Neighborhood Buzz

A News Blog for Democrats and Independents

jerrymeyer.meyer1@gmail.com

thevillagesdemocrts.org

sumterdemocrats.com

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Update on The Villages June 8th meeting!

Location:  La Hacienda Rec. Center 1200 Avenida Central

                   In the Theater Room

Speakers:  Andrew Gillum

Seating:    The room will accommodate 500 people, which is     

                   100 more than our usual meeting site.

                   

Village I.D.  Everyone attending must have a Villages I.D.

Club I.D.     Paid members will be admitted immediately.

Club I.D.    A separate entrance will be set up for members who

                    may not be current with dues and wish to renew.

Club I.D.   A standby line will be set up for non-members who 

                   will be admitted if space is available.

Wrist Bands:  Blue Wrist bands will be issued to assure only

                         500 are admitted to the room.  Bands will be 

                         given to members, then if seats are available,

                         issued to non-members on a first-come, first-

                         served basis.

Time:             Doors open at 9:00 am.  

                        Meeting starts at 9:30 am.

Tables:          Due to the location change, not all of the usual      

                       display tables will be set up, However:
                        The Food Bank Collection Table will be open!

Thank you for helping make this a comfortable and successful meeting for everyone.  

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Considering Public Service

Have you thought about running for office?

Your skills may be of value as a CDD or County Commission member!

For assistance in how to run for office contact:

Mike Hardy - Democrat Party Candidate Coordinator

mlhardy024521@gmail.com

352-623-7823

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Be in the know, join the Mueller Book Club

The Mueller Book Club is a production of the most highly recognized progressive advocacy groups, including Public Citizen, People for the American Way, Equal Justice Society, Common Cause and Indivisible.

https://www.muellerbookclub.com/partners

Their schedule for reading the book together can be found at: https://muellerbookclub.com/reading-schedule

Here's the introductory video from the first week,

htppp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOiTgiel_U4

You can catch up on missed sessions at their facebook page,

htpps://www.facebook.com/muellerbookclub/

Tens of thousands of Americans have joined, using a  PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device.

Connect online at https://www.muellerbookclub.com/

Or iphone one-tap:

US: + 1 646 876 9923,,244577660# or 1 408  638 0968,,244577660#

Or Telephone

 Dial (or higher quality, dial a number, based on your current location)

US:+1 646 876 9923 or + 1 408 638 0968 or + 1 669 900 6833

Canada +1 647 558 0588

Webinar ID: 244 577 660

International numbers available: https://zoom.us/u/aclnUOpzL.M

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The information below is a sample of the type of entry which 
is being submitted for the 2nd quarter of the Wall of Honor
Details of the deadline dates and how to submit an entry are show above.

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Florida Democrat Party Update

The House of Representatives passed a sweeping civil rights bill that will protect millions of LGBTQ Americans from discrimination. If passed by the Senate, the Equality Act would be a historic piece of legislation that moves America one step closer to equal opportunity for all her citizens.

Juan Peñalosa, executive director of the Florida Democratic Party, praised the House of Representatives and called upon senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio to pledge their support to pass the Equality Act:

"Today was a historic day for all of us. The Equality Act will ensure LGBTQ Americans have equal opportunity in the land of the free. The next stop for the Equality Act is the U.S. Senate, and we are calling on our Florida Senators, Marco Rubio and Rick Scott to support this historic legislation. It's time that our Senators do the right thing and say yes to passing the Equality Act."

Florida Democrats Want Answers, Demand Seat At The Table For Voter Security

On May 15, Florida Democrats issued a public records request for the non-disclosure agreement that Governor Ron DeSantis signed and all correspondence between the governor’s office and the FBI related to the Russian hacking of Florida’s election systems. FDP Executive Director Juan Peñalosa released the following statement: “Recently we learned that then-Governor Rick Scott failed to keep our 2016 elections secure from Russian hackers. And now Governor DeSantis has revealed he is part of the cover-up. It has been forty-eight hours and Governor DeSantis is still refusing to update Florida voters on the hack of our elections systems. On behalf of Florida voters, Florida Democrats demand that the FBI and Governor DeSantis release information. In addition, the Florida Democratic Party expects to have a seat at the table when preparing Florida for 2020 to ensure voters are protected.” A copy of the letter is available on the Florida Democrats website: Florida Democratic Party Public Records Request.

