WEBVTT - Petri Dish of Hate

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<v Speaker 1>Good morning, peeps, and welcome to WOKF Daily with me

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<v Speaker 1>your girl, Danielle Moody pre recording from the home Bunker, Folks.

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<v Speaker 1>I am away for a few days, but I have

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<v Speaker 1>done some amazing interviews, so I hope that you are

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<v Speaker 1>engaged and have been informed over the last couple of days.

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<v Speaker 1>And I'm excited today to bring to you my conversation

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<v Speaker 1>with Lauren Brenzel, who is the campaign director for Yes

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<v Speaker 1>on four Floridians Protecting Freedom. You know that we have

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<v Speaker 1>spent a lot of time on WOKAF speaking about the

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<v Speaker 1>Petri dish of hate that is the state of Florida

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<v Speaker 1>and what Ron DeSantis has done to roll back the

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<v Speaker 1>clock on women, on queer people, on black people, and

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<v Speaker 1>essentially turn that state into an abyss. And in this

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<v Speaker 1>conversation with Lauren, she talks about the on the ground

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<v Speaker 1>organizing effort to get an initiative on the ballot that

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<v Speaker 1>would grant Floridians access to abortion in the state's constitution.

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<v Speaker 1>At the time of our conversation, she had received over

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<v Speaker 1>nine hundred thousand signatures, which is what is needed to

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<v Speaker 1>put this referendum on the ballot. It is going to

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<v Speaker 1>be voted on in November in the state of Florida.

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<v Speaker 1>I cannot express to how just excited I was to

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<v Speaker 1>talk to Lauren, to hear about the work that she's

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<v Speaker 1>doing on the ground in Florida, to be reminded right

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<v Speaker 1>that there are people who are in Florida that are

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<v Speaker 1>fighting back against the fascist ron de Santis. And while

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<v Speaker 1>I continue to talk about the dangers and the existential

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<v Speaker 1>threat that Project twenty twenty five has in store in

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<v Speaker 1>a Trump two point zero never ending regime, people are

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<v Speaker 1>already experiencing that in states like Florida. Project twenty twenty

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<v Speaker 1>five is already underway in places like Florida, and so

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<v Speaker 1>Lauren gives us some insight into what is going on

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<v Speaker 1>there and also provides opportunities for you, even if you

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<v Speaker 1>do not live in the state, how you can support

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<v Speaker 1>their efforts. So that conversation is coming up next, folks.

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<v Speaker 1>I am very happy to welcome to OKF Daily for

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<v Speaker 1>the first time Lauren Brenzel, who is the campaign director

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<v Speaker 1>for Yes on four for Laardians Protecting Freedom, which is

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<v Speaker 1>a ballot initiative to you essentially protect or enshrine I

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<v Speaker 1>should say, abortion rights in Florida Lauren, give us the

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<v Speaker 1>rundown on where things are in Florida right now. We

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<v Speaker 1>talk about it on the show all the time. You're

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<v Speaker 1>horrific Governor. Every single proposal that he has put out

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<v Speaker 1>that just brings Florida into the depths of hell. So

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<v Speaker 1>talk to us on about your organization and where things

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<v Speaker 1>stand now with abortion rights and protections.

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<v Speaker 2>Florida is in a really scary place with regards to

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<v Speaker 2>abortion rights and protection. Florida historically was not only one

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<v Speaker 2>of the most expansive states for access in the Southeast,

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<v Speaker 2>but actually nationally so we used to have pretty limited

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<v Speaker 2>regulations around access to care, and we actually used to

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<v Speaker 2>be able to offer abortion leader in pregnancy, which is

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<v Speaker 2>I think there's less than five providers nationally that do

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<v Speaker 2>that kind of work nout. I don't want to go

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<v Speaker 2>too deep into it because I know that this is

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<v Speaker 2>not the question, but it's something that I feel incredibly

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<v Speaker 2>passionate about, because if you think of being in the

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<v Speaker 2>position where you have built a nursery, you have chosen

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<v Speaker 2>a name, you have imagined a life for a child,

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<v Speaker 2>and you find out that you have a non viable

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<v Speaker 2>pregnancy or you've gotten a terminal diagnosis and you have

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<v Speaker 2>to access later in pregnancy care. I just as an aside,

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<v Speaker 2>want to say, I think one of the most equal

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<v Speaker 2>things that the anti abortion movement has done is villainize

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<v Speaker 2>those women.

