All,
Another anti-democratic bill is being heard in the House on Monday and we need you to take action to OPPOSE this bill TODAY. HB 999 (Andrade) Public Postsecondary Educational Institutions – aka “the MAGA University Bill” is a DeSantis priority that will do the following:
Forbid colleges and universities from spending money on any program or activity that espouses “diversity, equity, and inclusion;”
Allow only certain courses in communications, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and math courses to count as general education credits if they align with DeSantis’ ideology and “promote the philosophical underpinnings of Western civilization and include studies of this nation’s historical documents, including the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights and subsequent amendments there to, and the Federalist Papers;”
Ban colleges and universities from having majors or minors in Women’s & Gender Studies or a “derivative” from the “belief system” of CRT;
Allow faculty hiring only by the university board or president who are not required to consider recommendations or opinions of faculty and are political appointees; and
Allow a faculty member’s tenure to be reviewed “at any time” by political appointees.
Please contact the following legislators below in the House Postsecondary Education & Workforce Subcommittee AND your own House Representatives TODAY and tell them to VOTE NO on this anti-democratic bill that will only damage the reputation of the Florida college and university systems, deter the enrollments of students who would be our leaders of the future, and prevent the hiring of high-quality faculty.
Lauren Melo (R), Chair (850) 717-5082
Mike Beltran (R), Vice Chair (850) 717-5070
Carolina Amesty (R) (850) 717-5045
Melony Bell (R ) (850) 717-5049
Kimberly Berfield (R) (850) 717-5058
Lindsey Michelle Cross (D) (850) 717-5060
Lisa Dunkley (D) (850) 717-5097
Anna Eskamani (D) (850) 717-5042
Tiffany Esposito (R) (850) 717-5077
Karen Gonzalez Pittman (R) (850) 717-5065
Fred Hawkins (R) (850) 717-5035
Yvonne Hayes Hinson (D) (850) 717-5021
Vicki L. Lopez (R) (850) 717-5113
Susan Plasencia (R) (850) 717-5037
Joel Rudman, Dr., (R) (850) 717-5003
Jason Shoaf (R) (850) 717-5007
Allison Tant (D) (850) 717-5009
John Paul Temple (R) (850) 717-5052
Lauren.Melo@myfloridahouse.gov; Mike.Beltran@myfloridahouse.gov; Carolina.Amesty@myfloridahouse.gov; Melony.Bell@myfloridahouse.gov; Kim.Berfield@myfloridahouse.gov; Lindsay.Cross@myfloridahouse.gov; Lisa.Dunkley@myfloridahouse.gov; Anna.Eskamani@myfloridahouse.gov; Tiffany.Esposito@myfloridahouse.gov; Karen.Pittman@myfloridahouse.gov; Fred.Hawkins@myfloridahouse.gov; Yvonne.Hinson@myfloridahouse.gov; Vicki.Lopez@myfloridahouse.gov; Susan.Plasencia@myfloridahouse.gov; Joel.Rudman@myfloridahouse.gov; Jason.Shoaf@myfloridahouse.gov; Allison.Tant@myfloridahouse.gov; John.Temple@myfloridahouse.gov
Thank you,
Jean Siebenaler
LEGISLATIVE CHAIR, DEMOCRATIC WOMEN'S CLUB OF FLORIDA