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The League of Women Voters of Florida
540
Beverly Court, Tallahassee, FL
32301-2506
V: 850/224-2545 ■ F:
850/222-4485 ■ E: lwvf1@comcast.net
www.lwvfla.org
August, 2011
Dear Local League President,
It is time to choose our legislative priorities for the 2012 session of the
legislature. Attached is the LWVF program for 2011-2013; this was adopted
at the 2011 LWVF convention. Please look over the document as well
as the final issue of the Capitol Report for 2011. The latter is
available on the LWVF website: www.lwvfla.org.
As in the past, we have been asked to choose our top three priorities for the session, and our lobbyist will concentrate
the LWVF’s efforts on those. However, since we do not know what issues
the legislators will address during the session, we will not ignore other League
priorities if they come up during that time.
Please look over the recommended
items under each major program issue; if you agree that the issues under
Government in Florida or Social Policy in Florida are the issues on which we
should concentrate, you would choose Government in Florida and Social
Policy. If you think the issues listed
under Justice in Florida or Sustainability are more important, you would choose
Justice in Florida and Sustainability.
While we understand that all of
the issues listed are important, our lobbyist can’t cover all issues; we also
have financial constraints. Our
Tallahassee Lobby Corps will once again cover committee meetings.
For the past three years, the LWVF has solicited local Leagues’ input on
choosing priorities and have used the questions formulated by Leaguers for
the legislative interviews. Our deadline is SEPTEMBER 15.
If you have a number of League members out of state during the summer, please
consider contacting them by email. As
soon as the priorities are determined, Florida Leaguers will be asked to submit
questions for the legislative interviews. Legislators will be in Tallahassee
for committee meetings this fall.
Remember that the regular legislative session will be held in January
and February of 2012.
RECOMMENDED LWVF PROGRAM 2011 - 2013
RECOMMENDED ACTION
ITEMS
The following are the action items recommended by the LWVF
Board, grouped by subject area, with the LWVF and/or LWVUS position statement
listed in bold next to each heading:
GOVERNMENT IN FLORIDA Promote an open government that is responsive
to the people of the state
Florida Constitution Support
basic law that assures a government
responsive
and accountable to the people of the state.
Issues for action:
·
Actively promote and
support the reapportionment process
- Promote the
strengthening of the Florida
Commission
on Ethics including the areas of independence, subpoena power and ability to
levy fines and initiate an investigation.
·
Support the extension of
ethics reform to county and city government
Finance and Taxation Support a
state fiscal structure that is equitable in
its distribution of the tax responsibility and responsive
to public needs
Election Law Support measures to protect, extend and encourage
the use of the franchise and to advocate
fair methods of financing
political campaigns.
Issues for action:
- Support
greater flexibility in the selection of
early
voting sites
EDUCATION IN FLORIDA Support for a free public school system for
Florida with high standards for student achievement and with equality
of educational opportunity for all that is financed adequately by the state through
an equitable funding formula.
Issues for Action:
- Promote
adequate funding of public education with no use of public funding
for the expansion of funding of private education through a voucher
program
- Promote the
extension of public school testing of student achievement to private
schools, charter schools and any institutions that receive state
funding.
JUSTICE IN FLORIDA Support a judicial system that provides a
unified
court structure, improved provisions for
judicial selection and merit retention and equal access to legal
services. Support a criminal justice
system that emphasizes rehabilitation and alternatives to incarceration.
SOCIAL POLICY IN FL
Secure equal rights and equal opportunity for
all. Promote social and economic
justice, and the health and
safety of all Americans.
Children and Families Support measures to meet special
concerns of
children and families,
including countering
intrafamily abuse and providing for safe foster
care and shelter care.
Farmworkers Support measures to provide adequate living
and
working conditions for farmworkers.
Financing & Delivery of Support measures to implement Florida
health
Health Care care in a manner consistent
with the LWVUS position
on health care reform.
Issue for Action:
·
Support implementation
of the Federal Health Care Reform Law in Florida, emphasizing access for all
and control of costs
Immigration Support the rights of
legal immigrants to
prevention or reduction of poverty, a minimum
basic level of health care at affordable cost, the
well-being of children and families and access to
free public schools with federal and state
financial
assistance to communities
disproportionately impacted by immigration.
Libraries Support full
funding of eligible public library
Systems
as provided in Section 257.27 Florida
Statutes
Issue
for Action:
·
Support the continued
funding of public libraries in the state.
Handgun Control Support
regulations concerning the purchase,
ownership and use of handguns that balance as nearly as possible
individual constitutional rights with the general interest and welfare of the
community.
SUSTAINABILITY Support governmental action that
results in sustainability: Meeting the needs of the present without
endangering the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs. Environment,
society and the economy must be integrated
and balanced to achieve a sustainable Florida.
Issues for Action:
·
Support public
transportation projects which yield multi-modal investments in local and state
enhanced infrastructure.
·
Support governmental
actions that result in sustainability by meeting the needs of the present
without endangering the future.
·
Support the adoption of
a renewable portfolio
standard
NATURAL RESOURCES
IN Promote an environment
beneficial to life
FLORIDA through
the protection and wise management of
natural resources in the public interest by recognizing the
interrelationship of air quality, energy, land use, waste management and water
resources.
Resource Management
Land Use Promote
resource conservation, stewardship and long-range planning, with the
responsibility for managing natural resources shared by all levels of
government.
Energy Support
state legislation for energy conservation and
greater use of renewable sources such as solar
energy.
Issues for Action:
- Promote the
passage of comprehensive energy policy that includes targets for
expansion of renewable energy and conservation efforts.
Freshwater Resources Support public policies that promote conservation
of freshwater and its availability for
environmental, public supply, agricultural, industrial and mining
uses on a priority basis.
Coastal Management Support intergovernmental stewardship of and
fiscal
responsibility for the Florida coast, under
the
management of the state, while recognizing
the
dominance of nature and the role of the
sand
transport system.
Environmental
Protection Preserve the
physical, chemical and biological
and
Pollution Control integrity
of the ecosystem, with maximum
protection of public health and the
environment. (LWVUS)
Public Participation Promote public understanding and participation
in
decision making as essential elements of
responsible
and responsive management of our
natural
resources. (LWVUS)
Agriculture Promote resource
conservation, stewardship and
long-range planning, with the
responsibility for
managing natural resources shared by all levels
of government. (LWVUS)
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