Hello, Democracy supporters!

I hope that each of you has received the "What You Can Do" email messages. They are created by a League team with the intent of giving League members and the broad community simple actions we can take EVERY DAY to object to the anti-democratic and questionably legal activities going on in our national government. Share them with your networks. If anybody would like to be added to the email list, send their name and email address to...

A recording of the March 11 Oak Hammock Meeting is now available. Danaya Wright, a professor of Constitutional Law at the UF Levin College of Law, discusses amending the U.S. Constitution and the Equal Rights Amendment.

A recording of the February Gun Violence Prevention and Safety meeting is now available....

The fight for voting rights has been long and hard-fought, led by courageous women who understand that democracy is strongest when every voice is heard. One notable period of female advocacy and leadership was during the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 60s. While the contributions of men in the Civil Rights Movement have been widely documented, women’s contributions are often overlooked. Figures like Fannie Lou Hamer, Ella Baker, Diane Nash, and Gloria Richardson were as vital as men like Martin Luther King Jr. And John R. Lewis in securing voting access.

This article by League member Sally Butzin appeared in the Tallahassee Democrat. For years, Sally and I have joked about the many choices of Cheerios. There are too many choices! The Florida Voucher System now takes about $3.9 billion from the public schools. We are asking our public schools to do more with less support. There may also be too many choices some of which may not be good ones. The average parent has no way to know because the rules differ for each choice.

February is Black History Month, and as we reflect on the triumphs and history of African Americans, we want to acknowledge the role of Black women in the voting rights movement. From Ida B. Wells to Stacey Abrams, Black women have played a pivotal role in the advancement of voting rights. Although there have been obstacles along the way, Black women as a collective power are a force to be reckoned with. While Black women are not a monolith in any shape or form, they have and continue to use their voices to make progress on many issues, especially voting rights.

LWV is switching to a new member portal for all Leagues across the country on Feb. 1. Through ChapterSpot, you will be able to renew your membership online and update your own information (e.g. phone, email, mailing address) as needed. Dues will no longer be a fixed rate but will be pay-what-you-can (with a $20 minimum). On a member level, we hope these changes will make managing your membership easier. On a League level, this is expected to increase membership around the country and increase our ability to empower voters and defend democracy.