Interview Only w/ Angie Nixon - How Democrats Can Compete In Florida Again

0:00This is an I Heart Podcast. Guaranteed Human. This episode of the Chuck Toddcast is brought to you by chapter. Now almost everything you hear about Medicare is somebody quietly trying to steer you somewhere. And you're skeptical of that. And as you should be, I get it. I mean, there's a federal lawsuit going on right now over exactly this. Companies that branded themselves as unbiased while allegedly pointing people toward whatever would pay them the most as some sort of broker. So if your default is to just trust everyone in this space, honestly, I get it. I'm a bit distrustful these days myself. That's the whole reason I want to tell you about chapter. They're independent Medicare advisors whose entire model is that their advisors are not paid to push anyone plan. They're just trying to help. Yes, there's compensation that goes with it, but it's across the board is what they're trying to do. At the end of the day, they're advocating for you. They're not the insurance companies themselves. They're an actual person who actually goes through your doctors, your prescriptions, your needs,

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2:06Point it at your own plan for 20 minutes. It's free. There's no pressure and then call chapter today at 980-734-3985. Well, joining me now is at the time was an upset winner in the Democratic primary in Florida. It is the Democratic nominee for you, a Senate Angie Nixon. And this is a few weeks, maybe a couple months in preparation. We've been trying to make this happen. I'm glad to have you here. I know we've, you're on literally on the road. So thank you for taking a few minutes. Look, a lot of, I think a lot of people think they know something about your candidacy. They think they may know something about you, but let's start from the beginning. Tell me how you got into politics. Oh my gosh, Chuck, you're going way back. You're going way back. So I got into politics. I actually went to the University of Florida and I was going to become this gynecologist, this obstetrician,

3:12and then I'm still in chemistry and I was like, hell no, I'm not doing that. Kim 101, I never forget it. And so I wind up this and I wanted to do telecommunications news. And so we had to take a course, a political science course, a state and local government and another one. And then I fell in love with it and I changed my major to political science. And then my final semester, I was actually nameless pregnant. And I went to, I went to Mia Jones, who was a city councilwoman at the time and I asked to intern with her. And so I did, I interned with her my final semester in the summer. Where was this in Dubal? In Jacksonville, in Jacksonville, yeah, Dubal County. And I just like, I fell in love with public service. And when she resigned to run for a state rep, which is actually the seat that I'm currently in right now, she resigned to run for state rep, I actually ran for her seat, I ran for city council, a fresh out of college. You know, I think I was like 24.

4:13My daughter was not just one at the time. And so I ran to replace her. I didn't win, but they're really opened up doors. And I wind up becoming a community organizer from there. I helped elect the first black mayor, the first Democratic mayor in 20 years in Jacksonville. And so since then, I've just been very heavily involved and also been a union organizer. And I wind up running for office while I was a union organizer because of the theory, right? Our theory of change is that regular hardworking everyday people should get to shake what their communities look like and what their economies look like. And so we need to make sure that we are empowering them and educating them. And getting those folks to become leaders and leaders who actually start running for office. And that's what happened. So it's interesting to me, you were, you were basically in Jacksonville as it moved from being a red leaning city to what it is today purple leaning, maybe even a little blue leaning.

5:19What, what did you learn from that? What, and what's your explanation for how Jacksonville's become this? It's a, I don't know if it's polarized. I'll be curious if how you describe it, but it's certainly very competitive. Why is it so evenly divided? So I would say that it is, it is so evenly divided. And what I've learned from just working in Jacksonville is that you can win anywhere. You just have to go talk to people and you cannot just talk to people who agree with you ideologically. And you should never want to be a lawmaker that only listens to people who you agree with ideologically. That's not how we'll ever push towards progress. And so that is actually how we were able to win the mayor's race back in 2011. That's how we were able to win the mayor's race back in recently with Donatee again. And so that's how I was able to honestly win this primary, even though it was a democratic primary,

