Marine Resources Council and the League of Women Voters of the Space Coast will host a public forum on Amendment 4 - Hometown Democracy" on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Government Center, Building C. Commission Chambers, 2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Viera.
Speaking in support of the amendment will be Lesley Blackner, an environmental attorney from West Palm Beach and the originator of the ballot initiative. Speaking against the amendment on behalf of the Florida Chamber of Commerce will be Ryan Houck, executive director of Citizens for Lower Taxes and a Stronger Economy.
The moderator will be Charles Pattison, president of 1000 Friends of Florida. Questions will be taken from the audience.
The forum will be televised live on Space Coast Government TV, Brighthouse channel 199 and re-broadcast thereafter.
Space Coast League of Women Voters in partnership with Space Coast Tiger Bay Club, Florida Today and Brevard Community College will be sponsoring three forums before the November 2 General Election.
Debates will be at the Cocoa campus, 1519 Clearlake Road, Cocoa, FL 32922 in the Bernard Simpkins Fine Arts Center, Building 4.
These forums are free. Each forum is an hour long. The forums will be shown live and re-broadcast on WBCC-TV. Listed below are the details for each forum.
- Thursday, September 23, 7 p.m. State Representative, District 30
- Candidates - Ms. Amy Tidd - Democrat, Mr. Ritch Workman - Republican
- Moderated by J.B. Kump
- Wednesday, October 13, 7 p.m. United States Representative District 24
- Candidates - Ms. Sandra "Sandy" Adams - Republican, Ms. Suzanne Kosmas - Democrat, Mr. Nicholas Ruiz III - Write-In
- Moderated by Chris Muro
- Thursday, October 14, 7 p.m. United States Representative District 15
- Candidates - Mr. Bill Posey - Republican, Ms. Shannon Roberts - Democrat
- Moderated by Ayn Marie Samuelson
Every ten years, as a result of the census, the boundaries of our congressional, state house and state senate districts are redrawn. This was originally intended to be sure that districts are roughly equal in population -- to make sure that every vote counts equally. But the process has been hijacked by self-interested politicians.
The League of Women Voters of Florida is a coalition partner with FairDistrictsFlorida.org, a nonpartisan state committee working to reform the way our state draws legislative and congressional district lines.
FairDistrictsFlorida.org has drafted two amendments to the Florida Constitution which will be on the 2010 ballot through the citizen initiative process. These amendments would establish constitutionally mandated fairness standards for use in creating legislative and congressional district boundaries.
The Florida Supreme Court has approved the wording of the two constitutional amendments.
You can read the ruling by clicking on this link.
TAKE ACTION NOW. Bring fairness to redistricting and give voters a real voice in choosing their representatives. Ensure that Legislators will no longer be permitted to manipulate the system to preserve their own power and the dominance of their party.
Go to the FairDistrictsFlorida.org home page for additional information and updates on these important amendments.