Make Higher Ed’s Voice Heard at FL Redistricting Hearings

June 10, 2011. Venues provide opportunity to point out that legislators have found money to protect their jobs but not Florida public education

Despite the most devastating budget cuts in state history, legislative leaders were still able to sock away millions to protect their jobs. The House and Senate have set aside upwards of $30 million to fight Amendments 5 & 6 in court and promote their version of a redistricting plan.

In addition to millions for legal expenses, the Florida House and Senate Reapportionment Committees will spend taxpayer money to hold 26 joint hearings around the state this summer.  These hearing are being billed as an opportunity for Floridians to provide input on how legislators should draw district boundaries.

We hope you will take advantage of these public hearings, which will be heavily attended by legislative leadership and media, to protest the drastic cuts the Legislature made to public education funding.  This is a great opportunity for parents, students and public school employees to tell legislators to ‘reapportion’ the budget!  Voters in districts that are being forced to lay off school employees should be outraged that there is money to protect legislators’ jobs but not to adequately fund our classrooms.

Attached (and below) is a schedule of the upcoming hearings.  Also attached is an overview of the redistricting issue prepared by Progress Florida.

In major markets, community groups such as the League of Women Voters, Common Cause, the AFL-CIO and the NAACP are organizing local coalitions to ensure that these hearings are well attended.  While the summer months are particularly challenging for us, please do whatever you can to make sure public education is well represented.

Please email us at president(at)uff-fau.org if you would like more information on the hearings or info on who may be organizing attendance in your area.