6:20we were able to get a lot of Republicans and MPAs independence to change their party affiliations or both me and the primary. And that's because I go and meet people where they are and I have conversations with them. And I also include them in the process of like talking about the issues, but also helping us come up with solutions. This should be government for the people by the people. But right now the people in power is government for the rich by the greedy billionaires and corrupt corporations. And that's what's frustrating people right now because people who are making the decisions are the ones who write the decisions. And that's who write the biggest checks. And instead the people that are making decisions is to be just the regular everyday hardworking people. And that's why I'm running because I want to make sure that is in fact the case moving forward. So as you know, because you're you're you you deal with this.

7:20There's some in Washington even in your own party who say out she registered with the essay. This is the this is Florida. I'll admit I'm skeptical that the S word is going to play in South Florida where you need to do well. Tell me how you push back on that. What do you tell people that are saying, you know what? I wish you hadn't joined the DSA or tell me why you're you're in the socialist adjacent camp, I guess is. Yeah, so thank you for that. You know, it's not about just three letters, right? It's bigger than that. Right now we are witnessing a return to the worst chapters of our history. And so what we need is all hands on deck. There's absolutely nothing wrong or radical about me wanting to ensure people have access to quality health care, access to quality affordable housing access to fully funded public schools. And so. What's interesting is the only people that question that are talk about they are like.

8:25The political pundits right the folks that are super plugged into the parties. When you go out of you have conversations like we're having and knocking on doors. I remember when they first started coming out like immediately after the primary. I went to little her family and I knocked on some doors and I was led in by a Cuban man who was retired. But who left Cuba? He fled Cuba and he was talking to me and he was like, I voted for you. I'm going for you again. He's like, I agree with you standing up from Medicare for all right. So it's like. The only people that are upset about the policies that I'm supportive of. And the reason I joined the essay are the people that are okay with people dying. If they don't have health care. And so like the folks that are power like they're frustrated about that because they're worried that they won't get kickbacks.

9:32I'm going to get all of this info with all of cash right. And so I have always spoke out against authoritarianism, the rise of dictatorship, which is what I have seen being a state lawmaker here in the state of Florida right. And I don't agree with everything in the Democratic Party. I also don't agree with everything in the GSA agrees with but the core tenets, the pillars that they support universal health care, affordable housing, right. Ending bigotry of our forms, right. Fully funded public schools, right. Those are fully funded social security system. Those are the things that the Democratic Party has professed that they were supportive of and would fight for. But it's a lot of what we don't see the leadership fighting for this day and age. And so in a time, in a time, where you have like Donald Trump weaponizing agencies and Ashley Moody and Gruber stamping them,

10:32that literally creating paramilitary forces, we need everybody to join hands working family party, all these different groups and organizations across the state and country to come together and to vote the right way and hold Donald Trump accountable. What's your diagnosis as to why Democrats went from highly competitive in Florida, not that long ago, we're talking the 2018 probably is close to a couple of statewide elections we've ever seen, to what it turned into in 2022. And I think look, I'm curious about this, right. Was 2022 an outlier? Was it the beginning of something? What's your explanation for it? And what's your path back? There was a huge divestment from the state after 2018. And it was an excuse that was made because we are progressive couldn't have won, a progressive couldn't have won.

11:37Yes, a progressive could have won. If there was some things that could have been done a lot differently, but also from the campaign, but if the entire party apparatus would have gone behind Andrew Gillum, we would not be in the state that we are in today. Literally, we don't know. Well, yes, I mean, it's hard to separate Andrew Gillum, the person from that campaign at this point a little bit. Well, I mean, given his own personal challenges, but what do you refer into in 2018? What I'm saying is like if Andrew Gillum won a won if the entire Democratic party apparatus, apparatus would have gone behind him, even some of the more moderates, we would have won. Right? Like he won, he lost by 0.5% of a percentage point. Right? And so the team fighting has to fight that fight. You know the argument is that Glenn Graham would have won.