Neighborhood Buzz
A Blog for Democrats and Independents
Editor - Jerry Meyer
jerrymeyer.meyer1@gmail.com

thevillagesdemocrats.org

sumterdemocrats.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Update on The Villages June 8th meeting!

Location:  La Hacienda Rec. Center 1200 Avenida Central

                   In the Theater Room

Speakers:  State Rep Anna Eskamani and Andrew Gillum

Seating:    The room will accommodate 500 people, which is     

                   100 more than our usual meeting site.

                   

Village I.D.  Everyone attending must have a Villages I.D.

Club I.D.     Paid members will be admitted immediately.

Club I.D.    A separate entrance will be set up for members who

                    may not be current with dues and wish to renew.

Club I.D.   A standby line will be set up for non-members who 

                   will be admitted if space is available.

Wrist Bands:  Blue Wrist bands will be issued to assure only

                         500 are admitted to the room.  Bands will be 

                         given to members, then if seats are available,

                         issued to non-members on a first-come, first-

                         served basis.

Time:             Doors open at 9:00 am.  

                        Meeting starts at 9:30 am.

Tables:          Due to the location change, not all of the usual      

                       display tables will be set up, However:
                        The Food Bank Collection Table will be open!

Thank you for helping make this a comfortable and successful meeting for everyone.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Political Moderates Discussion Group

The Political Moderates Discussion Group will meet from 6:30 to 8:00 pm on Monday, June 3rd at Seabreeze Recreation Center.  This month's speakers are from the League of  Women Voters.  The  topic is "The U. S. Constitution and the Balance of Power:  3 Branches of Government."  The powers of and the interrelationship between the Legislative, Executive and Judicial branches of government will be described, followed by discussion.  For more information contact: Sue at sdubman@gmail.com.

________________________________________

Tampa Bay Times and Miami Herald

This week these two papers reported the following story:

Ever since a leaked classified intelligence  document revealed that Russian hackers had tried to access Florida's elections networks in 2016 by crafting malware-laced emails, made to look like they came from a software vendor, reporters all over the country have been searching for electronic correspondence sent three years  ago to the state's 67 elections offices.

 But, could emails crafted by the elections offices themselves hold the clue to determining which two jurisdictions were in fact hacked?

This week, in response to hacking questions sent to every supervisor of elections in the state by the Tampa Bay Times and Miami Herald, two offices issued the same, legalistic, non-denial.  Almost word for word, they gave the same response when asked if their voter registration networks were hacked in 2016, explaining they could not answer questions because to do so could, "directly or indirectly," help determine the answer---which has been deemed classified by the FBI.

It now turns out that at least one of the two offices was, in fact hacked.

Citing anonymous sources the  Washington Post  and Politico reported that hackers gained access in 2016 to the voter registration database in Washington County, a panhandle jurisdiction of about 16,000 voters.  But the identity of the second hacked supervisors' office remains a mystery since the FBI won't say which counties were hacked and Florida's Governor and members of Congress were sworn to secrecy..

Meanwhile, though the FBI has stressed that no data was manipulated by the hackers, there isn't a single one of Florida's 67 supervisor of elections that has admitted to being hacked.

But email responses to hacking questions from elections supervisors in Washington and Sumter might be clues.  Both offices issued jargo-filled non-denials to the Tampa Bay Times and Miami Herald that were nearly identical, save for pronouns and a single sentence.  Neither responded to follow-up questions.

Here's how Washington County Supervisor of Elections Carol Rudd responded to the question of whether her office was hacked:

"As your request relates to the potential communications between my office and various federal agencies, including (the U.S. Department of Homeland Security) and FBI, and because my answers could either directly or indirectly allow yourself or others, including nation states trying to do harm to our elections process, to ascertain details harmful to national security, I will exercise the protections offered (under the Freedom of Information Act) and (the Cybersecurity Information Security Act) of 2015 in regards to your request," Rudd wrote.

She continued:  "I hope you understand that while I am  a public official entrusted with and committed to maintaining and promoting fair, accurate and transparent elections, I am also entrusted with maintaining the security of elections. I take this trust very seriously."

