 | | | | As we prepare for our young nation's 249th year of independence from Great Britain, let us recall that upon our declaration of independence we were not a united states but rather 13 North American Colonies. At the time, colonists were very much opposed to a series of unpopular laws and taxes exacted by Britain beginning in 1764, including the Sugar Act, the Stamp Act, and the Intolerable Acts (also called the Coercive Acts) designed to punish the colonies for the Boston Tea Party. The acts would ultimately cause such outrage amongst the colonies that it would contribute to the start of the American Revolutionary War.
For those watching the widespread protests playing out across our nation in response to a number of executive orders and pending tax bills, keep in mind that protests and revolution are very much threads woven into our nation's very existence. In my lifetime alone I can look back to the protests of the war in Vietnam in 1969, the first Earth Day back in 1970, the Million Man March in 1995, the Hands Across America Support for anti-poverty programs in 1986, and the Women's March in 2017. In each case, millions of Americans gathered to publicly push back against what they considered to be some aspect of government that was negatively impacting our nation as a whole.
For most of my adult life, most Americans have spent July 4th focused on parades, cook outs, family outings, and firework displays. In recent years, the fragility of our nation's independence has become a reality with this day of observance focusing on voter registration, protests, rallies, and political events. Whether you find yourself enjoying a sporting event, a family or community outing or at a rally or protests, I hope you will consider that while we observe our founders bold acts to declare and win independence from an oppressive government, our work is very much needed here at home. |  | If you have not already contacted your U.S. congressman or senator regarding the tax bill that will have an extreme adverse impact on millions of our fellow Americans or the S.A.V.E. Act which will put over 70,000,000 Americans' ability to vote in jeopardy, you are highly encouraged to do so. You can read more on these bills via the links below and can also contact your elected person there.
One way to observe independence is to ensure we live in a country where all U.S. Citizens are unobstructed from registering and casting a vote in elections and that our hard earned tax dollars reflect our values and meet our needs.
Lanelle Phillmon
President, LWVJFC | | |
Public Education is for All Rally
Duval County League members are highly encouraged to support this rally or attend the school board meeting.
We are joining with several other local organizations in support of the Public Education is for All rally which will be held July 1, 2025 at 5:30 pm, just prior to the Duval County School Board meeting which begins at 6:00 pm.
If you are able to attend the meeting and sign up to make public comments, that would be wonderful.
| Come Tour the Clay and Duval County Supervisor of Elections Facilities
Are you new to Florida or new to Clay or Duval County? Or, have you lived here awhile and never toured your Supervisor of Elections office? We'd love to have you join us on an educational tour of these facilities so you can learn about the election process, the equipment used to cast and process our ballots whether it's at a polling site or via vote by mail.
We have set up three tours so far for July:
Clay County
Thursday, July 17th at 9:30 am
Duval County
Tuesday, July 22nd at 1:00 pm
Thursday, July 24th at 10:30 am
You will be able to meet the Supervisor of Elections staff, learn about how the county carries out elections, ask questions, and learn how you can become a trained election worker. Learning more about the process and the laws that govern our elections is a great way to help combat disinformation in our community and become a sharer of factual information among our neighbors and community members.
Please register NLT July 13th so we know how many to expect.
For the morning tours, we will meet for lunch afterwards for those who are interested. | What Should We Focus On In The Coming Year?
Our Local Program serves as our compass to guide us in the work we will commit to in the coming year. It is developed by our chapter members and reflects the issues, challenges and opportunities that exist in our four counties. Each year, we update the program to ensure it reflects the current areas of focus for our time and energy.
We will hold our second in person Local Program development meeting July 19, 2025 at 10:15 am at the University Park Library (see registration link). We hope you can join us.
For those who are not able to attend in person, you are welcome to offer your input via email at lwvjaxfc@gmail.com (put LOCAL PROGRAM INPUT in your subject line) or via the space provided in the registration link below.
We ask that you contribute input that reflects the work YOU are willing to do with committees and not work that you would like to create for others to do.
All suggestions will be considered by the new board members, and a recommended program will be put before the general membership via newsletter within 60 days of the annual meeting and voted on by the general membership within 100 days of the annual meeting. | Forbidden Florida Reads
Izzy Miletic is a junior Economics and Literature student at Florida State University. She is a board member of the League of Women Voters of Tallahassee, where she began publishing Forbidden Florida Reads. Forbidden Florida Reads is Izzy’s original monthly column that highlights a book banned in at least one Florida school district. Izzy is passionate about books and educational policy making. She hopes to attend law school and earn her Masters in Library and Information Science.
| Voter Registration News
We had a very successful morning registering new citizens at the USCIS on June 20th. 100% of the initiates registered or received an online registration instruction card. After the 8:00 a.m. ceremony we registered 19 new citizens and passed out 12 cards. After the 11:00 a.m. ceremony we registered 8 and gave out 1 card.
Thanks to our volunteers, Mary and Jeff Finnan, Dianne Main, and Victoria Bryant-Riggins. It is very rewarding seeing these new citizens excited to participate in our most American of rights and the cornerstone of democracy. | Education Committee
- Join our Duval google group so you’ll receive summaries of the upcoming agenda for 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
| Save The Date!
We will host a luncheon on Sunday, August 17th at the UNF - Adam W. Herbert University Center in observance of the Anniversary of the 19th Amendment Ratification.
We are excited to announce that our keynote speaker will be League of Women Voters of Florida President, Jessica Lowe-Minor.
An event invitation with registration will be coming soon. This event will be open to members and the public so we hope you will attend and bring a guest. | New Members - Welcome aboard!
Monique Stelling
Nancy Wiley
Adrienne Lerner
Virginia Pickett
Terry Hayes
Bob Hayes
| Donations are always appreciated!
We wish to acknowledge and thank those who made donations this month:
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 350210
Atlantic Beach, FL 32235-9998 | | | | 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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