ISSUES
Medicaid Expansion
September/October 2020
The current focus of the LWVFL Health Care Committee (HCC) is to support the passing of Medicaid Expansion in Florida by working closely with the coalition organization, Medicaid Matters Florida, to educate all Florida voters, particularly legislators, on what it would mean for Florida.
Did you know:
Consequently, the LWVJFC HCC is asking all LWVJFC members to join the coalition of individuals and organizations fighting to expand Medicaid in Florida at www.healthcareforfl.org , now as a member of LWVJFC. And rather than having local meetings, our members are asked, temporarily, to participate in the monthly LWVFL Health Care Committee (HCC) conference.
In addition, the HCC needs help from all local members in identifying specific organizations and contact persons in the Jacksonville area which may benefit from a presentation by a LWVFL volunteer on Why Medicaid Expansion is needed in Florida. Please contact Mary McLaughlin at mclaum2001@yahoo.com with any suggestions.
July 2020
National Popular Vote: Introducing Some Common Myths
Myth #1: It shouldn’t be difficult to amend the Constitution to elect the President by popular vote, right? Nope, wrong!
Historically, there have been nearly 600 amendment attempts. Why is it so hard?
It takes the approval of 2/3 of Congress and 3/4 of the states. Enough said?
The US Constitution states in Article II, “Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct…” There it is! Each legislature chooses how it casts its electoral votes. Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia have selected the “winner-take-all” method. Maine and Nebraska split their electoral votes. Just as easily, each state may choose to cast its electors for the candidate who receives the greatest number of popular votes nationwide. And, there you have it: The National Popular Vote will go into effect when states with 270 electors choose this way.
June 2020
It probably comes as a surprise to no one, at least none of our savvy League members, to learn that things have been a little slow at Floridians for the National Popular Vote. Well, at least to outside observers. But statewide, League members have been working away, building a stronger team, and slowly gnawing away at the resistance. The resistance in this case consists of the Florida State House and Senate. Most of the action has been centered around contacting (nagging?) our legislators including educating and convincing them of the merits of Florida joining the NPV Interstate Compact. And yes, that has shown moderate success. Stay tuned.
Meanwhile, education on the local level involving public speaking has ground to a halt. Hopefully, that will be resumed sometime within the next year. My request would be to ask each of you to think through any groups that may be looking for guest speakers and pass that info on to me at pamedro@yahoo.com. Please address it “NPV Speaker.” Depending how the 2020 presidential election proceeds, this may be a hot topic.
(A quick flash reminder: the state League was joined by Common Cause, Making Every Vote Count, and the national level NPV in 2019 to form Floridians for NPV. The League has taken on the task of education of both our politicians and the public. Website: FloridiansforNPV.com)
The current focus of the LWVFL Health Care Committee (HCC) is to support the passing of Medicaid Expansion in Florida by working closely with the coalition organization, Medicaid Matters Florida, to educate all Florida voters, particularly legislators, on what it would mean for Florida.
Did you know:
- That Florida has one of the highest rates of uninsured adults (under 65) in the nation, numbering before the pandemic almost 900,000 eligible for Medicaid Expansion. With massive job losses that number as of mid-July is estimated to be 1.5 million.
- If Florida had expanded Medicaid it would have prevented over 2,700 deaths between 2014-17.
- Medicaid Expansion will bring back to Florida an infusion of over 14 billion federal tax dollars in the first 5 years, primarily by reducing state and local funds presently spent on Health Care.]
Consequently, the LWVJFC HCC is asking all LWVJFC members to join the coalition of individuals and organizations fighting to expand Medicaid in Florida at www.healthcareforfl.org , now as a member of LWVJFC. And rather than having local meetings, our members are asked, temporarily, to participate in the monthly LWVFL Health Care Committee (HCC) conference.
In addition, the HCC needs help from all local members in identifying specific organizations and contact persons in the Jacksonville area which may benefit from a presentation by a LWVFL volunteer on Why Medicaid Expansion is needed in Florida. Please contact Mary McLaughlin at mclaum2001@yahoo.com with any suggestions.
July 2020
National Popular Vote: Introducing Some Common Myths
Myth #1: It shouldn’t be difficult to amend the Constitution to elect the President by popular vote, right? Nope, wrong!
Historically, there have been nearly 600 amendment attempts. Why is it so hard?
It takes the approval of 2/3 of Congress and 3/4 of the states. Enough said?
The US Constitution states in Article II, “Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct…” There it is! Each legislature chooses how it casts its electoral votes. Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia have selected the “winner-take-all” method. Maine and Nebraska split their electoral votes. Just as easily, each state may choose to cast its electors for the candidate who receives the greatest number of popular votes nationwide. And, there you have it: The National Popular Vote will go into effect when states with 270 electors choose this way.
June 2020
It probably comes as a surprise to no one, at least none of our savvy League members, to learn that things have been a little slow at Floridians for the National Popular Vote. Well, at least to outside observers. But statewide, League members have been working away, building a stronger team, and slowly gnawing away at the resistance. The resistance in this case consists of the Florida State House and Senate. Most of the action has been centered around contacting (nagging?) our legislators including educating and convincing them of the merits of Florida joining the NPV Interstate Compact. And yes, that has shown moderate success. Stay tuned.
Meanwhile, education on the local level involving public speaking has ground to a halt. Hopefully, that will be resumed sometime within the next year. My request would be to ask each of you to think through any groups that may be looking for guest speakers and pass that info on to me at pamedro@yahoo.com. Please address it “NPV Speaker.” Depending how the 2020 presidential election proceeds, this may be a hot topic.
(A quick flash reminder: the state League was joined by Common Cause, Making Every Vote Count, and the national level NPV in 2019 to form Floridians for NPV. The League has taken on the task of education of both our politicians and the public. Website: FloridiansforNPV.com)