12:39You accept that promise? I don't. I don't because we asked someone who ran the same policies like we ran ramps soon after and he lost miserably. And so what we have seen time and time and he is a progressive policies win in the state of Florida. We won a $15 minimum wage, which I hope lead by the way as a statewide organizer. We would have won getting political interference out of abortion if Donald Trump and Ashley Moody won the $10 million and used that money to divert it to political slush funds and packs that caused political interference. Right? We also won automatic rights restoration for returning citizens. All of these are progressive policies. When time and time again, we keep running people who don't run on progressive values. Republicans like progressive policies, it benefits them.

13:41Right? Like, and so we have won progressive issues up and down about it. Like we won restabilization in Orange County. Right? That's a progressive issue. Right? We are winning. We are winning all of these things. And so but yeah, still, they keep trying to run candidates who unfortunately don't even really allow with somebody's progressive policy. You're sharing a ballot. You're sharing a ballot with David Jolly and I can. It sounds like you're describing his style or his brand of democratic politics. Are you? I didn't say that David Jolly has a progressive issue. I know he did. That's why I'm asking you. Yeah. Yeah, David Jolly is running on like the policies that he wants are progressive and for the people, right? And so. Oh, also again, like we are forming a very unique ticket, right?

14:42I am somewhat to the left. He is somewhat middle of the road, right? And so that's fine though. Like he crosses the spectrum. And what the policies are speaking towards people. And that's what people want, right? It's not even about a label like let's be clear. It's about issues that people care about that would help benefit and improve their quality of life. And that's what I'm running on. That's what I've always ran on. That's what I've always supported. And that's what David Jolly is running on too. I have two paths I want to go down with you. One is what you would do as a US senator. But before I get there, I find the Florida state legislature to be the single most unfair, jury-mandered. I don't know. It is it is non reflective of the state of Florida. It has and it's been this way for decades.

15:42It strikes me as a really hard place to get things done. That there's a lot of lobbyists control. The term limits issue has made lawmakers come in and out and that they have less power. Am I just am I am I being overly cynical? Tell me how this. The legislature can become a workable functioning body of government. Because right now it. Everyone's sort of wild. It they try to you know be an equal branch of government, but not often. It is just the idea that you pick a speaker of the house years in advance so that they can get job offers. And the fact that people can work and get full-time jobs with people with business before the state. It just feels like a corruptible institution. I don't want to say everybody in its corrupt. That's not fair. But it allows for corruption to be easier. That's what it looks like from this lay person. Yeah. And so. Am I overly cynical?

16:42I mean I feel like you'll say a man on some of them. You know the state of Florida is a very toxic hostile work environment. They actually put my office in the basement or rats because I was pushing back against the unconstitutional map. That right. The Sanchez drew back in 2022. And then so you believe your office space was punishment a little bit. I was told that by the speaker that house. Like. Yes, like he put me there to repair me and he took me out because he didn't like that I want on social media and call them out about it. Right. Literally what he said afterwards was. Before you have any issues, please make sure you come and talk to me about it first. And I'm so honored and happy that he did not win. It's not my nation to become the governor. Shout out to you. What's the name? Paul Rinner. Renner. Yeah.

17:42Yeah. Paul. So funny. Anyway, it's a boy. Yeah, so like. It's it's paid a play. It is paid a play there. And but you can at times get things done. You have to be able to navigate. I was able to explain access early childhood education. That's because Senator Aaron was a representative at the time. She took one of my bills, put an error on me, bus bills. And so you just have to know how to navigate and build relationships. A lot of Republicans like me in the state. The state. Is it two parties? Is there two Republican parties in the state legislature? And I mean, I say that. I do. It's one. Right. They all fall in line. But. Behind the scenes. They will work with you and put your amendments on and all this stuff. If you don't make them look bad, right. And you don't want to vote. I must say. Even though he was still. He still did some bad stuff.

