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Legislative Update 10/29/21

Legislative update from our Legislative Director, Jim Bonafiglio:
Gov. DeSantis, facing a recent suit filed by The Harvard Election Law Clinic, set the special election to fill the vacancies that arose when several electeds filed to fill the District 20 Congressional seat left vacant when Alcee Hastings passed. The three state districts, Broward Co. Senate District 33, and Palm Beach County House seats Districts 88 and 94 were left vacant as of January 2022 when Sen. Perry Thurston and Reps. Bobby DuBose and Omari Hardy, resigned to qualify for Hasting’s open seat. The governor set the primary date for each seat on Jan. 11, 2022 and the general election on March 8.Coincidentally the Democrats will have fewer members in each chamber for the 60-day legislative session next year, which starts Jan. 11 and ends March 11 because whoever wins will not be seated for the 2022 session. For more info see:
Gov. DeSantis’ right wing Surgeon General designate  Dr. Joseph Ladapo and his aides refused to wear a mask at a scheduled meeting to garner support for his confirmation hearing with immuno-compromised Sen. Tina Polsky. Sen. Polsky is fighting stage 1 breast cancer. She underwent a lumpectomy in September and is scheduled for radiation treatment. Sen. Polsky’s office has a sign asking visitors to wear a mask. The smug appointee and his aides refused, so after several uncomfortable minutes no meeting occurred. The right wing media has blamed Sen. Polsky for her “inconsistent” stance, and her refusal to compromise with Dr. Ladapo. Sen. Polsky noted that she sometimes does not wear a mask when meeting with people she knows have been vaccinated.   For more info see:

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NOW Hails White House’s First-Ever National Gender Strategy

Released on 

Washington, D.C. – The Biden-Harris Administration was elected to advance the full participation of all people, regardless of gender. With the release of the first-ever national gender strategy to advance equity and equality, that’s precisely what it’s doing.  

NOW applauds the interconnected priorities identified by the strategy, including a renewed national focus on gender-based violence from a trauma-informed perspective. It is imperative that we continue to acknowledge that longstanding gender discrimination and systemic barriers have held women and girls back. The White House notes that gender-based violence is “endemic” in homes, schools, workplaces, the military, communities, and online, exacting a terrible toll on the safety, health and economic security of survivors and their families. 

For more than 50 years, NOW’s grassroots have centered our efforts to spark a national conversation to address gendered systemic injustices and ways we can end violence against women. From educating the public about gender-based violence to increasing access to health care, advancing gender equity and equality in the law, the workplace and leadership roles, and improving economic security with permanent investments in the care infrastructure – we commend our allies in the administration for working to prioritize an intersectional feminist agenda with these policy goals.  

NOW looks forward to working with the Biden-Harris Administration on enacting this vitally important gender policy strategy.  

Contact: Press Team, press@now.org,

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Senator Lori Berman and Representative Emily Slosberg File Bill Requiring Recording of Child Custody and Child Support Court Proceedings

October 19, 2021

CONTACT:

Abby Ross                                                                Thomas Wilmouth
Office of Senator Lori Berman                             Office of Representative Emily Slosberg
Ross.Abby@flsenate.gov                                       Thomas.Wilmouth@myfloridahouse.gov
850.487.5031                                                          850.717.509

Senator Lori Berman and Representative Emily Slosberg File Bill Requiring Recording of Child Custody and Child Support Court Proceedings

Tallahassee, FL – Today Senator Lori Berman (D-Delray Beach) and Representative Emily Slosberg (D-Boca Raton) filed SB 558/HB 339, which requires any court proceedings in which issues of parental responsibility or time-sharing must be electronically or stenographically recorded, made available to the parties for purchase, and at no cost to an indigent party seeking to appeal the court’s ruling.

According to Families Against Court Travesties (FACTs), Inc. and the Palm Beach County Chapter of the National Organization for Women, “In Florida, all Family Courts are not required to record proceedings. To protect children and families, it is important for the court to provide all litigants with a recording or transcript. This legislation represents positive changes for Family Courts and makes all courts play by the same rules.”

“I have worked on legislation seeking to improve the lives of women, children and families my entire legislative career,” said Senator Berman. “Ensuring all people, whether indigent or not, have equitable access to court recordings is vital, especially when we’re speaking of a child’s future. In today’s world of technological advances, ensuring all courtrooms are equipped to record hearings should be easy to implement.”

“Criminal, guardianship and child dependency court proceedings are required to be recorded. This legislation seeks to have court proceedings that concern placement of children and support of children formalized by more than a docket entry so as to dignify and be fair to parents and their children,” Representative Slosberg said.

The Florida Supreme Court, through the Rules of Judicial Administration, has established a policy favoring the recording and transcribing of judicial proceedings. A formal record of proceedings is required for any appeal, and deters frivolous post-judgment motions and appeals.

Palm Beach County NOW

Palm Beach County NOW is a grassroots feminist organization fighting for women’s issues and justice since 1972.

Learn more about us.

Contact

Mailing Address
Palm Beach County NOW
P.O. Box 7322
Delray Beach, FL 33482

Phone
888-394-0004

E-Mail
nowpbc@gmail.com