 | | | | Feeling overwhelmed by the ongoing battles here in Florida? Me too!
Florida is my home state where I spent my first 18 years in a little town in Northwest Florida before leaving to join the Navy. While I traveled the world, my mother sent me newspaper clippings of local happenings and issues and made sure that I could cast an informed vote by absentee ballot. Since my retirement from the military, I've made Jacksonville my home. While Jacksonville and Florida have challenges and short falls, I think it's worth the effort to remain engaged and to stand up for those values and freedoms we hold dear for ourselves and our neighbors.
As we prepare for the upcoming legislative session, I know there will be a tendency to unsubscribe from the many email alerts you will be receiving from League of Women Voters as well as other organizations. Like many of you, I receive emails and texts from organizations that represent my values and political positions often seeking donations or asking me to take some sort of action, whether it be to call, email or visit my elected representatives. Rather than unsubscribe, I'm asking our members to set aside time each week to reach out to an elected representative on a League legislative priority or an issue that means something to you, your family or your community. |  | Perhaps it is the increase in homeowners' insurance, unaffordable housing rental prices, attack on public education, ongoing voter suppression, rhetoric designed to separate and harm, lack of support of our environment and the changes we desperately need to make to protect our environment, lack of affordable accessible healthcare, loss of reproductive rights and restrictions to abortion care, loss of home rule in our local municipalities, and the list goes on. Find something that you care about and make sure your elected representatives know about it!
I'm not giving up on Florida and I hope you aren't either!
Lanelle Phillmon, President LWV/JFC | | |
Legislative Session Training December 9th
In preparation for the 2024 Legislative Session, we will meet to discuss the top legislative priorities, legislator engagement, and Lobby Days. The training will take place Saturday December 9th at 12:15pm at the Southeast Regional Library at 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd Jacksonville, FL 32256 in Room B.
| Reproductive Healthcare Update
As of 11/9/23 the abortion petition campaign has raised more than 12 million dollars and has acquired approximately 500,000 of the required 891,523 verified signatures needed by 2/12/23.The bad news is there are an unexpectedly high number of rejected petitions in some counties. Duval County Supervisor of Elections has rejected over 22,000 of the 55,000+ petitions for a 61% acceptance rate. Duval County has one of the lowest acceptance rates. The only way to find out if your individual petition was rejected is to contact the Supervisor of Elections. About 20% have been rejected for “misfiled/not reg” but the terminology is unclear. Another 10% were rejected for “signature unlike” (doesn’t match).
| Dental Care Access in Florida
LWVFL has signed on to support access to dental care. Floridians for Dental Access, a bipartisan coalition of agencies and individuals, are spearheading this project. Oral health in Florida is one of the worst in the nation and limits dental care of adults receiving Medicaid to emergencies only.
- Hospitals billed over ½ billion dollars in 2021 for preventable, non-traumatic dental issues.
- 66/67 Florida county residents live in dental shortage areas.
- 25% of third graders with untreated cavities.
- Florida is 4th worst in the nation.
- Florida spends more on treatment consequences than any other state.
- Florida ranks last of 50 for children receiving a dental visit in the last 12 months.
LWV/JFC is being asked to support expansion of dental services and dental therapy programs. Dental therapists, currently in 13 states, work under the supervision of a dentist and can provide additional care. Floridians for Dental Access would like to establish a dental therapy program in Florida.
At Floridians for Dental Access you can further learn about this venture – the myths/facts, research, reports, and opportunities to become involved. Additionally you can show your support for HB1177 by Rep. Bell and SB 1000 by Sen. Calatayud, which will increase access to dental care for Florida’s children and families, by signing the support letter. | Close the Write-In Candidate Loophole
In 1998, Florida voters overwhelmingly approved a state constitutional amendment which provided for a universal open primary in situations when only one party fielded candidates and there would be no opposition in the general election. That's only fair right? In such cases, the primary becomes the de facto general election. At a time when 50% was still the threshold for approval, 64% of Florida voters agreed.
Since that time, candidates from both parties have enlisted bogus write-in candidates to pose as token opposition to keep primaries closed that should have been open to all voters. In one case, a candidate used her own mother as opposition in two consecutive election cycles. While this sounds like fraud, under current practices, it's legal. This tactic has been used several times in recent years in Northeast Florida and across the state, disenfranchising 8.2 million voters in 114 state and federal races. Flagrant circumvention of the will of the voters should be abhorrent to any fair-minded person.
We are asking members to send a message to our elected representatives in one easy step. It takes less than a minute using this convenient link or you can contact their offices directly, but please add your support and tell your friends and family about the need to address this issue and close the write-in candidate loophole. |  | JOIN US for Orientation
Sunday, January 21, 2024 from 2:00-3:00pm
Learn about the history of the League, how we operate, and the process of Study and Action. Meet local League Leadership, committee chairs, and other new members.
New Members are encouraged to attend. Current members as well as non-members are also invited.