Rudd had also issued the same response to a Sun-Sentinel records request for copies of any of the spearphishing emails that were sent by Russian hackers in 2016 and made to appear as if they came from elections vendor VR systems.   The Washington Post reported that Rudd declined to address their information that her office had been hacked.

Rudd's email was also notable for this reason:  Out of all 67 counties contacted by the Tampa Bay Times and Miami Herald , one other elections office sent an almost identical email.  That email, sent from a general office email account from the Sumter County Supervisor of Elections, included much of the same language.

The Miami Herald checked with two other Florida elections offices, which said they had never seen the text in the emails sent by Sumter and Washington's elections offices.  That makes it unlikely that the federal or state governments provided the emails as templates on how to respond to questions from reporters.

Neither Rudd nor Sumter's elections offices responded to follow-op questions about where they'd received the texts in the emails.

That of course doesn't mean that Sumter County - a  largely Republican Central Florida Jurisdiction of about 100,000 voters -- was, in fact hacked.

Bill Keene, the current supervisor in Sumter,  told the Miami Herald in a brief interview that he has no reason to believe that hackers penetrated his county's voter registration database.  Keene, however, qualified that statement by saying he was elected in 2016 and wasn't the supervisor when hackers were trying to spearfish their way into Florida's election networks.

And Keene's office quickly followed his comments by sending an email with the same non-denial language as Washington County.  Asked if they were retracting Keene's denial, elections administration coordinator Melissa Steele responded, "Yes, that's the most recent update we have."
 Keene' predecessor, however, said that she has no reason to believe Sumter was hacked and said the county's elections network was "heavily guarded."  And the Sun-Sentinel reported that Sumter County responded to its records request by denying it had received any of the spearphishing emails.

"The FBI, they were involved in the whole process.  They were watching Florida very closely, I don't think or believe in my heart that we were hacked at all,"  said Karen Krauss, who retired following the 2016 election.  "As far as Sumter goes, we were well protected and well guarded by both the State Division of Elections and by the FBI."

But here's the thing about denials:  Rudd in Washington County denied her office was hacked last year in an interview with the Panama City News Herald.  "There is nothing we have discovered.   We really want to put that to rest, because we've worked really hard and have used grant funds in recent weeks to fortify our security systems."

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cltampa.com
The following was posted by Colin Wolf on May 20, 2019:

Leave it to Florida Republican Dennis Baxley to find an incredibly racist reason to ban abortions.

Florida Sen. Dennis Baxley, a descendant of a Confederate soldier and literally the only person to vote against removing the name of a racist judge from a building at Florida State University, is now arguing that Alabama's new oppressive abortion laws are a good thing because, well, the country needs more white people.

While speaking on WLRN's "The Florida Roundup"  program, the Ocala Republican stated that he would 100% support a Florida version of Alabama's new anti-abortion laws, which not only makes providing an abortion a felony, it also bans abortions involving rape and incest.

"I certainly expect that this discussion will continue and that I will be part of it." Baxley said on the program.

Of course this is expected from a guy who just last session sponsored a bill that would have required parental consent for minors seeking abortions, and another that banned abortions after a fetal heartbeat was detected.

But during the program, Baxley's well established anti-abortion stance also got a heavy dose of anti-immigrant racism when he essentially said the country needs less abortions to keep "western" culture alive and well.

From WLRN

(Baxley)  also suggested that access to abortion is deteriorating the fabric of society and warned of its economic and demograpic impact.

"When you get a birth rate less than 2 per cent, that society is disappearing," he said of Western Europe.  "And it's being replaced by folks that come behind them and immigrate, don't wish to assimilate into that society and they do believe in having children.  So you see that there are going to be long range impacts to your society when the answer is to exterminate.

(Wolf)
In other words, immigrants are having babies and therefore we (white people) need more babies or our way of life will be replaced.

Never mind that abortions are at an all time low, or that everyone, not just white women should have access to women's healthcare.  But this is all very on brand for Baxley whose "heritage not hate" mentality seems to only extend to his very Caucasian heritage.  The Ocala Senator has been a regular voice for keeping Confederate statues  prominently displayed in public places.  But in 2017 Baxley also tried to block a statue from being erected in Florida that was dedicated to the history  of slaves. At the time, the senator argued that he wanted the  monument to focus  on the lives of  the slaves and not the institution that caused the suffering.  Gee, I wonder why?

