It is "absolutely not" an organization for women; the new state vice president is a man. It's not just for older voters; the newest chapter is on the Florida State University campus. Its portfolio of activities extends far beyond organizing candidate debates or registering voters; it is the "largest civic engagement organization in the state." - LWVF President, Pamela Goodman
FLORIDA CAPITOL REPORT
Capitol Report is published during legislative session to provide League members with insider information into the committee rooms, chambers, and hallways of the Florida Capitol. Filed by LWVF Governmental Consultant Debbie Harrison Rumberger every Friday of legislative session, Capitol Report is distributed to members to share updates on the League’s priority issues and promote ways to become involved in advocacy efforts.
HEALTH CARE
The League of Women Voters of Florida supports the promotion of a health care system that provides access to a basic level of quality care for all Florida residents and controls health care costs.
Nationally, the League has long advocated for health care reform and was a supporter of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), which was signed into federal law by President Obama on March 30, 2010. With the second highest number of uninsured in America, and one of the states with the highest rate of individual signups since passage, the Florida League has been working to encourage timely implementation since the law passed with a focus on extending affordable healthcare to our lowest income working Floridians.
EDUCATION
The League of Women Voters of Florida Supports a Free Public School System for Florida
The League strives for a system with high standards for student achievement and with equality of educational opportunity, and will strive for a system that is financed adequately by the state through an equitable funding formula. The League supports a review of funding sources to provide adequate, equitable and quality education.
ETHICS AND CAMPAIGN FINANCE
The League of Women Voters of Florida supports measures to protect, extend and encourage the use of the franchise and to improve methods of financing political campaigns in order to ensure the public’s right to know, combat corruption and undue influence, enable candidates to compete more equitably for public office, and promote citizen participation in the political process.
NATURAL RESOURCES
The League of Women Voters of Florida supports state legislation for energy conservation and greater use of renewable sources such as solar energy. The League supports public policies that promote conservation of freshwater and its availability for environmental, public, agricultural, industrial and mining uses on a priority basis. The League also supports legislation to ban oil and gas drilling off Florida’s coast as well as funding for public transportation.
ELECTION REFORM
House Bill 1355 was an omnibus elections bill that contained numerous changes to Florida elections laws. It was passed by the Legislature during the 2011 legislative session and was signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott.
The provisions of the law include placing new reporting requirements on third-party voter registration organizations, which subject groups such as the League of Women Voters of Florida to fines if they do not turn in completed voter registration forms within 48 hours. The law requires groups that register voters to sign up with the state and list officers and the names and addresses of all members who will be registering voters. It requires anyone who is registering voters to swear an oath to uphold state election laws. The law also shortens the number of days allowed for early voting from 14 to 8. The law prohibits voters who live outside the county in which they are registered from changing their address at the polls and requires that these voters cast a provisional ballot.
The League worked hard to defeat this legislation and remains strongly opposed to the provisions of the new law. The League participated in press events and prepped members of both the House and Senate with questions and talking points for debate. The League was successful in helping mount a spirited debate in the House with an eye toward laying the groundwork for a future legal challenge to the third-party voter registration section of the law. The League successfully challenged similar legislation that was passed in 2005.
REDISTRICTING/FAIR DISTRICTS
The League of Women Voters of Florida supports single-member election districts that are equal in population, that provide access for minorities, are compact, and when possible, take local characteristics, such as political and geographical boundaries, into consideration. The League supports the depoliticizing of the redistricting process and true representation for minorities.