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Note: This is the second in a series of All-Star portraits celebrating Martin County Democrats who have made lasting contributions to the Martin County Democratic Party. A conversation with Bob and Louise took place in their home in October 2021 and is the basis for this article. **Click on pictures to enlarge and obtain info.** Bob and Louise Cunha Bob: “Hi. Who are you voting for? I’m voting for Kennedy. I’m a Democrat.” ​ Louise: “I’m voting for Nixon. I’m a Republican.” ​ And thus it began 61 years ago... The Dance It was September 17, 1960, and Louise Tilford had arrived at Northeastern University in Boston only nine days earlier to begin her college education. She was a 17-year-old girl from a small town in Vermont who had dreamed of going to college in the big city, and through her dedication and hard work she had finally realized this dream. On this fateful night of the university’s Freshman Welcoming Dance, sophomore Bob Cunha knew that the dance would be a fine opportunity to meet a new girl on campus and so he planned to attend. Having been interested in politics for most of his young life, Bob had crafted a rather unusual “pick-up line,” as Louise calls it – asking the girl of his choice whether she was voting for Kennedy – and he was ready to put his creativity to use. When Bob arrived, he spotted Louise in the long line outside the gymnasium. She had beautiful red hair and was wearing a pretty yellow sweater, and Bob was immediately attracted to her. He says it was love at first sight. He approached Louise with his unusual but distinctive introduction, Louise responded in kind, and they then entered the dance floor together where the more worldly Bob taught Louise how to dance the Mexican Hat Dance which was playing at the time. Politics was put aside for the rest of the dance that night – a feat rarely repeated in the years to follow. Different Politics, Different Backgrounds In those weeks following the dance, Bob and Louise spent a great deal of time together and soon recognized they had different family backgrounds which influenced their views on life and politics. Bob’s father was an illegal immigrant from Lisbon, Portugal who set foot in the US at New Bedford in 1914. A Merchant Marine, Anthony Cunha overstayed his visa and for a time was an illegal who risked deportation but ultimately was granted amnesty through a mass proclamation from President Herbert Hoover. Bob’s mother was from the Azores but, since her father had lived in the US for a time, she was a citizen. Bob was the youngest of seven children, and his parents had little money. In fact, his family lived on the first floor of a three-decker in Somerville, MA, just outside Boston. There were three bedrooms: one for his parents, one for his four sisters, and one for Bob and his brother, the other brother having moved out by the time Bob came along. For Bob, being raised in this impoverished environment made him aware of those who provided help to his family and to his community. He saw first-hand that elected officials from the Democratic Party were the ones who advocated for his poor family and neighbors. In return, these Democrats secured the support of Bob’s family and neighbors. In fact, at his mother’s urging, Bob began going door-to-door handing out campaign information for his Democratic Party alderman when Bob was only 12 years old and ever since then he has been active in Democratic Party politics in one form or another. One example of a politician helping his constituent that Bob fondly recalls occurred when Congressman Tip O’Neil helped Bob’s brother, who had returned from the Korean War, secure a job with Boston Edison, a job his brother held until his retirement. This was a time, as Bob says, when politicians actually served the public and acted on behalf of their constituents. In contrast to Bob’s city life, Louise grew up in the countryside of Vermont along with her two younger brothers. Her parents were both college-educated, identified as Republicans, and provided Louise and her brothers with some comforts of middle-class life in 1950’s America. She attended the Methodist church, took her high school studies seriously, and prepared for life beyond East Middlebury, VT. Politics played no role in her life back then. She had her fill with family, church, school, and friends. Nonetheless, she felt the lure of the big city and when the college years arrived, she chose to attend Northeastern University. After Bob’s conversation starter at the dance, politics did not rear its head again until a few weeks later when Louise invited Bob to a rally that Republican presidential candidate Richard Nixon was having nearby. Louise was supporting Nixon over JFK, and so Bob took this opportunity at the rally to educate Louise on the differences between the two major parties, saying that Democrats were the ones who stood up for the poor and working class, not the Republicans. Having been raised as a Methodist, Louise quickly understood that Democrats rather than Republicans more closely aligned with the teachings of Christianity that she knew about and cared about – serving the poor and disenfranchised. It was after this revelation that Louise switched her party’s allegiance to the Democratic Party, and she has never looked back. Courtship, College, and Marriage After meeting at the dance just nine days after the school year began, Bob and Louise were a constant pair. By Christmas they were both talking marriage and, in fact, on January 1st Louise officially proposed by asking Bob if he would marry her. They continued with their education at Northeastern for a few years and married in December 1963. When Louise later gave birth to their first child, she stopped her studies at Northeastern and became a full-time mom. Bob received his degree in 1964 and started teaching social studies at Sharon High in Sharon, MA. It is notable that Louise never lost sight of her goal of a college education, though, and after their three children were older and she had gotten a job, she attended night school and earned her degree from Northeastern in 1982. Involvement and Activism in MA and GA During the college years, Bob and Louise heard the drumbeat of war. The country had gone through the World Wars and the Korean War, but now pro-war forces had their sights on Vietnam. They enthusiastically became anti-war protesters at Northeastern even before the war began and continued their opposition to the war after Bob began teaching. He even urged 30 teachers at Sharon High to sign a letter against the war and this was published in the Boston Globe. Since the Vietnam War was controversial, many administrators felt this public display of protest was an embarrassment to the Sharon school system and some even called for Bob’s dismissal. