March 2017

The VOTER PO BOX 1801

TAMPA, FLORIDA 33601-1801 Web Site: www.hclwv.org

Upcoming Meetings, Speakers, Events

and Programs

Mar 13 LWVHC Board Meeting

5:00pm—7:00pm

All Members Welcome

Monte Carlo Towers,

Riviera Room

3301 Bayshore Blvd.

Tampa, FL 33629

Mar 17 Keeping Kids Out of the

Prison Pipeline!

12:00-1:15pm

LWVHC & Tampa Tiger

Bay Co-Sponsored Meeting

Julianne Holt and

Andrew Warren

Ferguson Law Center

1610 North Tampa Street

Tampa, FL 33602

$25 Before 3/14

RSVP or 813-507-9236

Mar 24 Women’s Hall of Fame

Induction Ceremony

& Luncheon

Honoring Carol Morsani,

Dr. Gwendolyn

Stephenson, and

Geraldine Twine

11:30am-1:00pm

Tampa Convention Center

333 S. Frankin Street

Tampa, FL 33602

See Invitation, Get Tickets

Mar 28-29 LWVF 2017 Legislative

Summit – Lobby Our

Leaders! Contact – Abdelilah

Skhir League of Women

Voters of Florida

850-224-2545 or email

(Calendar continues on page 2)

The President’s Corner

Sandra Sroka

On March 1 – the first day of Women’s History Month –

close to 180 guests joined with the LWVHC to honor our 2017

Lifetime Achievement and Sydney & Thalia Potter Civic

Leadership Award honorees. Although you don’t want to miss

the photos and details found in this Voter, we want to give very

special thanks and recognition to our generous event sponsors and

to the Lifetime Achievement Awards Committee of Julie Jenkins,

Linda D’Aquila, John Teti, Liz Johnson, and Sara Mickelson.

Not only does this event celebrate two dedicated and outstanding

public servants, it also serves as the LWVHC’s major fundraiser to

support our programs throughout the year. Without our sponsors

and without this team of dedicated League members this event

would not have been possible. My hat is off to all of you!

With fun comes hard work, and that is what is ahead of us

this spring. The 2017 Florida Legislative Session kicked off on

March 7. We will be busy for the next sixty days tracking priority

League legislative bills, making phone calls, writing letters and

emails to our legislative representatives and newspaper editorial

boards, and for some League members, walking the halls of the

State Capitol or testifying at legislative committee hearings. You

will receive updates and Alerts to help the League advocate for

issues which impact our daily lives. For updates or copies of

proposed legislation impacting League priority areas, visit the

LWVF website at http://thefloridavoter.org/. In addition to state

issues we are also monitoring proposals on Hillsborough County

transportation plans and budgets. Make democracy work by letting

the LWVHC and your elected officials hear from you!

Check out this issue of The VOTER for results of the Open

Primary Study and Consensus Meeting, recent legislative

interviews, the Curbing Gun Violence panel program, and the not

to be missed March 17 LWVHC/Tampa Tiger Bay Club luncheon

program featuring State Attorney Andrew Warren and Public

Defender Julianne Holt. RSVP here - before 3/14 at noon and

save $5.

Click to go the League’s Facebook page

Page 2

Upcoming Meetings, Speakers, Events

and Programs (cont.)

Apr 12 LWVHC Board Meeting

5:00pm—7:00pm

All Members Welcome

Monte Carlo Towers,

Riviera Room

3301 Bayshore Blvd.

Tampa, FL 33629

May 5-7 “Empowering Leadership to

Meet the Challenges of

Tomorrow”

LULAC Florida 38th annual

State Convention in Miami,

Florida. To Learn More please

contact: Edna E. Canino,

LULAC Florida Convention

Chair, via email or

305-979-4095.