History is important, so let's not also forget Baxley's history---like how he authored Florida's incredibly racist Stand Your Ground Bill,  or the time he refused to disavow  pro-Confederate group just days after the deadly "Unite The Right" rally  in Charlottesville, or that other time he sourced an Islamophobic fringe group for an anti-climate change bill.

We don't need a statue to remember any of that, Dennis.

Reprint of a Colin Wolf column on CLTampa.com

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News from the Florida Democratic Party (FDP) African American Media Community Outreach Investments

This week FDP begins its six figure investment with a year-long statewide advertising campaign in African American newspapers across the state with a focus on educating voters and sharing the Democratic message. The first ad in the campaign, entitled "Don't Fear the Future, Fight for It", makes the argument that Florida Republicans sold out our schools and the safety of our children by passing a bill to arm teachers in schools across the state.

Spanish-Language Radio Programs and Ad Campaigns

We're taking to the airwaves! This month Florida Democrats are launching a year-long Spanish language radio advertising campaign and a weekly radio program on Actualidad Radio. The program will air every Saturday at noon and will be hosted by popular radio host Julio César Camacho. Our very own Hispanic Communications Director, Luisana Pérez Fernández, will work with producers to book Democratic guests to discuss topics of the day and share Democratic core values week-in and week-out with the Hispanic community.

Organizing Corps Update

We have an amazing group of young adults that reflect the diversity of our state: 97% of our new organizers are from Florida, 44% are Hispanic, 33% are African American, and 14% are multiracial. In addition, 45% speak Spanish, 10% speak Creole, and 71% of our new hires speak at least 2 languages.  The 90 organizers start on June 10 in Tampa, Orlando, Miami-Dade and Broward and will begin the important work of working with our caucuses and DEC's to register voters and help us build the infrastructure we need to win in 2020. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lake County Democratic Party 2019 Summer Breakfast Saturday, June 22nd 2019 9:00 - 11:00 am Guest speaker Fl. Rep. Geraldine Thompson Fish Camp Restaurant 901 Lake Shore Blvd. Tavares, FL 32779 Sponsored by the Democratic Women's Club of Lake County tickets:  lakedemocrats.TIX.com  or through one of the Lake Co. Clubs and Caucuses Tickets $20.00 Ticket purchase is a contribution to the Lake County Democratic Party ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Neighborhood Buzz

A blog for Democrats and Independents

jerrymeyer.meyer1@gmail.com

thevillagesdemocrats.org

sumterdemocrats.com


June 8th meeting  of Villages Democrats
 in different location

 That location is the La Hacienda Rec. Center at 1200 Avenida Central.       We will be in the Theater Room.

The change came about due to some unexpected circumstances and we are very fortunate to have obtained a similar space.

Our speakers for this event are State Rep. Anna Eskamani and Andrew Gillum.

A large crowd is expected and although the

location is different we expect the same requirements will apply.

When the capacity of the room is reached it will be declared full and no one else will be allowed to enter.

Villages I.D.s will be required.

Persons entering must be current with club dues.  (Please check your status before the meeting to avoid disappointment.)

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100^th Anniversary of the 19^th Amendment

Ratified in August of 1920

       Wednesday, May 15^th dawned as a beautiful day for a celebration.  A perfect day for the celebration of the 19^th Amendment, granting women the right to vote, presented by the Lake-Sumter Regents Council, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR).  Dressed in period costumes, members carried signs and handed out small American Flags, simulating the passion of women pivotal in the suffrage movement.

          

      The 19^th Amendment was a 72 plus year accomplishment that included several generations of men and women working to change some of society’s most basic institutions.  But it also wasn’t the end of the work for full equity for all people in this country.  Celebrating the 100^th Anniversary of the 19^th Amendment is a chance for us to stop and reflect on the work of the past.

           

       Women’s exclusion from voting and holding office in most of this country was clearly a questioning and derogation  of their very humanity.

            Suffragettes were brave women who defied their families, society and the law.  Their stories are filled with drama, intrigue, brave and personal sacrifice.