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<v Speaker 1>Yes, yep.

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<v Speaker 2>But after the overturn of Roe v. Wade, that same

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<v Speaker 2>year twenty twenty two, we saw the passage of a

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<v Speaker 2>fifteen week abortion ban here in Florida, and it was

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<v Speaker 2>a moment of realizing that our politicians here were not

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<v Speaker 2>going to stop at fifteen weeks. They We're going to

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<v Speaker 2>push as hard as they could to do a six

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<v Speaker 2>week ban or a near total ban, and that's exactly

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<v Speaker 2>what we saw. So in twenty twenty three we saw

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<v Speaker 2>the passage of a near total abortion ban. It is

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<v Speaker 2>a ban at six weeks and zero days, and that

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<v Speaker 2>is since last monstrel period. I've been trying to contextualize

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<v Speaker 2>this for people by noting that most women find out

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<v Speaker 2>they're pregnant at five weeks in five days. If you

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<v Speaker 2>research studies that show when when women find out, it's

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<v Speaker 2>five weeks five days, and you have to be in

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<v Speaker 2>a health center starting your appointment because of our twenty

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<v Speaker 2>four hour waiting period at five weeks and six days,

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<v Speaker 2>So the average Floridian finding out at the average time

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<v Speaker 2>women find out they're pregnant who wants to access an

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<v Speaker 2>abortion has twenty four hours in order to find care.

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<v Speaker 2>We are having people come into health centers who are

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<v Speaker 2>so early that they can't even see their ultra They

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<v Speaker 2>can't even see a pregnancy and ultrasound, so they can't

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<v Speaker 2>be delivered care. We are having people come in at

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<v Speaker 2>six weeks and one day who can't have care delivered

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<v Speaker 2>to them. We are having to turn patients away in

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<v Speaker 2>this state who are experiencing mental health crisises because they

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<v Speaker 2>cannot believe that this is a law in place, and

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<v Speaker 2>because they don't feel like they can fly to DC

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<v Speaker 2>or New York or Illinois to access care. The South

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<v Speaker 2>is in a crisis with regards to abortion access. So

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<v Speaker 2>there are right now who states in our entire region

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<v Speaker 2>that have care past six weeks, North Carolina and Virginia,

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<v Speaker 2>and in totality, those states see less than fifty thousand

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<v Speaker 2>patients per year. By context, Florida used to see eighty

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<v Speaker 2>four thousand patients. So you try to imagine jamming in

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<v Speaker 2>additional tens of thousands of patients into these states that

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<v Speaker 2>are already over capacity because care has been all throughout

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<v Speaker 2>the South, and we are already seeing devastating stories from

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<v Speaker 2>patients who have been denied access to care. I can't

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<v Speaker 2>imagine the continued magnitude of that over the upcoming years

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<v Speaker 2>if we don't figure out how to get constitutionally protected

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<v Speaker 2>access in the Southeast.

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<v Speaker 1>The picture that you have just painted of needing to

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<v Speaker 1>decide within twenty four hours what you are doing with

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<v Speaker 1>a pregnancy, knowing that the moment that you step inside

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<v Speaker 1>of a health clinic that the clock has started, is

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<v Speaker 1>just extraordinary. I think that unless you are a woman

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<v Speaker 1>or a pregnant person in that position, you can't imagine

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<v Speaker 1>the fear that you can't like they are, because I'm

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<v Speaker 1>just trying to wrap my mind around the state of

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<v Speaker 1>fear that you must be in, and I just, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>for folks to have some more context too. I always

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<v Speaker 1>offer this statistic, which is that a majority of Americans,

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<v Speaker 1>if a four hundred dollars bill came up, can't pay it. Right,

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<v Speaker 1>a four hundred dollar bill outside of the norm of

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<v Speaker 1>what you are dealing with, can't pay that bill. So

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<v Speaker 1>you're saying that at five weeks and six days, if

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<v Speaker 1>I'm in Florida, and I am now pregnant. I have

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<v Speaker 1>to decide if I can fly drive train to only

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<v Speaker 1>two states that are relatively close to Floorlorida, Virginia or

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<v Speaker 1>North Carolina, and then when I get there, what you're

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<v Speaker 1>saying to me is that then I'm also competing with

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<v Speaker 1>the tens of thousands of people that were already receiving

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<v Speaker 1>care in that state, and now the tens and tens

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<v Speaker 1>of thousands coming in from around the area that this

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<v Speaker 1>is the closest refuge that they have.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, So talk.