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and Bob taught many years thereafter. While teaching, Bob became a member of the teacher’s union and witnessed the vital role that the union had in improving the lives of teachers, and it jived with being a Democrat. He assumed a leadership role in the union. In fact, Bob also was a leader of the union during the only time teachers there went on strike…and the union won. His lengthy career in public education and his work in leading the union in a fight for better working conditions for teachers are two of the primary areas Bob can look back on today with pride and satisfaction. During their years together, Bob and Louise lived mostly in and around Canton, Massachusetts. One of Bob’s rules for living was that upon moving to a different area he soon contacted the local Democratic Party. He wanted to meet local Democrats and he wanted to get involved in local politics and support the goals of the Democratic Party. In the various places they lived, Bob held leadership positions within the local party and worked to get Democratic candidates elected to office. He did the same when he and Louise later moved to Athens, Georgia to be near their children. He impressed his fellow Democrats so much that within a year he became Chair of the DEC in Athens. He focused on fundraising, getting out the vote, and getting young people and minorities to join the local Democratic Party. In fact, familiar to Martin Democrats, his fundraising efforts led to the establishment of two primary events: the Fall Classic and Spring Fling. A highlight of Bob’s Democratic work occurred in 1999 when Bob became determined to have civil rights icon and Georgia House Representative John “good trouble” Lewis appear as the headline speaker for his Athens DEC fundraiser. Bob says he frequently called Lewis’s Atlanta office until Lewis’s secretary finally said Rep. Lewis would attend the event. With only three weeks to prepare with Lewis as headliner, it was a hectic time, but Bob organized the event and over 500 people attended. It was a remarkably successful event for Athens Democrats, and it provided Bob with the treasured memory of meeting and speaking with Representative Lewis. During this time in Athens and previously in Massachusetts, Louise supported Bob in his union and Democratic Party pursuits. However, as a mother and worker, she had little time to get too involved herself with Democratic Party matters. Her motto was “one thing at a time” and she carefully planned what civic and religious groups she devoted time to during those years. She, like Bob, always felt a need to serve, to help make people’s lives better, and she accomplished that through her church activities and through volunteerism with League of Women’s Voters and organizations that focused on such interests as affordable housing, farm workers, and voting rights. The Cunhas Come to Stuart ! After seven years in Athens, Bob and Louise decided to move to Stuart in 2001. Bob knew old teacher friends from Massachusetts who had relocated to Stuart and both Bob and Louise were ready to live near the coast again. As usual with a new move, Bob contacted the DEC in Stuart and he and Louise became involved, though for a while Louise’s job kept her participation to a minimum. When Louise retired from Volunteers for Medicine, they both immersed themselves into the local political scene. Along with Jackie Trancynger and Barbara and Richard Learned, they established the Martin County Democratic Club in 2003 and Louise was president of the club for seven years, focusing on getting volunteers for phone calling and canvassing and establishing two big fundraisers each year (not surprisingly called the Fall Classic and Spring Fling) to provide financial support to the DEC. Louise was also instrumental in establishing the Holiday Party, a joint effort of the DEC, Democratic Club, and Women’s Club. Both during and after her stint as Democratic Club president, Louise has been heavily involved in supporting Democratic candidates by engaging in phone banking, canvassing, and mailings. She and Bob have both served as precinct co-captains for the past decade, where they encouraged neighbors to vote and learn about the candidates. A peacemaker and optimist, Louise has greatly influenced Martin Democrats over the years since her retirement. ​ As for Bob, he became Treasurer of the DEC for a couple of years and the Treasurer of the Democratic Club for nine years as well as precinct co-caption along with Louise. During Louise’s leadership roles with Martin Democrats, Bob has fully supported Louise’s involvement, just as she did in the earlier years when Bob was active in Massachusetts and Georgia. Today, Bob is 82 and Louise is a young 78, who still plans annual week-long long-distance hikes on the Florida Trail. After 20 years here in Stuart, Bob and Louise continue to support the DEC and Democratic Club and attend meetings whenever possible. Louise, especially, is still involved in phone calling and writing to support Democratic candidates. Furthermore, twice a year she waxes the vinyl floors at Democratic headquarters to ensure they stay clean. Both Bob and Louise are still committed to social justice issues and, hearkening back to their antiwar protests from the 60’s, they will enthusiastically attend a rally that supports women’s rights, BLM, the environment, Democratic candidates, and other issues that Democrats support. Throughout their lives they have wanted to make the world better for those that were hurting – whether it be immigrants, racial minorities, farm workers, the poor, LGBTQ, or any other group that is disadvantaged. They have demonstrated repeatedly that having strong principles and compassion throughout your life makes you a better leader and community activist. We Democrats in Martin County owe Bob and Louise a great debt of gratitude for their dedication to Martin Democrats during the past 20 years. From co-founding the Democratic Club to holding leadership positions for years to providing principled counsel to those who followed them, Bob and Louise are a class act. We are so fortunate in Martin County to have had them in our midst during these past decades providing such inspiring leadership, activism, and guidance. For all this, Bob and Louise Cunha truly belong in the Martin County Democrats All Star club! More pictures....Click to enlarge and start slideshow. Bob and Louise

Esta página del "Salón de la Fama" demócrata del condado de Martin está destinada a ser un lugar donde se pueda celebrar a las personas que han hecho contribuciones significativas a los demócratas del condado de Martin a lo largo de los años ... un lugar donde podemos poner una cara Demócratas del condado de Martin y reconocer a aquellos que han marcado la diferencia. Nuestro primer miembro del Salón de la Fama es Jackie Trancynger. Activista que no teme ser vista y escuchada, ha inspirado a muchos a lo largo de los años. Haga clic en para leer su historia.

Pinot, Política y Pinturas ¡Compra una entrada o un patrocinio!

