Dear Members and Friends,

Happy New Year! 2024 is the year of a momentous election for all of us. We also have our FL NOW Annual Conference May 3-5 which will be excellent with Judi leading and Diane providing support. Our theme is EQUALITY NOW. Damn, it is the 21^st century and, as you know, we still don’t have equality under the US Constitution or the FL Constitution.

Legal Abortion A Reality?

As of 12/29/2023, we are at 96%, 863,876 of the petitions we need verified by the SOEs (Supervisor of Elections).  We are at 93% of the priority districts.  We just have one that is still being worked.  With all the petitions still in queue we are pretty assured of making the total required of the 896,793 we need.   It looks like we'll  meet the requirements to be on the ballot. Yes, we still have a judge who has to rule on the language.  Our wording was thoroughly vetted.  And yes, we still have the Florida Supreme Court decision on the 15-week ban outstanding. Remember, that when we know of the decision whatever Thursday it is, we will have a decision day protest on the immediately following Saturday. We just don’t know when they’ll issue their decision. Another problem we face is the Supreme Court justice’s ruling on the language for the abortion ballot initiative. The language has been thoroughly vetted, reviewed by a variety of legal experts, so we hope there won’t be a problem. Keep in mind that the judge has until April 1 to rule on the language. I truly think we got this. Thanks for all you did to get signed petitions and to make contributions to FPF.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Is Important To Us!

A lot of news. With Chapter Presidents, we are participating in Racial and Intercultural Development project to improve our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion performance. We need to create an environment that better welcomes younger people and people of color. The project involves doing an assessment and then receiving team and individual coaching. So far it has been very good. We'll have a readout at the FL NOW State  Conference.  By the way, National NOW is paying the cost of the project. We will release the results of the group assessment after we get them and have planned some of our actions.

2024 FL Strategic Plan

The FL NOW Board had its first session to do the 2024 Strategic Plan, facilitated by an expert in Strategic Planning who was volunteered by me (my husband).. The first session was very good, but strategic planning is not a one shot deal, so we have a lot of work to do.. We realized we needed to create a vision and a more compelling mission or purpose statement. We are working on that and will share with the FL NOW Council when we have a finalized draft. Most of our focus was on assessment of current Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) and 2024 Goals and associated objectives, strategies, tactics, and metrics. As is normal we had too much on the plate. We will hone that down over the next month again to share with the FL NOW Council.

Top Two Priorities

Our number one priority is how to attract new members and retain existing members. In January we will do a survey of dropped members to see what is up. We are losing more than we would expect.

Also, a top priority for FL NOW to do is fundraising for FL NOW and the Chapters. With rebates low, we need to tap into other resources that want to support feminist action. We will need help with this from you. We think a lot of this will be going for grants for FL NOW and the Chapters. We don’t know how successful we’ll be until we try.

Task Forces

We are changing from a task force focus since it hasn’t served us well. We think it is much better to have a singular focus for each of our pillars+ like:

• Racial Justice Spokesperson with monthly press releases
• Economic Justice focused on healthcare specifically the Medicaid Expansion ballot initiative
• Reproductive Justice includes Amy’s direction particularly from FRF and a focus on GOTV to vote for legalizing abortion on the ballot.
• Violence Against Women’s focus hasn’t changed from getting the ‘Start By Believing’ program out locally.
• LGBTQIA+ Justice has a new focus of regularly speaking out at School Board meetings to include opposition to book banning.
• Climate/Environmental Justice will continue to have a regular article in the newsletter.
• Court Watch continuing focus will be on getting the word out to mothers to whom this support is available

This focus for the pillars is not final, so we’d love to hear from you. Just email Arlene, austin@prescott.edu.

Tallahassee--Yuck

We had a tough 2023 basically due to the disastrous 2023 legislative session and the policies that have sprung from it. The 2024 legislative session is already looking bleak, but there are several good bills that we think can get bipartisan support. The 2024 session starts Jan 9 and goes through the first week of March. Please look to respond to our digital actions as you did in droves last year and the year before. We also want to have a day(s) of action in Tallahassee for all members on Jan 22, 23, 24 to coincide with the Roe v Wade anniversary. We will get you more details as we get closer. I know it is hard, but I hope you can support the Day of Action and be in Tallahassee. League of Women Voters will be there too. Women power!