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<v Speaker 1>To us about this ballot initiative and what the possibility

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<v Speaker 1>if there are any, because I know that your ballot

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<v Speaker 1>initiative Floridians Protecting Freedom, This has now nine hundred and

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<v Speaker 1>ten thousand signatures or is it more? Are you over

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<v Speaker 1>a million?

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<v Speaker 2>We're at nine hundred and ninety seven. We missed that

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<v Speaker 2>one million markets. Okay, thousand signatures.

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<v Speaker 1>But nine hundred and ninety seven thousand Floridians have signed

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<v Speaker 1>this ballot measure stating that abortion should be a rite right,

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<v Speaker 1>not a privilege. Talk to us now about the steps

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<v Speaker 1>that follow this collection of signatures.

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<v Speaker 2>You won't believe this, but the process for getting a

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<v Speaker 2>citizens referred initiative on the ballot in Florida is incredibly

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<v Speaker 2>arduous and incredibly marred by governmental interference. So in order

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<v Speaker 2>for us to qualify, we had to not only collect

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<v Speaker 2>over eight hundred thousand signatures eight hundred and ninety one

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<v Speaker 2>five hundred and twenty three signatures, which is burned deeply

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<v Speaker 2>into my brain at this point, but we also had

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<v Speaker 2>to have Supreme Court review, which happened after we had

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<v Speaker 2>collected all the signatures, So we had to be done

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<v Speaker 2>with signatures December thirty first, they all had to be

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<v Speaker 2>turned in. We did not get approval to be on

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<v Speaker 2>the constitution or excuse me, on the ballot until April first.

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<v Speaker 2>So I just feel a deep appreciation for everybody who

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<v Speaker 2>contributed to this campaign in phase one because they were

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<v Speaker 2>taking a huge risk and it's so telling that word

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<v Speaker 2>on whether or not we would be on the ballot

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<v Speaker 2>was held for that long. They don't have to hold

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<v Speaker 2>it until April first. The decision was made to hold

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<v Speaker 2>until April first. We also had to do a financial

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<v Speaker 2>impact estimating conference where they decide what the financial impact

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<v Speaker 2>of this initiative would be. That has now happened twice

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<v Speaker 2>it happened once in a way that was correct, but

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<v Speaker 2>then became outdated when the six week ban was put

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<v Speaker 2>into effect, when the near total band was put into effect,

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<v Speaker 2>and then we just had one again where they wrote

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<v Speaker 2>deceptive and confusing language that reads more like an opposition

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<v Speaker 2>advertisement than it does like battle language. And that's their playbook.

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<v Speaker 2>They did it in Ohio, they did it in Michigan,

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<v Speaker 2>they're doing it in Arizona right now. There are politicians

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<v Speaker 2>who are so afraid of this issue that they tried

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<v Speaker 2>to at every step make the initiative process as hard

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<v Speaker 2>as possible. I want to note too, just going back,

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<v Speaker 2>we only had eight months to collect all of the

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<v Speaker 2>signatures that we needed. If we didn't have the right

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<v Speaker 2>amount of signatures by December thirty, first, they don't roll

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<v Speaker 2>over like we were going to have to restart.

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<v Speaker 1>To start again. Yep.

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<v Speaker 2>And now we have a sixty percent threshold, So Florida

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<v Speaker 2>has one of the highest thresholds for constitutional initiatives. For

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<v Speaker 2>citizens referred initiative, we have to get sixty percent of

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<v Speaker 2>the vote here in Florida. So our work right now

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<v Speaker 2>is letting every Florida impossible know that Yes on four

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<v Speaker 2>is the only way to end Florida's extreme abortion ban

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<v Speaker 2>and to limit government interference with abortion.

