TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — On the steps of the Capitol building in Tallahassee, 600 people came for Advocacy Day.

Many in the crowd had a family member incarcerated or at one point were incarcerated themselves. 

"We are here today to challenge our governor to be even more courageous, to be even bolder and to expand to Floridians across the entire spectrum," said Desmond Meade, Florida Rights Restoration Coalition.

In the Tampa Bay area, Eugene Williams said he served many years in prison for robbery and battery.

"I had been to prison 18 years, but I am not that same person I was then," said Williams. 

This is the third year the FRRC made the trip to the Capitol to meet with lawmakers over clemency and Amendment Four.

"For 14 months, I’ve called for new Clemency Board rules that, just like these, will swiftly restore rights for Floridians," said Agriculture Commissioner and Clemency Board member Nikki Fried said. "This could have been done in our first week, and the delay has been a missed opportunity by the Cabinet.

"These draft rules from the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition will eliminate the current backlog of Restoration of Civil Rights applicants, and prevent a future backlog," she went on. "They are exactly the direction we need to go, so there should be no further delay."

In Florida, there are over 1.6 million felons.