2016 Advocacy Day at Florida's Capitol

There is nothing quite like hearing nearly 100 people chanting, “Pass the Buck” outside of Florida’s Capitol on a rainy morning!

On Thursday, January 21st, volunteers and staff from all over the state came to Tallahassee to ask Florida’s legislative leaders to make the fight against cancer a priority. After a rally on the steps of Florida’s Historic Capitol, asking the legislature to "Pass the Buck" and support an increase in the cigarette surcharge, our team visited with legislative offices and the Governor’s office. ACS CAN volunteers were making three primary requests: 

• Increase Florida’s Cigarette Surcharge by $1 (Senate Bill 758 by Senators Clemens and House Bill 335 by Representative Stark) 

Increasing the price of cigarettes will reduce tobacco consumption, decrease the state’s health care costs from tobacco-related disease and generate additional funding to invest in our health care system.

• $2.6 million for the Mary Brogan Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program 

The Mary Brogan Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program provides lifesaving cancer screenings for medically underserved women between the ages of 50 and 64 who have

• Continue investing in Florida’s biomedical research programs - $30 million 

For budget year 2015-16, we ask that both the James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program and the Bankhead-Coley Cancer Research Program are funded at $15 million apiece and that, as prescribed by law, program funding allocations are determined on a peer-reviewed, competitive grant basis.

ACS CAN volunteers secured a number of cosponsors for our cigarette surcharge bills during their visits! Thank you, Representatives Hazel Rogers (D – Lauderhill), Daphne Campbell (D – Miami Shores), Reggie Fullwood (D- Jacksonville), Lori Berman (D - Boynton Beach), Jared Moskowitz (D – Coral Springs), José Javier Rodríguez (D – Miami) and Senators Dwight Bullard (D – Cutler Bay), Jeremy Ring (D – Margate) and Chris Smith (D – Fort Lauderdale) for supporting our lifesaving tax initiative.

Thank you to those volunteers and staff who were able to join us! Never doubt that your efforts make a difference. To see more pictures from the day search hashtags #FLCancerLobbyDay #FundMaryBrogan and #PasstheBuckFL on your favorite social media outlet.

Updated information on the ACS CAN’s legislative priorities can be found at ww.fightcancer.org/florida and you can follow the upcoming 2016 session action in real time on Twitter @ACSCAN_Florida

Sincerely,

Heather Youmans
Director, Florida Government Relations