Good morning, peeps, and welcome to wokep Daily with me your girl, Danielle Moody recording from the Home Bunker. Folks, we are getting into the last weeks of the presidential election and I am filled with so many emotions, as I'm sure all of you are, and there is just so much at stake. There is so much at stake,
and I know that you all already know. This today's episode, I am bringing on Natasha Sutherland, who is a senior advisor to the Yes on Four campaign, and we've had folks from Yes on four join us on wok F Daily before and their entire mission is to return abortion
access and rights to the people of Florida. They have secured over a million signatures to have this ballot measure appear on election day in Florida, despite all of the underhanded tactics that Ron DeSantis has tried to use in order to disqualify this amendment from being on the ballot,
and the people of Florida having their voices heard. In this conversation, Natasha talks about, you know how currently while Florida is dealing with the impact of Hurricane Helene, how Ron DeSantis has diverted taxpayer dollars that could be going towards AID in order to fight against abortion access. It's wild, folks, it's wild that this man is in office and people voted for him. He's a disgrace to the state of Florida, and I pray that the people come to their senses soon.
But this is an important conversation because there is still so much work to do. As I said, you know, and I've been saying since the beginning, we need to run through the tape on this. We can leave no conversation left unsaid. We can leave no rock left unturned, no money, nothing on the table. I want us to wake up after the election with no regrets, knowing that we've done everything that we can do in order to
restore democracy in all fifty states of this country. So coming up next, my conversation with Natasha Sutherland on Yes On four Folks. I am very happy to be joined on WOKF Daily with Natasha Sutherland, who is a senior advisor to the Yes On For campaign. We have had folks from Yes On For join us before on this show, but now coming to us after Hurricane Helene has hit Florida.
Natasha I just want to give you an opportunity to kind of talk to us about the state of where you are in Florida right now and how how how Yes On four is kind of involved in what is happening as repair efforts and clean up efforts are happening in Florida.
Yeah, first of all, Danielle, thank you so much for having us back on your program. It's it's always an honor to have a wonderful opportunity to talk to your to your listeners. You know, I was very fortunate, I am very fortunate to live here in Tallahassee where we had kind of a near miss with with the hurricane.
But all of the folks to the east of us, you know, have faced a lot of significant damage, particularly those that have been hit the hardest with direct hit, but also folks in other areas of the state that didn't even see a direct hit from the hurricane, Like I'm thinking of the Tampa Bay and Saint Pete areas where they saw and like insane amounts of flooding, you know,
and and and damage. And so you know, really at our campaign, you know, because we're we're all over the state, you know, we we pivoted, we adapted to the challenges that were brought on by the hurricane, you know, and so instead of just out canvassing like normally, we we paused our efforts, we paused some of our events to
really support, you know, recovery efforts locally. I'm thinking about one of our coalition partners, you know, Voices of Southwest Florida, that immediately they pivoted to to serving meals, you know, and just making sure that that folks have what they need, you know, whether that's clean up efforts, whether that's a hot meal, you know. And so we're we're just doing everything we can to be a part of those efforts in all of our different communities in the state.
Can you talk to us about what Ron DeSantis isn't doing in in the state of Florida right now, which and I'm certain could probably take us to time, but but but you know, you talk about the ways in which you know, and and folks are watching and seeing the images right on their screens of the devastation that has been caused in Florida, in the Carolina's you know, and and throughout the kind of impacted region, and it's it's extraordinary right, And you would think that the governor
of one of the most impacted states would be focusing his energy, right and resources on relief. But that's not what Ron DeSantis is doing, is it.
No, not really. I mean, you know, we can even go even further back before all of this to the fact that he hasn't addressed, you know, the property insurance crisis in the state of Florida, which is only going to be exacerbated by this and more, and where people are not going to be able to secure any insurance on their homes to cover these kinds of damages, right,
And so that's number one. Number two. He also you know, directed you know, lawmakers to ensure that we do not talk about climate change at all in any of our laws. So just sort of ignoring the root cause of the problem.
But now, you know, he's you know, he's out there, he's doing his press conferences, but he doesn't miss an opportunity to seem like he's just basically in campaign mode, right, taking all kinds of hits on different different things, like I don't know, he was getting upset about Tesla's or something.