FL NOW PAC Endorsements Open

Real important announcement is that the FL NOW PAC is now open for endorsements. Our endorsements help elect feminists, gives us exposure to all candidates, and gives NOW exposure across FL. Please be ready to be on or help your chapter election committee to reviews questionnaire responses and conduct interviews to make recommendations to endorse or not. The new, shorter questionnaires are now up on the FL NOW site on the PAC page. We need to really work endorsements. For every endorsement, FL NOW will be posting and doing a press release.

2024 is going to be crammed packed! I look forward to working it with you. We need more people to step up to action. See what you can do. Some are carrying too big a load. Even take over for someone who has been doing whatever the position for a long, long time. We are activists and need to be active. I am trying to be highly active.

I hope you and your family have a healthy, prosperous, and happy new year!

Take Care,

Debbie

• FLNOW Book Club Pick For January 2024
  
• Decision Day
• 2024 Legislation Session Bills
• Digital Democracy Project
• Guide on Legislator Interaction
• Explore FL Campus NOW Chapters Linktr.ee

Link Up!

Linktr.ee/ CampusNOW

Constitutional Equality (ERA): Nancy Terreri - This Task Force is part of the National ERA Coalition and Fund for Women's Equality. The ERA wraps around every issue which impacts women with 280 members who will present resolutions in both chambers of the 118th US Congress. Help Nancy get the ERA into the US Constitution.  Support ERA being made law via legislative action in the 2024 session of the FL legislature.

Do you have something to say?

Are you running for Office?

This Newsletter Reaches OUT to FL Feminists

$20 Buys You A Business Card Spot HERE!

Contact Judi Marraccini  For More Info.

Common Cause is a great resource to find your representative, how to contact them, bills they've introduced, committee they serve on, and political contributions they've received.

Getting a Meeting - Email and Call - Make your request in writing by sending an email, and follow up with a call.  Make sure the office staff who answers knows that you are a constituent.

Be Specific - The most effective and efficient way of securing an appointment is to be specific about the purpose of the meeting - which issue you want to discuss, a bill number if you are meeting about legislation, and if you are a member of any organizations such as Florida NOW.

Social Media - Consider tagging their social media account in a post that informs the public about the issue and your attempting to meet.

Prepare - Decide Who Will Attend - It is advised to bring people who represent the constituencies who are affected by the issue you are discussing.

Do Your Research - Learn about your elected officials' voting record and statements on the issue.  Become familiar with counter-arguments.  Arm yourself with any research, polling data, news clips, and op-eds you can find to support your position.

Decide on a Clear Ask - Are you asking for the legislator to vote for or against a bill?  Co-sponsor a measure? Sign a pledge? Decide beforehand who will present what and who will make the ask.

After Your Meeting - Thank Them - Regardless how you think the meeting went, thank the lawmaker or their staff member for meeting with you.  Take a photo if you feel comfortable doing so!

Follow Up - Follow up in a timely fashion with any requested materials and information.  Send a personal thank you letter if possible.  Remind the official of anything they may have agreed to do.  Track the legislation!

Share the News - Share the results of your meeting with us at legislative@flnow.org and also share it on social media and tag us.

Submitted by Diane Lebedeff

Have you heard about the Chick Lit Genre? Amazing variety of plots and settings, broad range from humor to dark, generally good writing styles ... human female / alien romances, a new go to resource if you want something different for light reading.

To mention to readily accessible samples: Ruby Dixon’s amusing story of an opinionated, talkative human who has an alien prince dumped into her non-Earth life is available in a serial format at her self-named website (When She’s Common), and her Kindle Unlimited novella of a shy human with a crush leading to a happy FF sapphic conclusion for this human /alien pair (When She’s Shy).

Several authors in this space include Honey Phillips, Evangeline Anderson, and Tana Stone. Many series exist, so following the same theme or cast of characters which appeal to you, is often possible.

Trigger warnings: many of the She-roes in this literature are in space because captured by slavers from Earth and are rescued by the alien; many are heavy on sex scenes and most leave little need to guess on the appearance of alien equipment; and, there may be some grammatical errors, common in e books.

And, if you wish to stick to Regency romances, if you haven’t read Grace Burrowes, give her a try and treasure her so well wielded vocabulary. For a break, this new genre offers some reading treats.

