FEBRUARY 6 @ 2:00-3:00
ZOOM
Join Florida League of Women Voters President, Jessica Lowe-Minor, as she explains Why to Say No to Mid-Decade Redistricting. Jessica will discuss the legal, financial, and voter consequences of Redistricting. She will also discuss the politics at play. Here is your chance to hear directly from the State President and ask your questions.
|  NOTES FROM THE PRESIDENT
“A Savior is not coming. The Savior is us.” —Howard Simon
Tuesday night I had the honor of listening to Howard Simon, Former ACLU Executive Director, speak at the Naples United Church of Christ. Those two simple lines caused me to have goosebumps.
As a nonpartisan organization, it is difficult to find a way to achieve additions and not subtractions (referencing my message from the last LWVCC Voter). However, when democracy is threatened, it does not matter the political party. Our constitution is 250 years old. Some think it should be revised. Others think it has served us well and should continue. What I do know is that democracy is built around that 239-year-old document, and it is the one that we should obey.
Last night Howard shared a list of 13 things we can do to help advance democracy. The first is to stay informed and engaged. LWVCC is one of the best ways to accomplish that. Learn about the other 12 ways:
Thanks for being a part of the League of Women Voters of Collier County and be sure to join our Hot Topics on Friday, when Jessica Lowe-Minor will address Redistricting, and the way it will impact all of us.
| TALLAHASSEE TALLY
After our LWV Lobby Days in Tallahassee, we have been following a group of key bills that relate to LWV positions. While we focused on speaking with our legislators about the opposition to mid-cycle redistricting when we were there (there is no current bill regarding this issue), we also discussed several other bills that are in process and concern us. There have been 1200 bills filed during this session, although not all of them will proceed to committee and to a vote. We have identified a short list of the bills that are moving along in the chambers, relating to voting, elections, environment, gun safety, reproductive rights and home rule.
Please check out the bills at FLhouse.gov or FLsenate.gov. Just put the bill number at the top and you can see details about the bills and their status in this year’s legislative session.
President Teresa Stohs and Government Committee Chair Stacy Vermylen at League Lobby Days | 
Volunteer to observe the City of Naples Canvassing Board for the 2026 Naples Municipal election! At an open public meeting, the Canvassing Board conducts the Logic and Accuracy test of ballot processing and voting machines, reviews Vote-by-Mail (VBM) and provisional ballots, certifies the official results of the election and observes the manual audit of precinct/race. This is an important League service in supporting our mission of free and fair elections, with interesting people who care about election security. Volunteers are needed for the following dates and times:
- Thursday, February 5, 5:05 p.m. (VBM & Provisional Ballots, Official Certification, Select Audit Precinct)
- Wednesday February 11, 10:00 a.m. (Manual Audit)
The meetings will be held at the office of the Supervisor of Elections, 3750 Enterprise Avenue, Naples, 34104. If you can observe one or more meetings, volunteer observers will receive background information to familiarize them with this interesting and important task.
VOLUNTEER FOR CANVASSING BOARD
(login required)
VOTER SERVICES "LUNCH AND LEARN"
February 12 @ 12:30-2:30
Altavilla Pizza & Trattoria
We would like to invite you to our new session to discuss and work on important initiatives such as redistricting, voter outreach, returning citizens and any LWVFL call to action and/or legislative updates. We will have a light lunch, registration is appreciated! Any questions please feel free to contact Tina Palmese or Laura Hansen Reynolds.
REGISTER
(login required)
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MARCH 2026 Selection
For those who enjoy a memoir that is inspirational and candid, that shows the importance of determination and family, and offers an intimate look into a woman’s personal and professional journey, then Lovely One by Ketanji Brown Jackson is the perfect book for you. Jackson’s book was suggested by League members who read it, knowing that it would lead to a great discussion of this native Miamian, first Black woman appointed to the US Supreme Court. Monday, March 16, 3 p.m. is the date for getting together to chat about this book. As an FYI, and if you like the shorter young adult version, that just became available in January. Both versions are available at our new independent bookstore: Books on Third, 1300 Third Street South, Suite 201, Naples. www.booksonthird.com. The location of the discussion will be available after registering. There are a limited number of seats, so get your copy, sign-up on the website calendar and start reading! For more information e-mail Ida Margolis.
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The Communications Team video series titled “Civics Unplugged” is being posted regularly on all of LWVCC’s social media sites. The goal of these short reels is to educate viewers on the basics of national and local civics, such as Branches of Government, Voting Rights, Constitutional Amendments, City Council, and more.
Whichever social media you use—Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, or YouTube—the more “clicks” on the postings we get, the more engagement we will see in our community! So please make sure you follow our social media to view, like, comment, and share our reels.
| LWVFL ANNOUNCES STATE-WIDE BOOK CLUB
In addition to our local league book group, our state league (LWVFL) is designing a 2026 Bringing Floridians Together Book Club. This Book Club’s goal is to foster critical thinking, empathy, and intellectual curiosity among League members through shared reading and dialogue, with quarterly book selections and monthly virtual discussion groups.
Featured titles for 2026 are:
- High Conflict by Amanda Ripley, 2/27/26 Online Book Club Discussion
- The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt, 5/29/26 Online Book Club Discussion
- I Never Thought of It That Way by Monica Guzman,8/28/26 Online Book Club Discussion
- The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves by Alexandra Hudson, 11/20/26 Online Book Club Discussion
The Bringing Floridians Together Book Club will support participating members with reading guides and discussion prompts and a closed Facebook group or private forum for asynchronous discussion.
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UPCOMING EVENTS |
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| February 6 @ 2:00-3:00 |
Hot Topic: Why Say No to
Mid-Decade Redistricting |
| February 25 @ 8:00-2:30 |
KYCG Day 1 |
| February 27 @ 12:00 |
LWVFL Book Discussion
High Conflict |
March 9 @ 11:30-1:30
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Luncheon & General Meeting |
| March 16 @ 3:00-4:30 |
Book Group Discussion
Lovely One |
| April 18 @ 10:00-3:00 |
Earth Day |
Visit the LWVCC Calendar for event details
| UPCOMING COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Check our Event Calendar for meeting locations and more information. LWVCC committee meetings are for members and their invited guests unless stated otherwise, members should log in to the website to register to get the Zoom links for committee meetings and other events. | Plastics Task Force Meeting
February 5 @ 3:30-5:00
Zoom
| Environmental Affairs Committee Meeting
February 12 @ 10:00-11:30
Collier Community Foundation
Judy Hushon will present the status of environmental legislation being proposed in the Florida legislative session.
| Gun Violence Prevention Subcommittee Meeting
February 18 @10:00-11:00
ZOOM
Thomas Gabor, Ph.D. He will be speaking about the fact that gun violence is the leading cause of deaths among children. | Juvenile Justice Committee Meeting
February 20 @10:00-12:00
Finemark Bank | Board Meeting
March 4 @ 9:30-12:00
Moorings Park Board Room | Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in Government. We influence public policy through education and advocacy. Our goal is to empower citizens to take an active role in shaping better communities worldwide. The League of Women Voters of Collier County does not support or endorse any candidate or political party.
| League of Women Voters of Collier County
P.O. Box 9883Naples, FL 34101
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