18:42I would say that speaker Danny Perez was probably the better of the. Speakers that I've ever had to work with. And so. And that's saying a lot. This episode of the Chuck Todd cast is brought to you by CalShi. It's an exchange where you can trade on what you actually think is going to happen. Sports, politics, culture, whatever's on your mind. For example, one market, of course, that I'm monitoring very closely is the US Senate and control of the US Senate. As recently as September 10th, Republicans were favored to retain control. 52% right to buy a share of Republicans retained control is going to cost you 52 cents. Would have only cost you 48 cents to buy essentially a share of the prediction that Democrats would win control. But boy, have things changed in two weeks, right. Democrats are now favored. The market to buy Democratic control is up to 62 cents.

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20:46As always, please remember to trade responsibly. Give me one or two that you think semi-simple ideas. That would make, you know, me up. I can still consider myself a Floridian though I don't vote in Florida. I may end up voting in Florida again, because that's what all of us do when we get older. Is it a small D democratic institution? What would it take to make it feel a bit more democratic, small D? Well, what it would take. I mean, we just, we got to get rid of these Republicans. But in regards to policies and that type of stuff, look, we got to stop allowing them to defund public education. Like that's the main money maker. But what we learned this past, let's say the session was that there are a lot of, there are a lot of lawmakers that have charter school management companies or they have stocks and charter school management companies or they have stocks and for profit prison.

21:53So big money needs to get out of politics all around. But for sure, we need to make sure that the people don't, like we got to get money out of this stuff. A lot of this stuff, it's just a massive shakedown, like even when you're thinking about how they decided to you, how Ron DeSantis decided to use our emergency funding that was supposed to be used in time of a natural disaster to instead stand up. A modern day in term in in alligator Alcatraz and use some of that money in Baker County and some of these other detention centers. And he only did it so that he can give his campaign donors. Literally is Donald Trump's actually movies, no big contracts, right? Like there's so much grifting happening right now. And it is, it's absolutely absurd and it's absolutely ridiculous and it's frustrating. Well, you didn't it, it, it, it just feels like a, it feels like a place that can use a lot of political reform, whether it's,

22:55primaries, do you think is the issue open primaries? Is it the gerrymandering right the lack of, what would you say it is? What we have seen since Andrew Gillon got so close to the governor's mansion, we have continually seen a rollback on our voting rights. They have every year they say we have the safest and most secure elections, but every year they change the process for elections around elections. And so like that needs to be like rescinded and a lot of those bills need to be repealed. We're a democracy. We should be trying to make sure that everyone who is eligible to vote should be voting, right? Also like, yeah, they, they drew illegal maps like that's one thing that should have never happened, right? Also, trying to say it's just, it's so much, it's just really jacked up, right? But like those are the most basic points right there.

23:57They literally, they literally have changed the voting laws for like the past, past six years, I believe. The past six years every year is something that they're changing. Let's go to if you get to the United States Senate. I get to the, of course, that's the way you should be talking. I get that. So, but I want to talk about as a senator, as you know, on one hand, one senator's got a lot of power compared to the US House. But at the same time, you're going to have to get in order to get the votes you need. You might have to pull back on some of the things you need to get done as somebody who's worked in a Republican legislature in some ways. This will feel quite familiar to you. So, how do you view trying to make the Senate? What do you view? What do you make of how the Senate works now? And what is, what is something that you're just itching to do and try the second you get there?

25:01The Senate is working right now. Nothing's working in Washington really. Like, yeah, they'll pass on bipartisan bills, but it doesn't have any really real teeth behind it. And, you know, the Republicans win the Democrats were in power. Did they pull back? Or did they go all gas, no breaks? You think they pay back too much or I mean, I assume that's what you believe. I don't see the Republicans, the Democrats were in power, right? Thinking around like Obama error, right? Like the Republicans win all gas, no breaks. They did not pull back anything. They kept pushing and yelling and screaming and disrupting and all the things. Right now, people are dying. Right now, we have a man in the White House that is laying the foundation to not leave. Creating paramilitary forces that are pushing the limit to see how far that they can go.

