April 11, 2023

Your Action is Needed Now: Near-total Abortion Ban Final Vote in Legislature

Senate Bill 300 & House Bill 7, the legislation containing Florida's near total abortion ban, will be voted on by the Florida House on Thursday (April 13). 

This is the final opportunity to ask legislators to oppose this legislation before it heads to the Governor's desk. The legislation has already passed the Florida Senate.

House Bill 7 and Senate Bill 300 ban abortion after approximately six weeks of pregnancy, leaving Floridians with a narrow window in which they can access care.

All abortion bans are extreme, no matter when in pregnancy they start, because they put politicians where they don’t belong: in charge of other people’s personal health care decisions. If passed, this will devastate abortion access in the southeast even more than it already has been. We’ve already seen the devastating effect of abortion bans across the country.

For months, Florida’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks has put lives and health at risk. Instead of addressing that harm, lawmakers are doubling down on their anti-abortion agenda. Everyone should be able to make decisions about their bodies, lives, and futures without interference from politicians.

Reproductive choice is not only a dire issue concerning the rights of women, but one of racial and economic justice. Limits on reproductive health services disproportionately impact Black, brown, and low-income communities, therefore upholding and perpetuating income inequality and racial disparities.

The League of Women Voters believes every person deserves the access and the privacy to make their own reproductive choices, and we MUST fight for reproductive justice in Florida. Without the ability to make reproductive decisions for one’s own body, women cannot participate equally in our democracy.

We're urging every Florida League members to contact all members of the Florida House of Representatives and encourage them to vote "NO" on Senate Bill 300 & House Bill 7.

Email or call your state Representative and ask they vote "NO" on House Bill 7/Senate Bill 300 right away!

Click here to use a tool to find your state Representative's contact information.

Want to go a step further? Consider contacting all of Florida's state Representatives about your opposition to this legislation. Click here for a list of all House members contact information.

Advocates are continuing to mobilize to #OccupyTally.

Florida NOW has been granted a permit for a #OccupyTally non-stop demonstration to be held outside of the Leon County Courthouse, starting Monday 4/10 at 8:00 a.m. and concluding Friday 4/14 at 9:00 p.m. (ET).

Get more information on the protests and demonstrations here: linktr.ee/OccupyTally

March 31, 2023

Dear Florida League members,

As many of you know, Florida's 6-week abortion ban is close to final passage in the state legislature. It has become clear that a large majority of Floridians believe all people, no matter what we look like or where we come from, deserve the rights, freedoms, and opportunities to control our lives at the most basic level: our bodies, our families, and our life’s path – and that includes the right and ability to have an abortion.

Following the anticipated passage of this legislation and Governor’s signature, protests and rallies are likely to ensue in Tallahassee and across our state. The League of Women Voters of Florida believes that the freedom to peacefully protest and rally together is an invaluable part of our democracy.

With that being said, League leadership feels it is important to highlight the danger that even peaceful events can turn disruptive or violent and all attendees should understand the risks involved. In general, no guarantees can ever be made that any protest or rally won't result in personal injury, arrest, or other consequences for attendees.

Below you'll find an abundance of resources that can help ensure safety should you find yourself compelled to join any sort of demonstration or event surrounding this issue.

General Safety Tips for Rallies & Protests

• Do not go alone.
• Bring water, snacks, and if you have one. Bring an extra cell phone battery/portable charger.
• Check the weather forecast in advance. Always prepare for rain or other inclement weather conditions.
• Wear comfortable and weather appropriate clothes
• Consider bringing a hat and sunglasses.
• Bring chairs or blankets for sitting.
• Find someone to be your emergency contact. Tell them where you are going and how to contact you.
• When in groups, use the buddy system.
• Bring your medication, and if you feel there may be risk of arrest, sew your medication into your clothing.
• Develop a phone tree type of system to look out for fellow League members and other participants.
• Choose a meeting spot a few blocks from the event location should you have to leave abruptly due to outside forces.
• AVOID bringing big, bulky backpacks that might make police suspicious.
• AVOID speaking to press or media on behalf of the League or another organization without explicit permission. Remember, the League speaks with one voice, that of the President.
• AVOID wearing League branded clothing or accessories.
• If law enforcement directs you to leave, AVOID getting confrontational or argumentative with them. Please consider leaving as directed. If you decide to stay, understand that you are likely to be arrested.

Documentation

Documentation is a powerful tool. Please, either to record or take notes during the event. In Florida, there is no expectation of privacy when in public, so you can record. The League also interested in observing the treatment of citizens during peaceful protests.

