The LWVSPA focuses on issues surrounding voting, education, social justice, reproductive rights, sustainability, and more.
How Does the League Choose its Advocacy and Educational Issues?
Local Leagues make recommendations on statewide issues that have support, are timely, and appropriate for league activity. The League of Women Voters of Florida (LWVFL) then determines submission for adoption to the state biennial conventions. Local Leagues may focus on issues in addition to those adopted by the state.
Our Current Focus Issues
Education: We advocate for high quality public education for all children.
Social Justice: We seek to expand the imagined possibilities of progress for all people and voices.
Reproductive Rights: Advocate for equal and safe access to the full range of reproductive health care, including abortion and birth control.
Sustainability: Educate the public on reducing waste and decreasing carbon footprints. Advocate for better policies at the local and state level.
Voter Protection: Protect and expand voting rights. Ensure all eligible voters have the opportunity and information to exercise their right to vote.
Past Issues
Food Politics: Educate people about the impact of their food choices on money in politics, personal health, and environmental impacts.
Immigration: LWVSPA advocacy is based on the LWVUS Position on Immigration, the outcome of the League’s national study.
Campaign Finance Reform: Focused on keeping big money out of St. Petersburg’s politics.
Census: Every ten years, we advocate for accurate, comprehensive counts to ensure adequate resources are allocated to our community and districts are drawn in non-partisan, fair, representative ways.
Healthcare: The Medical Team is interested in educating about health care issues that will be important in upcoming elections, reviewing issues related to health care education for members and networking with others in the state with similar interests.
The League’s Positions at the State and Federal Level:
State Level
At the State level, the league is focused on promoting an open government that supports the people of Florida and the Florida Constitution.
The League of Women Voters of Florida (LWVFL) provides essential support to national efforts, while at the same time advocating and educating on the state level to achieve a more inclusive, comprehensive reach. Some current initiatives include:
- Education: Support Florida’s constitutional requirement to make adequate provision for the education of all children that is ‘uniform, efficient, safe, secure and high quality’.
- Election Reform: Promote electoral reforms that make voting easy, equitable, and effective at expressing public will through election results.
- Ethics & Campaign Finance: Improve the rules of financing political campaigns to protect the public’s right to know, combat corruption and undue influence, enable candidates to compete more equitably for public office.
- Gun Safety: Support regulations concerning the purchase, ownership, and use of handguns and aims to secure equal rights and equal opportunity for all.
- Health Care: Support legislation that builds a health care system that provides access to comprehensive quality care for all Florida residents.
- Immigration: Support securing equal rights and equal opportunity for all.
- Juvenile Justice: Support a juvenile justice system that encourages prevention and diversion and recognizes the special concerns of children and their families.
- National Resources: Support state legislation for energy conservation and greater use of renewable sources like solar energy.
- Reproductive Health & Justice: Support every woman’s right to access affordable, high-quality reproductive health care, including access to abortion services and birth control.
- National Popular Vote: Electors should be guided by the majority of Americans who agree on the person who should lead the nation.
- Clean Energy: Two main areas of focus for clean energy of the State League are expansion of rooftop solar and adoption of electric vehicles (EVs).
Federal Level
The League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) operates at the federal level and is working on critical issues surrounding voting rights, elections, census, health care reform, immigration, and the environment.
- Voting Rights: Expand voter access, fight voter suppression, address redistricting, and money in politics.
- Elections: Educate voters and increase voter registration.
- Vote411: Created to Inform voters through a one-stop-shop for election-related, nonpartisan information on a state by state basis.
- Census: Provide education, Get Out to Count activities, and watchdog reporting.
- Health Care Reform: Lobby for health care policies that control costs and ensure a basic level of care for all.
- Immigration: Support federal immigration laws that provide efficient, expeditious systems for immigrants to enter the United States
- The Environment: Prevent ecological degradation, reduce and control pollutants. Support enforcement mechanisms for non-compliance to federal standards.