Keeping Kids Out of the

Prison Pipeline

By Susan Greenbaum, Secretary

secretary@hclwv.org

For many decades the state of Florida has

posted some of the worst statistics concerning the ill treatment

of young people by the criminal justice system. However, on

all sides of the political spectrum positive changes are

dawning. Juvenile arrest and incarceration rates have come

down somewhat, partly due to progressive agitation and partly

due to fiscal austerity. Late last year, the Florida League of

Women Voters constituted a special committee led by Bennet

Brummer, retired director of the Miami-Dade Public

Defender’s office, and Palm Beach attorney Ira Raab

to study and promote further reforms. There are local

committees in Leagues across the state. The group has

identified three main priorities – instituting the use of civil

citations instead of arrests for first time misdemeanors

committed by juveniles, reduction in assigning juvenile cases

to adult court (known as “direct file”), and improving the

quality of indigent defense. LWVHC Secretary and retired

USF Professor Susan Greenbaum chair s the local

committee.

On March 17, the LWVHC, in partnership with the Tampa

Tiger Bay Club, will present a panel discussion on juvenile

justice in our county. The program will include brief

presentations by Public Defender director, Julianne Holt, and

newly elected State Attorney Andrew Warren (both of the 13th

Judicial Circuit) about measures and practices that can ease the

undue involvement of young people in the criminal justice

system. In addition, TPD Chief Eric Ward, Col. Donna

Lusczynski representing the Hillsborough County Sheriff's

office and 13th Circuit Court Chief Judge Ronald Ficarrotta

representing the Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative, will

also is available to answer questions and offer ideas.

We fully expect this event to “sell out” so register today at

tigerbayclub.com/join or call 813.507.9236! Registration:

11:30am / Lunch Program: 12:00pm. Ferguson Law

Center at Stetson University, 1610 N. Tampa Street

Sam Bell & Betty Castor

Florida Hospital

Liana Fernandez Fox

Hillsborough County

Commission on the

Status of Women

Peggy C. Land

Merlin Law Group

Premier Eye Care Tampa Bay Estuary Program

The League of Women Voters

of Hillsborough County is

especially grateful to the

following Event and Table

Sponsors who partnered with

us to honor these extraordinary

individuals and organizations.

Page 3

Page 4

Women’s History Month Proclamation

As presented by Commissioner Kemp

at the March 1, 2017 Hillsborough County

Board of County Commissioners’ Meeting

WHEREAS, women of every race, ethnicity, and

socioeconomic background have made significant

historic contributions to American society; and

WHEREAS, women play cr itical economic, cultural,

and social roles in all arenas and constitute a significant portion of the nation’s labor force, both

inside and outside the home; and

WHEREAS, women were instrumental in the establishment of ear ly char itable,

philanthropic, and cultural institutions in the United States; and

WHEREAS, women have been leaders not only in secur ing their own r ights of suffrage

and equal opportunity, but also in the abolitionist, emancipation, industrial labor, civil rights and

peace movements, all of which created a more fair and just society; and

WHEREAS, women serve courageously in the military, protecting the United States and

the nation’s interests at home and abroad; and

WHEREAS, to celebrate the many achievements of women, every March since 1987 has

been recognized throughout the United States as Women’s History Month; and

WHEREAS, the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners created the

Commission on the Status of Women in 2003 to study and advise the Board on matters

pertaining to women in this community; and

WHEREAS, the Commission on the Status of Women has analyzed matters that impact

local women, produced reports, and conducted comprehensive workshops to raise awareness of

and take action on women’s issues,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED that the Board of County Commissioners of

Hillsborough County, Florida does hereby declare March 1, 2017 as Women’s History Month in

Hillsborough County, and encourages all residents to honor the achievements of women and

celebrate women’s history in this great community.

Executed March 1, 2017.

