By Liel Shachr
On January 24, 2024, I had the opportunity to attend the Reclaiming Florida’s Future Lobby Day event, where a coalition of environmental groups and nonprofits advocated for environmental protection in the state. The event brought together over 250 students from across Florida to speak with legislators about several environmentally related bills. We were provided with accommodations such as travel, food, and housing from the environmental organizations involved in this event. This ensured that students from across Florida had the chance to experience something that might otherwise be difficult without the necessary resources.
Here’s how the day went:
The Night Before: Buses arrived to pick up university students.
We then traveled to Tallahassee, where we were served dinner and underwent lobbying training. We were trained in how to properly speak to legislators while lobbying and learned more about the three bills we would be speaking about. We were in support of Heat Illness Prevention SB 762/HB 945 and Mangrove Replanting and Restoration SB 32/ HB 1581. The Heat Illness Prevention Bills calls for workplace safety regulations– something that is important to be mindful of as temperatures rise due to climate change. The Mangrove Replanting and Restoration Bills will encourage the planting of Mangroves by creating rules and public awareness. Mangroves are essential to Florida’s habitats and prevent coastal erosion.
We opposed the Renewable Natural Gas SB 480/ HB 683 Bills which were essentially a greenwashing bill. Greenwashing is common in government and is meant to be a disguise or distraction from what the bill action is actually promoting: environmental degradation. These bills hide under terms like “renewable energy,” but they would encourage the construction of new methane gas pipelines.
The Morning Of:
After breakfast we headed to the Capitol and rallied on the steps to make sure our voices were heard. It was packed with energetic and compassionate people, which made everyone feel more confident as we went to speak with our legislators. We split into groups and attended our first meeting with a Florida representative. These meetings are typically speedy, only lasting 5-15 minutes. You introduce yourself and then explain why you are here. We spoke for about five minutes and explained our support/opposition to the proposed bills, as well as shared a climate story, which is a personal story related to the bill. Typically, this results in indirect answers from legislators about how they will vote on the bill, but it's at least a chance to open them up to new opinions and concerns.
Throughout the Day:
In between our meetings with legislators, we explored the capitol, ate lunch provided by the environmental organizations, and spoke with legislative aides about said bills. If a legislator is not available, a legislative aide will always be available to meet with you and report back what was discussed with that legislator.
Overall, this was a wonderful opportunity. If you are interested in environmental policy and advocacy, this is a great way to get involved. This event made lobbying accessible to High School and College students, and for me, was a great introduction to lobbying. Even if you missed Florida Lobby Day, you can still get involved with lobbying or environmental advocacy. Contact your local or state environmental organizations to find out more!