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<v Speaker 1>Here's a question that I have, which is, Okay, the

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<v Speaker 1>ballot initiative is now going to be voted on in November, right,

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<v Speaker 1>very clearly it will be You've made that happen. Can

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<v Speaker 1>DeSantis veto it?

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<v Speaker 2>No, it would be unprecedented to veto it. Which is

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<v Speaker 2>why I think there's so much effort being put on

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<v Speaker 2>the onset. We can see interference in the implementation process,

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<v Speaker 2>because that's what we see in Ohio, it's what we

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<v Speaker 2>see in Michigan, it's what we see in Kansas, It's

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<v Speaker 2>as we see in Kentucky. There is a playbook that

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<v Speaker 2>they utilize, which is try to weaponize process and weaponize

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<v Speaker 2>government against the people's voices at every step of the way.

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<v Speaker 2>But once this is pasted, it is enshrined inner state's constitution.

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<v Speaker 2>It exists beyond any individual person within the Florida government.

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<v Speaker 2>It exists beyond any administration. It is for the people,

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<v Speaker 2>by the people in Florida's constitution.

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<v Speaker 1>So, Lauren, what are you doing now to lift up

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<v Speaker 1>this message to educate as many people as possible. Are

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<v Speaker 1>you working against an opposition ballot like give us the

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<v Speaker 1>lay of the land, and frankly, how people that are

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<v Speaker 1>listening to this, whether they're inside of Florida or not,

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<v Speaker 1>can be helpful in getting this message out because my

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<v Speaker 1>thought is that you need this to be spread far

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<v Speaker 1>and wide across your state, across the country so people

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<v Speaker 1>know what they're doing on November fifth.

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<v Speaker 2>That is absolutely correct. We've been hitting the ground running

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<v Speaker 2>since May of last year when we started collecting petitions,

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<v Speaker 2>but we are ramping up our grassroots that are communications

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<v Speaker 2>efforts and direct outreach. We have a team of organizers

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<v Speaker 2>who are focusing on regional outreach. They're focusing on distributed outreach.

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<v Speaker 2>So if folks are interested in making calls, knocking doors,

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<v Speaker 2>sending postcards for the campaign, they should visit Floridians Protecting

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<v Speaker 2>Freedom dot com and we can find a way for

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<v Speaker 2>you to get involved. We actually structured our volunteer program

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<v Speaker 2>so that it not only included ways to get involved

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<v Speaker 2>in person. But our hope is and our belief is

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<v Speaker 2>that people understand how important this campaign is at a

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<v Speaker 2>national level for access to care and that they will

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<v Speaker 2>be interested in doing things like making phone calls or

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<v Speaker 2>sending postcards from all over the countries. So we have

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<v Speaker 2>organizers who are specifically focused on supporting folks who are

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<v Speaker 2>in more rural regions of Florida that might not have

0:13:54.960 --> 0:13:57.600
<v Speaker 2>an organizer on the ground, but there's volunteer leaders who

0:13:57.679 --> 0:14:01.440
<v Speaker 2>are organizers on the ground. And then we have folks

0:14:01.440 --> 0:14:05.719
<v Speaker 2>to help structure. If you are in Pennsylvania and you

0:14:05.760 --> 0:14:07.559
<v Speaker 2>want to have a phone bank for the US on

0:14:07.640 --> 0:14:10.160
<v Speaker 2>four campaign, we have an organizer who can support you

0:14:10.200 --> 0:14:12.599
<v Speaker 2>with that. So we're trying to create as many avenues

0:14:12.960 --> 0:14:15.840
<v Speaker 2>for everyday people to get involved in this campaign as possible.

0:14:16.320 --> 0:14:18.840
<v Speaker 2>We are also working to be in spaces like this

0:14:18.920 --> 0:14:21.560
<v Speaker 2>where we just get to share the narrative and what's important.