• Keep a safe distance and practice situational awareness.
• Put your phone in "Do Not Disturb" to minimize interruptions.
• Flip your phone horizontally.
• Briefly say the date, time, location, and name of the person/people being targeted (if known) as you start recording.
• Avoid voice-over.
• At the end, always ask the person or people being targeted, or the main organizers of the event, what THEY want to do with your recording or notes.

Additional Resources & Trainings

• LWVUS + LWVFL's "Organizing, No Matter the Circumstance" Protest Safety Training Recording
• ACLU of Florida's "Know Your Rights: Demonstrations & Protests" Guide
• Planned Parenthood's "How to Stay Safe at Abortion Rights Rallies" Protest Tips
• Yale University's "Staying Safe and Healthy at a Public Demonstration or March" Guidance

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March 29, 2023

Your Action is Needed Now: Opportunities to Voice Opposition on Florida's Abortion Ban are Running Out!

Senate Bill 300 & House Bill 7, legislation containing Florida's near total abortion ban, are both scheduled to be heard TOMORROW (Thursday, March 30) in their respective chambers.

• House Bill 7 will be heard in the House Health & Human Services Committee at 8:00 a.m. (ET).
• Senate Bill 300 will be heard on the Senate floor beginning at 1:30 p.m. (ET).

House Bill 7 and Senate Bill 300 ban abortion after approximately six weeks of pregnancy, leaving Floridians with a narrow window in which they can access care.

All abortion bans are extreme, no matter when in pregnancy they start, because they put politicians where they don’t belong: in charge of other people’s personal health care decisions. If passed, this will devastate abortion access in the southeast even more than it already has been. We’ve already seen the devastating effect of abortion bans across the country.

For months, Florida’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks has put lives and health at risk. Instead of addressing that harm, lawmakers are doubling down on their anti-abortion agenda. Everyone should be able to make decisions about their bodies, lives, and futures without interference from politicians.

Reproductive choice is not only a dire issue concerning the rights of women, but one of racial and economic justice. Limits on reproductive health services disproportionately impact Black, brown, and low-income communities, therefore upholding and perpetuating income inequality and racial disparities.

Click here to access a one-page explainer on this legislation from Planned Parenthood.

The League of Women Voters believes every person deserves the access and the privacy to make their own reproductive choices, and we MUST fight for reproductive justice in Florida.

Ahead of tomorrow's hearings, the League of Women Voters of Florida, Progress Florida, Florida National Organization for Women & National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) hosted a press event at the Florida Capitol on Wednesday, March 29 demanding Senate President Kathleen Passidomo stop Florida’s 6-week abortion ban and continued attacks on women's bodily autonomy. Click here to watch the playback of this press event.

We're urging every Florida League member to contact the members of the House Health & Human Services Committee and urge them to vote "NO" on House Bill 7.

We're urging every Florida League members to contact all members of the Florida Senate encourage them to vote "NO" on Senate Bill 300.

Members and Contact Information

Email or call your state Senator and ask they vote "NO" on Senate Bill 300 right away!

Click here to use a tool to find your state Senator's contact information.

Want to go a step further? Consider contacting all of Florida's state Senators about your opposition to this legislation. Click here for a list of all Senate members contact information.

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March 25, 2023

Senate Bill 300, Florida's near total abortion ban, will be heard in the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee on Tuesday (March 28) at 8:30 a.m. (ET).

Senate Bill 300 and House Bill 7 ban abortion after approximately six weeks of pregnancy, leaving Floridians with a narrow window in which they can access care.

All abortion bans are extreme, no matter when in pregnancy they start, because they put politicians where they don’t belong: in charge of other people’s personal health care decisions. If passed, this will devastate abortion access in the southeast even more than it already has been. We’ve already seen the devastating effect of abortion bans across the country.

For months, Florida’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks has put lives and health at risk. This 6-week ban would only make things worse. Instead of addressing that harm, lawmakers are doubling down on their anti-abortion agenda. Everyone should be able to make decisions about their bodies, lives, and futures without interference from politicians.

Reproductive choice is not only a dire issue concerning the rights of women, but one of racial and economic justice. Limits on reproductive health services disproportionately impact Black, brown, and low-income communities, therefore upholding and perpetuating income inequality and racial disparities.

Click here to access a one-page explainer on this legislation from Planned Parenthood.

The League of Women Voters believes every person deserves the access and the privacy to make their own reproductive choices, and we MUST fight for reproductive justice in Florida.

We're urging every Florida League member to contact the members of the Florida Senate Fiscal Policy Committee and encourage them to vote "NO" on Senate Bill 300.

Florida Senate Fiscal Policy Committee
Members and Contact Information 

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March 18, 2023

Your Action is Needed Now: Florida's Abortion Ban is moving again!

