 | | | | Reproductive Healthcare and Abortion Access
I attended the recent “Bans Off Our Bodies” rally held at Duval County Courthouse and took the opportunity to listen to the stories of others in attendance. I spoke with several women who told stories of their own abortion or those of family or friends before abortion was legalized. There were stories of fear, abuse, aloneness, societal shame, and family rejection. There were also stories from younger attendees who discussed the safe access to abortion services to include follow up counseling and support. These stories seemed at extreme opposites. And regardless of the legality of abortion, there were stories of health issues, economic strife, rape, and lack of support.
There were speakers at the rally who represented various organizations, political candidates, elected representatives, and then there were people who stepped forward to tell a portion of their own story whether it was about their abortion or that of a friend or family member. Again, depending upon where they lived and when the need for the abortion occurred, they spoke of aloneness and fear or confidence in the care they received and support afterwards. Access to safe reproductive healthcare should not depend on where you live.
I also spoke to several mothers who said that while they chose to give birth to their children, they support the rights of others to make decisions that are right for them. Just as no one should be forced to terminate a pregnancy, no one should be forced to give birth. There was a common theme that being pro-choice means to respect the decisions of others and that these decisions should remain between people and their healthcare providers.
The League of Women Voters of Florida supports every woman’s right to access affordable, high-quality reproductive health care, including access to abortion services and birth control. Public policy in a pluralistic society must affirm the constitutional right to privacy of the individual to make reproductive choices.
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The League of Women Voters of Florida supports treating reproductive rights — including access to abortion — as a healthcare issue decidable by a woman and her qualified healthcare provider.
Through comprehensive sex education in schools, we can help to prevent unintended pregnancy. With increased access to publicly-funded family planning services and information on sexually transmitted diseases and birth control, Florida can decrease unintended pregnancies and other healthcare issues.
We will continue to support reproductive healthcare and rights and hope you will join us in that work. Whether a person chooses to carry a pregnancy to full term and keep the child or terminate their rights for adoption, or chooses to terminate the pregnancy, they deserve safe reproductive healthcare, support, and resources.
As we await the Supreme Court’s decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, many voters have come to realize that if Roe v. Wade is overturned at the federal level, the issue of reproductive healthcare will return to the states where access to abortion will be legislated. While this does not mean that we should not focus on the races for senate and congress, it does mean that races at the state and local level are important.
For those taking the time to contact candidates for the Florida House and Senate seats in your district, reproductive healthcare should be a topic of discussion with them so you know where they stand. These elected representatives may have our state’s future abortion access in their legislative hands and it’s important to know what we can expect from them.
—Lanelle Phillmon, LWVJFC President
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 | "Discussions are always better than arguments, because an argument is to find out who is right, and a discussion is to find out what is right.”
—Daily Inspirational Quotes |
Annual Business Meeetings and Elections
Our annual business meeting and elections will be held Wednesday, June 1, at 11:30 am via Zoom and requires registration for attendance. Please ensure your membership is current or that you have joined the League if you are not currently a member and are interested in attending the annual meeting and voting. For membership questions, contact Karen Parish at 904-355-8683.
Register Here
Prior the Annual Meeting, we ask that you review the materials that will be presented for a vote at the meeting. In this email, we are providing you with the updated 2022–2023 budget as the previous document annotated that "*As of 3/31/2022--will be updated to include April 2022 before annual meeting". We are also providing you with an updated version of the Proposed bylaws as there was a formatting error with the previous copy. And, we are providing you with a rationale for each of the changes.
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Jacksonville's 200th Anniversary
The Bicentennial Street Festival to celebrate Jacksonville’s 200th anniversary will be downtown on Saturday, June 11. The League will have a booth celebrating our own history and doing what we do best, educating and registering voters. Check out the events the Jacksonville Historical Society has planned at Jacksonville Bicentennial at jax200.org.
We still have a few slots open for voter registration volunteers. If you would like to volunteer, go to lwvjaxfc.org to sign up. Experienced voter registration members will be there all day, so if you are new do not hesitate to sign up—it is a great way to meet others and gain experience. If you have any questions, please contact Dianne Main at lwvjaxfcvote@gmail.com.
Jax Melanin Market
This year the League will be commemorating Juneteenth by participating in the Jax Melanin Market on Saturday, June 18. We will have a booth at the market. If you would like to volunteer to register voters at the event, go to lwvjaxfc.org and sign up. If you have any questions, please contact Dianne Main at lwvjaxfcvote@gmail.com.