0:14:21.760 --> 0:14:25.800
<v Speaker 2>Florida has become a little bit of a national joke,

0:14:26.320 --> 0:14:28.520
<v Speaker 2>and it's not a joke. There are people who live

0:14:28.560 --> 0:14:31.960
<v Speaker 2>here and who survive here, and we deserve to all

0:14:32.040 --> 0:14:36.440
<v Speaker 2>live in an America where we have protected rights and

0:14:36.480 --> 0:14:41.080
<v Speaker 2>protected access. We can't have an entirely bifurcated nation. And

0:14:42.000 --> 0:14:45.240
<v Speaker 2>abortion is healthcare, like normal people understand, no matter what

0:14:45.280 --> 0:14:48.360
<v Speaker 2>their political ideology is, abortion to be healthcare. Nobody goes

0:14:48.360 --> 0:14:51.840
<v Speaker 2>into their doctor's office and hands the receptionist a voter

0:14:51.960 --> 0:14:55.440
<v Speaker 2>registration card, it's not how this process works, and the

0:14:55.480 --> 0:14:58.680
<v Speaker 2>political ideology around abortion is so out of touch with

0:14:58.720 --> 0:15:04.080
<v Speaker 2>what everyday people feel that one of our main goals

0:15:04.120 --> 0:15:05.920
<v Speaker 2>is just to talk to people about this issue and

0:15:06.000 --> 0:15:08.600
<v Speaker 2>let them know so that before they get to the

0:15:08.720 --> 0:15:11.560
<v Speaker 2>voting booth in November, they already know what this issue

0:15:11.600 --> 0:15:13.000
<v Speaker 2>is and they know that they're going to vote yes

0:15:13.440 --> 0:15:16.480
<v Speaker 2>to end Florida's abortion ban. And then we are also

0:15:16.480 --> 0:15:18.400
<v Speaker 2>trying to raise a ton of money, because that is

0:15:18.440 --> 0:15:20.240
<v Speaker 2>another part of it. Florida is a huge state. We

0:15:20.280 --> 0:15:23.280
<v Speaker 2>have over twenty one million people in the state. We're

0:15:23.320 --> 0:15:26.200
<v Speaker 2>the size of multiple states. So we have to do

0:15:26.240 --> 0:15:28.640
<v Speaker 2>everything we can to raise the resources that we need

0:15:28.680 --> 0:15:31.600
<v Speaker 2>to share the stories of Floridians who have been harmed

0:15:31.640 --> 0:15:35.000
<v Speaker 2>by these abortion bans in a way that reaches people

0:15:35.120 --> 0:15:38.960
<v Speaker 2>on radio, on TV, in their mailboxes. One of the

0:15:39.000 --> 0:15:40.840
<v Speaker 2>things that I worry the most about at night is

0:15:40.840 --> 0:15:43.080
<v Speaker 2>we have all of these brave and powerful storytellers who

0:15:43.120 --> 0:15:47.720
<v Speaker 2>are willing to share their incredibly harrowing experiences of what

0:15:47.760 --> 0:15:51.640
<v Speaker 2>Florida's bands have meant for them, and we at the

0:15:51.680 --> 0:15:54.160
<v Speaker 2>campaign want to do everything we can to make sure

0:15:54.280 --> 0:15:56.480
<v Speaker 2>that those stories get the treatment and the due diligence

0:15:56.520 --> 0:15:59.280
<v Speaker 2>that they need to be with voters across the state.

0:16:00.000 --> 0:16:01.760
<v Speaker 1>The thing is is that, yes, I think that you're

0:16:01.840 --> 0:16:04.440
<v Speaker 1>right in some ways of Florida has become a joke,

0:16:04.520 --> 0:16:08.520
<v Speaker 1>but it's also not the people right. Your governor has

0:16:08.560 --> 0:16:11.200
<v Speaker 1>become a joke. But I think that what is really

0:16:11.240 --> 0:16:14.800
<v Speaker 1>important about what you just lifted up is that real

0:16:14.840 --> 0:16:18.720
<v Speaker 1>people live there. Yeah, real people are struggling on a

0:16:18.800 --> 0:16:23.320
<v Speaker 1>day to day basis with how to exists inside of

0:16:23.320 --> 0:16:26.640
<v Speaker 1>a tyrannical state, right, And I think that what I

0:16:26.720 --> 0:16:28.920
<v Speaker 1>try and do on this show is also lift up

0:16:28.960 --> 0:16:32.400
<v Speaker 1>that what is happening in Florida is what the Republican

0:16:32.400 --> 0:16:36.680
<v Speaker 1>Party wants to do nationwide. Right where there is no

0:16:36.760 --> 0:16:40.160
<v Speaker 1>place to go, there will be no safe space where

0:16:40.280 --> 0:16:43.080
<v Speaker 1>you are targeted as a woman, as a pregnant person.