26:01And so I am not going to continue to compromise our values, compromise the lives and the livelihoods of Floridians and Americans. I'm going to stand firm, right? I am going to use an aggressive inside outside strategy to work to organize my caucus members that organize other members within the US Senate. And then I'm also going to use that same aggressive strategy to organize out in the communities. One thing I know about being elected official, we do not like bad publicity or pressure, public pressure. And so we need more organizers in the US and in Congress so that we can actually put more pressure and be more vocal about what's happening too often times like people. Like get away with stuff on Washington DC because folks on back home don't know what's going on. We don't change that we're going to change that what I'm going to come back to as senator, which is actually took the which is actually what I have done as a state rep.

27:08Like I have been so vocal and cause many members of my caucus to be more vocal and cause many outside groups to be more vocal. And that's why we were able to stop some bad bills, right? And to get some amendments on and that type of thing. And so I'm going to do the same thing when I become a US senator. It's a you're not the first person who is pledged that they can shake up the Senate. And I've seen people I'm not going to name names. I mean, I like these people. I think they're genuine in their attempts to do it. The place can stifle you. I mean, it is it is tough. I it is I like I said, there's been some people like yourself very sort of who have had success organizing who've got to the Senate and run into a an organized brick wall to be frank. What do you think you could do differently? I think that I can do differently is right now this country is at an inflection point, right?

28:14Like we're at a crossroads and it costs too much money just to be alive right now. And so I'm going to organize the people outside to put pressure year round 24, seven. And just doing an election here on those centers. We're going to demand that these folks come into the communities that have in person to all meetings. We're going to demand we go use social media, right? We're going to like we're moving away. We're sitting. Hey, I'm on your podcast, right? We're seeing folks move away from traditional media and we're going to amplify with these influencers with these. The traditional folks that are media. The traditional media is relatively in the community. And so number one, we need to we need to repeal that big BS bill. We need to do something we need to do and we need to send the ACA subsidies. Right now folks are frustrated, which is why we are seeing such a sense with the no Kings rally.

29:18They are not just Democrats going to these rallies. They're independent Republicans who are fed up. And so now, you know, this is the next 250 years of our country, the start. So what we have seen, I'm assuming of history, what we have seen all across the globe is that there have been re iterations of different governments. Like we're doing for a new iteration of something, right? And so we have the opportunity to rebuild our country like our institute like democracy has fallen here. We see this guy in the White House. Oh, again, it's rubber stand by Ashley Moody. They're going after going after the media is going after his political opponents. He has taken control of oil from a foreign country, right? Like it is, it is my blowing, right? That is not what a democracy is. So you were in to Venezuela, who are upset about this. And I'm just sort of, it's kind of a head scratcher to me that we haven't seen more protests coming out of, you know, communities like.

30:33They took their afraid. That's why they told me they're afraid to come out. They're afraid to get deported. Like that's what they said, even if they're here, the right way, right? Even if they are citizens of this country, they are locking people up with the actual process. So people who are actual US citizens can be locked up and not talk to their family, their attorney for days and weeks. There's no freaking process in place. And you think that's having a huge impact on just people not wanting to speak out. Yes, that's what they told me a guy by the name of Jay that I met in Orlando said that his husband has been a swan and he does not leave the house. He said he wanted to be here at your rally today, but he could not get a nightclub because he does not leave the house. And he started crying.

31:35Like they are afraid they're terrified. They're literally going into elementary schools, stealing kidnap and kids and using them as bait. Like that's what we're up against. This is not normal. And this is not okay. You've given your history working, especially working in Northeast Florida, which is just such a competitive area. How did the same state vote for Obama and Trump? What did Trump do? It's what he spoke to people he went out and talked to them. He went out and had conversations with them. He spoke to their concerns and eating. He didn't should go anything, right. He spoke to the people that were hurting and that's literally what I'm doing, right. And it also like the party, the democratic party stop if they divest it from the south. They divest it from the south.

