ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A legislative recap was hosted by the NAACP of St. Petersburg this weekend, inviting elected and civil rights leaders to talk about the current political environment, the new laws going in to effect on July 1st, and an outlook on the presidential election in 2024.

In an address during the recap, Florida State Senator and the Appropriations Committee's Vice Chair Darryl Rouson shared his disappointment with eight of the 12 bills that passed the legislative session that ended May 5th.

“Generally, I believe we spent too much time this session on culture wars and too little time on trying to solve problems that effect everyday people,” he said.

The biggest complaints are focused on what the NAACP calls the ‘Anti-Woke Act,’ an expansion of the STOP Woke Act signed in to law last summer by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The NAACP said it further limits the freedom of expression and academics on campuses at Florida colleges and universities.

The list goes on to include a bill that allows for the carrying a concealed handgun without a license, a six-week abortion ban, immigration laws, and what community groups call voter suppression.

Although NAACP St. Petersburg President Esther Matthews says it’s too late to do anything about the laws going in to effect July 1st, it’s never too late to speak out and get involved.

“The only thing that we can do is, we have to get up and vote,” Matthews said. “We have to educate ourselves on everything that is moving forward and we have to be intentional, with not just taking ourselves to vote, but taking our children.”

Matthews is encouraging parents to talk to their 18-year-old kids about the impact of the new bills and to get them to the polls in 2024.