0:16:43.800 --> 0:16:46.280
<v Speaker 1>You know, there are so many things that have been

0:16:47.040 --> 0:16:50.200
<v Speaker 1>passed in that state that just have turned it into

0:16:50.320 --> 0:16:55.280
<v Speaker 1>a dystopian nightmare. I mean, that motherfucker just just blocked

0:16:55.400 --> 0:16:59.400
<v Speaker 1>arts programming, Like who does that? Like what kind of

0:16:59.480 --> 0:17:01.360
<v Speaker 1>cartoon villain does that?

0:17:02.080 --> 0:17:02.320
<v Speaker 2>You know?

0:17:02.480 --> 0:17:05.840
<v Speaker 1>And so when I think about an issue like abortion,

0:17:06.320 --> 0:17:09.320
<v Speaker 1>that I think that because of the overturning of Dobbs,

0:17:09.920 --> 0:17:13.120
<v Speaker 1>and because of the bravery of people to speak up

0:17:13.160 --> 0:17:16.840
<v Speaker 1>about their harrowing stories that people do now see it

0:17:16.960 --> 0:17:19.479
<v Speaker 1>not as a political issue but as a health issue,

0:17:19.720 --> 0:17:24.280
<v Speaker 1>because there are too many people that are becoming infertile

0:17:24.720 --> 0:17:28.320
<v Speaker 1>because of the inability to get the care that they

0:17:28.400 --> 0:17:33.800
<v Speaker 1>need with a pregnancy that has gone south. Right. Other

0:17:33.920 --> 0:17:38.439
<v Speaker 1>question for you is tell us what happens if people

0:17:38.520 --> 0:17:39.080
<v Speaker 1>don't vote.

0:17:40.040 --> 0:17:42.399
<v Speaker 2>I think that this is the one shot that we

0:17:42.440 --> 0:17:47.160
<v Speaker 2>get at this campaign. We have seen not just in Florida,

0:17:47.240 --> 0:17:52.520
<v Speaker 2>but in every state that has a citizen's initiative process

0:17:53.119 --> 0:17:55.520
<v Speaker 2>that the powers that be will push back on that

0:17:55.720 --> 0:18:00.720
<v Speaker 2>because they don't. It is intimidating to politicians to have

0:18:01.000 --> 0:18:04.200
<v Speaker 2>a system of direct democracy. Is so much of being

0:18:04.240 --> 0:18:08.639
<v Speaker 2>a politician is your vote gets me this, and my

0:18:08.760 --> 0:18:10.800
<v Speaker 2>vote gets you this, And it's the wheeling and dealing

0:18:10.840 --> 0:18:14.280
<v Speaker 2>in the trades that politicians do. So much of it is.

0:18:14.920 --> 0:18:18.240
<v Speaker 2>The issue of abortion is so endemic in that repro

0:18:18.400 --> 0:18:20.720
<v Speaker 2>folks have been screaming for years that Roby Waite was

0:18:20.760 --> 0:18:24.920
<v Speaker 2>going away yep. And there's so many politicians on both

0:18:24.960 --> 0:18:26.840
<v Speaker 2>sides of the aisle for whom the word abortion would

0:18:26.840 --> 0:18:29.080
<v Speaker 2>not come out of their mouth. And it is not

0:18:29.280 --> 0:18:33.920
<v Speaker 2>until a terrorizing event occurs that stripped access to care

0:18:34.320 --> 0:18:37.119
<v Speaker 2>that people are willing to say the word abortion and

0:18:37.200 --> 0:18:39.040
<v Speaker 2>are not actually throwing down in the way that we

0:18:39.119 --> 0:18:41.040
<v Speaker 2>need them to on this issue to provide people with

0:18:41.080 --> 0:18:43.400
<v Speaker 2>access to care. There are so many people who don't

0:18:43.440 --> 0:18:46.879
<v Speaker 2>experience pregnancy and who can't fully understand what a loss

