 |  | Announcing Our 2025 Committees
2025 is going to be a year full of opportunities at every level of the League! We are developing our committees to support the work identified in our Local Program, working with LWVFL on legislative priorities for the 2025 Legislative Session, and working with Leagues across the nation on "One Person One Vote" (formerly National Popular Vote).
I'd like to thank the members who attended one of our three committee development meetings. I realize that December was a busy month for many of us and appreciate the time you contributed to our initial meetings.
So far, we have interest in developing committees for:
Voting Registration / Education
Public Education
One Person One Vote (NPV)
Gun Violence Prevention
Reproductive Health and Justice
Returning Citizens
While we have not had much support for Healthcare or Environment/Natural Resources, we can still develop a committee to support this work if there are members interested in doing so.
Our next step is to host a virtual Committee Meeting Wednesday, January 15, 2025 at 6:00 pm where we will begin with all attendees in a shared zoom space and after some basic announcements, will open up breakout rooms for each committee to meet. Attendees will need to decide which committee meeting they would like to attend that evening. If we do not have a Committee Chair or Co-Chairs identified prior to this zoom meeting, we will ask attendees to decide at the meeting and begin to commit to work on Local Program action items. Going forward, we can host a monthly zoom meeting for all committees or committees may decide to establish meeting dates, times and locations (or virtual) that meet the needs of attendees. I will send an event registration email out for the January 15th zoom meeting during the first week of the new year.
These are common ideas that were developed during the three initial meetings.
Engage/educate our members and the public by:
1. Hosting in person and/or virtual events with our own speakers bureau presentations or panel discussions or hosting speakers
2. Collaborate with other organizations on their specific area of focus (education, healthcare, reproductive rights, OPOV, etc.) on events and outreach
3. Develop a database of organizations that we can reach out to for collaboration or speaking events
4. Submit LTE's, press releases for events, Op Eds, newsletter input
Whether you are part of a local committee or not, you are encouraged to attend the LWVFL statewide committee meetings. You will find registration for these meetings at the very bottom of each "The Florida Voter" that is emailed out every two weeks. If you are not receiving this email, you can send an email to Blake Summerlin at comms@lwvfl.org and ask to be added to their email distribution list. You can register for a meeting and attend when it occurs, or register and receive a link to a recording of the meeting to listen to at your leisure.
Their committees consist of:
EducationClean Energy
Health Care
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Reproductive Health & Justice
Voter Services
Gun Violence Prevention
Restoration of Voting Rights
Natural Resources
Immigration
Juvenile Justice
I look forward to working with you in 2025 and ask that you find ways to use your time, talent and skills to help us create a more perfect democracy for ALL people.
Lanelle Phillmon
President, LWVJFC | | | | January First Wednesday Speaker Series
Join us on January 8th at Seasons 52, 5096 Big Island Drive, for First Wednesday Lunch with the League with guest speaker Jimmy Peluso, Jacksonville City Council Member, who will discuss the Community Benefits Agreement.
Mr. Peluso graduated from The George Washington University with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and History. Upon graduation he completed training at Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. Upon completing two sea tours, he was selected to teach Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) students at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn). While teaching, he graduated with a master’s degree in Public Administration from UPenn. After resigning from active service, Jimmy moved back to Jacksonville, FL and began working in governmental affairs with the St. Johns River Water Management District. He was a registered lobbyist with the state of Florida, and was selected to serve in the emergency operations center (EOC) in Tallahassee during natural disasters. Since 2018, Jimmy has worked as a political consultant, and as a development manager. Mr. Peluso has served on the Literacy Alliance of Northeast Florida’s Board of Directors, the Changing Homelessness Continuum of Care, and on the Memorial Park Association Board of Directors. Mr. Peluso currently serves in the US Navy Reserves, and holds the rank of Lieutenant Commander. |  | Doors open at 11:20 am and the event begins promptly at 11:30 am. Please plan to arrive early to allow time to speak with other members, our board members, and the guest speaker. The menu includes a small Field Greens Salad, choice of entree (Chicken Caprese Sandwich, Avocado Toast, or Mahi Tacos), a Mini Indulgence Dessert and beverage (Coffee, Iced Tea, or Soft Drink), at a cost per person of $35.00 for members and their guests. Non-members who purchase tickets will pay a nominal convenience fee when purchasing tickets. Tickets are non-refundable.
This is an in-person only event. Seating is limited so register early!
| | |
We Need You!
We are recruiting candidates to the Board of our local League to begin in June 2025. This is a wonderful opportunity to get involved in promoting democracy!
The following positions are open beginning in June 2025:
Treasurer
Performs multiple duties related to collecting and disbursing monies, preparing reports and chairing the Budget Committee.
Minimum Time Commitment: 2 – 6 hours a month plus the monthly Board meeting.
Director of Voter Registration
Organizes and executes voter registration drives and seeks out voter registration opportunities across the 4 counties of our local League. Keeps proper records and give reports to the Board.
Minimum Time Commitment: 10 – 15 hours a month plus the monthly local Board and the Florida stateLeague Voter Services meetings.
2 Directors
Serve as members of the Board helping with planning, decision making, and efficient operations. Can assist in fundraising activities, serve on committees, and take on special assignments.
3 Nominating Committee Members
Determine the open Board positions for the coming year. Develop a slate of candidates for open positions by researching Board needs and member talents. Recruit candidates via emails and phone calls.
