Young Constituents Lead Search Party for Representative Plasencia
For Immediate Release
April 8th, 2025
CONTACT
Allison Minnerly, Youth Action Fund: allison@youthactionfund.org | 321-210-0462
Nathalie Aburto, Florida Student Power: nathalie.flspn@floridarising.org | 5612364859
Young Constituents Lead Search Party for Representative Plasencia
Young People will meet in House District 37 to Voice Concerns Over Ignored Messages and Outreach to their State Representative
[ORLANDO, FLORIDA]— On April 9th, students and young Floridians from across Central Florida–specifically HD 37–will head to Rep. Susan Plasencia’s Orlando office to speak out against her failure to listen to constituents or respond to requests for a meeting.
Since the start of 2025, Rep. Plasencia and her staff have:
Not followed-up on requests for a meeting at her district and Tallahassee offices.
Called police on students that visited her Orlando office to drop off petitions.
Refused entry to her district office to young constituents.
We’ve tried reaching out: Since being elected in 2022, Rep. Plasencia’s public appearances have been few and far between. Despite multiple attempts to have conversations about her positions on critical issues that impact students, we haven’t gotten answers. We tried to schedule a meeting with her team for April 9th in Orlando, but received no follow-up.
Her student constituency has power: In 2024, UCF students turned out in record numbers. 159% turnout was reported in Precinct 538, the on-campus voting location. Rep. Plasencia won her most recent election by just 465 votes, proving that when students show up to the polls, margins are razor thin.
Constituents deserve answers: “We want to meet with Rep. Plasencia to share our perspective on how she can advance the interests of young people in her district, but it’s clear she has no intention to consider us,” said Allison Minnerly, Deputy Executive Director of Youth Action Fund. “Young people are being directly impacted by the positions she’s taking on a wide range of issues: from her recent vote to take away in-state tuition for Dreamers to her support for HB1205 that would gut citizen-led ballot initiatives and the petition process.”
WHEN: April 9th at 12PM
WHERE: Rep. Plasencia’s District Office (4757 Aloma Ave Orlando, FL 32792)
Youth Action Fund (YAF) is a Gen-Z led 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to breaking down barriers to activism by providing resources to young people in Florida. Founded by student leaders of the 2022 “Don’t Say Gay” high school walkouts, YAF provides stipends, coaching and organizing opportunities to students so that they can lead powerful issue-based campaigns and mutual aid projects across the state.
FLSPN is a registered 501(c)(3). Through political education, organizing skills, and issue based and electoral campaigns we are building power among young people and fighting for a people-powered Florida.
Since 2021, People Power for Florida has registered nearly 10,000 people to vote. In 2024, People Power Florida has continued its mission to empower young voters, completing its inaugural seven-stop Organizing Bootcamp tour to train students in power-building and best practices. It has also maintained a commitment to building a multi-generational, multi-class, multi-racial coalition of voters from every corner of the state that shows up in every election.
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