FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 25, 2020
Contact: Steven Nekhaila,
Chairman, Libertarian Party of Florida
chair@lpf.org
KEY WEST, Fla. – The Libertarian Party of Florida congratulates Libertarian presidential running team Jo Jorgensen and Spike Cohen in the first-ever national political convention conducted solely online.
More than a thousand Libertarian Party delegates attended the two-day Convention this past weekend. The gathering ended Sunday but will be reconvened in in-person in Orlando for business meetings this July. Party veteran Jo Jorgensen was nominated as the Libertarian presidential nominee following four rounds of elimination voting. Jeremy “Spike” Cohen was chosen as her running mate after three rounds.
Steven Nekhaila
“This was a historic event that will go down in history as the combination of forward thinking and ingenuity to elect a Presidential and Vice-Presidential nominee in the age of COVID-19,” said LPF Chair Steven Nekhaila. “I am very proud of our Florida delegation and team for doing our part. I am also pleased with the support of the Libertarian National Committee staff for helping to make this a reality. We are excited to support our nominee’s and bring a third real option to constituents in all 50 States including Florida this November!”
A total of 54 Florida delegates and 16 alternates participated in the voting. Nationwide, 1,026 delegates voted to elect Jorgensen, a senior lecturer in psychology at Clemson University. Jorgensen, 63, was Harry Browne’s running mate in 1996. Florida delegates favored Georgia neighbor John Monds in early rounds, they supported party stalwart Vermin Supreme in the final round.
Floridians favored Cohen throughout the three vice-president ballots. Cohen, 37, was initially slated with presidential candidate Vermin Supreme. Supreme fell off the rounds and Cohen went on to the vice-presidential win.
For the most part, the two-day online event went smoothly. Some technical issues and confusion about participation persisted, but failed to prevent the thousands of votes.
“I think overall things went well for a first-time event,” said delegate Chris Jones, vice chair of the LPF Alachua County affiliate. “I think the Florida delegation did a phenomenal job using a separate app for communication and coordination. The Zoom interface definitely did leave much of the delegation somewhat out of the process.”
– By J. Mark Barfield, Staff Writer
— xxx —
MAY 2020 BUSINESS MEETING MINUTES (FINAL)
Business Meeting Minutes
MAY 19TH, 2020
Opening
The regular meeting of the Libertarian Party of Orange County, Fl. was called to order at 6:39pm on May 19th, 2020 at Winter Garden Pizza Company by Chair – Ralph Groves.
Present
Executive Committee: Chair – Ralph Groves, Mari Peele – Secretary, Greg Peele – Treasurer
Voting Members: None
Regular Members: None
Determination of Quorum (75% of Executive Committee or 25% of all voting members)
Quorum was established.
Approval and Adoption of Agenda
Greg Peele made a motion to adopt the agenda. The motion was seconded by Mari Peele and passed unanimously.
Approval of the Minutes
Greg Peele moved to approve the minutes from the March 24th, 2020 business meeting. The motion was seconded by Mari Peele and motion carried without objection.
Guest Speaker – Scott Billue, founder of Matthew’s Hope of Winter Garden
LNC Region 2 Caucus
Chair Report – Ralph Groves
Vice-Chair Report – No Report
Secretary Report – Mari Peele
Treasurer Report – Greg Peele
By-Laws Report – No Report
Finance Report – No Report
Communications Report – Greg Peele
Membership Report – No Report
Platform Report – No Report
Old Business
New Business
Adjournment
Mari Peele made a motion to adjourn. The motion was seconded by Greg Peele and passed unanimously.
Meeting was adjourned at 8:30pm by Chair – Ralph Groves. The next business meeting will be at 7:00pm on June 23rd, 2020, at Orlando Brewing.
Minutes submitted by: Mari Peele
LPF PRESS RELEASE – Historic LP Online Convention Nominates Jorgensen, Cohen
Historic LP Online Convention Nominates Jorgensen, Cohen
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 25, 2020
Contact: Steven Nekhaila,
Chairman, Libertarian Party of Florida
chair@lpf.org
KEY WEST, Fla. – The Libertarian Party of Florida congratulates Libertarian presidential running team Jo Jorgensen and Spike Cohen in the first-ever national political convention conducted solely online.
More than a thousand Libertarian Party delegates attended the two-day Convention this past weekend. The gathering ended Sunday but will be reconvened in in-person in Orlando for business meetings this July. Party veteran Jo Jorgensen was nominated as the Libertarian presidential nominee following four rounds of elimination voting. Jeremy “Spike” Cohen was chosen as her running mate after three rounds.
Steven Nekhaila
“This was a historic event that will go down in history as the combination of forward thinking and ingenuity to elect a Presidential and Vice-Presidential nominee in the age of COVID-19,” said LPF Chair Steven Nekhaila. “I am very proud of our Florida delegation and team for doing our part. I am also pleased with the support of the Libertarian National Committee staff for helping to make this a reality. We are excited to support our nominee’s and bring a third real option to constituents in all 50 States including Florida this November!”
