The League of Women Voters of Florida (LWVFL) is a civic organization in the state of Florida. The organization is nonpartisan; the League's Bylaws mandate that the organization will not support any political candidate or party. League promotes political responsibility through informed and active participation of citizens in government, acts on selected governmental issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. League's members do advocate on policy issues.[1]
The Florida State League of Women Voters was founded on March 31, 1921 by May Mann Jennings, at a meeting in Jacksonville.[2] It immediately voted to affiliate with the national League of Women Voters, although unlike the national organization and the Leagues in other states, the FSLWV was not the successor of a suffrage organization.[2] In the 1920s the FSLWV included many of the most prominent women in the state and was a strongly feminist movement, with women's issues at the top of its priorities.[2] The first president of the league was Nellie Healy O'Hara of Lake Worth, Florida.[3][4]
Following a decline in the 1930s, the organization was reorganized in 1939 first as the Florida Non-Partisan League of Women Voters, subsequently renamed the League of Women Voters of Florida.[2] Its first project was a study of state government with a particular focus on the state's Constitution.[5] In 1949, the League worked to pass the 1949 permissive jury service statute.[6] Prior to 1949 and the work done by the LWVFL, women in Florida could not serve on juries.[7]
Early advocacy efforts encouraged the Florida Legislature to end the process of gerrymandering.[8] In 2011, Florida voters approved two gerrymandering-related redistricting amendments [9] which were placed in the State Constitution.[10] The LWVFL and other groups sued over the redistricting.[11] In addition, the LWVFL suspended voter registration operations for a year during that time, and when the gerrymandering aspects of the provision were blocked by a federal judge.[12] The gerrymandering was ruled unconstitutional in Florida since it strongly favored one party over another.[13] In 2012, the group worked again to register voters, this time with a five-week deadline.[12] The LWVFL continued to monitor district maps and redistricting.[11] The LWVFL also fought against a 2012 proposal to purge voting rolls which then President Deirdre Macnab called an effort to "disproportionately impact minority voters and erroneously disenfranchise those that are eligible."[14]
Modern League
More than twenty nine local Leagues statewide[15] hold candidate forums, issue election year Voters Guides, and sponsor public seminars. Patricia Brigham[16] is the current President of the League of Women Voters of Florida. The Board of Directors[17] for the Florida League includes Cecile M. Scoon, Esq., First Vice President; Shawn Bartelt, Second Vice President; Mark Songer, Treasurer; Trish Neely, Secretary; and four additional directors. The League of Women Voters of Florida has four paid employees.[18]
LWVFL encourages civic engagement and is strictly nonpartisan, though it has been accused of partisanship.[19] LWVFL works tirelessly "to educate, mobilize, and register voters..." stated Attorney General Eric Holder.[20] The LWVFL also works with the non-partisan VoteRiders[21] organization to spread state-specific information on voter ID requirements.
LWVFL has engaged in a number of statewide and local projects, including recommending the initiation of a recycling program in St. Petersburg;[22] supporting the Central Florida commuter rail network SunRail;[23] endorsing a court case which ended voter purges held 90 days before a federal election;[24] striking down of restrictions on volunteer voter registration efforts;[25][26] the re-institution of early voting days and early voting on the Sunday before election day;[27] and the redrawing of both congressional and state legislative district lines after extensive litigation. As a result of that litigation, new district maps were implemented for the 2016 elections.[28] It has lobbied for gun safety for years,[29] but after the 2016 shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, the group became a driving force in a statewide initiative to establish stricter gun safety guidelines through the Florida Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence.[30] In 2016, the LWVF hosted a screening of the documentary about gun violence, Making a Killing: Guns, Greed and the NRA.[31]
^"Recollections : a history of the League of Women Voters of Florida 1939–1989". University of Florida Digital Collections. Retrieved 2014-04-24.
^Kerber, Linda K. (1998). No Constitutional Right to Be Ladies: Women and the Obligations of Citizenship. Hill and Wang. p. 168. ISBN9780809073849.
^Pavuk, Amy; Hudak, Stephen (15 July 2013). "Did Female Jury Defy Stereotypes With Zimmerman Verdict?". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
^"Gerrymandering - Proving All Politics Is Local | Politics & Policy". Politicsandpolicy.org. 2011-05-04. Retrieved 2014-04-24.
^Macnab, Deirdre (August 25, 2014). "League of Women Voters Florida: Fair districts coming to an end". Orlando Sentinel.
^"Redistricting in Florida". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2014-04-24.