He's just all over the place, right, But then recently, you know, actually, yesterday one of the local Florida reporters was talking about how he was handing out plates of food, and as he was handing out plates of food, he was asking people to help him with Amendment four. In other words, saying, I'm going to hand you this plate of food. Your your destitute, You don't have a place to eat, probably don't have a home. But hey, if I give you this food, will you help me defeat
Amendment four? I mean, so you know, then there's that
I mean. And then in the meantime, you know, there's the weaponization of our state agencies, right, so you know, redirecting millions and you know, at least thirteen to fifteen million dollars of taxpayer dollars to purchasing TV ads, which, mind you, as I was here in Tallahassee watching the coverage for the hurricane to decide whether or not I needed to leave my home, I'm seeing ad after ad still airing against our amendment, paid for by taxpayer dollars,
right sponsored by the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration or the Department of Children and Families. These are agencies that Floridians, you know, should be able to trust to give them good, helpful information to provide services, right, and instead they're being weaponized to mislead folks to put out disinformation about an amendment.
Is just unbelievable, so believable, right, Like it just it just is so on brand for Ron DeSantis to like everything with him is a quid pro quo, right, Like that's what that was. Like, here's some food. Like, I know that you're devastated, you've lost your home, you've lost everything, and you're starving, But do me a favor though, right, Like, I mean, it just echoes of the of the transactional nature of the entire Trump presidency that we witnessed over
four years. You all have done the work of getting how many signatures did you need in order to get this amendment on the ballot, But.
We surpassed the minimum requirement and we actually were able to solidify nearly a million verified petition signatures to qualify for the ballot.
So you need and how many did you actually need? It was like seven hundred and so yeah, yeah, a little.
Over seven hundred thousand, and so we got almost a million.
And DeSantis tried to take you all to court again, right to say that the signatures that were verified well over three hundred thousand over what was needed for you to have that they weren't valid.
Right, that's absolutely right. And it's interesting because the deadline for all of that, for the approvals process that has since passed. Right, you know, it's interesting that he is suing us for a job that his own government did.
Right.
It's not our job, you know, to go through and verify every single seaure. That's why the government exists, right to go through that process, an year long process to verify every single signature. In fact, we paid the state over a million dollars to help them do their jobs and make sure that everything was above board and could qualify. And then the Supreme Court, which is packed with the Santus appointees, said that our amendment is valid enough to
be on the ballot. Right, they approved it. So they've had multiple and by by they, the government, politicians ron whoever, have had multiple opportunities to say, you know, hey, we can't have amendment for but we've managed to pass every hurdle and and we're qualified. The language is sound, it has you know, legal precedent with you know, the definitions, the terms that are used, and so there's nothing wrong with this amendment. Floridians want it. They overwhelmingly support abortion access.
And so now he's desperate, and he's handing out plates of food and begging people to to do something about amendment for and and he's not able to fundraise, and so what's happening. He's you know, using state tax pay dollars now to to try to, you know, do something against our amendment. You know, it's it's been, it's been an interesting thing to be a part of, to say the least.
You know, for those million people that that you know, you were able to knock on and get these signatures collected. What is the overall sentiment of folks in Florida that you've been able to engage with, because I think that you know, for those of us living outside of the state, we have a particular view and vision, right like y'all voted, you know, you know, for rond de Santis, like you have these Republican representatives that do the state an extraordinary disservice.
But what was once like a toss up right for the country a purple state, has gone you know, completely read. And so you know, what is the sentiment from people inside of Florida about this amendment, but also about Ron de Santis.
Well, first I would say that, you know, labeling Florida's completely read isn't correct. You know, back in twenty twenty two, what we saw was a collapse, a historic collapse in democratic turnout. So democrats that are here but for whatever reason, either felt that you know, there was an inevitability to to you know, a goobernatorial candidate that was the most
well funded in US history winning, you know. So I think that what people need to understand nationally is that Florida is a very diverse state in a lot of different ways. Politically, a lot of folks are now independent, you know, we have folks, you know, racially, a lot of differences there. We have three you know, primary languages that are spoken, and so a lot of for example,
in Spanish language, miss and disinformation. We have jerrymandering. I mean, we still have you know, a redistricting case that that's ongoing here in the state of Florida. That's that's cut Black representation in Congress in half in the state of Florida. So there are just a lot of different things that are going on here. And you also have to think like this is a sort of a Republican party that
is probably one of them most well funded in the country. Right, I mean, this is sort of like the home of that and so it's a kind of a day of It and Goliath.
