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In this Issue
Do Your Job, Byron • Florida Legislature 2025 • Vaccine Politics •
Volunteer of the Month • Help Wanted • Club of the Month • Happenings
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Do Your Job, Byron!
As MAGA supporters arrived for Byron Donalds gubernatorial campaign kickoff in Bonita Springs, they were greeted by over 100 demonstrators exhorting the Congressman to do the job he has now. He has had few Town Halls and none since being reelected.
Rather than having to stand outside while he speaks to donors at fundraisers, his constituents would like the opportunity to tell him, face-to-face, what they think of the politics of MAGA and DOGE.
Calling him “Do Nothing Donald,” they pointed out that he had passed only one bill in his over four years in Congress, that he voted against FEMA funding, and that, like Donald Trump, had been a convicted felon.
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Florida Legislative Session:
What You Need to Know
Your input is needed at the halfway point for this year’s Florida Legislative session. Below are some of the bills under consideration. You are encouraged to make your position known to your legislators. Click here to read the full article, including more on:
- Single-Member County Commission Districts
- Destroying the Citizen Initiative Process
- Two Bills are Bad News for Educators
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The 2025 Florida Legislative Session
Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down
By Madison Fitzpatrick
With the 2025 Florida legislative session about halfway over, we as Floridians must keep up with the bills trying to get passed by both political parties. Unfortunately, with the Republican majority in both houses, Democrats can rarely get their partisan bills seen, let alone passed. Below are some examples of bipartisan bills that we, as Democrats and Floridians, should support and some bills that we, as Democrats and Floridians, should oppose. I urge you to call your Senator and make your opinions on these and other bills known- after all, they should be representing us. Read more
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The Politics of the Measles, Mumps,
Rubella (MMR) Vaccine
By Tracey Rippon
According to current CDC data, over 300 cases of measles have been confirmed in the US in the first 3 months of 2025. Yes, this includes Florida! This far exceeds the number for all of 2024.
Almost all these cases occurred in people who were not vaccinated. Vaccine coverage for measles with the MMR vaccine has decreased over the last 5 years, leaving hundreds of thousands of school children across the country at risk of becoming seriously ill from a highly contagious disease—one that can’t be treated but can be prevented. Full vaccination as a child confers lifelong immunity and is 97% effective. Read more
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Have you seen the Lee County Democratic Party’s updated website? It’s vibrant, user-friendly, and action-oriented. And it’s largely because of this work that Jayne Berkaw and her teammate, Nathalie Camayd, are this month’s Volunteers of the Month.
In over 30 years of experience in communications, Jayne has held management positions across banking, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, and entrepreneurial consulting. Her expertise spans press and investor relations, newsletters, annual reports, and marketing materials.
Jayne became involved with Lee Dems in 2024 when she served as a poll watcher. Citing her experience with Constant Contact—our email platform—on her volunteer form, she stepped up in October to assist with the layout and distribution of The Informed Democrat, a role she continues today.
Her experience was brought to bear when re-envisioning the Lee Dems website. She took the lead on the project, collaborating with others, including teammate Nathalie, to reimagine the site's look and navigation, refine the content, and oversee its daily operations. "Nathalie has been a saving grace," she said. Read more
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Don’t hide your talents! Bring your skills to the Party! Make a difference! Our active Lee County Democratic Party has some needs for people who’ve learned how to research, organize, communicate, coordinate, and collaborate. Here are just a few of the volunteer opportunities available:
Social Media Dashboard Admin: Oversee the timing and messaging of posts according to the Party’s agenda on Lee Dems Social media platforms, periodically contribute to content creation, and collaborate with contributors.
Podcast Producer: Create weekly video content from the Party’s talking points to be informative and engaging to listeners.
Legislative Action Coordinator: Collaborate with a team to draft bills on behalf of Lee County and work with our representatives to get them passed. More opportunities
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Why I’m a Democrat
By Brad Smith
I’m a Democrat because I believe the fundamental reason any society exists is to help its members live and improve their lives in safety and with dignity. All its members.
I’m a Democrat because I believe trust is the foundation upon which a society rests, and trust requires behavior that is trustworthy. I believe this trust requires an absence of tyranny of minorities of every sort. I believe our similarities are much greater than our differences and our differences are a source of richness and strength.
I’m a Democrat because I believe a successful society is built on hope and compassion, not on grievance and anger. I believe a successful society is built on respect, honesty, and civility, not on schoolyard bullying and name calling, looking for an angle, outright cheating, or “might makes right.” Read more
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Club of the Month
Meet the Blue Gators
By Liz Matt
ACTION is the key characteristic of the group of Democrats in southern Lee County who call ourselves the Blue Gator Initiative. There are few “meetings.” Nevertheless, we get together constantly —using a growing email list—to find willing hands and support the nitty-gritty work of advancing Democratic policies and points of view.
During the last election cycle, we were present for lots of door-to-door canvassing for Amendment 4 petitions and for our Democratic candidate slate. We crowdsourced funds to cover filing fees for Mitch Schlayer’s run for Tallahassee and Kizzie Fowler’s campaign for County Board of Commissioners. Our first foray into major fundraising brought in over $12,000 early in Kari Lerner’s campaign. And we were with Kari to the last second as well, making sure her slate cards were handed out every hour that polls were open over a span of 12 days in North Naples. Read more
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Join your fellow Lee County Democrats on April 5 from 10 AM to 1 PM at one of these venues:
- Cape Coral: 1039 SE 9th Ave, Cape Coral, 33990
- Fort Myers U.S. 41 & Daniels Parkway, 33907
Peaceful action is a core principle of this event. All are welcome to stand in solidarity! More information
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Lee County LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus
Join us at Brooks Park
(next to Page Field Airport)
RSVP
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SUBSCRIBE
The Informed Democrat is published monthly and posted on the LeeCountyDems.org website.
Do you have something you’d like to share with your fellow Democrats in Lee County, or do you have comments, questions, or ideas about features you'd like to see?
Contact us at InformedDemocrat@gmail.com.
Editor: Melissa Butler
The Democratic Party of Lee County is an all-volunteer organization. We do not receive any funding
from the Florida Democratic Party nor the National Democratic Party.
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