^ abAlvarez, Lizette (8 August 2014). "Florida Redraws an Election Map That Was Ruled to Be Unconstitutional". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
^ abAlvarez, Lizette (29 August 2012). "Judge to Toss Out Changes in Florida Voter Registration". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
^Kleinow, Allison (2014). "League of Women Voters of Fla. v. Fla. House of Representative". Urban Lawyer. 46 (3): 724–725. Retrieved 6 September 2016 – via EBSCOhost.
^Man, Anthony (27 March 2014). . Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 27 August 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
^"Local Leagues". League of Women Voters of Florida. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
^Xander (20 April 2018). "League of Women Voters of Florida names Patricia Brigham as new president". OrlandoWeekly. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
^"Board of Directors". League of Women Voters of Florida. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
^"LWVFL Leadership Team". League of Women Voters of Florida. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
^Matt Reed (August 20, 2016). "'Liberal' League of Women Voters has owned GOP". Florida Today.
^Jeremy Leaming (June 21, 2012). "Civil Rights Groups, DOJ Fight to Save Right to Vote in Florida". ACSBlog. American Constitution Society.
^"Rick Scott Signs Law Restoring Florida's Early Voting, Limiting Ballot Length, Expanding Polling Places". Huffington Post. May 22, 2013.
^Barone, M. & McCutcheon, C. (2013). The almanac of American politics 2014 : the senators, the representatives and the governors : their records and election results, their states and districts. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
^Kovac, Jackalyn. "League of Women Voters to lobby for stricter gun laws". WEAR-TV.
^Beth Kassab (June 29, 2016). "League of Women Voters takes on gun control". Orlando Sentinel.
^Inman, Jessica (5 June 2016). . Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
External links
Official website
March 28, 2023
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The League of Women Voters of Florida LWVFL is a civic organization in the state of Florida The organization is nonpartisan the League s Bylaws mandate that the organization will not support any political candidate or party League promotes political responsibility through informed and active participation of citizens in government acts on selected governmental issues and influences public policy through education and advocacy League s members do advocate on policy issues 1 League of Women Voters of FloridaFounded1939FounderCarrie Chapman CattTypePolitical advocacyFocusPolitical action responsible governmentLocationTallahassee FloridaKey peoplePatricia Brigham President Websitewww wbr lwvfl wbr org Contents 1 History 2 Modern League 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksHistory EditThe Florida State League of Women Voters was founded on March 31 1921 by May Mann Jennings at a meeting in Jacksonville 2 It immediately voted to affiliate with the national League of Women Voters although unlike the national organization and the Leagues in other states the FSLWV was not the successor of a suffrage organization 2 In the 1920s the FSLWV included many of the most prominent women in the state and was a strongly feminist movement with women s issues at the top of its priorities 2 The first president of the league was Nellie Healy O Hara of Lake Worth Florida 3 4 Following a decline in the 1930s the organization was reorganized in 1939 first as the Florida Non Partisan League of Women Voters subsequently renamed the League of Women Voters of Florida 2 Its first project was a study of state government with a particular focus on the state s Constitution 5 In 1949 the League worked to pass the 1949 permissive jury service statute 6 Prior to 1949 and the work done by the LWVFL women in Florida could not serve on juries 7 Early advocacy efforts encouraged the Florida Legislature to end the process of gerrymandering 8 In 2011 Florida voters approved two gerrymandering related redistricting amendments 9 which were placed in the State Constitution 10 The LWVFL and other groups sued over the redistricting 11 In addition the LWVFL suspended voter registration operations for a year during that time and when the gerrymandering aspects of the provision were blocked by a federal judge 12 The gerrymandering was ruled unconstitutional in Florida since it strongly favored one party over another 13 In 2012 the group worked again to register voters this time with a five week deadline 12 The LWVFL continued to monitor district maps and redistricting 11 The LWVFL also fought against a 2012 proposal to purge voting rolls which then President Deirdre Macnab called an effort to disproportionately impact minority voters and erroneously disenfranchise those that are eligible 14 Modern League EditMore than twenty nine local Leagues statewide 15 hold candidate forums issue election year Voters Guides and sponsor public seminars Patricia Brigham 16 is the current President of the League of Women Voters of Florida The Board of Directors 17 for the Florida League includes Cecile M Scoon Esq First Vice President Shawn Bartelt Second Vice President Mark Songer Treasurer Trish Neely Secretary and four additional directors The League of Women Voters of Florida has four paid