Calendar

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Florida A Leader in Voter Suppression

The right to vote is under attack all across our country. Conservative legislators are introducing and passing legislation that creates new barriers for those registering to vote, shortens the early voting period, imposes new requirements for already-registered voters, and rigs the Electoral College in select states. Read the story here.

Catholic Bishops to House Republicans: Your Budget Makes Jesus Cry.

Seems like only yesterday, Republicans couldn't stop shoving bishops in front of cameras to explain why women's health care is immoral. But now that the bishops have some strong words for Republicans on their immoral budget to screw the poor, Republicans are sticking their fingers in their ears and saying, "Lalalalalala, we can't hear you." In fact, House Republicans would prefer the bishops shut up and stop talking about morality Read the story here.

House GOP Passes Ryan Budget - It's Bad for Everyone Except Corporations and Wealthy. Maintains Loopholes.

The GOP plan slashes taxes for corporations and the rich while drastically cutting food and medical aid to the needy..... Even aside from all that, the Ryan budget purports to reduce the deficit — but the alleged deficit reduction depends on the completely unsupported assertion that trillions of dollars in revenue can be found by closing tax loopholes. Read the story here.

To make his numbers work Mr. Ryan would, by 2022, have to close enough loopholes to yield an extra $700 billion in revenue every year. So which specific loopholes has Mr. Ryan said he would close? None. Not one.

He has, however, categorically ruled out any move to close the major loophole that benefits the rich, namely the ultra-low tax rates on income from capital. Oh, yes, it has been endorsed by Mitt Romney!

Read the sorry story here.

New York Times Editorial Slams GOP's Budget.

Krugman: House GOP Budget: The Most Fraudulent in American History

Join ERA's Sept 2012 We Are Woman March on DC

All across the country, through legislative proposals, government regulations, and political rhetoric, war is being waged upon women, their bodies, their private interests, and their right to self-determination. This is occurring without, and in spite of, the participation of the same women being affected by these actions, and whose futures, and those of their families, are being unilaterally determined. Read the rest here

Scott Throws County Budgets Into Turmoil; Say Hello to Property Tax Increases and Service Cuts

Gov. Rick Scott signed a controversial bill into law that will change the way counties are billed for Medicaid costs. Counties could be forced to pay the state an additional $325.5 million in the coming years in Medicaid bills. The Florida Association of Counties has convened a task force to recommend future steps, such as seeking an injunction or filing a lawsuit. Read article here

Federal Judge Overrules Oklahoma's Asinine Ultrasound Law

The 10th Circuit Federal Court has just issued a permanent injunction on a 2010 Oklahoma law that would require all women terminating their pregnancies to first undergo a mandatory ultrasound. The news, which is no doubt welcome to the women in and around Oklahoma who will no longer have to endure the added financial stress and emotional pressure of an unwanted, medically-unnecessary ultrasound, also sets up what is likely to be the next big battle -- this time, before the Supreme Court. Click to read story

On International Women's Day, Congress Debates Measure To Limit Reproductive Rights

And our 'illustrious' Senator Marco Rubio has a BIG hand in it!

Read the full, sorry story here.

The War on Women

Twelve Democratic women Senators wrote a letter to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) asking him to abandon his plans to continue the Senate GOP's recent fight against contraception coverage in the House.

"We are asking that you abandon the promise you have made to bring legislation to the House floor similar to the Blunt amendment, which was defeated in the Senate last week, and which would turn the clock back on women's access to health care," the senators, led by Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), wrote. "At a time when 99 percent of sexually active women in the U.S. have used birth control, its role in the lives of women and their families is hard to understate. ... That is why the recent Republican attacks on birth control access have been so eye-opening for American women. For most American women, the battle over contraception was settled a half century ago."

Florida Legislature Action Review

Read the list here, complete with full story links.

Majority Of Super PAC Money From Handful of Contributors

GOP Nominee Will Be Deeply Indebted to Specific Richest Americans

USA Today analyzed super PAC donations since Jan. 1, 2011, and found that one out of every four dollars came from just five spectacularly wealthy donors -- Harold Simmons, owner of Contran; Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson and his wife, Miriam; Houston home builder Bob Perry and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel. All of the donors donated to Republican-leaning groups.

Read the story here
Read the meaning here

Happy Valentines Day - GOP votes AGAINST Prevention of Violence Towards Women

Protecting women from violence and abuse has been an issue of bipartisan cooperation since President Clinton signed the landmark Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in 1994. It was reauthorized with overwhelming bipartisan support in 2000 and again in 2005. Not this year.

Since VAWA was first enacted, reporting of domestic violence has increased by as much as 51 percent.

Read the whole sorry story here

Shining A Light On ALEC and The Florida Legislature

Watch Susan Smith's interview with WMNF News

Link to ALEC Exposed

Florida Leg. Advocacy Guide

Our friends in Tallahassee concluded their 2012 session on March 9th, but they will be back very soon for an extended session. There are several things you can do. Here's an advocacy guide compiled by Rep. Mark Pafford. Advocacy Guide

Know Their Voting Record and MUCH More

You can find voting records for all Congressional, Statewide, and Legislative positions at this site. To use, search by zip code to find your specific elected officials. Once your list of reps come up, click on a name to see specifics.

When the page for an elected official comes up, look under their picture. There you see items such as Biographical, Voting Record, Issue Positions, Interest Group Ratings, Position Papers, Speeches and Public Statements, Additional Biographical Information, and Campaign Finances. Click on any one to see specifics. Very interesting info!

Did You Know?

If the United States had in recent years closed the gap between its educational achievement levels and those of better-performing nations such as Finland and Korea, Gross Domestic Product in 2008 could have been $1.3 trillion to $2.3 trillion higher. This represents 9 to 16 percent of GDP." -- McKinsey & Co. Report 2009