favor of “powerful special interests.”
“It is important Floridians recognize these lawmakers who cast their votes to improve the lives of working families and seniors,” she said. “Many of these same lawmakers also stood up to defend our freedoms from government overreach by helping prevent further restrictions to reproductive and academic freedom.”
The report card is available in Spanish and Haitian Creole.
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