A Zoom link will be emailed to you following Registration.
For questions contact:
Karen Parish
Membership Director
| Seeking Volunteers for VOTE411
The League of Women Voters Education Fund produces an online voter guide, VOTE411.org, for federal and state races, judicial retention races, and local races and ballot measures for Clay, Duval, Nassau, and St. Johns counties. If you are interested in helping with setting up the voter guide for the 2024 election cycle, please contact Deb Miller, debunf@gmail.com.
We need folks to do all or some of the following: gathering race information, drafting questions for candidates, making phone calls, working with GIS maps for voting districts, and preparing announcements and social media posts about the resource. The work will start in early 2024. | Seeking Nominations for Future Board Positions
The League of Women Voters of Jacksonville/First Coast invites all members in good standing to consider submitting your names to the nominating committee for review for candidacy to our upcoming 2024 Board of Directors/Executive Committee. Please view or request a copy of our bylaws to gain an idea of what the duties and responsibilities are for the office of interest.
The Executive Committee positions that will be open for election in June 2024 are:
President
Secretary
The Elected Director positions that will be open for election in June 2024 are:
Director-Membership
Director-Voter Registration
Each of the four above-listed positions are two-year terms. Also, the appointed board position of Director of Technology will be vacant after June 2024, and is a one-year term. Additionally, there will be three openings for members of the 2025 Nominating Committee which serve for one-year. The 2024 Nominating Committee members are Juanita Powell-Williams, Chair (jpowellwilliams16@gmail.com), Rebecca Lee-Duffel (Rebecca.duffell@gmail.com), Paige Gottlieb (paigegottlieb@gmail.com) and Angela DeMonbreun (angelademonbreun@gmail.com). If you are interested in any of the above-listed opportunities, please contact either Juanita at 904-718-4354 or any nominating committee member with your questions regarding qualifications. | Veterans Day Follow Up
We had beautiful weather and a great time participating in the Veterans Day parade, handing out flags and voter information cards. While many newly relocated Veterans and military members had registered to vote, not all were aware that Florida has closed primaries and that they would need to be a member of a major party to vote in the upcoming presidential primary or the 29 day book closing deadline.
While Veterans Day has passed, it is important that all Veterans become aware of the Veterans History Project, created by the Library of Congress Folklife Center in 2000. Anyone can read, listen, and watch videos of the recollections of Veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions. The many collections can be searched by format, service branch, war, location, gender, rank, etc. Veterans can contribute their own stories to the project. | |
LWV of Florida Supports Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion
A coalition entitled “Floridians Protecting Freedom” has launched a citizen-led ballot initiative campaign to give women the right to seek abortions up to viability. Florida voters want women to have the chance to ensure that their personal medical decisions are theirs and theirs alone to make. The League of Women Voters of Florida Board of Directors has voted to support this citizen initiative effort.
| | Florida Right to Clean and Healthy Waters Petition | | |
The League of Women Voters of Florida has endorsed the Right to Clean and Healthy Waters petition and we will be gathering petitions in our four counties (Clay, Duval, Nassau and St Johns). We only have until November 2023 to gather the mandatory minimum number of petitions (891,589) across the state.
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New Members - Welcome aboard!
Jo Crook
Vanessa Cullins Hopkins
Priscilla Durkin
Helen Jakson
Beth Lamon
Norma Novak
Interested in being part of the League? Click JOIN NOW | Donations are always appreciated!
We wish to acknowledge and thank those who have made donations this month:
Mary Allice Phelan
Ilene Levenson
Paige Gottlieb
Bernadette Miron
Elizabeth Head
Donna Padgug
Pamela Korn
Donations to Ed Fund:
Lanelle Phillmon
Susan Goldring
Our website lwvjaxfc.org offers an easy way to make donations to LWVJFC, even if you prefer to pay by check. Click on the red "Donate" button at the top of the Homepage. | Volunteers are needed!
Quite often, our League needs volunteers to help with small tasks that are not time consuming but vital to our leadership and membership.
If you are willing to help make phone calls, be trained to send text messages, or assist in other ways, please contact us and let us help you figure out how to invest your time in our League and our democracy.
Contact Lanelle at lwvjaxfc@gmail.com to discuss topics and abilities.
For more specific volunteer tasks, click HERE.
| | | | Local
Stay up-to-date on all local upcoming events on the LWV of Jacksonville / First Coast:
• Website
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
Regional
The Regional Facebook Group, LWV Florida North Region Leagues, includes Alachua, Bay, Jacksonville/First Coast, Okaloosa & Walton, Pensacola Bay Area, and Tallahassee.
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Contact Us!
Phone: 904-355-8683
Email: LWVJAXFC@gmail.com
Postal Address:
League of Women Voters of Jacksonville First Coast
PO Box 330353
Atlantic Beach, FL 32233 | | | | The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization encouraging informed and active participation in government. We influence public policy through education and advocacy. | | |
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