BIlls Being Considered in the 2022 Florida Legislative Session Session Ends March 11 Overview: How to view the bills Call to Action: What to do with this information General Bills (non-environmental) Environmental Bills General Bills These are non-environmental bills. Topics include Abortion, Equality, Healthcare, Education, Guns, Criminal Justice, etc. Remember: Click on Sponsor for contact info. Click on Bill TItle for official bill info, including its status and committee it is on. Click here for writing LTE. Local legislator info can be found here. If both HB and SB are essentially the same, this page only gives link to SB. Within the SB info, you will see link to HB if you want to view it. ​ ***One of the anti-abortion bills for this session*** HB 5 ( Grall and Persons -Mulicka ) and SB 146 ( Stargel ) – Fetal and Infant Mortality Reduction Among other things, these bills prohibit a physician from performing an abortion if gestational age of fetus is more than 15 weeks. See also HB 167. OPPOSED by Equality Florida HB 7 ( Avila ) and SB 148 ( Diaz and Rodrigues ) – Individual Freedom Sometimes referred to as the “Stop WOKE Actl” …. Similar to SB 148, HB 57, SB 242, which in part prohibit schools from discussing systemic racism or sexism, unconscious bias, and race or sex stereotyping. OPPOSED by Equality Florida HB 35 ( Roach ) and SB 244 ( Gruters ) – Partisan Elections for Members of District School Boards Proposes amendments to the State Constitution to require members of district school board to be elected in partisan election. HB 75 ( Sabatini ) – Limiting COVID-19 Restrictions Prevents state and local governments from issuing mask mandates, vaccine passports, requiring proof of vaccination status before entering business. Voids any mandates currently in place. HB 103 ( Sabatini ) – Carrying of Firearms without Licenses Removes requirement that a license to carry concealed firearm is required in order to carry such firearm; limits areas in which concealed carrying of firearm is prohibited; revises criminal penalties, etc. SUPPORTED by Florida Equality HB 111 ( Geller )) and SB 308 ( Berman ) – Offenses Evidencing Prejudice (aka Hate Crimes Law Expansion) Amends existing hate crimes law so that crimes of prejudice based on gender or gender identity are also considered hate crimes. HB 117 ( Fetterhoff an d Omphroy ) and SB 774 ( Gruters ) – Communicable and Infectious Diseases Adds COVID-19 and infectious diseases to the list of conditions that, if suffered by an emergency rescue or public safety worker, are presumed to have been contracted while at work for purposes of workers' compensation. Unlike similar presumptions in current law for hepatitis, meningococcal meningitis and tuberculosis, the bills do not require the public safety worker or emergency rescue worker to receive immunization against COVID-19 in order to receive the presumptive eligibility provisions afforded by workers' compensation coverage. ​ HB 167 ( Barnaby ) – Abortion This is a “Texas-style Six-Week Abortion Ban.” Requires physician to conduct test for, and inform woman seeking abortion of presence of detectable fetal heartbeat; prohibits physician from performing or inducing abortion if fetal heartbeat is detected or if physician fails to conduct test to detect fetal heartbeat; provides exceptions; authorizes private civil cause of action for certain violations; provides for civil remedies & damages. See also HB 5 and SB 146. SUPPORTED by Florida Equality HB 6015 ( Rayner ) and SB 168 ( Polsky ) – Marriage Between Persons of the Same Sex This bill would delete outdated, patently unconstitutional provisions that ban recognizing same-sex marriage and still defines marriage as only between a man and a woman. HB 171 ( Hart and Valdes ) – Criminal Rehabilitation Specifies that to rehabilitate offender to transition back to community successfully is one of the primary purposes of sentencing; reduces minimum sentence that must be served by defendant from 85 percent of sentence to 65 percent; revises provisions concerning gain time to provide for outstanding deed gain-time, good behavior time, & rehabilitation credits; revises limits on awards. ​ SUPPORTED by Equality Florida HB 199 ( Smith ) and SB 214 ( Farmer ) – Assault Weapons and Large-capacity Magazines Prohibits sale, transfer, or possession of assault weapon or large-capacity magazine; requires certificates of possession for assault weapons or large-capacity magazines lawfully possessed before specified date; limits sales or transfers of assault weapons or large-capacity magazines documented by such certificates; provides enhanced penalties for offenses committed with assault weapon or large-capacity magazine. HB 205 ( Smith ) and SB 374 ( Book ) – Gay and Transgender Panic Legal Defenses Prohibition Act Prohibits using “panic defense” when committing crimes against an LGBTQ person. OPPOSED by Equality Florida HB 211 ( Sabatini ) – Youth Gender and Sexual Identity Sometimes referred to as the "Transgender Youth Medical Care Ban." It would criminalize doctors for providing care to transgender youth. ​ SB 524 ( Hutson ) - Elections This is a bill with wide-ranging changes to Florida's voting laws. Among the changes: Remove limitations on fines that 3rd party voter registration organization can encounter for violations. Require voter driver license or Social Security # on ballots. Bans rank-choiced voting in local elections. Require elections officials in each county to update voter rolls every year, instead of current every odd year. Gives power to the Governor to appoint a special FDLE agent in each of the agency's seven regions to investigate alleged violations of election laws. Creates the Office of Elections Crimes and Security with the Florida Dept of State. HB 549 ( Omphroy ) – Legalization of Recreational Marijuana Would authorize recreational use of marijuana under certain conditions. See bill for details. ​ SB 580 ( Torres ) - Rent Control Measures This is meant to give some rental control authority to local government. Specifically, it deletes previous statue requirements for the termination, expiration, extension, and renewal of local governmental rent control measures. Other Rent Control bills that have been filed: HB 6017 , HB 6113 , SB 1900 ​ OPPOSED by Equality Florida HB 747 ( Snyder and Altman ) and SB 1820 ( Baxley ) – Protections of Medical Conscience Some have called it the “Healthcare Discrimination BIll" or “No Medical Service to Gays” bill. It allows healthcare providers and insurers to deny a patient any sort of care on the basis of religious, moral, or ethical beliefs. Also allows for employment discrimination in healthcare for the same reasons. Many feel this bill would codify discrimination against LGBTQ, non-Christians, etc. SUPPORTED by Equality Florida HB 883 ( Slosbert-King ) – Reclassification of Crimes Evidencing Prejudice Provides for reclassification of felony & misdemeanor offenses for defacing, damaging, or destroying victim's property based upon perpetrator's prejudice; includes certain entities in the definition of "victim." It basically updates current Florida hate crime laws to allow government, public and private organizations to