Senate Bill 300, Florida's near total abortion ban, will be heard in the Senate Health Policy Committee on Monday (March 20) at 3:30 p.m. (ET).

Senate Bill 300 and House Bill 7 ban abortion after approximately six weeks of pregnancy, leaving Floridians with a narrow window in which they can access care.

All abortion bans are extreme, no matter when in pregnancy they start, because they put politicians where they don’t belong: in charge of other people’s personal health care decisions. If passed, this will devastate abortion access in the southeast even more than it already has been. We’ve already seen the devastating effect of abortion bans across the country.

For months, Florida’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks has put lives and health at risk. Instead of addressing that harm, lawmakers are doubling down on their anti-abortion agenda. Everyone should be able to make decisions about their bodies, lives, and futures without interference from politicians.

Reproductive choice is not only a dire issue concerning the rights of women, but one of racial and economic justice. Limits on reproductive health services disproportionately impact Black, brown, and low-income communities, therefore upholding and perpetuating income inequality and racial disparities.

Click here to access a one-page explainer on this legislation from Planned Parenthood.

The League of Women Voters believes every person deserves the access and the privacy to make their own reproductive choices, and we MUST fight for reproductive justice in Florida.

We're urging every Florida League member to contact the members of the Florida Senate Health Policy Committee and encourage them to vote "NO" on Senate Bill 300.

Members and Contact Information

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March 15, 2023

Your Action is Needed Now: Florida's Abortion Ban is moving quickly!

House Bill 7, a near total abortion ban, will be heard in the Florida House of Representatives Healthcare Regulation Subcommittee THIS Thursday (March 16) at 8:00 a.m. (ET).

House Bill 7 and Senate Bill 300 ban abortion after approximately six weeks of pregnancy, leaving Floridians with a narrow window in which they can access care.

All abortion bans are extreme, no matter when in pregnancy they start, because they put politicians where they don’t belong: in charge of other people’s personal health care decisions. If passed, this will devastate abortion access in the southeast even more than it already has been. We’ve already seen the devastating effect of abortion bans across the country.

For months, Florida’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks has put lives and health at risk. Instead of addressing that harm, lawmakers are doubling down on their anti-abortion agenda. Everyone should be able to make decisions about their bodies, lives, and futures without interference from politicians.

Reproductive choice is not only a dire issue concerning the rights of women, but one of racial and economic justice. Limits on reproductive health services disproportionately impact Black, brown, and low-income communities, therefore upholding and perpetuating income inequality and racial disparities.

Click here to access a one-page explainer on this legislation from Planned Parenthood. 

The League of Women Voters believes every person deserves the access and the privacy to make their own reproductive choices, and we MUST fight for reproductive justice in Florida.

We're urging every Florida League member to contact the members of the Florida House Healthcare Regulation Subcommittee encourage them to vote "NO" on House Bill 7.

Florida House Healthcare Regulation Subcommittee
Members and Contact Information

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March 7, 2023

Senate Bill 300 & House Bill 7, filed this morning, are near-total abortion ban that would deny even more Floridians the ability to control their own bodies, lives, and futures.

These bills ban abortion after approximately six weeks of pregnancy, leaving Floridians with a narrow window in which they can access care.

All abortion bans are extreme, no matter when in pregnancy they start, because they put politicians where they don’t belong: in charge of other people’s personal health care decisions.

If passed, this will devastate abortion access in the southeast even more than it already has been. We’ve already seen the devastating effect of abortion bans across the country.

For months, Florida’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks has put lives and health at risk. Instead of addressing that harm, lawmakers are doubling down on their anti-abortion agenda. Everyone should be able to make decisions about their bodies, lives, and futures without interference from politicians.

Reproductive choice is not only a dire issue concerning the rights of women, but one of racial and economic justice. Limits on reproductive health services disproportionately impact Black, brown, and low-income communities, therefore upholding and perpetuating income inequality and racial disparities.

The League of Women Voters believes every person deserves the access and the privacy to make their own reproductive choices, and we MUST fight for reproductive justice in Florida.

Let's be clear: Senate President Passidomo has the power to STOP THIS BAN.

We are urging League members to contact Senate President Kathleen Passidomo's office NOW and voice strong opposition to Senate Bill 300 & House Bill 7!

• Phone: (850) 487-5028
• Email: Passidomo.Kathleen [at] flsenate.gov ( )
• Twitter: @Kathleen4SWFL

Sample message:

Hi, my name is __________ and I’m a (self-describe/parent/health provider/student/community member) who is concerned about the safety of my family and myself. Politicians shouldn’t be making decisions about people’s health care, that's up to individuals and the healthcare provider, with the support system they choose. Please don’t pass any abortion bans this session. Florida's 15-week ban is already dangerous and puts us all in harm’s way.