Right.
It's not really an apples to apples comparison between the two parties in the state, and so it just requires that much more work. Florida is also a very expensive state, and so we can have you know, we can have a good message right on one side, but if you don't have the money to actually share that message with
Florida voters, you're not going to do that. And I think that in the past, you know, for my observations, I think that Florida, because of how expensive it is, because of how much work it is, you know, it becomes strategically defunded because you have to go to other states that potentially, you know, it's a little bit easier to get over that mark. So you know, I wonder about you know, what that means for you know, moving
forward politically as it being a purple state. I did see you know recently, you know, the presidential campaign talking about investing in Florida. So you know, I don't know it's it's happening. But what I can tell you is that when it comes to abortion specifically, you know, and healthcare overall, Floridians do not like politicians telling them what to do. It's really that simple. We saw that with other healthcare related issues in the state in the past, right,
and I think that it's no different with abortion. You know, we have you know, had the right to abortion access for over fifty years until the fall of Row, and Amendment four is only seeking to restore that access back to where it was, you know, allowing abortion through viability
and to protect the other's health afterwards. Right. And when we go around and we talk to Florida voters about this, because it's beyond just the petition signatures, right, it's also the you know, nearly sixty million dollars that we've been able to raise a majority of that from here in the state. It's the you know, it's the one point one million voter contact attempts we've made as of today, actually,
and every sort of door knock that we've made. Folks are first of all shocked in appalled that there's an abortion ban to begin with, and how extreme and unrelenting, it is, but then they're also surprised and excited to find out that there's a way to stop the abortion ban, and that's the vote. Yes, I'm Amendment four.
I mean, I just think that it is, like, it's just terrifying when you hear the stories like I know, the two high profile stories of the women that died in Georgia that didn't need to the mothers that died in Georgia because they didn't receive the abortion care that they needed, and I know that there must be countless stories inside of Florida. It just is so alarming that for people to be able to fight to have their
rights restored. Ron DeSantis just does not want people in Florida to be heard period, right Like he You know, it's one thing to pass legislation and say that you have the right to do so you're a governor. Then to put in these parameters, these obstacles to allow the voters to actually have their say, and not just in your election, but like in the access to bodily autonomy, and then to do every devious thing in the book in order to deny the people of Florida that opportunity.
What do you think Natasha is going to be. I mean, obviously you hope for a win, right, and what we've seen is that when abortion is on the ballot, even in presumably red states, that it wins. So how are you feeling, you know, with thirty some odd days to go until the election, about your chances.
Yeah, I think that everything that you point out is absolutely right. The idea of not passing this would be absolutely devastating. It already is devastating for the people that are the paties that are already directly impacted, like Candy Miller, you know, in Georgia, with those pre existing health conditions, like Anya Cook here in the state of Florida, who under the fifteen week ban lost nearly half the blood in her body due to a miscarriage because she wasn't
able to get abortion that she needs. You know, I think that you're spot on in that the government Florida politicians do not want direct democracy. They do not want Florida voters to be able to make decisions for themselves. They want to be the middlemen between us and what
we actually want. And I think that one of the best illustrators of that is the Citizens' Initiative process with these amendments to the Constitution in Florida, they raise the threshold to a sixty percent approval in order for it to pass. Right, we are the only state that has to meet that. We are the only state that will ever have to meet that, because every other state has done it with fifty percent. I think Colorado this year
is fifty five. You know, this was a bill that was put forward by the Florida legislature many many years ago because they didn't like the idea that Floridians were able to pass with a simple majority whatever policies they wanted. And so we're thinking about policies like, you know, raising the minimum wage in the past, policies like restoring the voting rights of returning citizens, policies that protect the environment.
So you know, it's really interesting to see because you know, when I used to work in the legislature, I worked there for a few years as a legislative policy analyst. I remember the bill being filed every single year to raise that threshold even higher to sixty six percent. So this isn't something that they're going to stop chipping away at, chipping away at direct democracy. I mean, that's just what happens here in Florida, and so we really only have
this one shot. Imagine if we get close, imagine we get to fifty nine point five or something, you know what, I mean, something super close, but don't make it. I will bet money that next legislative session there will be a bill that will raise the threshold even higher so that we can never do this again. And then we're looking at deck before women and girls in the state of Florida have access to abortion care like they deserve.