A total of 54 Florida delegates and 16 alternates participated in the voting. Nationwide, 1,026 delegates voted to elect Jorgensen, a senior lecturer in psychology at Clemson University. Jorgensen, 63, was Harry Browne’s running mate in 1996. Florida delegates favored Georgia neighbor John Monds in early rounds, they supported party stalwart Vermin Supreme in the final round.
Floridians favored Cohen throughout the three vice-president ballots. Cohen, 37, was initially slated with presidential candidate Vermin Supreme. Supreme fell off the rounds and Cohen went on to the vice-presidential win.
For the most part, the two-day online event went smoothly. Some technical issues and confusion about participation persisted, but failed to prevent the thousands of votes.
“I think overall things went well for a first-time event,” said delegate Chris Jones, vice chair of the LPF Alachua County affiliate. “I think the Florida delegation did a phenomenal job using a separate app for communication and coordination. The Zoom interface definitely did leave much of the delegation somewhat out of the process.”
– By J. Mark Barfield, Staff Writer
— xxx —
February 2020 Business Meeting Minutes (FINAL)
Business Meeting Minutes
FEBRUARY 18TH, 2020
Opening
The regular meeting of the Libertarian Party of Orange County, Fl. was called to order at 7:38pm on January 18th, 2020 at Orlando Brewing by Chair – Ralph Groves.
Present
Executive Committee: Chair – Ralph Groves, Mari Peele – Secretary, Greg Peele – Treasurer, Wayne Jackman – Membership Chair
Voting Members: Pedro Geliga
Regular Members: None
Determination of Quorum (75% of Executive Committee or 25% of all voting members)
Quorum of voting members was established.
Approval and Adoption of Agenda
Wayne Jackman made a motion to adopt the agenda. The motion was seconded by Greg Peele and passed unanimously.
Approval of the Minutes
Wayne Jackman moved to approve the minutes from the January 21st, 2020 business meeting. The motion was seconded by Greg Peele and motion carried without objection.
Guest Speaker – Deacon Fred Molina: Diocese of Orlando Human Trafficking Task Force
Chair Report – Ralph Groves
Vice-Chair Report – No Report
Secretary Report – Mari Peele
Treasurer Report – Greg Peele
By-Laws Report – No Report
Finance Report – No Report
Communications Report – Greg Peele
Membership Report – Wayne Jackman
Candidates Report – No Report
Platform Report – No Report
Old Business
New Business
Adjournment
Wayne Jackman made a motion to adjourn. The motion was seconded by Pedro Geliga and passed unanimously.
Meeting was adjourned at 9:39pm by Chair – Ralph Groves. The next business meeting will be at 7:00pm on March 24th, 2020, at Orlando Brewing.
Minutes submitted by: Mari Peele
May 2020 Business Meeting Agenda (DRAFT)
Agenda for May 19th, 2020 Business Meeting
DRAFT AGENDA – SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Join the Libertarian Party of Orange County, FL for our regular business meeting on Tuesday, May 19th, 2019.
Everyone is welcome to attend, regardless of political affiliation (or lack of). Our focus is the advancement of liberty within our local communities through activism, events, and Libertarian political candidates. Can’t make it and want to support the party? Follow our Livestream during the event and please consider contributing to our success by making a Donation.
IMPORTANT: Our meeting will be starting early this month at 6pm. The Libertarian National Committee Region 2 Caucus will occur electronically during our business meeting. The Caucus is called to choose our Region 2 Representative and Alternate for the next two years. Our business meeting will occur around the caucus so we can participate together.
Location: Winter Garden Pizza Company 42 W Plant St, Winter Garden, Florida 34787
6:00 – Meet and Greet
6:30 – Call to Order
Determination of Quorum – 75% of Executive Committee or 25% of all voting members
Declaration of Proxy
Approval and Adoption of Agenda
Review and Approval of Minutes – Minutes for March 24th, 2020 Business Meeting
6:40 – Guest Speaker – Scott Billue, founder of Matthew’s Hope of Winter Garden.
7:00 – LNC Region 2 Caucus
8:00 – Officer Reports
Chair Report – Ralph Groves
Vice-Chair Report – Pedro Geliga
Secretary Report – Mari Peele
Treasurer Report – Greg Peele
8:15 – Committee Reports
Bylaws Report
Finance Report
Communications Report
Membership Report
Platform Report
8:25 – Old Business
8:30 – New Business
9:00 – Adjourn for Social Hour
11:00 – Venues Close
LPOC May Business Meeting – NEW LOCATION & TIME
Libertarian Party of Orange County will hold its May business meeting at a new temporary location and time:
Come join us for our May 2020 Business Meeting at the Winter Garden Pizza Company.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, our meeting has temporarily changed locations.
