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News about the Broward League of Women Voters:

Members of the Leadership Program of the Broward League in 2025, plus members from the 2024 class who helped organize the activities.

How do I Apply for the 2026 Margaret McGrath Leadership Program? Simply complete and submit an application available herby November 15^th: https://form.jotform.com/252948086620059

Must I be a Member of the LWVBC to Apply? Yes, and it’s easy to become a member here: lwvbroward.org.

Why Apply to the 2026 McGrath Leadership Program?

By Beth Solomon

Applications for the 2026 Margaret McGrath Leadership Program will be accepted by Nov. 15.Are you considering applying to the Margaret McGrath Leadership Program, but not sure what to expect? See below for insight from graduates who are current leaders of the League of Women Voters of Broward County.

Dana Bee, a graduate of the 2025 program and the Membership Onboarding Chair, explained, “I joined the League in June of 2024 and applied to the leadership program for 2025 because I wanted to learn more about the League and build community. I am truly amazed at the impact the League has locally, regionally and nationally and its rich history. I wanted to make a difference and was not quite sure exactly where I fit in. We all have passions and ideals and want to find the right course of realization. (After completing the leadership program), I am chair of onboarding, a new division of membership committee with the goals of welcoming new members and helping find connections and build engagement…We are stronger together.”

According to Beth Solomon, a graduate of the 2025 McGrath Leadership program and Assistant Treasurer of the 501(c)(4) Advocacy Fund, “Program participants learn about national, state and local League functions and connect with current League leaders and community representatives. The goal of the Program is to enhance participants’ leadership skills and prepare participants for future leadership roles.”

When asked whether the Leadership program met expectations, Karen Strangwayes, a graduate of the 2025 McGrath Leadership program and the current Co-Chair of the LWVBC Women’s Rights Committee, exclaimed, “I was so excited that the training surpassed my expectations, so much. I not only learned about the mission and the inner workings of the League, but the networking and the connections that I made were incredible…and I loved the lively debate and though-providing conversations.”

Julie Long, a graduate of the 2025 program and a Board member who is active in the Environmental Program, said: “I applied to the program because leaders I respected within the organization suggested it would be helpful. Although I was aware of (the Program), I would not have applied without that nudge. I am glad I did.”

Read more about the program plus FAQs

Florida Legislature begins work for next legislative session

The official start of the Florida legislative session isn't until January 13, 2026. However, Legislative Committees began meeting this month and Senators and Representatives have started filing bills.

There is one more Broward County Legislative Delegation Hearing, which is open for public comment: Thursday, November 13 at 10 a.m. at the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization Building. For more information and to register to speak, click HERE.

You can keep track of legislative actions by going to the Senate and House websites. A list of all the bills filed can be found at the link below. Bills Filed by Legislators for 2026

League members have interacted with the following Broward County legislators through one-on-one meetings with legislators or their staff or attendance at town halls: Sen. Barbara Sharief (SD 35), Rep. Christine Hunschofsky (HD 95), Rep. Dan Daley (HD 96), Rep. Chip LaMarca (HD 100), Rep. Michael Gottlieb (HD 102) and Rep. Robin Bartleman (HD 103).

Sign up to attend now. If you're not a member, if you join today, you can attend this event and meet other League members. Join the League now!

Find your people.

Fight for our future.

When you join the League of Women Voters Broward County, you're showing up for democracy with a community that shares your values.

Issues on which the Broward League is advocating:

Solid waste and recycling: League works for support of master plan to avert crisis

Our League continues to attend as many meetings as we can of the Solid Waste Authority of Broward County (SWABC) and its various committees and subcommittees. The Master Plan is complete and needs to be approved by the Governing Board and the cities by August 2026, a very tight time schedule.

Arguments to support the Master Plan include:

Broward County is facing an existential threat due to our solid waste crisis.
We will need to face some higher costs now to establish the new system but if we don't tackle this now, we face much higher costs in the future. Later there will be little opportunity to reduce costs as the market will have the advantage.
We need to look at these efforts as an investment in our future - fiscally, environmentally and for public health.