LWVHC member and Hillsborough County Commissioner

Pat Kemp presents the 2017 Women’s History Month

Proclamation

Page 5

On March 1 the Bay Pointe Grand Ballroom of the

Doubletree by Hilton was filled with an enthusiastic crowd of

close to 180 guests at the 12th Annual League of Women Voters

of Hillsborough County Lifetime Achievement Awards

Luncheon. In 2006 the inimitable Senator Helen Gordon Davis

received the League’s inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award in

recognition of a lifetime of public service. Two years later the

League presented Sydney & Thalia Potter with an award, named

for them, recognizing community activism at the local level. The

League was privileged to induct two new recipients into this

acclaimed group of influential community leaders at the

luncheon.

The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Senator

Arthenia Joyner . In her introductory remarks, Dr.

Deborah Austin praised both the League of Women

Voters and Joyner. For many in the audience Austin’s and

Joyner’s remarks illustrated a lifetime of human and civil

rights advocacy, public service, personal sacrifice, and

soaring accomplishments. Joyner reminded the audience

that she served on the LWVHC Board of Directors in 1975

and, “. . . learned invaluable lessons on policy development

and the ability of a group of determined citizens to influence

the powers that be!” She went on to declare, “The LWV has

been at the forefront of the battles over not only voting rights,

but fair districts, and allowing the people to choose their

representatives – not the other way around! It was in the trenches to defeat

a bad solar amendment and part of the monumental push to pass the good

one. And it has now taken on the one of

the most powerful lobbies in the state of

Florida to turn back the wholesale

arming of our citizenry and the ongoing

bloodshed this pervasive gun worship

has wrought.” Whew, there is just not

enough space in The VOTER to thank

the Senator for her commitment and

service to our community.

LWVHC 2017 Lifetime Achievement Awards Luncheon Linda D’Aquila, Development Co-Chair

VOTER@hclwv.org

LWVHC 2017 honorees Senator

Arthenia Joyner and Ms. Holly Greening

Dewayne L. Mallory (Outreach Director, Office

of Congresswoman Kathy Castor), Commissioner

Charlie Justice, Senator Joyner, Councilman Mike

Suarez, Dr. Deborah Austin and President Sroka

LWVHC members Elaine

Holmes and Toni Thompson

celebrate with Senator Joyner

Powerful women! Public Defender

Julianne Holt, Senator Joyner, The

Honorable Doretha Edgecomb

Page 6

We were also pleased to recognize Ms. Holly Greening,

Executive Director of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program

with the Sydney & Thalia Potter Civic Leadership

Award. Dr. Rick Garrity was among the group of individuals

who nominated Greening for the award and introduced her

during the ceremony. Although Greening always wanted to

be a Weeki Wachee Mermaid she settled for a career in

marine biology. In his remarks Garrity noted Nelson Mandela

once said, “ ‘What counts in life is not the mere fact that we

have lived, It is what difference we have made to the lives of

others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.’

Through a career culminating as the Executive Director of

the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, Holly Greening has proven

to be the catalyst for the recovery of water quality and the

resurgence of the aquatic ecosystem of Tampa Bay to the

benefit of all its

citizens.”

As we celebrated on the first day of Women’s History Month it

was indeed a pleasure to recognize and honor the lives and

accomplishments of these two extraordinary women. Please take

time to review the photos in this edition of The Voter and on our

website.

Dr. Rick Garrity, Dewayne L. Mallory, Ms.

