 | | | | President's Message
Democracy Is Not a Spectator Sport!
As the pandemic continues to wage on, I hope you are seeking out reliable healthcare information and advice which will allow you to make informed decisions for you and your family. If you are seeking COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites or monoclonal sites, you can go to the Florida Health Department’s site at floridahealthcovid19.gov.
Our board had initially planned to return to in-person meetings this month, but due to the number of COVID-19 delta variant cases, we felt it was the most responsible thing to continue with virtual meetings. I hope you will respect our decision to keep our ourselves, our members, and our community safe.
Later this month our legislative committee meetings will begin. While it is not feasible to ask each member to follow every issue of importance to the League, I hope you will engage with at least one issue and will use your time, energy, and skills to help the League with that one issue. If you have not yet connected to a local or state issue, please reach out to me or any of our board members so we can connect you with committee chairs who are doing phenomenal work.
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We will be voting on our local program during the September meeting and soon after that you will be receiving an email which will contain a sign-up link which will give you an opportunity to connect with our Education, Voter Registration, Redistricting, Healthcare, and Environmental Chairs. Once the responses have been received, we will engage you with opportunities. The power of the League rests in the work of our members and we simply cannot do this work without you.
— Lanelle Phillmon, LWVJFC President | | |
| | | News & Events
September Speaker Series with Jacksonville's New Chief Resiliency Officer
Wednesday, September 1, 2021, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Anne Coglianese is the Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Jacksonville. In this capacity, Anne leads the development of resilience initiatives to ensure Jacksonville can adapt and thrive in the face of acute shocks and chronic stresses brought on by climate change.
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Prior to joining the City of Jacksonville, Anne served as the Coastal Resilience Manager for the City of New Orleans where she implemented nature-based solutions to sea-level risk and coastal land loss. Anne’s previous experience also include serving at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, where she participated in the development of climate adaptation and resilience policies to meet the Obama Administration’s resilience goals. | | |
Member Login: Using LWVJaxFC/Club Express
A few weeks ago, all members received a Welcome email announcing our transition to ClubExpress as our League Management system. The move to this system requires members to log in to the LWVJFC ClubExpress system.
Included in the Welcome email was your personal User Name and Temporary Password. Be sure to log in whenever you visit our website. You will need to be logged in to register for events or volunteer opportunities, to renew your membership, and to access data specifically for members.
If you previously unsubscribed to the local League monthly newsletter and do not wish to receive these emails in the future, please visit the opt-out page and modify your privacy settings.
Redistricting: What’s next?
As you know, the Census data has been delivered and our local counties have begun the work of downloading the data and establishing their rules and committees who will do the work of comprehending what the data says and draw new maps.
The maps that are drawn may alter current voting precincts, school board districts, and local city council and county commissioner districts. As is our history, the League of Women Voters will participate in all public meetings to ensure the Fair Districts amendment is adhered to. It is vital for our members to engage in your county’s process early and often.
Currently, these are the points of contacts for local redistricting:
Clay County:
Mike Cella
Commissioner District 1
Chairperson 2020-21
Office: 904-269-6394
Cell: 904-234-4630
He shared with us that they have begun to establish the guidelines for the redistricting effort and “As we get the information and begin analyzing the data, we will be glad to keep you informed. You may also contact our County Attorney Courtney Grimm or our County Manager Howard Wanamaker for more information during the process.”
Duval County:
Aaron L. Bowman
Special Committee on Redistricting, Chair
117 W. Duval Street, Suite 425
Jacksonville, FL 32202
Office: (904) 255-5203
Email: Abowman@coj.net
Duval’s first Redistricting Committee was held August 18, 2021 where they reviewed the legal guidelines for the process and discussed the impact on the 2022, 2023 and 2024 local elections. The next meeting is scheduled for September 9, 2021, at 1:00 pm at City Council Chambers.