be classified as victims of misdeeds motivated by race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age, or disability. HB 1055 ( Rommel ) – Video Cameras in Public School Classrooms Authorizes school districts to adopt policy to place video cameras in public school classrooms; provides requirements for such policy; provides for viewing video recordings; provides DOE, school district, school, & certain employee responsibilities. SUPPORTED by Equality Florida HB 6065 ( Arrington ) and SB 212 ( Farmer ) – Fairness in Women’s Sports Act Repeals the transgender youth sports ban that was voted in by the legislature in 2021. This bill is called the “Let Kids Play Act” and it repeals provisions related to the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act from 2021. HB 943 ( Harding ) and SB 1124 ( Gruters ) -- Preemption of Local Government Wage Mandates Creates the “Minimum Wage Act.” Prohibits local governments from mandating a wage higher than the state minimum -- another attack on home rule. SUPPORTED by Equality Florida HB 1409 ( Eskamani ) – Education in Public Schools Concerning Human Sexuality Calls for the “Florida Healthy Adolescent Act” which includes having public schools provide information regarding human sexuality. This bill requires certain public schools that provide information or offer programs to students relating to human sexuality to provide information or offer programs that meet specified criteria; requires public schools to make certain curriculum available to parents & guardians upon request; authorizes students to be excused from certain portions of program without penalty; provides compliance review process. ​ HB 1547 ( Overdorf ) and SB 1848 ( Gruters ) -- Personal Information Protection Act Also as a reference see Overdorf's HB 1547 by clicking here. Currently the HB has more provisions for donor privacy. Prohibits a public agency from requiring, publicly disclosing, or requesting specified personal information; provides construction and applicability; provides for the right of civil action and award of damages; provides penalties, etc. Currently the HB and SB have differences in scope. Overdorf's House bill would protect corporations, associations, and nonprofit organizations from disclosing information while the Senate bill focuses solely on 501(c)(3) charitable organizations. In practical terms, the House bill, acting as a public records exemption bill, would allow donors to political campaigns to stay anonymous, and many opponents to this bill fear it will lead to hampering legitmate investigations into fraud and corruption. OPPOSED by Equality Florida HB 1557 ( Harding ) and SB 1834 ( Baxley ) – Parental Rights in Education This bill has been called the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Requires district school boards to adopt procedures that comport with provisions of law for notifying student's parent of specified information; requires procedures to reinforce fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding upbringing & control of their children; provides requirements for such procedures, school districts, & personnel; requires DOE to review & update specified materials. OPPOSED by Equality Florida SB 1842 ( Baxley ) – Reproductive Health and Disease Education Requires school districts or schools within a district to notify and request the written consent of parents and guardians before the teaching of reproductive health or any sexually transmitted disease; prohibits schools from allowing students to be exposed to such teaching without the written consent of their parents or guardians; prohibits a student whose parent or guardian does not give such written consent from being penalized, etc. SUPPORTED by Equality Florida SB 1870 ( Jones ) – Conversion Therapy Prohibits state-funded conversion therapy and calls for educating the public on the dangers of conversion therapy. HB 6007 ( Sabatini ) – Licenses to Carry Concealed Weapons or Firearms Would remove provision prohibiting concealed carry licensees from openly carrying handgun or carrying concealed weapon or firearm into college or university facility HB 6009 ( Sabatini ) – Vaccinations During Public Health Emergencies Would remove provision that State Health Officer could order vaccination of individuals during public health emergency HB 6023 ( Eskamani ) – Abortion Clinic Regulations Addresses issues with last year’s SB 390 on abortion clinics. Removes requirement delaying abortion procedure; removes prohibition on expending funds for benefit of, paying funds to, or initiating or renewing contracts with certain organizations that perform abortions under certain circumstances; removes requirement that AHCA review abortion clinic patient records as component of licensure inspections. HB 6037 ( Snyder ) and SB 360 ( Harrell ) – Traveling Across County Lines to Commit a Burglary Removes requirement that travel across county lines be for specified purpose in order to reclassify burglary offense to the next higher degree. General Bills Environmental Bills Remember: Click on Sponsor for contact info. Click on Bill TItle for official bill info, including its status and committee it is on. Click here for writing LTE. Local legislator info can be found here. If both HB and SB are essentially the same, this page only gives link to SB. Within the SB info, you will see link to HB if you want to view it. Several of these bills deal with Local Control, an area many Republicans in office want to see weakened. They want the state to dictate policy rather than local government. It's a recurring theme in many bills this year. Bills are listed in the same categories used by 1000 Friends of Florida, an organization many in the MCDEC follow. These categories are Community Planning, Resilience, Conservation, Water, and Transportation ​ COMMUNITY PLANNING (Local Rule type bills) ​ SUPPORTED by 1000 Friends of Florida and Friends of the Everglades SJR 152 ( Farmer ) - Supermajority Vote for Legislative Preemption Requires a 2/3 vote of each house to preempt to the state matters of local control. OPPOSED by 1000 Friends of Florida, Friends of the Everglades, Florida League of Women Voters, and Equality Florida SB 280 ( Hutson ) – Local Ordinances Changes the legal standards and processes used by courts to assess the validity of municipal ordinances. Requires local governments to prepare a business impact statement before adopting a local ordinance that includes direct and indirect economic effects. Authorizes the courts to assess and award attorney fees, costs, and damages in certain civil actions filed against local governments. This bill is a direct attack on home rule. See also SB 403 (Giallombardo). OPPOSED by 1000 Friends of Florida HB 325 ( Fischer ) and SB 512 ( Burgess ) – Vacation Rentals Preempts to the state most regulation of vacation rentals. OPPOSED by 1000 Friends of Florida, Friends of the Everglades, and Florida League of Women Voters HB 569 ( McClure ) and SB 620 ( Hutson ) – Local Business Protection Act Allows businesses engaged in a lawful business for at least three years to claim damages if a local ordinance reduces their venue or profits by at least 15%. Like SB 280 and SB 