Holly Greening, Commissioner Charlie

Justice, Commissioner Robin DiSabatino,

Councilman Mike Suarez, and President

Sroka

Current LWVHC President Sandra Sroka (seated) with eleven past

presidents of the LWVHC! L to R: Maryellin Territo, Linda D’Aquila,

Liana Fernandez Fox, Patricia Hall, Dena Leavengood, Trisha Moran,

Mickey Castor, Sue Parrish, Mary Figg, Shirley Arcuri, and Betty Castor

2010 Lifetime Achievement Award

honoree The Honorable Jan Kaminis Platt

with League members Bill Platt, Yvonne

Fry and Immediate Past President Shirley

Arcuri

LWVHC members and 2016

and 2015 Lifetime Achievement

Award honorees Doris

Weatherford and The Honorable

Mary Figg

Page 7

Board of Directors, Officers

and Off Board Chairs

2016-2017 OFFICERS

President Sandra Sroka

President-Elect Idelia Phillips

Vice President Jean Yglesias Secretary Susan Greenbaum

Treasurer Liz Johnson

DIRECTORS

Finance/Development ... Julie Jenkins

Voter Service .............. Mickey Castor

The VOTER Editor . Linda D’Aquila

Membership ................ Idelia Phillips

Study and Action ....... Shirley Arcuri

New Tampa/

Pasco Unit..................... Kass Pilczuk

FYI/Hot Topics ....... Kathleen Moore

...................................... Jean Yglesias

Communications/

Public Relations ........ Leslie Hatfield

APPOINTED

OFF-BOARD

Education ............................. Pat Hall

Healthcare ............ Dena Leavengood

Webmaster ......................... John Teti

National Database

Coordinator .............. Mary Mahoney

Hillsborough County

Commission on the

Status of Women ...... Linda D’Aquila

Speakers Bureau ........ Shelley Blood

Natural Resources ........ Rick Garrity

NOMINATING

COMMITTEE

Linda D’Aquila

Shirley Arcuri

Nancy Granda

Pat Hall

Edith Stewart

A screening of the documentary NEWTOWN and a discussion of

“Gun Violence as a Public Health Issue” filled the Sanctuary of the

Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa on Sunday, Feb. 12. The conversation was led by a four-member panel: Dr. Julie Kessel,

practicing psychiatrist and health insurance executive, who heads the St.

Petersburg Area of the League of Women Voters; Dr. Tom Gabor of

Palm Beach, author of the 2016 book “Confronting Gun Violence in

America,” who leads an international research company offering crime,

justice and social research services to government and business; Dr.

Marc Levy, surgeon at Orlando’s Palmer Hospital, where he is

Director of Pediatric Surgical Education and Director of Pediatric Trauma. He helped treat victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting; and,

Kathleen McGrory, Health and Medicine repor ter for the Tampa

Bay Times where she has also worked in the Times/Miami Herald

Tallahassee Bureau. She is a graduate of Hamilton College, NY, and the

Columbia School of Journalism. She is co-author of the recent three-part

investigative series “In Harm’s Way” on gun violence and children in

Florida. Besides the general public, the audience included invited representatives of a number of government and private agencies

representing educators, medical practitioners, law enforcement and other

social services. Media coverage included FOX 13 TV, and Bay News

Nine cable TV.

Newtown – Gun Violence as a Public Health Issue

Reprinted by permission of

Roger Crescentini, OFA

Thank you to our Volunteers, New Member Raffle and Door Prize

Sponsors

LWVHC appreciates your support!

Doubletree by Hilton

International Diamond Source

Joseph & Shirley Arcuri

Ruth Bell

Candace Bowers

Linda D’Aquila

Yvonne Fry

Elaine Holmes

Julie Jenkins

Liz Johnson

Dena Leavengood

Martha Minahan

Kathleen Moore

Mark Nash

Dr. Idelia Phillips

Kass Pilczuk

Stacy Robinson

Sandra Sroka

Toni Thompson

Carolyn Westlake

Jean Yglesias

Page 8

SHOULD FLORIDA CHANGE ITS PRIMARY VOTING SYSTEM?

Shirley Arcuri, Study & Action Chair/Immediate Past President

Study_Action@hclwv.org

Florida’s closed primary system prevents non-party affiliated

and minor party registered voters from participating in primary

elections. This system currently disenfranchises 3.4 million registered

voters or 30% of Florida’s voters. That number has the potential to increase as younger

voters more often tend to not declare a party affiliation.