*January 11th speaking at Stock Island Association Meeting to promote KWNOW
*January 24th monthly meeting 5:30@Bradys Pub
*February 15th Vibrator Races at Mary Ellen’s Bar for Connie Gilbert Scholarship
*March each Wednesday Women’s Film Festival at the Tropic Cinema
*March 9th CGS annual orchid/silent auction at the Gardens Hotel
*April Take Back the Night, Sexual Assault Awareness and Survivors Walk, date TBD

President - Debbie Deland

Vice President - Arlene Ustin

Secretary - Diane Lebedeff

Treasurer - Suzanne Southard 

Membership Director - Judi Marraccini

(Acting) Legislative Director - Kat Duesterhaus

(Acting) Communications Director - Vanessa Brito

SUPPORT SCR 142 Berman / HB 647 Skidmore "Ratify the Equal Rights Amendment"

A concurrent resolution ratifying the proposed amendment to the United States Constitution relating to equal rights for men and women.

SUPPORT SB 466 Book / HB 469 Barleman "Don't Charge Rape Victims For Drugs" 

Providing that private counsel retained by a sexual offense victim may be present during victim depositions and results of a toxicology screening of a sexual assault victim may not be used to prosecute the victim for certain offenses

SUPPORT SB 34 / HB 111 Sen. Lauren Book / Rep. Anna Eskamani "Don't Charge People For Terminiating a Pregnancy"

This bill would decriminalize self-managed abortion. It clarifies that certain penalties relating to unlawful termination of pregnancy do not apply to the pregnant woman who terminates the pregnancy.

SUPPORT SB 48 Garcia / HB 887 Harris "Guardianship Reform"

-Require public guardians for alleged incapacitated persons or minors be appointed on a rotating basis.

-Require the establishment of visitation rights of a minor, ward, or alleged incapacitated person's family with a presumption in favor of allowing visitation, unless there is a clear and convincing evidence that visitation is not in the minor, ward, or alleged incapacitated person's best interests.

-Require a jury be convened if a petitioner wishes to suspend a power of attorney, or to determine the validity of the alleged incapacitated person's trust, trust amendment, power of attorney, or will.

-Establish the right of every person determined to be incapacitated to have a full reevaluation every 3 years of the need for guardianship, conducted by a different judge than the judge who conducted the initial hearing.

-Define "Family" as a parent, sibling, child, spouse, or any other relative by blood, marriage, or adoption of the minor, ward, or alleged incapacitated person.

-Requires the verified inventory of the ward's property must be made available to the ward's family, the ward's next of kin, and beneficiaries and heirs of the ward's valid will. 

OPPOSE SB 476 Grall / HB 651 Persons-Mulicka "Civil Liabilities" "Suing People or Providers for Terminating a Pregnancy

Allows "parents of an unborn Child" to sue a "wrongdoer" for "wrongful death" damages, including for mental pain and suffering and medical and funeral expenses.

OPPOSE HB 17 Rudman / SB TBD "Expiration of the Mandatory Waiting Period for Firearms Purchases"

Removes the mandatory 3 day waiting period for purchasing guns in Florida if a background check clears before then.

OPPOSE HB 599 Chamberlin /SB TBD "Gender Identity Employment Practices" Don't Say Gay or Trans At Work"

-Stops employee & contractors of certain employers from being required to use a person's correct pronouns.

-Protects employees & contractors who are not using a person's correct pronouns.

-Legitimizes discrimination if someone claims it is a part of their religion or biology-based beliefs

-Allows employers to sue over someone's pronouns.

_Makes it illegal for a nonprofit organization to require certain training, instruction, or activity.

FL NOW encourages members and friends to participate in the Digital Democracy Project.  You have the power to influence Florida Legislators - right on your phone.  This is a Mobile Voting App & Online Tracking System, it informs you when new bills come up, explains the bill, and then you vote on the bill .  Vote on the same bills as your representatives.  Get nonpartisan legislative info and updates.  This is a FREE mobile voting app.  See what voters want. Each issue.  Each district.  No parties or demographics.  Free to legislators, media and the public.  Compare what voters want to what legislators deliver.  A report on the Legislative Session.  Every legislator.  Every issue.

To start, go to https://digitaldemocracyproject.org and register for the App.  You have to be a Florida registered voter.  Once you are registered, the App is Voatz and you get alerted to bills, voting and the results.  You can also track how your legislators voted.  This information is very important when you visit / communicate with your legislators.

We need you to take a few minutes a day to CLICK for FLNOW!
Did you know that FLNOW has a Facebook Page? 

The link is:  https://www.facebook.com/FLNOW

Please "like" our posts and repost them DAILY -- including sharing them to your chapter's FB page.

Thanks for the CLICK for FLNOW!