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.
| Redistricting Public Meetings:
Monday, June 20, 2011 |
Tallahassee | |
| 201106212 Tuesday, June 21, 2011 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM* CST WSRE-TV Jean & Paul Amos Performance Studio |
Pensacola | |
| 201106213 Tuesday, June 21, 2011 6:00 – 9:00 PM* CST Ft. Walton Beach High School |
Ft. Walton Beach | |
| 201106224 Wednesday, June 22, 2011 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM* CST Gulf Coast Community College |
Panama City | |
| 201107115 Monday, July 11, 2011 2:00 – 4:00 PM* and 6:00 – 8:00 PM* Florida State College at Jacksonville Downtown Campus |
Jacksonville | |
| 201107126 Tuesday, July 12, 2011 8:00 – 11:00 AM* Flagler College |
St. Augustine | |
| 201107127 Tuesday, July 12, 2011 6:00 – 9:00 PM* News Journal Center at Daytona State College |
Daytona Beach | |
| 201107138 Wednesday, July 13, 2011 8:00 AM – Noon* Colony Cottage Recreation Center |
The Villages | |
| 201107139 Wednesday, July 13, 2011 6:00 – 9:00 PM* Santa Fe College |
Gainesville | |
| 2011072510 Monday, July 25, 2011 2:00 – 5:00 PM* Polk State College |
Lakeland | |
| 2011072611 Tuesday, July 26, 2011 8:00 – 11:00 AM* Hardee County Civic Center |
Wauchula | |
| 2011072612 Tuesday, July 26, 2011 6:00 – 9:00 PM* Wiregrass Ranch High School Gym |
Wesley Chapel | |
| 2011072713 Wednesday, July 27, 2011 2:00 – 4:00 PM* and 6:00 – 8:00 PM* Bob Carr Performing Arts Center |
Orlando | |
| 2011072814 Thursday, July 28, 2011 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM* Brevard County Government Center at Viera |
Melbourne | |
| 2011081515 Monday, August 15, 2011 6:00 – 9:00 PM* Blake Library |
Stuart | |
| 2011081616 Tuesday, August 16, 2011 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM* Florida Atlantic University |
Boca Raton | |
| 2011081617 Tuesday, August 16, 2011 6:00 – 9:00 PM* Broward College |
Davie | |
| 2011081718 Wednesday, August 17, 2011 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM* Miami Dade College |
Miami | |
| 2011081719 Wednesday, August 17, 2011 6:00 – 9:00 PM* Florida International University College of Law |
South Miami | |
| 2011081820 Thursday, August 18, 2011 4:00 – 7:00 PM* Florida Keys Community College |
Key West | |
| 2011082921 Monday, August 29, 2011 4:00 – 8:00 PM* Hillsborough County Commission |
Tampa | |
| 2011083022 Tuesday, August 30, 2011 8:00 – 11:00 AM* EpiCenter at St. Pete College |
Largo | |
| 2011083023 Tuesday, August 30, 2011 6:00 – 9:00 PM* New College |
Sarasota | |
| 2011083124 Wednesday, August 31, 2011 8:00 – 11:00 AM* Naples Daily News Community Room |
Naples | |
| 2011083125 Wednesday, August 31, 2011 6:00 – 9:00 PM* Veteran’s Park Gymnasium |
Lehigh Acres | |
| 2011090126 Thursday, September 1, 2011 8:00 – 11:00 AM* Hendry County Health Department |
Clewiston |