LWVAC is launching a "What You Can Do" (WYCD) campaign where we share a series of action plans. With so much happening on the national stage, these action plans are intended to encourage you to respond to the daily breach of the rule of law and the separation of powers. Read more about this campaign here. 

To receive the What You Can Do actions directly, please email info [at] lwv-alachua.org (subject: What%20You%20Can%20Do)  with "What You Can Do" in the subject line. Request to be added to the email list. Messages come out about once a week. 

CURRENT ACTION TOPICS: LOCAL 1) GRU Referendum 2) June 14 No Kings Protests NATIONAL 1) “Gift” plane and memecoin profits 2) DOGE falsehoods 3) RFK 

LOCAL

1. If you read the Main Street Daily News article on 5/16/25, you know that a coalition of organizations asked for another referendum to return GRU to local leaders. In response, the commission passed a motion to hold a special election in November 2025. While all commissioners were in favor of another referendum, concerns were expressed. To hear the full discussion go to the city website – it may take a couple days to upload the video. Go to around 1:15 p.m. We need you to email the city commission and assuage specific concerns! Below is the speech that LWVAC president, Janice Garry, gave asking for a referendum. Email to all commissioners and the mayor: CityComm [at] cityofgainesville.org
1. Subject line suggestions: I’m a voter and I support a special election on GRU; Thank you for voting to begin the process of a GRU referendum; I will show up for a special election in November.
2. In an off-election year, voters won’t show up for a special election. Suggestions for your message: Many off year elections have taken place with 20% or less voter turnout. That didn’t stop the process or nullify the results. Every single Authority meeting entails decisions that are bad for GRU and bad for Gainesville. Waiting for the August 2026 city commission election or the November 2026 election allows for more bad decisions. And it entrenches current practices that would make them harder to untangle. I’m a voter and I will show up at a special election in November 2025!
3. Holding another referendum while appeals on current suits are ongoing will complicate matters. As city attorney Daniel Nee tried so hard to explain, there are no guarantees of how the legal process will unfold. Your message:
1. Justice delayed is justice denied. Since the GRU Authority took over our municipal utility on Oct 1, 2023, the will of voters has been denied and our home rule has been sabotaged. We will not succumb to state takeover of our utility. I support another referendum and a special election in November 2025. Yes, let the voters speak AGAIN at the ballot.
2. We cannot predict the legal process. But we have a responsibility to push back in any way we can. Waiting for a year for the next election would be shirking our responsibility. I support another referendum and a special election in November 2025.
4. The cost of a special election may be upwards of $200,000. Your message: At every opportunity, the GRU Authority, without discussion with the city, reduces the general fund transfer to the city. It is the only utility in the country that pays no taxes or fees. Further, the Authority reduced money to the city to pay for the lawsuit that the Authority initiated! The city is paying for the Authority to sue the city! That’s outrageous. The cost of a special election pales in comparison to the cost of continuing with an Authority that refuses to pay their fare share for city services.
2. June 14 No Kings Protest: Final plans in Gainesville are still unfolding, but put this date on your calendar. You can RSVP to No Kings via Mobilize to stay informed. WYCD will update.

NATIONAL

Senator Rick Scott: (202) 224-5274Senator Ashley Moody: (202) 224-3041Representative Kat Cammack: (202) 225-5744

Every day, call the three legislators about topics below or topics of your choosing. 

1. The administration plans to accept a luxury plane from a foreign national as a “gift”. Further, the administration launched a cypto meme coin before the inauguration that has made huge sums of money. And the administration has offered an exclusive dinner to buyers of his meme coin. (BBC: Trump crypto soars as president offers dinner to top holders.)
1. Suggested verbiage: (Name of legislator), corruption is not good policy. The current administration plans to accept a luxury plane from a foreign national as a gift. There is no such thing as a gift from a foreign national. Privileges and favors are expected in return. That’s why it is illegal under the emoluments clause. Further, the current administration is making money off of meme coins while using presidential status and favors to lure buyers. (Name of legislator), where is your voice in speaking against corruption in this administration?
2. On 5/14/25, health secretary, John F. Kennedy, said at a congressional hearing “people should not be taking medical advice from me”. He gave confusing and contradictory responses to questions about vaccines. Meanwhile, defense secretary Pete Hegseth, still remains in his position after participating in an unsecure app discussion about a military strike.
1. Suggested verbiage: (Name of legislator), incompetence of leadership in our national government does not serve your constituents well. The health secretary, who has a history of spreading disinformation about vaccines, has told congress that people should not take medical advice from his. His job is to be the advisor to the president about health matters, so how can he say we shouldn’t listen to him? Also, Pete Hegseth, after using an unsecure app to discuss military matters is still in his post. What are you (name of legislator) doing to call out the incompetence of leadership at the national level?

LWVAC President Janice Garry request to Commissioners

City Commission Meeting
Proposal to Delete Charter Article 7 (2)
Janice Garry, LWV of Alachua County President
5/15/25

On March 28, 2024, I stood at this podium and outlined the long history of Gainesville voters’ efforts to keep Gainesville Regional Utilities under the authority of local elected officials.

In short, in 2018 a ballot referendum that would have instituted a GRU Authority was defeated by some 60% of voters. In 2023, a legislator presented a nearly identical so-called local bill, opposed by our local community directly at the state level. The bill swept through the legislature, the governor signed it into law and it became Article VII in Gainesville’s city charter.

The governor-appointed GRU Authority was sworn in. But the entire board had to resign when they admitted that they did not meet basic residency requirements. The governor appointed a new batch.

Gainesville voters continued to object to the state appointed Authority. The League of Women Voters of Alachua County and other organizations solicited the city commission to create a ballot referendum that would remove Article VII from the city charter and remove the GRU Authority. In November 2024, nearly 73% of Gainesville’s voters chose to return governance of GRU to local elected leaders.

Despite the will of voters, law suits erupted. A judge determined that the city had every right to alter its charter. But, over a grammatical disagreement, the referendum was voided. A lengthy legal process continues today.

Right now, the GRU Authority is making decisions that are contrary to the Climate Action Plan and other long-term planning for safe, reliable energy and water services. They are at the dais despite a ten-year history of Gainesville voters rejecting third-party administration of our municipal utility.

Voters are tired of being ignored and dismissed. We have spoken loudly and clearly innumerable times. We will not succumb. We will not give up our local public utilities that belong to us to power brokers.

We ask you today, as we asked on March 28, 2024, to begin the process of sending a referendum with edited language to eliminate Article VII from the city charter to the ballot, thus eliminating the GRU Authority, and returning home rule to GRU. We ask you to hold a special election to achieve this, as Judge Wright has ruled you have the power to do.

Thank you.