Please let us know if you would like to serve. Also contact any member of the Nominating Committee (listed below) with your questions. We look forward to hearing from you!
|  | JOIN US for Orientation
Sunday, January 12, 2025
2:00-3:00pm
Highly recommended for New Members, and for all members who have not previously attended.
- 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.
The Zoom link will be emailed to you following Registration.
Questions? Contact:
Karen Parish
Membership Director, LWVJFC
lwvjfc.membership@gmail.com
904-477-9538 | 2025 Florida Legislative Session
The Florida Legislature has now assigned committee chairs and members and has held its first week of interim committee meetings. We are starting to see bills filed by members of the House and Senate. While no one can track all bills, you are encouraged to visit the bills websites periodically or set up an alert for keywords of interest to you (i.e. Public Education, Juvenile Justice, Housing, Poverty, Justice Reform, Elections, etc.). You can track bills in the Senate at https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bills/2025 and in the House at https://www.flhouse.gov/Sections/Bills/bills.aspx.
If you are not following The Florida Channel, I would encourage you to do so. The Florida Channel provides access to the various committee meetings but also provides an overview of the work taking place in the Capitol. You can view The Florida Channel at https://thefloridachannel.org/. You can watch meetings live or can view previously held sessions to hear how committee chairs and members are weighing in on issues and also hear public comments.
2024 – 2025 Interim Committee Meeting Schedule: These are the meetings that will take place in Tallahassee PRIOR to session and are open to the public to observe.
January 2025 — Week of the 13th
January 2025 — Week of the 20th *
February 2025 — Week of the 3rd
February 2025 — Week of the 10th
February 2025 — Week of the 17th
* Meetings to begin on Tuesday due to Monday holiday
The 2025 Regulation Session Dates are March 4, 2025 - May 2, 2025.
Members are also highly encouraged to meet with your legislators in their local offices in between interim committee meeting weeks and prior to the legislative session commencement date.
We appreciate those members who participated in the Legislative Priority Ranking Survey. Our chapter's top priorities that were submitted to the LWVFL board were:
1. Voting Rights and Election Report (established by LWVFL)
2. Reproductive Health and Justice
3. Education
4. Poverty and Affordable Housing
5. These tied for number 5: NPV, Gun Violence Prevention, and Health Care
The LWVFL Board will consider the input from all chapters as well as the comments made during the two listening sessions and will develop our legislative priorities for the session. Prior to the start of session, we will be provided with talking points to address with elected representatives. | One Person, One Vote and the Electoral College
It’s a busy time for the Electoral College. On November 5, 2024 the voters of Florida voted for Florida’s 30 electors who, on December 17th, met in Tallahassee to formally select the President and the Vice President. These state electors then sealed up their electoral vote and sent them to the President of the Senate and the Archivist of the United States. The votes had to be received by December 25th . The next step is for Congress to meet in joint session to count the electoral votes which will happen on January 6, 2025.
Is this how the framers of the Constitution envisioned the Electoral College working? No, in early presidential contests, the electors actually chose the President. As Professor Carolyn Renee DuPont writes in her book Distorting Democracy – The Forgotten History of the Electoral College and Why It Matters Today, “electors assemble in each state capital to cast predetermined votes for the candidate of their party. This moment that the framers envisioned as the ‘real’ presidential election has evolved into a quaint but essentially empty ritual. Some call it ‘ceremonial’ but the framers created it with real purposes.”
Since 1970, the League of Women Voters of the United States has taken the position that the “direct-popular-vote method for electing the President and Vice President is essential to representative government.” In 2022, LWVUS adopted the ambitious long-term “moonshot” goal of abolishing the Electoral College over the course of the next few decades. If you are interested in learning more about the history of the Electoral College, the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (an agreement among states to award their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote), or educating your friends and neighbors about the Electoral College, please join the One Person, OneVote Committee by reaching out to Rhona DiCamillo at rhona.dicamillo@gmail.com. | Education Committee Seeking Volunteers
Please contact our Education Committee Chair at lwv.jax.education@gmail.com if you are willing to volunteer for any of the opportunities below.
- Volunteer to write the DCPS board members. Join our Duval google group so you’ll receive summaries of the Duval County Public School board meetings.
- Volunteer to lead an education subcommittee for Nassau, Clay, or St. Johns.
- Volunteer for the LWV-Florida Education Action Team subcommittee focused on higher education.
| League Lobby Days 2025
League of Women Voters of Florida will host "Lobby Days" in Tallahassee March 11 -12, 2025. Lobby Days is an excellent time to meet other League members from across the state, our state board members and state legislators. There will be training sessions on current League priorities and bills, "how to lobby" your legislator, and we will hear from our Lobby Firm Capital Alliance Group. We also host a gala where the "Defenders of Democracy" award is presented to a member of the public or a legislator for their work in furthering the freedoms of others. We will also offer room and ride sharing for anyone who would like to attend but driving or costs might be a barrier. More to come on this in the next few weeks. | New Members - Welcome aboard!
Yanella and Sophia Para
Ronald (Chip) Ross
Brenda Stratton
| Donations are always appreciated!
We wish to acknowledge and thank those who made donations this month:
Connie and Steve Pegram
Carol Hamilton
Pamela Korn
Mary Barrett Phelan to the Ed Fund
Elizabeth Head to the Ed Fund
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. | | | | 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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