403, this bill undermines home rule by making local governments afraid to govern for fear of lawsuits. ​ SUPPORTED by 1000 Friends of Florida HB 729 ( Aloupis ) and SB 932 ( Rodriguez ) – Everglades Protection Area Requires any comprehensive plan or plan amendment changes that apply to land within the Everglades Protection Area to follow the state coordinated review process and would require the change to be reviewed by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for adverse impacts. DEP would work with the state land planning agency and involved local governments to identify planning strategies to eliminate or mitigate adverse impacts and require the local government to modify proposed plans or plan amendments. The bill would also prohibit the adoption of small scale development amendments for properties located within or near the Everglades Protection Area. ​ HB 1145 ( Mooney ) – Regulation of Single-use Plastic Products Authorizes certain coastal communities to establish pilot programs to regulate single-use plastic products; provides requirements for establishing such pilot programs; requires DEP to submit updated retail bag reports with conclusions & recommendations to Legislature by specified dates. SUPPORTED by 1000 Friends of Florida and Florida League of Women Voters HB 6033 ( Greico ) – Preemption of the Regulation of Vacation Rentals Repeals previous bill that preempted to the state the regulation of vacation rentals. HB 6113 ( Eskamani ) and SB 1900 ( Torres ) – Preemption to the State (Regaining Local Rule) Removes & repeals provisions preempting certain authority to state. Specifically, this measure would repeal 35 state laws that remove local policy making passed by Republican legislators. The 35 statutes repealed in the Local Freedom Act pertain to earned sick time measures, tenant protections and developer subsidies, plastic bag and styrofoam regulations, municipal broadband and 5G, gun violence and public safety, public health, clean energy, rights of nature, fertilizer regulation, and tree-trimming policy, local budgeting authority, seaport regulations, and campaign finance reform. ​ RESILIENCE SUPPORTED by 1000 Friends of Florida HB 571 ( Mooney ) and SB 442 ( Rodriguez ) – Powers of Land Authorities Authorizes local land authorities to assist in administering grants for residential flood and sea-level rise mitigation projects, including grants for the elevation of structures above minimum flood elevations; the demolition and reconstruction of structures above minimum flood elevations; and the acquisition of land with structures at risk of flooding. SUPPORTED BY 1000 Friends of Florida SB 1940 ( Brodeur ) - Statewide Flooding and Sea Level Rise Resilience Establishes the Statewide Office of Resiliency within the Executive Office of the Governor; provides for the appointment of a Chief Resilience Officer, etc. ​ CONSERVATION ​ SUPPORTED by 1000 Friends of Florida, Friends of the Everglades, and Florida League of Women Voters HB 81 ( Eskamani ) and SB 366 ( Berman ) – State Renewable Energy Goals Prohibits oil exploration, drilling or production on Florida land or in Florida waters; requires that all electricity in the state be derived from renewable sources by 2040 and carbon emissions be reduced to net zero by 2050; creates an advisory committee to reach these goals. ​ SUPPORTED by 1000 Friends of Florida HB 105 ( Fine ) and SB 224 ( Gruters ) – Regulation of Smoking in Public Places Authorizes counties and municipalities to further restrict smoking within the boundaries of public beaches and public parks under certain circumstances; prohibits smoking within the boundaries of a state park, etc. ​ SUPPORTED by 1000 Friends of Florida and Friends of the Everglades SB 208 ( Farmer ) – Well Stimulation (Fracking) "Stop Fracking Act" - Prohibits FDEP from issuing permits for extreme well stimulation, also known as fracking. ​ OPPOSED by 1000 Friends of Florida and Friends of the Everglades HB 349 ( Sirois and Overdorf ) and SB 198 ( Rodriguez ) – Seagrass Mitigation Banks Authorizes the state Board of Trustees to create “seagrass mitigation banks” on state-owned submerged lands which would be used to offset the unavoidable loss of seagrass from coastal development projects. In essence, if developers seek permits for coastal or marine development projects that would destroy seagrasses, this bill would give them the option of buying credits in a mitigation bank to cover costs of seagrass restoration projects elsewhere. Those opposed to the bill say mitigation banks like this often fail and they believe having such a system would enhance development elsewhere. ​ NO OPINION by 1000 Friends of Florida. SUPPORTED by Florida League of Women Voters HB 449 ( Mooney ) and SB 602 ( Rodriguez ) – Land Acquisition Trust Fund Dedicates $20 million from the Land Acquisition Trust Fund to environmental projects in the Florida Keys. ​ NO OPINION by 1000 Friends of Florida HB 463 ( Melo ) and SB 380 ( Rodriguez ) – Greenhouse Gas Emissions Prohibits state agencies from adopting or enforcing greenhouse gas emissions limits without legislative authorization. ​ HB 711 ( Diamond ) and SB 238 ( Jones ) – Endangered and Threatened Species Directs the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to protect certain endangered or threatened species, regardless of the status of their federal classification; prohibis the commission from considering certain costs when designating a species as endangered or threatened; directs the department, in consultation with the Endangered Plant Advisory Council, to protect certain endangered or threatened species, regardless of the status of their federal classification; prohibits the department from considering certain costs when designating a species as endangered or threatened, etc. ​ HB 741 ( McClure ) and SB 1024 ( Bradley ) -- Renewable Energy Generation (Net Metering) This bill would lower the utility savings for Floridians using rooftop solar panels by limiting net metering incentives. Many view this bill would hurt lower income Floridians by making it more difficult to transition to solar. ​ SUPPORTED by 1000 Friends of Florida HB 761 ( Truenow ) and SB 882 ( Brodeur ) – Inventories of Critical Wetlands Requires each water management district governing board, in cooperation with local governments, to develop a list of critical wetlands for acquisition using funds from the Land Acquisition Trust Fund. ​ HB 1129 ( Avila ) and SB 1416 ( Garcia ) – Mangrove Replanting and Restoration Requires the DEP to adopt rules for mangrove replanting and restoration. ​ SUPPORTED by 1000 Friends of Florida and Florida League of Women Voters HB 6025 ( Eskamani ) SB 316 ( Stewart ) – Preemption of Tree Trimming, Pruning, and Removal Repeals provision in last year’s bill that preempted local government from regulating tree pruning, trimming, and removal on residential property. ​ SUPPORTED by 1000 Friends of Florida HB 6063 ( Greico ) and SB 320 ( Stewart ) – P reemption of Recyclable and Polystrene Materials Removes the state preemption of local home rule on disposable plastic bags, auxiliary containers, and wrappings. ​ NO OPINION by 1000 Friends of Florida HB 1555 ( McClain ) SB 518 ( Brodeur ) – Private Property Rights to Prune, Trim, and Remove Trees Revises state regulation of local government requirements for tree trimming, pruning, and removal by requiring an assessment by a certified arborist. ​ HB 1377 ( Roth ) and SB 1816 ( Stewart ) – Land Acquisition Trust Fund Specifies that lawmakers would guarantee $100 million a year for the Florida Forever Trust Fund and extend the retirement date of bonds issued by the Land Acquisition Trust Fund (LATF) to fund the Florida Forever Act. The measure would extend the bond life to 2054, adding roughly 14 years to the current retirement date of 2040. ​ SUPPORTED by Friends of the Everglades HB 6085 ( Eskamani ) and SB 1102 ( Farmer ) – Farming Operations Last year’s SB 88 “Right to Farm Bill” protected Big Sugar from lawsuits related to sugar cane burning. These bills revise the definition of “farm operation” and “nuisance” and remove “particle emissions” from the list of protected activities. ​ WATER SUPPORTED by 1000 Friends of Florida HB 201 ( Daley ) and SB 356 ( Jones ) – Sales Tax Holiday for Energy Star and WaterSense Products Provides a sales tax exemption for energy efficient products designated with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy Star label, and irrigation and household appliance water conserving products designated with the EPA’s WaterSense label. ​ HB 309 ( Fetterhoff and Giallombardo ) and SB 856 ( Brodeur ) – Private Provider Inspections of Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal Systems Authorizes private provider inspections of onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems under certain conditions; prohibits the Florida DEP from charging certain inspection and permit fees; specifies requirements for private providers and onsite sewage treatment and disposal system owners and authorized contractors; revises the list of providers authorized to perform onsite sewage treatment and disposal system evaluations, etc. SUPPORTED by 1000 Friends of Florida and Friends of the Everglades HB 393 ( Hinson ) and SB (604) Berman – Safe Waterways Act Requires the Florida Department of Health to monitor public bathing locations, notify local governments of bacterial contamination and require local governments to post warning signs. Current law does not require government to inform residents. ​ HB 421 ( Truenow ) and SB 834 ( Brodeur ) – Long-term Cleanup of Harmful Algal Blooms Authorizes the Florida DEP to procure “innovative” technology to physically remove and reduce blue-green algae blooms from impacted waterways. Friends of the Everglades believes that though this was originally recommended by the state’s Blue-Green Algae Task Force, this measure should be augmented to require that all new technologies be evaluated by a panel of experts to ensure no long-term harm is done to the water being cleaned. HB 473 ( Casselo ) and SB 798 ( Taddeo ) – Bottled Water Excise Tax Imposes a 12.5 cent per gallon excise tax on bottled water operators and deposits the proceeds into the wastewater and stormwater revolving loan trust fund. HB 579 ( Melo ) and SB 1128 ( Harrell ) – Aquatic Plant Management Directs the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, in consultation with UF/IFAS & FGCU/Water School, to implement and study nutrient removal technologies and mechanical aquatic plant management techniques within Lake Okeechobee watershed. SUPPORTED by Friends of the Everglades and by 1000 Friends of Florida HB 561 ( Goff-Marcil ) and SB 832 ( Stewart ) – Implementation of the Recommendations of the Blue-Green Algae Task Force Enacts additional measures originally recommended by the Governor’s Blue-Green Algae Task Force. Requires owners of certain onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems to have the systems periodically inspected, beginning on a specified date; requires the Florida DEP to administer the inspection program; requires new or revised basin management action plans to include a list that identifies and prioritizes certain spatially focused projects, etc. ​ SUPPORTED by Friends of the Everglades HB 807 ( Rayner ) and SB 904 ( Farmer ) – Agricultural Practices Revises the definition of “best management practice” and requires, rather than merely authorize, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) to devise and adopt rules to reduce pollution statewide and penalize those who don’t follow them. OPPOSED by 1000 Friends of Florida and by Friends of the Everglades SB 1000 ( Albritton ) – Nutrient Application Rates Adjusts nutrient regulation based on needs of individual farms…..Environmentalists believe this bill waters down state standards. Specifically, it defines the terms "certified professional" and "rate tailoring"; authorizes the use of rate tailoring in specified circumstances; authorizes producers to use written recommendations from certified professionals to tailor their recommended nutrient application rates under certain circumstances; requires revisions to recommended application rates by certain state universities and Florida College System institutions to authorize rate tailoring, etc. 1000 Friends says this bill would allow producers to pick and choose different nutrient application rates and would weaken site-specific fertilizer application rates. ​ HB 1339 ( Diamond ) and SB 1744 ( Brandes ) – Phosphogypsum Stacks Requires DEP to submit annual report to Governor, Legislature, & certain entities; notify Governor, Legislature, and certain entities of imminent hazards within specified timeframe; and create, maintain, & update database on its website. ​ HB 1475 ( McClure ) and SB 1418 ( Albritton ) – Soil and Groundwater Contamination Requires the Florida DEP to adopt rules for statewide cleanup target levels for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in soil and groundwater; prohibits such rules from taking effect until ratified by the Legislature; requires the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability to conduct a specified analysis of certain assessment and cleanup programs and submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature by a specified date, etc. ​ ​ TRANSPORTATION ​ OPPOSED by 1000 Friends of Florida HB 157 ( Andrade ) and SB 398 ( Hooper ) – Transportation Projects Caps funding for public transportation projects in the state transportation trust fund at 25 percent. This share would exclude state matches for federal transportation funds. Environmental Bills

To purchase a ticket online, click anywhere on the graphic below. and you will be taken to ActBlue for ticket purchase. ​ If you prefer to write a check, see bottom of graphic for mailing address. Make check out to St. Lucie County DEC. But don't worry - we are splitting the proceeds with St. Lucie. Close

Partido Demócrata del Condado de Martin (Condado de Martin Comité Ejecutivo Demócrata) Se reúne el tercer lunes de cada mes a las 7:00 p.m. Reuniones que se llevan a cabo actualmente a través de Zoom. Si usted es un demócrata registrado en el condado de Martin y le gustaría asistir a una reunión como invitado, comuníquese con la presidenta del DEC, Mary Higgins, con anticipación. Número de teléfono: 772-519-3820 Correo electrónico: mountunion1978@aol.com