Nassau County:
Taco Pope
County Manager's Office
County Manager
Office: (904) 530-6010
Email: tpope@nassaucountyfl.com
According to Mr. Pope “We have contracted with GSG to assist my office with properly executing the redistricting exercise. We have also been meeting/coordinating with the SOE, County Attorney’s Office and the County GIS team. We will follow guidance from the US Census Bureau. We will produce three redistricting options and then hold a series of public workshops where we take public comment. We will also provide an opportunity for online comments.”
St Johns County:
Patrick F. McCormack
County Attorney
St. Johns County
500 San Sebastian View
St. Augustine, Florida 32084
(904)209-0805 office
(904)209-0806 fax
pmccormack@sjcfl.us
Mr. McCormack has assured us that “Redistricting will involve substantial public input. A schedule of meetings/workshops will be published, and ultimately the districts should be ascertained by the end of this calendar year. The County Commissioners will work review in conjunction with the School Board. We look forward to LWV insights and input.”
Our state president will hold a training session with League Presidents in early September, and the Speakers Bureau will hold a training session for those who desire to hold training sessions in the community. If you have not already signed up for the Speakers Bureau training, please do so HERE. If you attend the training and find that public speaking is not for you, you can still use that information when engaging others in your family and community.
Is Your Representative Committed to Fair Districts?
If you have not already asked your Florida legislative representative to take the Fair Districts Pledge, please do so now. The Fair District Pledge simply states:
“I agree that as a member of the Florida Legislature, it is my duty to follow the Fair Districts provisions of the state constitution, to end map manipulation, and have fair districts for all Floridians.
I pledge to faithfully adhere to the Fair Districts amendments and am committed to the drawing of district lines without intent to favor or disfavor a political party or an incumbent and to ensure that Florida’s district lines do not diminish the voting rights of racial and language minorities. The creation of districts that are compact, as nearly equal in population as possible, and that utilize existing political and geographical boundaries, while splitting as few cities and counties as possible will be a priority for me.”
The pledge can be found HERE.
John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and For the People Act
We encourage you to contact Senators Rubio and Scott urging them to pass the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (VRAA). These bills provide voter protections for all voters.
Passage of these bills is essential to counter the unprecedented wave of voter suppression laws advancing in the states and to protect Americans from further encroachments on their rights. Passing one without the other simply will not be sufficient to ensure that all Americans—and particularly Americans of color—have meaningful and equal access to the ballot.
You can phone our senator by calling the DC switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and the operator will connect you to your senator’s office. You can also send them a message via U.S. Senate: States in the Senate | Florida. Never assume that others are contacting our elected representatives about issues that impact our nation’s voting rights or other important issues. Always take the opportunity to call, write or visit your representatives.
Our Local Program
Our Local Program will be presented during the virtual Speaker Series meeting on September 1, 2021. If you would like to have input on the final product, please attend the meeting. The final product will be published on our website for a vote. Watch your email for an announcement about the September 1 meeting, which will include a draft of local program for members to review before voting on it.
Register Now to attend the September 1 Speaker Series meeting.
Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
As this pandemic continues into its seventeenth month, the stress and strain has increased for everyone. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental wellness, please reach out to National Alliance for Mental Illness at nami.org or the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention at afsp.org. Many things in life can be replaced, but our loved ones cannot. Keep an eye on loved ones and family members, and don’t be afraid to ask if someone is considering harming themselves or committing suicide—and don’t be afraid to ask for help for yourself.
Sobering facts about suicide
- Over 40,000 Americans die by suicide each year
- In Florida, a person dies by suicide every 2 hours, on average
- In Florida, suicides far outnumber homicides
- Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for young people in the U.S.
- 3,000 young people die by firearm suicide each year
- Access to a gun triples the risk of death
- Warning signs: depression, mood swings, substance abuse, hopelessness
- What to do: ask if thinking of suicide, remove guns and lethal means, get help
- Local police may be able to store a gun to prevent injury
- Your life matters, you are not alone
- Call 2-1-1 or 1-800-273-8255 or text 741741 for help
Gun Safety Action Committee
Kisa Shapiro, our new State Chair of the Florida LWV Gun Safety Action Team, is seeking Gun Safety Action Team chairs from Leagues throughout the state. If you are interested in becoming a chair on behalf of our local League, please let us know so we can put you in touch with Kisa and provide you with League positions on Gun Safety, or you can view them HERE.