I mean, I just you know, I commend all of the things that you have been doing in the state. You know, it's so sometimes it's so easy for those of us that are outside of the state. You know, you've heard people say, well, why don't you just move right as if moving to a different state, picking up leaving your family, your loved ones behind is something that is easy to do or economically feasible for a majority
of people. And so, you know, as we close out today, I just want to give you an opportunity to tell folks like what it has been like personally right for you all to do this kind of work in such a hostile state, and what it's taken to get to this, to get to this point, it.
Has been beyond exhausting. It has been probably one of the most difficult efforts I think any of us at the campaign has ever had to undergo. As somebody speaking personally, you know, I really connect with the Georgia woman who died because of a lack of care, Candy Miller, who had pre existing conditions. You know, for me living in the state of Florida, should this ban remain in place, it could be potentially life threatening as well due to
health concerns, and so you know, you mentioned things like moving. Yes, that has been a consideration for me personally, right of can I move? Is it a good idea, you know, just to be safe? But then, Danielle, where where would we move to?
Right?
There are so many states since the fall of Row that do not have access to care. We are seeing these stories of women dying or having to carry the child of their rapist in so many states, right, victims of incest, you know, that kind of thing. And so at a certain point, it's not about us having to move. It's about the fact that we deserve to live where we live and have the same rights as every other American.
So we have stopped at nothing We have done anything in everything that we can at this campaign to ensure success. That has meant you know, twelve to fifteen hour days,
that has meant working seven days a week. That has meant when I was fleeing the hurricane and sitting in my hotel in Alabama, still taking calls and still doing work and still making sure that you know, the press release goes out, around the commercials that we're putting out right, it means like doing anything and everything all the time. You know, our campaign manager, Lauren Bronzel, who is on your on your program, you know they have their schedule
is unbelievable. The amount of you know, meetings and places they are and things they're doing. And you know, our organizing team is working around the clock. Taylor Aguilera, you know who's leading that department. You know when she reported the one point one million contact attempts, that's impressive when they've started as of ballot qualifying, which was in May.
You know, so I think that you know, the yeah, we're exhausted, but you know, I think it's it's a life or death situation and so the energy behind that is there to give it everything we've got, and I think that we do have a shot. I think that you know, Florida voters are smart. They're not going to fall for you know, the dirty tricks of certain politicians
in our state, of the miss and disinformation campaigns. If we simply have these conversations with anyone and everyone that is eligible to vote, which is about thirteen million of us here in the state, that it's winnable. But it's just going to take us doing everything we can and you know, making sure that on the day after election day none of us has a regret like, well, did we make every call we could have made, did we
text everybody could have texted? Did we send every postcard we could have sent?
You know, well, Natasha, I just you know, I send you all so much strength and energy as you make it into the final stretch to November fifth, And I'm just so grateful for the Yes un for campaign, for you know, all of the effort, all of the sleeplessness, you know, nights, and everything that you've endured in order to get Floridians to this point. So I hope to have you guys back on when it's all said and done, and you know, hopefully it will be a victory conversation.
But thank you so much for everything that you've continued to do. And please tell people how, with the days left, how they can continue to help.
Yeah, so folks can go to our website, Floridians Protecting Freedom dot com, or they can go and follow us on all of the social platforms. Yes for Florida is the handle. Please if you can talk to your friends, neighbors, anyone that you know that might have any connection to Florida and Florida voting, so that folks understand what's at
stake this November. We can either maintain Florida's near total abortion band with no real exceptions for rape, incest, or the health of the mother, or we can vote yes on Amendment four and stop does abortion band once and for all. I really appreciate the time.
Appreciate you, Thank you so much, Thank you.
Folks.
And just a reminder again that I have launched a brand new show called The Danielle Moody Show over on YouTube. That is live, Yes, that is right, It is live five pm Eastern Monday through Thursday. Head over to YouTube and subscribe. Subscribe subscribe to my channel. Just type in daniel Moody channel into your YouTube search and there I will be, and hit subscribe and hit notify so that you never miss an episode of The Danielle Moody Show. That is it for me today, Here, dear friends, As always,
Power to the people and to all the people. Power, get woke and stay woke as fuck.