CONTÁCTENOS Sede demócrata del condado de Martin 948 SE Central Parkway Stuart, FL 34994 Horas sin cita previa: de lunes a viernes, de mediodía a 3:00 p. M. * * Nota: Llame con anticipación o envíe un mensaje antes de venir a la oficina. Debido al coronavirus, es posible que la oficina no esté abierta durante las horas indicadas anteriormente. ¡Éxito! Mensaje recibido. Enviar

Clubs and Caucuses Click here for Martin County Democrat Club and Caucus info. Join a club or caucus. Learn, make friends, and be a part of the Martin Democrat community. Dave Dew Click here to read all about Martin County Democrat All Star Dave Dew! Rural Lifestyle June 21 - BOCC will be voting once again on the Rural LIfestyle amendment...Come out to voice your concerns. Meet at the county administrative building next to the Blake Library, 2401 SE Monterey Rd. Clubs and Caucuses Click here for Martin County Democrat Club and Caucus info. Join a club or caucus. Learn, make friends, and be a part of the Martin Democrat community. 1/5

COSTA DEL TESORO CÁUCUS HISPÁNICO DEMOCRÁTICO Estamos adquiriendo! Somos el capítulo de Treasure Coast del Caucus Hispano Demócrata. Somos un grupo nuevo y en crecimiento dedicado a ayudar a nuestra comunidad, amplificar la voz de nuestras hermanas y hermanos y construir una Florida mejor para todos. ​ Somos demócratas. Creemos en las oportunidades para las familias trabajadoras, un medio ambiente más limpio para nuestros hijos y nietos, y un gobierno que trabaja para las personas de TODOS los orígenes. Y creemos que no lo conseguiremos en Treasure Coast ni en Florida en general. ​ Y creemos FIRMEMENTE que podemos cambiar las cosas. Nos ponemos manos a la obra. Ya hemos estado en la comunidad ayudando a nuestros vecinos a recibir las vacunas COVID. Continuaremos generando cambios: ayudando a más familias, registrando votantes y asegurándonos de que se escuchen todas nuestras voces. ​ ¡Únete a nosotros! No es necesario ser hispano o hablar español para ser miembro. Tienes que ser un residente de Treasure Coast y un demócrata (o alguien que apoye el mundo mejor por el que luchamos los demócratas). ​ Nos reunimos el tercer jueves de cada mes a las 6:30 pm a través de Zoom. Envíanos un email a tcdemocratas@gmail.com para más detalles o llame al 772-202-8540. Síguenos en Facebook: ​ ¡Juntos podemos! ​ - Oz Vázquez ​ ​ ​ ​ Hispanic Caucus

The Democratic Women's Club, Democratic Club, and the DEC of Martin County Invite You to a Snow and Ice Themed Holiday Party Thursday, December 8, 2022 6:00 ~ 8:30 p.m. The Women's Club of Stuart 729 SE Ocean Boulevard Stuart, FL 34994 Cost: $40 per ticket or be a Merry Sponsor for $50 per ticket includes Dinner and Libations Entertainment by Daryl Magill 50/50 Raffle ~ Annual Gift Card/Toy Drive To reserve your ticket and make payment, first complete the ONLINE RESERVATION FORM below and then click on the payment button of your choice ($40 or $50) located below the reservation form. Follow the prompts to complete the transaction. Number of seats reserved Submit Reservation Form Ho Ho Ho....Your form has been submitted! Click on the appropriate ticket amount of your choice: $40 standard amount or $50 to be a Merry Sponsor. $40 ticket $50 ticket See you at the Holiday Party! Click here to return to Home page

CAUCUS AMBIENTAL DEMOCRÁTICO DEL CONDADO DE MARTIN Haga clic en los accesos directos a continuación o desplácese por esta página para ver estos temas: ​ Descripción general de Caucus Declaraciones de misión Principales problemas en los que nos centramos Otros grupos ambientales Calendario Minutos Estatutos Donaciones El Caucus Ambiental Democrático del Condado de Martin es un capítulo local del Caucus Ambiental Democrático de Florida (DECF). El caucus se reúne a las 6:30 pm el tercer martes de cada mes, actualmente a través de Zoom. Las reuniones consisten en una discusión general sobre temas ambientales en las noticias y cómo podríamos responder. Más específicamente, entre otras preocupaciones, abordamos los asuntos de la ciudad de Stuart, la actividad de la Junta de Comisionados del Condado de Martin y el trabajo de la legislatura estatal y más allá. ​ La mayoría de las reuniones incluyen un orador invitado para informarnos sobre un tema ambiental en particular o para escuchar directamente a un funcionario o candidato demócrata local que se postula para un cargo. Damos la bienvenida a todos los demócratas a ser parte de nuestro caucus mientras aprendemos, hablamos y trabajamos para defender nuestro medio ambiente. Para participar en nuestro grupo, complete el formulario de contacto indicando su interés en MC Dem Env Caucus y alguien se comunicará con usted. Volver arriba Overview Declaraciones de misión MC Caucus Ambiental Democrático El Caucus Ambiental Democrático del Condado de Martin tiene la intención de: Identificar y priorizar las preocupaciones ambientales que afectan a nuestros municipios locales, condado, estado, país y mundo. Contemplar soluciones a esas preocupaciones y recomendar cursos de acción. Educar, colaborar y respaldar a los candidatos demócratas que adoptan nuestra agenda. Educar al público y generar apoyo para nuestros objetivos Coordinar con otros grupos ambientales dentro de nuestros distritos legislativos: Distrito del Senado 25 y distritos 82 y 83 de la Cámara ​ Como capítulo del Comité Ambiental Democrático de Florida (DECF), en MC Dem Env Caucus también apoyamos los objetivos de DECF. ​ ​ Caucus Ambiental Democrático de Florida El Caucus Ambiental Democrático de Florida (DECF) se esfuerza por apoyar a los legisladores, candidatos, legislación y empresas de Florida que preservan, protegen y mejoran los recursos naturales de Florida. Las preocupaciones del DECF pueden incluir, entre otras, la calidad del aire, las costas y las costas de Florida, los acuíferos, las vías fluviales, los humedales, la vida silvestre, las áreas naturales restantes y las tierras y parques silvestres de propiedad pública. ​ DECF tiene la intención de: Ayude a elegir candidatos demócratas que respalden acciones adecuadas en cuestiones ambientales críticas. Proporcionar a los miembros del partido y al público en general datos creíbles relacionados con cuestiones ambientalmente sensibles, como opiniones informadas, alertas legislativas y conocimientos técnicos y científicos. Supervisar la legislación y las políticas locales y estatales que afectan el medio ambiente de Florida y alertar a los legisladores y al público. Fomentar la administración ambiental responsable como parte de la política del Partido Demócrata de Florida. Volver arriba Mission Statements Principales problemas medioambientales Con la creciente población de Florida y con nuestros gobiernos locales y estatales que a veces eligen el crecimiento y el desarrollo y los intereses corporativos sobre la protección de nuestro medio ambiente, los problemas que enfrentamos son infinitos. Aquí hay una muestra de las preocupaciones que abordamos en nuestro caucus: Descargas del lago Okeechobee Restauración de los Everglades, incluidas las áreas de tratamiento de aguas pluviales (STA), el depósito EAA, la finalización del CERP Contaminantes que ingresan a nuestras vías fluviales: fertilizantes, pesticidas, herbicidas con glifosato, desechos agrícolas, biosólidos, contaminación de fuentes difusas Amenazas ambientales debido al desarrollo de la ciudad y el condado, así como a la legislación local y estatal. Degradación del hábitat de la vida silvestre, incluida la disminución de pastos marinos para los manatíes y la acumulación de lodo en nuestras vías fluviales, lo que reduce la producción de criaderos de ostras y la calidad del agua. Cambio climático y aumento del nivel del mar Pozos de perforación petrolera, fracking y de inyección de aguas profundas Transporte de materiales peligrosos (oleoductos, transporte ferroviario de alta velocidad de GNL y otros materiales peligrosos) Volver arriba Top Environmental Issues CALL TO ACTION ! ​ Click on each of the four sections below or scroll down to view the entire page. ​ Prewritten Letters Petitions Original Letter-Writing Ideas Learning Opportunities/Miscellaneous Items ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT (added 2-2-2023) There is a constitutional amendment effort underway with the title Right to Clean and Healthy Waters . Go here to read about the amendment and information on how to sign the petition. The organization behind this effort is trying to get 900,000 signatures by the end of November 2023. This would allow this initiative to be counted before February 2024 and, therefore, to qualify for being placed on the ballot in 2024. ​ ​ PREWRITTEN LETTERS Prewritten letters are quick and easy ways to make your voice heard--just sign and submit. Please note that in some cases you will be put on the sponsoring environmental group's email subscription list when you submit your letter/petition, so be sure to uncheck the subscription box (if it's there) before you submit it if you don't want to be on their distribution list. If you forget to do that, you can always unsubscribe later. ​ Added 8--10-2022) Sierra Club has a prewritten letter advocating passage of the Recovering America's Wildlife Act. . Go here to submit the letter. ​ (Added 8-7-2022) Sierra Club has a prewritten letter advocating passage of the Environmental Justice for All Act . Go here to submit the letter. ​ (Added 12-21-2021) EarthJustice , a nonprofit environmental law organization, previously submitted a legal petition to the EPA to stop the use of organophosphates in agriculture. To support this effort, they now have a prewritten letter you can submit asking the EPA to ban organophosphates. Click here to go to the website to submit the letter. If you'd like to read the original legal petition, go here . Also, FYI, they have their own Action Alerts section on their website. Many of those we already have covered here on our page, but there are some items we haven't. If you'd like, go here to see their Action Alerts. ​ (Added 10-8-2021) Friends of the Everglades has a letter for Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried which discusses harmful effects of sugarcane burning and asks her to ban the burning. Go here to read the letter. ​ (Added 9-29-2021) Friends of the Earth has a letter going to EPA about banning neonicotinoids, which are pesticides that harm humans and invertebrate pollinator species, including bees and butterflies. (If you don't want to remain on their email list, unsubscribe after submitting letter.) ​ Contact the Dept of the Interior about Florida manatees dying at record levels and ask that manatees be put back on the Endangered Species list. The current secretary is Deb Haaland. Go here for contact info and to complete online letter. You may also want to contact other officials about this and can get a list of federal, state, and local officials and their addresses here . ​ PETITIONS ​ Florida Conservation Voters has a petition demanding Gov DeSantis and the legislature follow recommendations of the Blue-Green Task Force: https://fcvoters.org/take-action/blue-green-algae-task-force/ ​ President Biden: Be a #PlasticFreePresident...A diverse coaltion of 550+ organizations has created a petition asking President Biden to use his executive powers to fight the plastic pollution crisis. To sign the petition, go here: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/president-biden-be-a-plasticfreepresident To read in depth about the executive actions asked for in the petition, go here: https://www.plasticfreepresident.org/ ​ Sign the "Stop Overdevelopment in Martin County" petition! http://chng.it/MRZYCqsDPD ​ Go to FloridaRightto CleanWater to sign a petition for putting Right to Clean and Healthy Waters amendment on the 2024 ballot. ​ ​ WRITE YOUR OWN LETTER ​ Educate and influence the public. Choose a topic and write a Letter to the Editor to the Stuart News and/or Palm Beach Post. See this for links to each newspaper's online LTE form. ​ . LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES/MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS ​ A summary of the ongoing pollution of Florida's waterways was presented by Earthjustice back on July 2021. The focus is on the toxic algae crisis and its harm to wildlife. Go here to read this analysis. ​ A recent Protecting Paradise segment on WPTV focused on the need to complete the building of STAs so that toxic water can be cleaned and then sent south to the Everglades. ​ Read The Everglades Review , put together by Everglades Trust, for detailed articles on such subjects as objections to LOSOM Plan CC by Big Sugar, the economic value of strong ecosystems, and helping the manatees survive. Friends of the Everglades periodically hosts webinars on various environment-related topics. View their archives of these Clean Water Conversations here . Topics include red tide, LOSOM, toxic algae, the legislative session for 2021, the Roads to Ruin, drilling in the Everglade Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top Call to Action Prewritten Letters Petitions Learning Opportunities Write Your Own Letter Martin County Democratic Environmental Caucus Calendar of Events Volver arriba Calendar Environmental Resources There are many groups locally, statewide, and nationally that focus on environmental issues. To view a list of some of the groups we learn from and work in concert with while advocating for the environment, go here . Resources - other Env Groups Minutes, Bylaws, and Donations Estatutos Estatutos actuales de MC Dem Env Caucus ... próximamente Estatutos anteriores de MC Dem Env Caucus Donaciones Para apoyar al Caucus Ambiental Democrático del Condado de Martin, haga clic en este botón. Te llevará a nuestra cuenta ActBlue donde podrás realizar tu donación. ¡Gracias! Si prefiere enviar un cheque por correo, hágalo a nombre de MC Dem Env Caucus y envíelo a: MC Dem Env Caucus 948 SE Central Parkway Stuart, FL 34994 ¡Done ahora! Min ut es 2021 Minutes November 16, 2021 October 19, 2021 September 2021 - No meeting held August 2021 - No meeting held July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 Special Election Meeting February 2021 - No meeting held January 2021 - No meeting held 2020 Minutes December 2020 - No meeting held November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 - No meeting held July 2020 Minutes, Bylaws, and Donations