Free and Fair Elections Takes Teamwork
One of the most important ways you can get involved in promoting the freedom to vote and keeping our elections fair and accessible is by serving as an election worker.
There are many different roles election workers can play, from ensuring that polling places are accessible for those with disabilities to counting ballots to running a polling site. Their one commonality? Every role is best filled by someone who cares about strengthening their community and allowing their voices to be heard.
We ask that each of our members considering attending Election Worker (Poll Worker) training in your county and serving as a Poll Worker during the upcoming mid-term elections. You can find training dates and Poll Work criteria for your county here:
Clay County:
clayelections.gov/Election-Workers-Volunteers/Election-Worker-Information
Duval County:
duvalelections.com/Poll-Workers/Poll-Worker-Information
Nassau County:
votenassaufl.gov/election-workers
St Johns County:
votesjc.gov/election-workers
The League believes in a working towards a more perfect democracy which takes all of us finding ways to support free and fair elections.
For those members who serve as poll workers, we hope you’ll let us know about your experiences and share your stories later this year.
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Free and Fair Elections Takes A LOT of Preparation
Duval County League members recently took a tour of the Supervisor of Elections Office where Mr. Hogan and his staff provided an excellent overview of our elections process and equipment. Mr. Hogan allowed our members to see each piece of equipment, discussed each piece of equipment is used in the voting process, how each vote and ballot is processed and counted, and the responsibilities and process of the canvassing board and the Logic and Accuracy testing.
The League strongly encourages our members to contact the Supervisor of Elections in your county to request a tour and to invite your neighbors, coworkers, and others in your circle to tag along so we can all be good stewards of information for the upcoming elections.
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Why are we asked to vote on judges?
Each election cycle we hear from candidates that “this will be election that matters most” or “this will be the election that determines our future.” The truth is, every single election matters and deserves our full attention.
There is not a single election that doesn’t have some impact on our day-to-day lives or our society. Judges play a critical and influential role in society. They can be the decision-makers in a range of matters, including criminal charges, home foreclosures, child custody cases, and civil lawsuits.
So, what are the differences between a county judge, a circuit judge, and an appellate judge? In Florida, both county and circuit judges are trial judges. County judges hear criminal misdemeanors—those are crimes that have possible sentences of up to one year in jail—and civil cases in which the amount in dispute is $30,000 or less. Circuit judges deal with criminal felonies, domestic relations, juvenile matters, probate issues and civil cases in which the disputed amount is greater than $30,000. Judges on the five District Courts of Appeal and the Florida Supreme Court review the decisions of county and circuit trial courts.
Florida law requires Florida Supreme Court justices and appeals court judges to be placed on the ballot in nonpartisan elections every six years so voters can determine whether they should remain on their courts for another six-year term. These are called “merit retention” elections. This year, five Supreme Court justice and 28 appeals court judges will be on the ballot.
Take the time to review local cases, see how judges have ruled, and speak with local attorneys who try cases before these judges to find out more about them.
| | | Replay of Last Month’s Speaker Event
Replays of many past speaker events are available on our YouTube channel. | | |
| | | We can't do it without you! Please join in recognizing our new and returning members from last month.
New Members—Welcome aboard!
• Christine & John Allmand
• Betty Carley
• Jacqueline Cetnar
• Carolyn & Ken Godwin
• Alex Gornik
• Patricia Lee
• Jackie Nash
• Ellen Rosenblum
• Hilary Schorsch
Returning Members—Thank you so much for choosing to renew!
• Martha Jones
• Ilene Levenson
• Mary McLaughlin
• Margaret Schiffers
• Lynn Surum
• Susan Goldring
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Be sure to check out our new website, lwvjaxfc.org, with an easy way to join or renew online, even if you prefer to pay by check. Click on the blue “Join Today” button at the top of the Homepage.
Members who wish to renew must log in. If you are using a Mobile device, you will need to select Desktop at the bottom of your screen to receive the Login prompt.
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We wish to acknowledge and thank those who have 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.
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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. | | | | 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
We look forward to hearing from you!
Phone: 904-355-8683
Email: LWVJAXFC@gmail.com
Postal Address:
Please use the address below even if a form or document you have received from the League gives a different one.
League of Women Voters 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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