            The suffragists who won the right to vote in 1920 understood that their work would never be completed in their lifetimes.

            

      After a welcome and greetings, Sallie Kautz introduced

Dee Collier (center) as
Susan B. Anthony

Suffragist Susan B. Anthony, portrayed by Dee Collier.

    Collier is a former elementary school teacher who now teaches adults.  She now portrays 16 women who changed history.

    

 Her love of history, traveling and drama combine with a desire to enable others to appreciate people who have helped form our rich national heritage.

(Information taken from the official program.)

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The Villages Democrats 4th Tuesday Breakfast

moves to the World of Beer in Spanish Springs on May 28th.

The closing of Hacienda Hills Country Club caused some scrambling, but President Chris Stanley was able to work out an arrangement with the World of Beer Spanish Springs location.  The time is still 9:00 am and the cost of the buffet breakfast is still $10.00 including tip.  The space is similar to the previous location and there is a large parking lot adjacent to the building.

Mark your calendar, note the location, and join your fellow Democrats for breakfast the fourth Tuesday of each month.

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Democratic Women's Club of the Villages

hosts their Eleanor Roosevelt Tea and Luncheon

Women dressed in turn-of-the century clothing set the look for yet another special event at the Sumter County Democratic Headquarters in Wildwood at their Eleanor Roosevelt tea and luncheon, Saturday, May 18th.

The guest speaker for the event was Patricia Farley, President of the Democratic Women's Clubs of Florida, who spoke on the history of the women's movement, Right to Vote and Ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Patricia Farley (left) with DWC
 President Pat Beerhalter (right)

Shelly Newman, a member of the Club, described the Club's origins as tied to Eleanor Roosevelt and the National Federation of Democratic women.  The Villages club is under the auspices of the Democratic Women's Club of Florida, which has been in existence for 63 years.   Newman said the mission of the Club is to educate Democratic women and men, get them into office and keep them there, plus getting out the small d and capital D democratic message for democracy. The Club is an official arm of the Democratic women's state caucus.

Newman is the vice-chair of the State Democratic Women's Club

Shelly Newman

September convention, whose theme is, "The Changing Face of Democracy, Brave, Bold and Beautiful."   The guest speaker is Jill Wine-Banks of MSNBC, who was one of the Watergate prosecutors  and later was the first woman to serve as U.S. Counsel General of the Army.

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Gov. DeSantis has signed SB 7030 into law, allowing teachers to carry guns on campus.   Allowing persons other than trained law enforcement to carry firearms in our public schools

will make our children less safe, not safer.

The bill passed the Florida Legislature on a mostly party line vote.  However there were six members of the majority who listened to their constituents, put partisan politics aside and voted against the grain of the party on this bad piece of legislation.

It is important that we recognize these legislators for doing the right thing, especially when it puts them at odds with party leadership. It is requested you please call the legislators shown below and thank them for voting against arming Florida's teachers.

Sen. Anitere Flores - 305-222-4117

Rep. Vance Aloupis - 305-270-6530

Rep. Mike Beltran - 813-653-7097

Rep. Mike Caruso - 561-750-2396

Rep. Chip LaMarca - 954-784-4531

Rep. David Smith - 407-971-3570

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DEC Holds Volunteer Orientation

A mini volunteer job fair conducted by the Democrat Executive Committee at the May meeting of the Villages Democrats generated a good showing of Democrats willing to donate some time and effort.

On May 15th DEC Chair Cathie Hardy conducted a presentation at the party headquarters in Wildwood, describing in detail the jobs to be done  and answering questions.

Hardy is working to establish a large body of workers who will all give a little time, which will contribute to getting the big jobs done.

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thevillagesdemocrats.org

The Villages Democrats website, shown above, is your source for details on the many activities of the club. The club has many social clubs in which members participate and many affiliated groups have activities to which members are invited. Go to the site and click on Calendar for a complete listing.

The site also has information about membership, volunteer opportunities and more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Editor - Jerry Meyer

jerrymeyer.meyer1@gmail.com

thevillagesdemocrats.org

sumterdemocrats.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mark your calendar now for

The June 8th meeting of

The Villages Democrats

Our speakers will be:

State Rep. Anna Eskamani

and Andrew Gillum

Please note:  the capacity of the meeting room at Colony Cottage Rec. Center is 408 and when that number is reached, the room will be declared full and no one else will be allowed to enter.