With the goal of increasing voter participation, the State League Committee devoted

two years to studying the problem. The Committee’s 100-page report referencing extensive

source materials can be found on the LWVF website. Hillsborough County League members

and guests met on February 22 to learn more about the various systems of voting in local/

state primary and presidential preference primary elections. After discussion and questions,

the group agreed:

1. The current primary system in Florida hinders voter turnout.

2. NPAs (no party affiliation) and minor party voters deserve

an opportunity to vote in all primary elections.

3. The primary system that would best serve the voters of Florida is: Open

4. The best election system for the presidential preference primary would be: Open

5. Threshold criteria should be established for write-in candidate to minimize political

manipulation.

6. Alone or in combination there are other factors that may improve voter turnout in primaries.

a. Members agreed with: automatic registration of eligible voters at 18 by an appropriate

government agency and making election (sites) portable within the county (like early

voting centers).

b. Members did not agree with: exclusive vote by mail; or statewide Election Day registration.

The report from the local consensus will be sent to LWVF to be tallied along with results from 22 other Leagues to see if a

statewide consensus has been reached. Expect to hear more about this topic in April.

Thank you to our members who presented the program and otherwise assisted: Adrienne Garcia, Lisa Leslie, Patricia Moran,

Tim Moran, Robin Kennedy, Candace Bowers, Jean Yglesias and Kathleen Moore.

The Legislative Interview Committee has been busy! All our locally elected State Senators and Representatives

were contacted and provided with the League’s Legislative Priorities for the 2017 Session along with a questionnaire

requesting their position on each specific priority. We requested a 30 minute interview with each legislator and five

legislators granted interviews. The following legislators met with the LWVHC members noted below.

Sen. Dana Young (18th District): Dena Leavengood, Sandra Sroka and Carolyn Westlake

Rep. Jake Raburn (57th District): Lucy Jones and Nancy Lambert

Rep. Jackie Toledo (60th District): Jean Yglesias, Lucy Jones and Courtney Dawson

Rep. Sean Shaw (61st District): Mickey Castor and Liz Johnson

Shawn Harrison (63rd District): Jane Applegate and Elizabeth Belcher

The information from these interviews was sent to Kelly Quintero, Legislative Advocate for the LWVF for use during the

legislative session. Thanks to all the LWVHC members who participated in the interview process. Mickey Castor and Liz

Johnson must have made a great impression on Rep. Shaw – he joined the League at the Lifetime Achievement Awards

Luncheon!

Legislative Session Preparation Shirley Arcuri, Study & Action Chair/Immediate Past President

Study_Action@hclwv.org

Edith Stewart takes her

consensus responsibilities

very seriously

LWVHC members, old and new,

sharing their thoughts and making

their voices heard.

Page 9

Florida Speaker of the House Richard Corcoran has appointed nine members to the upcoming

Constitutional Revision Commission (CRC), a 37-member body that convenes every 20 years to review the Florida

Constitution and has the power to place proposed amendments directly on the voting ballot. These nine appointees join

others named by Governor Rick Scott, Senate President Jose Negron and Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme

Court Jorge Labarga over the past several weeks. Attorney General Pam Bondi is an automatic member of the

CRC and Gov. Scott’s pick for Chairman of the Commission is Carlos Beruff, a Bradenton real estate developer and

2016 Senate candidate.

Speaker Corcoran’s appointees are:

Gov. Scott’s appointees are: Dr. Jose Armas, Miami physician

Lisa Carlton, former State Senator and Representative

Timothy Cerio, Tallahassee attorney and former General Counsel to Gov. Scott

Emery Gainey, Director of Law Enforcement, Victim Services & Cr iminal Justice Programs with the Office of the

Attorney General

Brecht Huechan, founder and CEO of Contr ibutionLink, LLC

Marva Johnson, Regional Vice President of State Government Affair s for Char ter Communications

Darlene Jordan, Executive Director of the Gerald R. Jordan Foundation

Fred Karlinsky, Co-Chair of Greenberg Traurig's Insurance Regulatory and Transactions Practice Group Belinda Keiser, Vice Chancellor of Keiser University; Member , Flor ida Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Frank Kruppenbacher, Or lando attorney Dr. Gary Lester, Vice President for Community Relations of The Villages Jimmy Patronis, Commissioner on the Flor ida Public Service Commission Pam Stewart, Commissioner of the Flor ida Depar tment of Education Nicole Washington, State Policy Consultant for the Lumina Foundation

