League of Women Voters ^®
of Alachua County

Dear Members,
At the end of March, LWVFL announced some great news! Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker ruled that Florida’s Senate Bill 90 violates federal law, unconstitutionally impeding the right to vote for Floridians.

It is a busy time for our League. It is a busy time for our League. I hope you were able to attend our two virtual events earlier this month. It’s also time for our Annual Meeting on May 25th at 6:30 p.m., where we will pass the 2022-2023 Budget, Local Program, and elect officers.

The other good news is that League work is beginning to return to normal. Please stop by and say “hello”.

As our nation rapidly approaches 1 million recorded deaths due to COVID-19, our Florida government officials loudly proclaim that masks and vaccinations are unnecessary. Public health has become as taboo of a subject as climate change. It is clear who suffers the most from ignorance of both: ethnic minorities and our underprivileged low-income neighbors.

The health of Alachua County depends not only on the fitness of its well-off residents. It must concern us all. Deficits and inequities in health cost everyone due to stresses on our health care workers and hospitals, increased taxes, insurance costs and reduced productivity that result. We can do better.

Dear Members,
When you receive this edition of the Voter, the Florida legislative regular session will have ended. We can look back with pride at the efforts League made in the fight to maintain free and fair elections and many other causes that League members cherish. Although we lost many fights, we are now ready to organize for the upcoming election season and the beginning of a new League year.

The ability to vote for our lawmakers is the cornerstone of our democracy. Access to the ballot box has evolved over time and has, until recently, demonstrated progress toward racial equity. Florida is now eroding the progress we have made toward voting equity. In the 2021 legislative session, Florida passed a law that is expected to suppress voting, especially among people of color. We urge you to get involved. Visit the Florida Redistricting website to submit testimony telling our legislators to give all our citizens a fair chance to choose their representatives. Visit the LWVAC Redistricting webpage for additional information on redistricting.