Because of the guest speakers and the room capacity only members whose dues are current will be admitted to this meeting.  If you are not a paid member and wish to join or re-join the club, please go to thevillagesdemocrats.org and click on "Join the Club" on the left side of the screen.

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Highlights of the May 11th

Meeting of The Villages Democrats

Brenda Edwards (standing) checks her
video material with program chairperson
Ann Wade

     Brenda Edwards and Marsha Shearer presented a spirited discussion on whether or not Donald Trump should be impeached.  Edwards took the Pro argument and Shearer the Con.  

     Both agreed Trump should be removed from office, but they differed on the method.

     Edwards highlighted the chaos of the Trump administration and the Mueller report which details at least 10 instances in which Trump tried to obstruct justice.

      "We must send a message to other nations that we are trying to hold him accountable and maintain the rule of law." she said.

      Shearer sees impeachment as an exercise in futility, saying the Senate, which makes the decision will never vote to convict. 

Marsha Shearer

Republicans control the Senate, plus which most would be voting themselves out of office if they vote against Trump.

      Shearer sees the impeachment process working for Trump, as it would allow him to again play the role of "victim," claiming the Democrats would be  keeping him from completing necessary legislation.

      She advocates continuing the investigations, with witnesses appearing before the committees on television for the public to see and hear.  She also urged a focus on Democrat candidates and working for a win in the General election.

      There was little doubt the speakers and the audience felt Trump's term of office should end as soon as possible and at the conclusion of the presentation there was a standing ovation for the two speakers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Other meeting News

Cathy Hardy

      Cathy Hardy, Chairperson of the Democratic Executive Committee, spoke briefly to the opportunities for volunteers.   The party can use help in voter registration, canvassing, phone banking, staffing the front desk at campaign headquarters, precinct leadership, fund raising, and public relations
     Members were invited to visit tables around the room to inquire about specific opportunities.
Detailed information will be presented at orientation sessions on Wednesday May 15th at 6:00 pm and Sunday May 19th at 2:00 pm.   These  sessions will be held at the Sumter Co. Democrat Headquarters at 300 S. Main St. in Wildwood

Iris Gordon     Carolyn Freed

Two volunteers were recognized by the Villages Democrats Club President Chris Stanley for their long time service in welcoming Democrats moving into the Villages.  Carolyn Freed and Iris Gordon write letters to people identified as Democrats when they move into their new homes, letting them know about club and party activities and inviting them to participate.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

World Beyond War

Why do discussions about Israelis and Palestinians  often end up in shouting matches?  Is our viewpoint shaped by American Media?  How does the European media cover the conflict? World Beyond War -Central FL invites you to a free film screening  and discussion of  "The Occupation of the American Mind," on Thursday, May 16th. 

It will be held at the Belvedere Library, 325 Belevedere Blvd in the Villages at 3:00 pm.

For information contact: Al Mytty  317-373-7355 or amytty@hcamllc.com

World Beyond War-Central FL is a global network of volunteers, activists and allied organizations advocating for the abolition of the very institution of war.  Their success is driven by a people powered movement working for a culture of peace

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An update on the Florida legislative session with information from the Florida

Democratic Party and other sources.

When lawmakers ended the 2019 legislative session, they left behind hundreds of bills and issues that did not pass. But there’s always the 2020 session, which will start in eight short months.

Here are 10 high-profile issues that didn’t make it through the Legislature:

--- Abortion: The House approved a measure that would have required parental consent before minors could have abortions, but the issue stalled in the Senate. Lawmakers also did not pass a proposal that would have barred doctors from performing abortions after fetal heartbeats are detected.

--- Campus surveys: With some Republicans raising concerns about indoctrination on college campuses, the House supported a proposal that would have required surveying faculty members and students about their ideological viewpoints. But the Senate balked at the idea and refused to include it in a higher-education package.

--- Constitution revision commission: Though many lawmakers were unhappy with proposals placed on the November ballot by the state Constitution Revision Commission, they did not agree on plans to rein in --- or even eliminate --- the powerful panel. The Senate passed two measure targeting the commission, but the House didn’t follow suit.

