Florida Amendment 2 Update- Everyday People Stand Up, Speak Out, Say No 2
The fight against Florida’s Amendment 2 is heating up and hitting the road! I wanted to pass along all of the amazing things going on in the effort to get people to SAY NO 2!
An amazing group of educators, emergency responders, clergy, seniors and other voters are taking part in a state-wide blitz to inform voters of the dangerous consequences of Amendment 2 and urge Floridians to vote “no” on the so-called “Florida Marriage Protection Amendment.” Press conferences organized by Florida Red & Blue- the bi-partisan, statewide organization running the SayNo2 campaign opposing Amendment 2- kicked off in Tallahassee on Thursday and will continue for two weeks around the state. Brant S. Copeland, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Tallahassee, had this to say about Amendment 2:
Passage of Amendment 2 could harm couples who, for various reasons, are not married, but currently enjoy certain rights and benefits.
Much, much more- including a schedule of upcoming events and the latest campaign news- after the jump:
Voters Connect at Teleforum Town Halls
More than 45,000 Floridians have participated in telephone town halls that use state-of-the-art technology to connect groups of voters via telephone with local leaders to ask questions relating to Amendment 2. Prominent local leaders opposed to the amendment who have hosted calls include former NOW president Patricia Ireland, Broward County Property Appraiser Lori Parrish, and Bentley Lipscomb, former Florida State Director of AARP, among others. Make sure to sign-up for campaign email updates to get the information on teleforum town halls!
The Polls are Close!
No recent poll has demonstrated the amendment will receive the 60 percent vote it needs to pass. The independent Quinnipiac University Poll released September 8 predicted a 55-41 defeat of the amendment if the election were held tomorrow (with a margin of error of +/- 2.6 percent), yet other show the race much tighter. Everyone has to keep working and must turn out to vote against 2!
Municipalities and Florida’s Largest Health Insurer Say No
Citing the possible legal ramifications of the amendment which could take away existing benefits to thousands of employees throughout Florida, more municipalities and organizations have joined the Miami Beach City Commission and the Broward County Commission in passing resolutions opposing Amendment 2 including:
• The Mayor and City Commission of West Palm Beach voted unanimously on Oct. 6. West Palm Beach was the first city in Florida to provide domestic partner benefits for families of city employees. The City of Lake Worth passed a similar resolution.
• The Broward County School Board voted on September 9, in a resolution that noted “the loss of domestic partner benefits could cause great harm to the education of the children of Broward County, as many BCSB employees would be forced to leave Florida and seek employment providing said benefits.”
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, the state’s largest health insurer, opposes Amendment 2 predicting a major impact on its ability to provide benefits.
Latinos Say No 2
The Hispanic community is making its voice heard and prominent leaders who have declared their opposition to the Amendment include: City of Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors; Republican Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a senior member of the Florida Congressional Delegation; Luis Garcia, Jr., member of the Florida House of Representatives; and Miami-Dade Commissioners Bruno Barreiro and Carlos Gimenez.
Energized Campaign Debuts New Ads
After airing its first commercial on cable systems around the state during televised coverage of the Democratic National Convention, SayNo2 is starting to air a new ad:
They also launched a powerful new online ad called “Do the Rights Thing“:
“Voter’s Speak Out” Tour Schedule
Be sure to come out to an event and show your support!
Jacksonville
Monday, October 13 at 10:30 a.m.
Florida Coastal School of Law – Atrium
877 Baypine Rd.
Jacksonville , FL 32256Gainesville
Monday, October 13 at 2:00 p.m.
Santa Fe College
Center for Innovation and Economic Development
530 University Ave.
Gainesville , FL 32601Orlando
Tuesday, October 14 at 10:45 a.m.
Marks Street Senior Recreation Complex (Maple Room)
99 East Marks St.Tampa/St. Petersburg
Wednesday, October 15 at 11 a.m.
Sunshine Senior Center
330 5th St N.
St. Petersburg , FL 33701Naples/Ft. Myers
Thursday, October 16
TBAWest Palm Beach
Monday, October 20 at 1 p.m.
Palm Beach Community College
Duncan Theatre Stage West
4200 Congress Ave.
Lake Worth , FL 33461Miami
Tuesday, October 21
TBA
There is still a lot of work to be done! Everyone needs to get involved in this fight- make a donation, volunteer, and spread the word. For more information on the SayNo2 campaign, visit www.SayNo2.com.
Crossposted from Bilerico-Florida
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