0:18:46.880 --> 0:18:52.679
<v Speaker 2>of this access means, and it is campaign fodder for

0:18:52.760 --> 0:18:54.960
<v Speaker 2>many people. It is not healthcare. For many people. It

0:18:55.000 --> 0:18:56.520
<v Speaker 2>is something that they think of of like this is

0:18:56.520 --> 0:18:59.040
<v Speaker 2>a really efficient thing that I can run on on

0:18:59.080 --> 0:19:02.960
<v Speaker 2>whatever side they're on to mobilize. Turnout, that's not what's

0:19:03.000 --> 0:19:05.920
<v Speaker 2>going on here. Women will die because of this policy.

0:19:05.960 --> 0:19:08.840
<v Speaker 2>And so if people don't vote on this initiative in November,

0:19:09.600 --> 0:19:11.959
<v Speaker 2>I don't think we get a second fite to do

0:19:12.000 --> 0:19:13.879
<v Speaker 2>this in the way that we're doing it right now.

0:19:14.359 --> 0:19:17.040
<v Speaker 2>We are experts who are nationally talking about they think

0:19:17.080 --> 0:19:19.639
<v Speaker 2>it is thirty years before we get a durable federal

0:19:19.680 --> 0:19:23.560
<v Speaker 2>protection back for abortion, before we get something like or

0:19:23.560 --> 0:19:27.280
<v Speaker 2>hopefully better than ROW. That means there are for Laridians

0:19:27.320 --> 0:19:29.760
<v Speaker 2>today who are turning eighteen years old, who are registering

0:19:29.760 --> 0:19:32.200
<v Speaker 2>to vote for the first time, who will be entering

0:19:32.240 --> 0:19:37.199
<v Speaker 2>menopause before yeah, before, there is a durable federal protection.

0:19:37.280 --> 0:19:39.040
<v Speaker 2>So this is a shot that we get for them,

0:19:39.359 --> 0:19:41.040
<v Speaker 2>and we have to do everything we can to make

0:19:41.080 --> 0:19:44.040
<v Speaker 2>sure that every Floridian, but also folks across the nation

0:19:44.240 --> 0:19:47.040
<v Speaker 2>know that this is a shot for protected access in

0:19:47.080 --> 0:19:50.720
<v Speaker 2>the Southeast. You cannot do better than a constitutional protection,

0:19:51.359 --> 0:19:54.000
<v Speaker 2>and you cannot do better than an explicit constitutional protection.

0:19:54.080 --> 0:19:56.080
<v Speaker 2>Word abortion is set in our initiative and it's set

0:19:56.119 --> 0:19:58.960
<v Speaker 2>out loud. This is the way that we can maintain

0:19:59.080 --> 0:20:01.840
<v Speaker 2>access to care in Florida, that we can get back

0:20:01.880 --> 0:20:04.240
<v Speaker 2>access to care, and that we can ensure that there

0:20:04.680 --> 0:20:10.119
<v Speaker 2>is a protected right for our community. We have to

0:20:10.119 --> 0:20:12.720
<v Speaker 2>get people out to the polls in November. And another

0:20:12.760 --> 0:20:15.199
<v Speaker 2>thing that I would just say to listeners is if

0:20:15.240 --> 0:20:17.199
<v Speaker 2>you know someone in Florida, if you know someone in

0:20:17.240 --> 0:20:20.639
<v Speaker 2>the Southeast, tell them about this campaign. Talk to your

0:20:20.640 --> 0:20:23.040
<v Speaker 2>friends and family about this campaign, even if you don't

0:20:23.040 --> 0:20:26.000
<v Speaker 2>live here. We just need the buzz around moving on

0:20:26.680 --> 0:20:30.199
<v Speaker 2>because folks can't afford to stay home on this issue.

