| Coming in March, we have an incredible lineup for Hot Topics!
Four local leaders have made history, becoming the first women to head Orange County Court in all aspects. The League of Women Voters of Orange County hosts a panel discussion that will celebrate their achievements as part of Women's History Month.
*Members, remember to log into the system first to receive your discount!
The moderator is Patricia Broussard, a constitutional law professor at Florida A&M University College of Law. The panelists are the Hon. Lisa T. Munyon, chief judge of the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court; State Attorney Monique Worrell; Orange County Court Clerk Tiffany Moore Russell, and Public Defender Melissa Vickers
|  |  |  | | Leaguer Debbie Deland (also president of the Greater Orlando National Org. for Women) was featured recently in the Orlando Sentinel with her commentary: Florida must finally tell the truth about the Ocoee Massacre
"The Ocoee Massacre and all the other Florida racial violence are not just historical events. They are mirrors. And the question it asks us is simple: Will we look away, or will we finally face who we have been so we can become something better? We can’t change if we don’t know the patterns of our past.
Florida cannot build a just future on a foundation of denial."
|  | ENJOY a special free screening of the film The Inquisitor at the Winter Park Library at 6pm on Tuesday, March 10.
Bridging the gap between Black History and Women's History months, enjoy this event celebrating Barbara Jordan. She was the first African American Texas Senator elected since Reconstruction.
"Today, I am an inquisitor. I shall not sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction of the Constitution." | | |
| Learning something new during Black History Month: The game of Spades known today is an evolution of Bid Whist, a blend of Whist and Bridge created by enslaved Black people in the south. Enslaved Black people weren’t allowed to learn how to read or write English, but slaveowners believed that the game of whist would help them with the forced labor, so they were allowed to play cards. Bid Whist was also popular during the Civil War, influencing military culture. The game remained a popular game for African American people in the south. ~ DEIA Committee
| | | | |  | | JOIN THEM!
From their last year of advocating, this committee has had a tremendous impact on bringing their message forward:
“Working with partners, our enthusiastic committee members gave out more than 200 gun locks at back-to-school events and 800 more through the Tax Collector’s office. We created a door hanger advocating secure gun storage. We actively advocated for gun safety laws: We opposed a bill that would lower the age to own long guns and a bill that could allow some college employees to carry concealed weapons; and we supported legislation that would require alerts to school neighbors of threats such as school shooters.” – Linda Coffin and Fiona E. Shannon, Gun Violence Prevention Co-Chairs.
|  | Hot Topics has long been a keystone event for LWVOC. Ten-eleven months of the year, we host luncheons at the Winter Park Events Center, and it is no small undertaking to organize! Dedicated volunteers make it happen and to continue, they need MORE help!
If PHOTOGRAPHY is your vocation or hobby, can you help us for a couple of hours monthly at Hot Topics? We need basic captures of the panel and guests, and we can assist with uploading them into our Club Express system.
If A/V (Audio/Visual) tech is one of your skills-interests, we can show you how we set up our Facebook Live streaming and panelist audio. We desperately need a backup person/crew!
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Upcoming Committee Meetings | | FEB 26, 5:30pm
Nat'l Resources Meeting
MAR 4, 7:00pm
Immigration Mtg
| | MAR 16, 11:30am
Government Committee
MAR 19, 6:00pm
Fund Development Meeting
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>>Click How to Volunteer video for easy instructions! Volunteer opportunities are open to League members only.
Observer Corps
Volunteers observe council meetings (via Zoom or in person) and submit for Gov. committee. Check the Volunteer page for Orlando and Apopka opportunities.
Hot Topics Merch Table
Once a month, come a little early to Hot Topics to set up and manage a table selling our League branded merchandise. Upcoming opportunities in March and April
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High School Voter Registration and Speaker Presentations
We partner with Student Government Associations (SGA) at lunchtime to register students to vote and often with staff from the Supervisor of Elections office. All volunteers must have taken and passed the LWVFL Voter Registration Assistance Quiz and be registered with Orange County Public Schools as ADDitions Volunteers for whichever high school you're volunteering for.
| | | | | | Adopt-a-Precinct 2026
Attention all past Adopt-a-Precinct volunteers, and those that would like to join our dedicated teams. We were not assigned a precinct for the municipal elections this March but expect to be participating in full force for the Midterms - the August 18th Primary and the November 3rd General Election. Please mark those dates on your calendars. Veterans, I will be in touch soon.
Potential new poll workers, please contact Mary Montanus at mcmontanus@gmail.com. Take this personal opportunity to join together in support of the security and integrity of our elections. | | | BE INVOLVED in a different way!
Poll Monitor Training (Virtual) is being offered from the Florida Election Protection Coalition (FLEPC). Poll Monitors volunteer at election sites and monitor activity for voting rights violations. The training is free and there is no obligation to volunteer at a site. Training dates and links HERE
NEEDED: Voter Outreach volunteers who speak Spanish or Haitian Creole!! Please contact>> Saudi Ellis
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 @LWVFlorida is launching its virtual book club on Feb. 27, 2026 as part of our statewide initiative to build trust within our communities and strengthen Floridians’ ability to engage in civil dialogue. We’re excited to connect with our neighbors and discuss High Conflict by Amanda Ripley. You don’t want to miss this book club! RSVP at bit.ly/LWVFLBookClub_Feb.
|  | From our friends at Equality Florida: The Anti-Diversity in Local Government bill would ban, repeal, and defund any local government programming, policy, or activity that provides “preferential treatment or special benefits” or is “designed or implemented” with respect to race, color, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Despite carve-outs, many threats remain, including to City and County promotion, funding, or support for: Come Out With Pride , Orlando Latino Fest , Central Florida Jewish Film Festival, Language translation regarding government services – 33% of Orange County residents are Hispanic/Latino and should have full access to services, and Pulse Remembrance Proclamations
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 | Is it RENEWAL time for you? We learned in December that some of our members may have thought that their membership was up to date but this was actually NOT the case. If you have not renewed recently, please visit the LWVUS portal HERE to confirm your membership is still active. Thank you for your support! We could not do this without you!
If you have any questions please reach out to Katie Sanders, our Operations Manager at operationsmanager@lwvoc.org.
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Our Nominating Committee is in the process of interviewing prospective members of the 2026-2027 Board of Directors. Our board guides our priorities, encourages members in their activism and supports League efforts to defend democracy. If you feel called to serve the League in this capacity, please contact Kay Hudson lwvkay@gmail.com or any member of the Nominating Committee: Sandi Vidal, Gina Hall, Kathy Sheeran and Joan Erwin. | | |
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Gloria Neal
Mark Winton
Heather Gilbert
Allison McMillen
Arin Partington
Share this newsletter and encourage your friends and family to JOIN HERE
*Current members, don't forget that you'll be renewing through our national LWVUS site! Watch your email for reminders! |  |
Kay E. Haxton, generous donation
Leonard Mobley, Giving Society
LWVOC offers multiple ways to $upport our non-profit with giving preferences such as "planned giving" as well as our "Giving Society". Explore these and more on our Giving page HERE. Contact Lee Rambeau Kemp if you have questions. | | |
Sponsors are vital to our work to empower voters by providing timely information for the benefit of non-partisan civic engagement in our community and we have a range of sponsorship levels available. To further explore how to become a sponsor, please contact LWVOC Vice President and Fund Development Chair Lee Rambeau Kemp HERE
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