The Broward County Public Schools Green Advisory Committee has had a big impact on sustainability in our public schools. There is a Sustainability Committee working on a green inventory and sustainability plan and their Recycling Committee is working on getting recycling into all our schools. Thanks again to League member Julie Long who is on this committee and was instrumental in getting these policies established.

Affordable housing: Broward is adding hundreds of units

The Broward Housing Council issued its Annual Report in early October. The County is seeing continued growth in affordable housing efforts. Several new developments have been approved, adding hundreds of affordable homes for families and seniors. Municipalities are adopting accessory dwelling units and transit-oriented zoning changes to expand housing options. The Live Local Act is yielding results, helping advance projects that were previously difficult under old regulations.

2024 Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) reports for Broward County and municipalities are now posted online (scroll to bottom of page). These reports outline local housing strategies to incentivize the production of affordable housing. All local governments in Florida receiving funding from the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) program are required to submit an annual report to the State.

Dental therapy: Florida needs more dental care; Legislature can take action

The Health Care Committee awaits the filing of Dental Therapy legislation again in 2026. This legislation will include a training program for dental therapists, a new professional oral health position that could make dental care more available in Florida, particularly for those in underserved poverty and rural areas. Florida is 49th in oral health care. Florida has 51 dentists per 100,000 residents. The national average is 60.

Floridians For Dental Access, is a coalition of 515 organizations (including our League and the state League) which support development of this program, which has been adopted in 14 states so far. Like Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants, dental therapists will be trained to deliver routine preventive and restorative dental care and be supervised by a licensed dentist. This is not an individual practice.

Nov. 8: Documentary on Florida river from award-winning team

The next film in our environmental series is Saturday, November 8 from 3-5:30 pm at Art Serve in Ft. Lauderdale.

This is a unique documentary on the need to restore the connectivity of the three rivers, the Silver, Ocklawaha and the St. Johns for the environmental health and recreational benefits as well as the safety of all the people living along the waterway. In January 2023, the South Florida Symphony Orchestra premiered a symphonic poem written by John Gottsch, Ocklawaha: Tales My Father Told.

The "tales," based on the composer's childhood memories with his father on the mystical Ocklawaha River, are impressionistically filmed by Emmy winner Mark Emery, and narrated by actor Peter Coyote. The film, which premiered on PBS, is written and produced by Emmy winner Steve Robitaille.

Noticias de nuestro socio, Factchequeado

Factchequeado is a partner of the Broward League that promotes media literacy and combats mis- and disinformation circulating in Spanish.

El millonario respaldo de Trump a Milei: qué sabemos del acuerdo por 20,000 millones de dólares mientras se recorta la asistencia internacional de Estados Unidos

Helicópteros Black Hawk y Guardia Nacional: ¿qué está pasando con las redadas de ICE en Chicago?

Ni estas son lanchas con drogas interceptadas en el Caribe ni la cuenta “US Homeland Security News” pertenece oficialmente al DHS

No, las pruebas caseras no sirven para saber el sexo del bebé, al contrario de lo que indican videos virales en TikTok

Argentina no registra casos de fiebre aftosa desde 2006: lo que sabemos sobre la controversia generada por las importaciones de carne de res de ese país a EE. UU.

Sí, es verdadero que Donald Trump compartió otro video generado con IA en el que pilotea un jet como “Rey Trump”

4 claves para entender qué significa el cierre del gobierno y sus consecuencias (incluyendo los procesos migratorios)

Get a quick lesson on mid-decade redistricting from our Oct. 4 presentation on what it is, why it's happening and what we can do to prevent it

In 2010, over 60% of Florida voters agreed to add Fair District Principles to the Florida Constitution for redistricting purposes. Instead, the Legislature continues with gerrymandering when developing district maps. Learn the history and the League’s fight for Fair Districts!

What can youd do?

Here are suggested social media posts:
https://lwvbroward.org/docs.ashx?id=1620116

You can email legislators serving on the House Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting:
https://lwvbroward.org/docs.ashx?id=1620117