--- Fracking: With support from Gov. Ron DeSantis, environmentalists hoped lawmakers would ban the oil- and gas-drilling technique known as “fracking.” But the issue died in the House and the Senate, after a controversy emerged about allowing another drilling technique that uses many of the same chemicals as fracking.

--- Gambling: Powerful Sen. Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, and the Seminole Tribe of Florida negotiated for weeks on a possible gambling deal that could have included sports betting in the state. But time ran out on the issue without a bill being introduced. DeSantis said  he will work on reaching a deal with the tribe.

--- Genetic information: The Senate in the closing days of the session did not take up a House proposal that would have prevented life insurance companies from using genetic-testing information in making decisions about customers’ policies. Supporters of the proposal pointed to privacy concerns, while the insurance industry argued it was over-regulation

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Republican dominated Florida Legislature

gives its' own interpretation to a 

vote approved felon voting rights bill

     In last November's mid-term elections, Florida voters gave 64.5% approval to a constitutional amendment restoring voter rights to individuals who had completed their felony sentences and made any required restitution.  Persons who had committed violent crimes, such as murder and sex offenses were excluded.
     The bill's text did not include fines, fees or costs that accrue after the date of the "underlying court order."  The measure specifies a felon's voting rights can be restored without payment if the court terminates his or her case debt, or converts it to community service hours.
     However the Florida legislature has modified the bill to require the payment of any restitution debts or other financial penalties before the right to vote can be restored.
     Republican State Senator Jeff Brandes of St. Petersburg told the press the wording "terms of their sentence," in the bill plainly includes restitution as well as court costs and fines.
     Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman was aggressive in her dissent of Brandes interpretation during a U.S. House Administration Subcommittee on Elections hearing held in Fort Lauderdale.
     Other Democrats chose to refer to it as a "Poll Tax."
     Former Tallahassee Mayor, Andrew Gillum, testifying before the committee also used the term "Poll Tax," and cited a study showing only a small number of people with felony convictions  exercise the right to vote if required to pay court costs, which can amount to thousands of dollars. It can be an impossible financial burden for people hoping to rebuild their lives.
      Both sides of the issue anticipate a legal challenge.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the Network for Public Education

     

   The Florida legislature has added yet another voucher program, bringing the number of programs to five.  Florida spends more than one billion dollars on voucher programs already.

      As Valerie Strauss wrote in the Washington Post:

     An effort has been made in the legislature to require school districts to share with charter schools, money voters chose in a referendum to go to school districts, but it is unclear how this will end.   And recently, the state legislature voted to allow teachers to carry guns at school, in spite of opposition from many school districts.

     The deliberate and systematic destruction of public education in Florida began a long time ago, according to the Network for Public Education.  With large numbers of students enrolled in an unstable charter sector, combined with growing voucher programs, Florida is poised to be the first state in which public education collapses.

    How did this unrelenting attack on public education come to pass? It began in 1998 with former governor Jeb Bush's introduction of the A+ plan for reforming education.  A new report:  Twenty Years Later: The Jeb Bush A+ Plan Fails Florida's Students by NPE Action Board member Sue Legg, Ph.D. traces the history of the Jeb Bush A+ reform movement and documents why a test driven curriculum, supported by school grades and school choice, has failed to raise student achievement while undermining public education at every turn.

      The report will serve as a valuable resource, not only for the Florida public, but as a cautionary tale for all who believe in democratically governed public schools.

To read the full report, click HERE.

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Citrus Co. "Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense"

 will wear orange on June 8th to draw attention to gun violence.

   

Following the state legislature's approval of allowing teachers who volunteer to be armed, the Moms group is now focusing on persuading local school districts to refuse permission.

     According to the Citrus County group orange has become the defining color of the gun violence prevention movement, and on June 8th will wear orange and urges other citizen groups to join them.

     At 9:00 am on June 8th there will be a gathering at the Gazebo at Little Springs Park in Crystal River for what is described as a family-friendly community event to honor victims of gun violence and commit to work toward solutions to end gun violence.  After opening remarks at 9:30 the group will walk quietly to "The Boat" lot on Rt. 19 and return to the Gazebo by 11:30 for a brown bag lunch and fellowship.  The event is open to anyone who wishes to participate.

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