Nan Rich continues her non-stop tour of the state of Florida, rallying Democrats and offering a real Democratic alternative to the current direction under Rick Scott. Rich’s grassroots approach seems to be resonating as she is personally connecting with voters and expanding her infrastructure statewide. The ground-level campaigning is keeping the former Senator in tune with the issues truly impacting Floridians while helping shape her political identity.
One issue Rich is hearing about across the state is “Stand Your Ground.” Rich, a lifelong Democrat and former Democratic leader in the state Senate, has called for a special legislative session to address reforms to the law, something Rick Scott has rejected.
“It is clear the Stand Your Ground law needs to be reformed,” Rich said in an exclusive interview with West Orlando News. “This law was implemented in a way that was never intended by many of the legislators who voted for it.” The former senator was one of those legislators that did vote for the law after relying on many of her colleagues with stronger legal backgrounds who thought it would be implemented differently than how it is used today. “There’s never a perfect bill. We fix legislation and problems that come up all the time. This law is too broad, and too confusing. People are using it for a variety of legal options and immunity and it conflicts with the values of our state,” Rich explained.
Last week, Rich took her grassroots campaign to the Governor’s office in the Capital to join the Dream Defenders, who are in an ongoing protest and camped out. The students have pledged not to leave until a special session is called to address the Stand Your Ground law, the number of young adults in prisons and racial profiling. Sen. Rich traveled to Tallahassee last week to express her concerns and support for the Dream Defenders.
“It was so remarkable when I met with the Dream Defenders,” Rich said. “To see these young people organizing in this non-violent way and articulating such thoughtful concerns about the problems we face, it is just amazing. They have important stories to tell that should be able to influence the changes that need to be made in the laws.”
Rich wanted to hear directly from the Dream Defenders, to listen to their stories and really understand why there were there. She explained she was very proud that they were pursuing and organizing this action in a non-violent way and that she was impressed they were not only talking about Stand Your Ground, but moving on to the long-term problems holding back Florida. The students talked about many personal issues with the former senator, like how they have been racially profiled or how they feel targeted in their communities. They also discussed pressing political issues like the school-to-prison pipeline, juvenile justice and economic opportunity.
“You don’t have to be the same race, religion or sexual orientation as the people you are trying to serve,” said Rich. “But you do need to surround yourself with people that understand all these different cultures and experiences and I think that is a major part of the answer. You try to bring together people, not just to have a conversation but to bring together those who have the experience so you have all the players at the table.”
“These young people just want to be at the table, and they should be at the table,” she added. “There is a history of issues and problems involving race relations that remain. That’s where we need to go with this issue. To me, the long-range conversation has to be about race relations and economic justice.”
The time Rich spent at the capital further validated that people are not happy with the direction or the priorities of this state. Once again, Rich heard directly about how Floridians do not feel this administration is looking out for the best interests of the people. Rich told the Dream Defenders that Gov. Scott and the Republican-dominated legislature are not likely to call a special session. She encouraged them to testify during legislative session and continue to speak out consistently. She told them it would be beneficial to continue work on legislation that will address the disparities facing our communities through the law and she vowed to do the same as Governor, if elected.
But this reality also underlines how important the 2014 elections are in shaping the direction of policies in Florida. It matters who voters send to Tallahassee. It matters a lot. Three years ago, Charlie Crist, then Republican-Governor, was urged to call a special session to address flaws of Stand Your Ground and to fix the law. Crist, who enjoyed an A-rating from the NRA, did nothing at the time. It is the same lack of action voters see coming out of Tallahassee today.
Nan Rich is bringing a fresh, progressive narrative to the race for Governor and in a year against Rick Scott, it could be exactly what Democrats need.
“Our hard work crisscrossing the state is definitely paying off,” Rich said, as new polls show she would defeat Scott in a head-to-head by 10 points. “I’m proud to hold my lifelong Democratic credentials against anyone.”