32:36And I will say they divest it from a lot of black leaders. Right. What does that say about us now? The party. The party has to figure out. We're going to continue to use black people for their labor and not advocate for their leadership. Well, look, I, I, it's not lost on May. So you're an African American nominee in Florida. There's an African American nominee in Mississippi. And Louisiana. And Louisiana. And we've. Everybody, everyone of those races. There's been polling in the last couple of weeks showing very close races. The national party doesn't seem eager. Maybe they go into Mississippi. We'll see. Why is that so difficult? Why do you think that's been so difficult? Let me see if I'm trying to be. I'm going to say we're the south and, you know, we have to recognize that we can't continue to say we're going to fight against.

33:53We're going to make an institutionalized racism. And we're not addressing it within our party. If you look at, you know, vice president Harris wasn't anomaly with the amount of money she was able to raise. And it was great. But some of the things that I am hearing from people that are part of the party. And so because she was black and so we don't need to invest in a black candidate that way. It'll never happen. It won't be done. And so that's what we're saying. Hey, this episode of the Chuck Todd cast is brought to you by ethos. Look, let me tell you about life insurance. As you know, ethos is an incredible portal for helping you find the right life insurance policy. I'm a huge believer in life insurance. I wouldn't have gotten to college in Washington, DC without life insurance. My father had a policy buried somewhere that we discovered and it wasn't a lot of money. But it was an important bucket of money at a time that my mother newly widowed single mom may I'm 16.

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36:00You think there are voters that won't vote for Byron Donald because of the color of his skin. Yeah. Is it our party and within the Republican party? Yeah. Why do you think the Republican party is more supportive of Byron Donald's than their Democratic party is supportive of you? I don't think all the Republican. Yeah. You ain't been on the ground Chuck. It is. I haven't heard you're right. You think Donald is in trouble. It is bad. She crazy down here. Oh, Lord, I meant to blink that out. Sorry. We have an e on my podcast. Don't worry. And it's my mouth. Not yours. So don't worry about it. No, you know, it is. You know, people will say, oh, she converses. Fine. That's the problem. She's not taking any money. That's a problem or own. Now when she joined the essay. You got to ask why did I feel the need to join organizations?

37:04I just stay with the party. Right. Like yes, there needs to be. We're in big team. We need to bring all the people in, but also like. I'm going to be real like the party that I grew up in. That I was the vice chair of and in Duval County that I also served as a dip. I was the field director and political director of the state party before. A lot of folks in the party turn their back on me. A lot of folks in the party have been supportive of me. I always ask me to stand up and do things that come show up show out. Run deals. Do this. Do that. And then all of a sudden when someone who didn't look like me got in the race after me. So Angie lacks death. Angie lacks experience. When I'm the only lawmaker sitting lawmaker that was running for you at Senate at the time. Right. And so. Oh Angie Angie says y'all too much.

38:04Oh, oh Angie doesn't dress correctly. Those are microaggressions rooted in braces. And so we have to. We have to recognize that. We got to fix some things within ourselves too within the party. And so I again, I'm an organizer and I am. Believe in agitation, right? And I'm critical. I'm also critical. This country because I love it and I wanted to be better. But there. There's a reason my husband. Who is I've been married to for five years now who he says that the Republican party and the Democratic party. There are two different wings on the same bird. Right. There's a reason people feel that way. He feels that way. That being married to a prominent Democrat in the party in the state of Florida.