0:20:30.600 --> 0:20:32.439
<v Speaker 2>I also just think there's something to be said about

0:20:32.600 --> 0:20:37.479
<v Speaker 2>the party dynamic around abortion. Our path to success involves

0:20:37.520 --> 0:20:40.680
<v Speaker 2>Republican voters. It involves independent voters. We have a sixty

0:20:40.720 --> 0:20:43.880
<v Speaker 2>percent threshold. We're in a state that has a Republican

0:20:44.600 --> 0:20:48.680
<v Speaker 2>advantage for voter registration. There is something so powerful about

0:20:48.720 --> 0:20:51.800
<v Speaker 2>a message being sent that a state like Florida could

0:20:51.880 --> 0:20:55.359
<v Speaker 2>enshrine access to care and their constitution could decide to

0:20:55.400 --> 0:20:59.960
<v Speaker 2>limit government access to interfering with abortion. My belief truly

0:21:00.160 --> 0:21:02.040
<v Speaker 2>is that if we can do this here, we can

0:21:02.080 --> 0:21:05.000
<v Speaker 2>make stuffs. Definitely to put this issue to bed.

0:21:07.840 --> 0:21:12.879
<v Speaker 1>Lauren, tell people again how they can get involved, regardless

0:21:12.920 --> 0:21:16.600
<v Speaker 1>of if they are in Florida, because too many people

0:21:17.400 --> 0:21:20.960
<v Speaker 1>ask and feel very paralyzed in this moment. I don't

0:21:21.000 --> 0:21:22.919
<v Speaker 1>know what to do. I don't know what I can do.

0:21:23.000 --> 0:21:25.680
<v Speaker 1>I don't know where my power is. You are giving

0:21:25.720 --> 0:21:29.160
<v Speaker 1>them a concrete way right now that they can put

0:21:29.200 --> 0:21:32.480
<v Speaker 1>their energy towards and feel like they are they can

0:21:32.520 --> 0:21:34.760
<v Speaker 1>build hope in this way. So please tell them again

0:21:35.359 --> 0:21:36.520
<v Speaker 1>how they can get involved.

0:21:37.080 --> 0:21:42.480
<v Speaker 2>Our website is Floridians Protectingfreedom dot com. That's Floridians Protecting

0:21:42.520 --> 0:21:44.879
<v Speaker 2>Freedom dot com and you can go on there to

0:21:44.920 --> 0:21:47.520
<v Speaker 2>find information about the stories of Florida patients who have

0:21:47.880 --> 0:21:51.520
<v Speaker 2>received a dial of access to care. You can donate

0:21:51.560 --> 0:21:54.119
<v Speaker 2>if you feel generous. We have raised over a million

0:21:54.160 --> 0:21:58.560
<v Speaker 2>dollars grassroots in this campaign, so every single dollar, penny,

0:21:58.640 --> 0:22:01.040
<v Speaker 2>whatever it is, to this campaign really does matter. We're

0:22:01.040 --> 0:22:04.119
<v Speaker 2>trying to build those reserves for voter communications efforts. And

0:22:04.160 --> 0:22:05.800
<v Speaker 2>then we have an events page on our website where

0:22:05.840 --> 0:22:08.200
<v Speaker 2>you can learn about both in person and virtual options

0:22:08.200 --> 0:22:08.960
<v Speaker 2>for getting involved.

0:22:09.520 --> 0:22:13.560
<v Speaker 1>Amazing, Lauren, Thank you so very much one for making

0:22:13.600 --> 0:22:16.720
<v Speaker 1>the time for WOKF but for all of the work,

0:22:16.800 --> 0:22:19.800
<v Speaker 1>all of the blood, sweat and tears, all of the

0:22:20.000 --> 0:22:24.120
<v Speaker 1>energy that you and your group are putting together. I

0:22:24.200 --> 0:22:26.679
<v Speaker 1>hope that we will talk to you again as we

0:22:26.720 --> 0:22:29.439
<v Speaker 1>get closer to the election, and then you know that

0:22:29.480 --> 0:22:31.960
<v Speaker 1>we've talked to you after the election and after a

0:22:32.040 --> 0:22:34.320
<v Speaker 1>victory for you and for the people of Florida.

0:22:34.640 --> 0:22:35.479
<v Speaker 2>Thank you for having me.

0:22:38.760 --> 0:22:42.040
<v Speaker 1>That is it for me today. Dear friends on WOKEF

0:22:42.280 --> 0:22:46.560
<v Speaker 1>as always, power to the people and to all the people. Power,

0:22:46.800 --> 0:22:49.119
<v Speaker 1>get woke and stay woke as fuck.