employees 18 LWVFL encourages civic engagement and is strictly nonpartisan though it has been accused of partisanship 19 LWVFL works tirelessly to educate mobilize and register voters stated Attorney General Eric Holder 20 The LWVFL also works with the non partisan VoteRiders 21 organization to spread state specific information on voter ID requirements LWVFL has engaged in a number of statewide and local projects including recommending the initiation of a recycling program in St Petersburg 22 supporting the Central Florida commuter rail network SunRail 23 endorsing a court case which ended voter purges held 90 days before a federal election 24 striking down of restrictions on volunteer voter registration efforts 25 26 the re institution of early voting days and early voting on the Sunday before election day 27 and the redrawing of both congressional and state legislative district lines after extensive litigation As a result of that litigation new district maps were implemented for the 2016 elections 28 It has lobbied for gun safety for years 29 but after the 2016 shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando the group became a driving force in a statewide initiative to establish stricter gun safety guidelines through the Florida Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence 30 In 2016 the LWVF hosted a screening of the documentary about gun violence Making a Killing Guns Greed and the NRA 31 See also EditElections in Florida 2020 Florida elections Timeline of women s suffrage in Florida Women s suffrage in FloridaReferences Edit History League of Women Voters of Florida Retrieved 9 May 2014 a b c d Carver Joan S First League of Women Voters in Florida Its Troubled History The Florida Historical Quarterly 63 no 4 1985 383 405 https www jstor org stable 30152979 Coggins Jennifer Biographical Sketch of Nellie Healy O Hara National American Woman Suffrage Association Retrieved 21 March 2022 Carver 1985 p 385 Recollections a history of the League of Women Voters of Florida 1939 1989 University of Florida Digital Collections Retrieved 2014 04 24 Kerber Linda K 1998 No Constitutional Right to Be Ladies Women and the Obligations of Citizenship Hill and Wang p 168 ISBN 9780809073849 Pavuk Amy Hudak Stephen 15 July 2013 Did Female Jury Defy Stereotypes With Zimmerman Verdict Orlando Sentinel Retrieved 6 September 2016 Gerrymandering Proving All Politics Is Local Politics amp Policy Politicsandpolicy org 2011 05 04 Retrieved 2014 04 24 Macnab Deirdre August 25 2014 League of Women Voters Florida Fair districts coming to an end Orlando Sentinel Redistricting in Florida Ballotpedia Retrieved 2014 04 24 a b Alvarez Lizette 8 August 2014 Florida Redraws an Election Map That Was Ruled to Be Unconstitutional The New York Times Retrieved 6 September 2016 a b Alvarez Lizette 29 August 2012 Judge to Toss Out Changes in Florida Voter Registration The New York Times Retrieved 6 September 2016 Kleinow Allison 2014 League of Women Voters of Fla v Fla House of Representative Urban Lawyer 46 3 724 725 Retrieved 6 September 2016 via EBSCOhost Man Anthony 27 March 2014 Gov Rick Scott s Administration Retreats From Latest Plan to Purge Voter Rolls Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on 27 August 2016 Retrieved 6 September 2016 Local Leagues League of Women Voters of Florida Retrieved 9 May 2014 Xander 20 April 2018 League of Women Voters of Florida names Patricia Brigham as new president OrlandoWeekly Retrieved 17 December 2019 Board of Directors League of Women Voters of Florida Retrieved 29 January 2018 LWVFL Leadership Team League of Women Voters of Florida Retrieved 2020 11 13 Matt Reed August 20 2016 Liberal League of Women Voters has owned GOP Florida Today Jeremy Leaming June 21 2012 Civil Rights Groups DOJ Fight to Save Right to Vote in Florida ACSBlog American Constitution Society VoteRiders Partner Organizations St Pete may be on road to recycling The Tampa Tribune February 20 2014 SunRail may help to create urban villages advocates say Orlando Sentinel com 2014 02 27 Retrieved 2014 04 24 Bousquet Steve April 1 2014 Florida Gov Rick Scott s 2012 voter purge violated federal law court rules Miami Herald League of Women Voters of Florida v Browning Brennan Center for Justice Brennan Center for Justice NYU School of Law 2012 08 29 Retrieved 2014 04 24 Declaration of Deirdre Macnab Submitted in Further Support of Plaintiffs Motion for Preliminary Injunction United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida Rick Scott Signs Law Restoring Florida s Early Voting Limiting Ballot Length Expanding Polling Places Huffington Post May 22 2013 Barone M amp McCutcheon C 2013 The almanac of American politics 2014 the senators the representatives and the governors their records and election results their states and districts Chicago IL University of Chicago Press Kovac Jackalyn League of Women Voters to lobby for stricter gun laws WEAR TV Beth Kassab June 29 2016 League of Women Voters takes on gun control Orlando Sentinel Inman Jessica 5 June 2016 Film About Gun Violence Stimulates Conversation in Orlando Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on 16 September 2016 Retrieved 6 September 2016 External links EditOfficial website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title League of Women Voters of Florida amp oldid 1145905438, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