President Negron’s appointees are: Anna Marie Hernandez Gamez, Coral Gables attorney and past President of the Cuban American Bar Association

Don Gaetz, former Florida Senate President

Patricia Levesque, former Legislative Policy Director for Education and Deputy Chief of Staff for Gov. Jeb Bush

Sherry Plymale, former Chair of the State Board of Community Colleges and cur rent Chief of Staff to Education

Commissioner Frank Brogan

Bill Schiffino, Tampa attorney and cur rent President of the Flor ida Bar

Chris Smith, For t Lauderdale lawyer and former Democratic leader in the Flor ida House and Senate

Bob Solari, former citrus, real estate and financial planning businessman and cur rent Vero Beach City Council member

Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch, former middle and high school teacher and cur rent City Commissioner and Mayor of Sewall’s

Point Carolyn Timmann, Mar tin County Comptroller and Clerk of Circuit Cour t and former Legislative Assistant to Rep. Tom

Warner and Executive Deputy Chief of Staff to Govs. Bush and Charlie Crist

Chief Justice Labarga’s appointees are: Hank Coxe, J acksonville attorney and former President of the Flor ida Bar

Arthenia Joyner, Tampa attorney and former member of the Flor ida House and Flor ida Senate

Roberto Martinez, Coral Gables attorney and former U.S. Attorney

priority issues.

Florida House Speaker Corcoran Names

Constitutional Revision Commission Appointees

Rep. Jose Felix Diaz (R-Miami)

Erika Donalds, member of the Collier County School

Board

Sen. Tom Lee (R-Brandon), former Senate

President

Rich Newsome, Or lando attorney

Chris Nocco, Pasco County Sher iff

Speaker Pro Tempore Jeanette Nunez (R-Miami)

Sen. Darryl Rouson (D-St. Petersburg)

Rep. Chris Sprowls (R-Clearwater)

John Stemberger, Orlando attorney

Page 10

The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners applauds the Hillsborough County Commission on

the Status of Women for honoring women whose contributions have lasting positive impacts, and proudly rec-

ognizes Carol D. Morsani, the late Gwendolyn Woods Stephenson, and Geraldine McKinnon Twine for their

induction into the Hillsborough County Women’s Hall of Fame.

Ms. Morsani, one of the Tampa Bay region’s most cherished philanthropists and community leaders, has

based a lifetime of action on a philosophy of learning, earning, and returning. Dr. Stephenson, who passed

away in 2013, was the longest-serving president of Hillsborough Community College (1997-2010), and an

innovative educator who worked tirelessly to increase accessibility to higher education. Ms. Twine, RN, BSN,

MA, MSN, ARNP, defied barriers in the face of social and societal obstacles as a young wife and mother in

the segregated South to earn academic degrees and professional credentials.

The Board of County Commissioners of Hillsborough County, Florida does hereby commend Carol D.

Morsani, Gwendolyn Woods Stephenson, and Geraldine McKinnon Twine for their remarkable achievements

and service, and encourages the community to celebrate these distinguished women.

Awarded this 1st day of March 2017

Hillsborough County Women’s Hall of Fame Inductees Commendation

As presented by Commissioner Murman at the March 1, 2017

Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners’ Meeting

Celebrating Hillsborough County’s Women of Influence! The Hillsborough

County Board of County Commissioners is joined by LWVHC members Judge

Barbara Twine Thomas, Mindy Murphy, India Waller Witte, Geraldine Twine,

Yvonne Fry, Commissioner Pat Kemp and Susan Leisner.

Page 11

Please Join Us!

To RSVP, please visit, www.friendsofCOSW.org

Tickets are $55.00