LWV Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Upcoming Webinars
LWV is an organization fully committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in principle and in practice. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to the organization’s current and future success in engaging all individuals, households, communities, and policy makers in creating a more perfect democracy.
We invite you to participate in these upcoming webinars so that each of us may continue to learn and grow and create a more inclusive space while doing the work in our communities.
2021 Webinars:
All webinars are scheduled for 7:00 p.m. (ET) and all will be recorded.
August 26, Intersectionality: Register Here
September 23, Revisiting Inclusive Holidays: Register Here
October 28, Advocating for Racial Justice: Register Here
November 18, DEI Lens and Impact on Issues: Register Here
LWVJFC Health Committee Report
The LWVJFC Health Committee is in the process of regrouping. In the interim, we will continue to report on activity at the State level. If you are interested in working on these issues at the local level, please contact Linda Mann at lmann971@gmail.com.
The LWVFL Health Committee has proposed the following as legislative priorities for the 2022 Legislative Session. The Committee will meet next on Monday, September 13, 2021, at 5:00 p.m.
• Support women’s reproductive rights, privacy, and the availability of services.
• Expand access to health care including support for Medicaid expansion.
• Reduce disparities in health outcomes, particularly among minority populations.
• Support our medical community and local decision makers in following the CDC Guidelines to mitigate and prevent the effects and spread of COVID-19
The agenda for the meeting will include:
• Legislative Priorities and Session Update
• Medicaid 101 Training
• Reproductive Rights Subcommittee Update
• Next Steps after the end of the Marketplace Special Enrollment Period
The committee had a very productive month in August, as it successfully delivered our legislative priorities to the State League Office. Thanks to our members, Drs. Staats, Schillinger, and Kessel, the committee was able to assist the LWVFL in putting together a toolkit to help local Leagues address the surge in Covid cases.
LWVJFC Education Committee Report
The LWVJFC Education Committee will begin regular meetings remotely (for now) on Thursday, September 9, 2021, at 12:00 noon. Since this will be a busy year, as the Legislative session begins in January, and committees in Tallahassee will start to ramp up this fall, we would like to establish some organizational structure, discuss our local program and local action items, as well as bring everyone up to date on what the state league is doing.
Watch your email for an announcement about the September 1 Speaker Series meeting, which will include a draft of local program for members to review before voting on it. The membership will have an opportunity to approve this program at the September 1 meeting.
If you are interested in working with us on the Education Committee and would like to attend the Zoom meeting on September 9, please email Linda Mann at lmann971@gmail.com for the meeting link. I look forward to working with everyone this year on the Education Committee.
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Membership Update
Be sure to check out our new website with an easy way to join or renew with LWVJaxFC online. Just click on the blue "Join Today" button at the top of the Homepage. Members who wish to renew must log in.
We can't do it without you! Please join in recognizing our new and returning members from August.
New Members—Welcome aboard!
Lisa Taylor
Martha Backer
Andrea Letizia
Brittny Shay
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Returning Members—Thank you so much for choosing to renew!
Mary Thaler
Dianne Battle
John Battle
Judy Sheklin
Diana Openbrier
Juanita Powell-Williams
Please email Membership Director Karen Parish at parish63@gmail.com if your name was missed. | | |
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Volunteers Always 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.
Donors
Be sure to check out our new website with an easy way to make donations to LWVJFC online. Just click on the red "Donate" button at the top of the Homepage.
| | | | Stay Connected
Local
Stay up-to-date on all local upcoming events on the LWV of Jacksonville / First Coast website and Facebook page.
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
We look forward to hearing from you!
Phone: 904-355-8683
Email: LWVJAXFC@gmail.com
Facebook:
Like and Follow our Facebook page, League of Women Voters Jacksonville First Coast.
Postal Address:
Please use this address regardless of any forms or documents to the contrary.
League of Women Voters Jacksonville First Coast
PO Box 330353
Atlantic Beach, FL 32233
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| 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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