The Voter

February 2022

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President's Message

By Lynn Frazier

Dear Alachua County,

Black History Month takes on a special significance this year as we are monitoring and opposing many bills that would limit access to voting as well as the opportunity to impact the vote in many states. Florida is one – League has repeatedly expressed concerns with minority representation and inadequate functional analyses on protected districts and areas of population growth across the state. Be sure to read the article below on redistricting and act. Call your legislators or comment on the Florida Redistricting website to demand Fair Maps. You can find all the redistricting information on our website.

In addition to all the political activity, it is also an important time in terms of our local league organization. The nomination committee has been formed and is seeking candidates for the office of President, Secretary and Elected Director. The term of office begins June 1st. The best candidate for the president would be someone who has been a league member for a while and has actively participated in league activities. The secretary or elected director are both positions that could be filled by a league member who is ready to roll up their sleeves and work to support democracy. You would be part of a team of intelligent and committed citizens working collaboratively toward shared goals. This will be an important year as we have many state and local elections. League will work to make sure everyone who is eligible to vote is registered and everyone who is registered has the information they need to cast their vote. It is time to step up and get involved. If you are willing to serve, would like to nominate someone or have questions, please contact me and I will share all input with the nominating committee. If you are interested but not sure, I'm happy to talk and put you in touch with other board members. Your active involvement is very important. It is hard work but rewarding. Thanks in advance for all your offers to volunteer in a leadership role and for your suggestions.

Thanks to our Communication Director, Connie Nicklin, we now have a wonderful new section on our website – Interviews with Life Members. Our very own Karen Seabury interviewed those who self-identified as League members for 50 or more years. The interviews are wonderful. Please check them out. And, if you have been a member of League for 50 years or more, please let us know. Karen has agreed to continue the project Thank you, Karen!

In League,

Lynn

elgfrazier@gmail.com

Redistricting in Florida

Redistricting Updates

by Diane Dimperio

Legislative Maps (Florida House and Senate) have been approved by both chambers and are being forwarded to the Florida Supreme Court (SCOFL) for review. The House map (H8013) is likely to result in the election of 71 Republicans and 49 Democrats. The Senate map (S8058) is likely to result in the election of 23 Republicans and 19 Democrats. Although the new maps will increase the number of Democratic legislators, they still result in a solid Republican majority in both chambers. Both maps reduce the voting power of Alachua County residents. The Senate map now divides Alachua County into two districts and the House map divides us among three districts. Despite the disadvantage to Alachua County, the maps are not likely to be litigated based on political gerrymandering. The League of Women Voters and other Fair District advocates are concerned about the adequacy of minority representation. This issue is explained in the last article of our redistricting series and further updated in the Op-Ed published in the Gainesville Sun.

The Florida Congressional map (US House of Representatives) has become contentious. The Senate approved a map (C8060), and the House was poised to approve its own version until the governor’s office released a map (C0079). The normal process is for the House and Senate to agree on a map which is then, submitted to the Governor for review. Congressional maps have always been approved and there is no legal guidance if the governor vetoes it. The governor does not have a role in map development, so this action is unprecedented and disruptive. The map submitted by the governor is highly gerrymandered in favor of the Republicans and reduces the Black Minority Opportunity districts from four to two. There are 5 districts they are claiming are Hispanic Opportunity Districts (compared to the current number of 4) but they are not expected to result in the election of a preferred candidate.

The Governor submitted questions about the constitutionality of his map to the SCOFL. The SCOFL responded by asking for public input on whether it has the authority to respond to the questions. Several Fair District advocates submitted briefs arguing against it. On February 10, the SCOFL announced that it was not going to issue an opinion on the C0079 map. The ball is in the House which must make a recommendation on a Congressional map.

To learn more and for background information, follow redistricting in Florida with the ongoing series of articles about the redistricting process in Florida on the LWVAC Redistricting webpage.

Introducing Your LWVAC Committees

In this section, we are introducing you to your LWVAC Committees, with one Committee highlighted per month. Committees are the best way to get involved in LWVAC and your local community. Feel free to reach out to the Committee Chairs to express interest, join their meetings, and get involved.

Social and Criminal Justice Committee

The SCJC focuses on improving the adult and juvenile criminal justice system. We emphasize deflection and diversion from the criminal justice system through prevention and treatment consistent with accountability and justice. We emphasize the importance of public health as a component of public “safety.” (Public safety requires more than law enforcement.)

Key Issues

We support:

deflection/ diversion programs (which provide non-criminal services to at-risk people before and after arrest), and
the development of a central receiving network (a one-stop resource center that provides basic wraparound social and health services, including intake and referral (evaluation and services)).

We monitor and participate in meetings relating to the previously-mentioned topics, including those of the City of Gainesville and Alachua County commissions, and the Public Safety Coordinating Council.

Updates and Progress Reports

Most recently, Barbara Glass and Bennett Brummer presented a civics class to the Community Coalition for Older Adults. Gainesville Mayor Lauren Poe was our guest. Learn more about our activities on our webpage.

Get Involved

Any LWVAC member who would like a committee orientation should consult the chair, Bennett Brummer.

Any member who would like to initiate a new committee project (and who is willing to do the work to carry that project forward) is also welcome to consult the chair, Bennett Brummer, to screen and plan for that project.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Get Involved

Call for Nominations

The Nominating Committee is seeking candidates for president, secretary, and elected director. The term of office is two years and begins June 1, 2022 Election will take place in May at our Annual Meeting. The descriptions of these positions are in our by-laws.

If you would like to nominate yourself or another league member or if you have questions, please contact Lynn.

Life Member Interviews Online

LWV Life Members have been members of the League for over 50 consecutive years of empowering voters and defending democracy. Our own Karen Seabury conducted and summarized interviews with some of our local Life Members. Those stories were originally published in Voters but they are now available online.

LWV does not have the records to tell us who has become a Life Member, so please tell us who you are. We want to thank you for your contributions and share your story! Also, Life Members do not pay annual dues.

Cybersecurity Tips: Shipping Scams

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact supply chains for countless industries around the world. Cybercriminals often use wide-reaching problems like shipping delays to their advantage. In a recent scam, cybercriminals use the possibility of a delayed or missed shipment as phish bait.

The scam starts with an email that appears to come from a reputable shipping company. The email urges you to click on a link to download an important shipping confirmation document. If you click the link, you’ll be taken to a login webpage that asks for your email and password. Unfortunately, the email was actually sent by cybercriminals and the link leads to a well-designed phishing webpage. Any information that you enter on the webpage will be sent straight to the cybercriminals.

To stay safe from similar scams, remember the following tips:

Watch out for a sense of urgency. These types of scams rely on impulsive actions, so always think before you click.
Never click on a link or download an attachment in an email that you were not expecting.
If you are expecting a shipment and receive a related email, confirm that the email is legitimate before clicking any links in the email. Look for details such as the order number, the purchase date, and the payment method.

Comments, Questions, Feedback? Contact the editor Connie Nicklin.

LWVAC Leadership Team

President: Lynn Frazier

Vice-President: Deb Shimon

Secretary: Carole Fernandez

Treasurer: Fran Towk

A full list of LWVAC Board Members and Committee Chairs can be found here.

Alachua County League of Women Voters

info@lwv-alachua.org | www.lwvalachua.org

352-448-5408

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