League of Women Voters discuss political issues

A monthly "Hot Topics" luncheon is only one way the League of Women Voters of Orange County feeds its hunger for knowledge. From young student activists to a retired journalist, the various members of the League unite to inform citizens and fight for the Constitution.

"We are out there to educate, to objectively look at issues," League treasurer Nancy Peed said. "[We are] able to walk that middle road, to fight on behalf of democracy, to fight on behalf of all people and not fight on a partisan basis."

Each month, armed with tough questions and a desire for truth, the League fills the Sorosis Club of Orlando to discuss a political or societal issue. Last Wednesday, the League analyzed economic development and the job crisis. The discussion panel included the founder of PCE Investment Bank, Michael Poole, and J. Clay Singleton, a finance professor at Rollins College.

Past hot topics have focused on domestic abuse and the state of Orlando's education system.

"Education was the No. 1 priority of the League at our planning session last spring," Peed said. "The status of schools, the quality of education — lots of issues here that we're concerned about and we'll fight for."

It's one of the many problems the group tackles each year. The League also takes passionate stands on immigration, districting, the environment and, of course, voting.

Sister Teresa McElwee, a sister of the Notre Dame de Namur order, has been a League member for more than 30 years. She said that the group strives to "raise the important questions that need to be answered and involve our good voters to take a stand for justice for all people."

Since its founding in the early 1940s, the Orange County League chapter has been a champion for civil liberties. The chapter consists of more than 300 members, with ages ranging from 18 to nearly 100.

Peed described a member in her 90s who died last spring yet "looked like she was 75 and was the brightest woman in the room."

The League shows bias for neither age nor sex. About one-fifth of its members are male. Charley Williams was the first male president of the Orange County chapter and served from May 2010 to April 2011.

"It's kind of a big surprise," Williams said. "But when you actually get down to voting, it's gender-free, gender-neutral. I think the core of the League's mission is really just encouraging people to study the issues and make an educated vote."

The group challenges its members to stretch their minds and reach beyond society's limitations. Throughout her time as treasurer, Peed has seen a variety of members take up the League's causes.

"They run the gamut of interesting women," Peed said. "Interesting women with a lot of interesting life stories."

Despite differing ages and backgrounds, the League is a unified group that generates change in society. The members debate key issues at "Hot Topics" luncheons, write letters to newspapers, publish newsletters and seek to inform citizens through social media.

Their work has had a noticeable impact. Last year, members pushed to pass Amendments 5 and 6 to Florida's constitution, demanding fair congressional district lines in the state. The amendments both passed with more than 60 percent of the vote.

Maria Santana, the director of women's studies at UCF, was inspired to join the group after speaking at one of its Hot Topics Luncheons.

"[League members] understand the power of combining as one coalition, and they're very invested in politics for women, about women," said Santana, who has been a League member for about a year.

The League also supports immigration legislation, including the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act. The DREAM Act would allow young illegal immigrants who grew up and graduated from high school in the U.S. to attend college with in-state tuition.

While activism sparks their actions, deep-rooted friendships unite the men and women on a more personal level.

The current president of the Orange County chapter, Ann Hellmuth, joined the group after retiring from the Orlando Sentinel after 22 years.

"I wanted something to do that was challenging for the mind," Hellmuth said. "I didn't want to spend my whole retirement sitting at home, watching for the daisies to grow."

While Hellmuth immersed herself in activism, she also reaped the additional benefit of friendship. She emphasized the "absolutely amazing friends" she has made throughout her three years in the League.

"I thought journalists had great friendships, but there's nothing like League friendships," she said.

The group has welcomed women of all ages into its fold. Several UCF students and alumni are active members of the organization, including Maria Desangles, a UCF 2009 alumna and member of the DREAM Act committee.

"This committee is wonderful because it's so intergenerational," she said.

Desangles, who volunteers at a migrant farm worker community in Apopka, stressed the need for young people to "be active citizens and productive members of society" and "join the cause for social change."

Kelly Quintero, the president of the National Organization for Women at UCF, joined the League two months ago. She encouraged other UCF students and young Orange County citizens to participate in the League's missions.

"Young people need to get involved," she said. "The League of Women Voters isn't just about women – it's for people."

As they gear up to lobby lawmakers at Tallahassee's Legislative Summit this February, devoted League members will continue to carry the torch of civic duty, political knowledge and truth.