39:04And so if we don't work to address those issues. And we have a problem and we will never. When the way in which we need to. Well, you don't sound like a vote for Chuck Schumer. The leader. I am someone who is going to get to Washington DC and assess whoever decides to run and ask them to have questions. And then I'll make my decision after that. So you're not ready to you're not ready to talk about that stuff. That's interesting. I'm going to respect him. It's such. That will surprise a lot of people that because you know. It's slow hanging fruit these days to bash Democratic leadership. Right. But I find it interesting you you don't you won't do that. I respect. I'm not trying to ban shini one like look it. We have one common goal. We need to take back the Senate and take back the House. And I'm trying to do as much as possible to do that. And inviting like public.

40:05And fighting and I am fighting but publicly fighting. It's not going to be hopeful today. And so you know, we need to move not left not right but towards the people. And that's something that I've always done. I'm going to continue to do it. I'm going to push people to do as well. Well, look, the whole reason I'm trying to be an independent media is I like. Trying to stop rounding the edges on everything. Right. Right. I think it's a good thing that I think you're tired of politics being debated. Almost to. To sterilely. Sounds like it's almost too sterile our political debate. And you like. We just need to. We just need to get. It should. That we need to get shit down. So if you guys. You get both. I'll go with the girl and walk. That's. I'm going to. I don't. I just want to get. Come in about that. No, I spoke with the woman in Broward County the other day.

41:05She's in her 30's. She was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago. And she was everything was working out. And then they pass that big BSB. And they cut back. The funding for her to be able to have access to certain treatments. And our. this cancer retirement she has thanks for breast cancer. Like people are dying because people are playing games. I don't have time to play games. I'm going to Washington DC to do a job. And that is to ensure we are improving people's quality of life here. And so I have no time for the BS. Like I'm only beholden to people. I'm not beholden to corporations. I'm not beholden to these billionaires. And I'm going to be clear, right? Like we don't see as much fight from certain people because they benefit from what's happening right now. So they straight. I'm not straight. My family and friends are not straight. And so my community is not okay.

42:05And so I'm going to fight like hell to change that. But there are a lot of people within both parties. Call our in office. They're okay. This what's happening right now? They're benefiting from it. And so unless you know what it's like to struggle, especially right now in this moment, you're going to keep going whatever it is that you're doing. How much time you want Democrats next year? How much time do you want to be spending on debating whether to impeach Trump? And how much time do you want to be spending debating Medicare for all? You know, I feel like you can do both. I mean, I mean, it's done some impeachable offenses. You should be able to do both, right? Like Congress doesn't have to move as slow as it moves. It doesn't. No, it's just trying to make it seem like it's such a convoluted process. It's so complex. It's not. It's not.

43:07Yeah, when you guys have a special session and there's two days left, how quickly do bills get written and passed in the Tallahassem? Come on, you need a rough office. You speak it, man. All right. What's the, let's lighten up here. What's your, what's been your favorite new town that you've traveled to in Florida that you had no idea? You had no idea. I can't believe how much I love X. Tell me about it. I'm like at the Appalachia Colour area. It is so beautiful, even though they had an issue with their water. But when you're driving, when you're making that drive in like Port St. Joe area, it is, it is absolutely beautiful. It is absolutely, that's the pay and the area. It is absolutely beautiful. So I love going over there. It's far tail, but I love going. And I take it, you have a preference on which of the big three football schools, no offense to UCF.

44:14I guess I should say big four of how count UCF in this. You're a gator, are you a gator throwing through? I like gator. Yeah. Well, you know, I'm a gator. I won't hold that against you. I love my HBCU sooner. We need to make sure they get more funding. Absolutely. We have two really good ones, the thin cookman in Florida, and I'm sure I'm going to come up. Yeah, I know. Yeah, we're at a university within my district. Which is in my current district. And then we have Florida Memorial University. Florida Memorial. I should have shouldn't have left that one out, but obviously I got a lot of friends, a lot of FAMU friends. So I always have to give them extra shout out. Angie, be safe on the trail. I'm glad you're wearing a seatbelt. Nobody's going to give you a hard time about that. And I appreciate you giving me some times. Be safe out there. Nice to meet you. Thank you, Joe. Bye.

45:17This is an I Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human.