We will be meeting on May 19th, 2020 at the Winter Garden Pizza Company, 42 W Plant St, Winter Garden, Fl 34787.
IMPORTANT: Our meeting will be starting early this month at 6pm. The Libertarian National Committee Region 2 Caucus will occur electronically during our business meeting. The Caucus is called to choose our Region 2 Representative and Alternate for the next two years. Our business meeting will occur around the caucus so we can participate together.
It’s time to Reopen Florida
It’s time to Reopen Florida
Floridians call for an end to DeSantis’ Shutdown
A growing number of responsible Floridians will join together to call for an end to the Gov. Ron DeSantis mandated damage to the Florida economy. The first of these events is in Orlando tomorrow seeking to let Orange County and lawmakers statewide know that the people have had enough and they want to go back to work. We expect more to follow as Americans come to realize the irresponsible “cure” is already worse than the “illness” for most.
In a recent open letter to DeSantis, Re-Open Florida: Orange County organizer Tara Hill wrote “Governor DeSantis, your constituents are emphatically compelling you to honor your oath to uphold The Constitution of the United States of America and re-open Florida so that we may not only preserve the lives of Floridians, but so we may preserve our right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness as well.”
The Libertarian Party of Florida, since it was founded in 1974, supports the free will of every person to make responsible choices for themselves and on behalf of those around them. If being responsible means social distancing and wearing masks and gloves to protect ourselves and others, we encourage it based on medical evidence. But personal security does not mean shutting down our economy. Summarily closing society: businesses, schools, free commerce, will produce damage to our society long after the medical concerns have been addressed. A growing number of businesses are permanently shuttering, their owners and employees joining the millions already left to fend for themselves in this dystopian landscape mandated by President Trump, DeSantis and most governors. Billions of illusionary dollars in “stimulus checks” will do nothing to replenish the damage done.
We encourage each of you to join together with your fellow freedom friends and let Orange County, Florida and the world know enough is enough. Let us be responsible again.
In Orlando, the rally will be in front of the Orange County Administration Building, 201 S Rosalind Ave, from 3:30 pm to 5 pm.
For more information, please see Re-Open Florida: Orange County’s Facebook page: Re-Open Florida: Orange County
** This event is not hosted by the Libertarian Party of Orange County. Please check out the host’s event page for full information.
Press Release: Centennial of The Ocoee Massacre of 1920
On January 21st, 2020 The Libertarian Party of Orange County passed the following resolution:
“The LPOC endorses the Commemoration of the Centennial of the tragic massacre of Black Ocoee Citizens that occurred in 1920. The LPOC opposes racism in any form and supports harmony among all citizens.“
This resolution was delivered by Chairman Ralph Groves on February 4th, 2020 to Mayor Johnson and the City of Ocoee Commission Members.
For those interested in learning more about the tragic events of Election Day 1920, there is an exhibit on display at the Orange County Regional History Center that runs though January 3rd, 2021. Information on the exhibit can be found below.
Guest Speaker – Deacon Fred Molina
Libertarian Party of Orange County presents:
Come join us for our February 2020 Business Meeting featuring Deacon Fred Molina.
Deacon Fred Molina was the first director of the Diocese of Orlando Human Trafficking Task Force, which began in 2014. The task force educates the community to detect human trafficking victims and empowers the community to end trafficking and support survivors for their recovery. The task force has 80 members who train people in parishes and schools to recognize labor and sexually trafficked people and how to help them. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops uses the diocesan model nationwide to set up other task forces.
Check out the Diocese of Orlando Human Trafficking Task Force at: https://www.facebook.com/DOHTTF/
We will be meeting on February 18th, 2020 at the Orlando Brewing at 1301 Atlanta Ave, Orlando, Fl 32806
All are welcome to the social and to hear our Featured Speaker as well to attend the Business Meeting which will follow.
Agenda for February 18th, 2020 Business Meeting (DRAFT)
Agenda for February 18th, 2020 Business Meeting
DRAFT AGENDA – SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Join the Libertarian Party of Orange County, FL for our regular business meeting on Tuesday, February 18th, 2019.
Everyone is welcome to attend, regardless of political affiliation (or lack of). Our focus is the advancement of liberty within our local communities through activism, events, and Libertarian political candidates. Can’t make it and want to support the party? Follow our Livestream during the event and please consider contributing to our success by making a Donation.
The meeting will start with a meet and greet at 7:00 PM. The official call to order for conducting party business is at 7:30 PM. If you can’t make it then, feel free to join us for some social time after!
Location: Orlando Brewing 1301 Atlanta Ave, Orlando, Fl 32806
7:00 – Meet and Greet
7:30 – Call to Order
Determination of Quorum – 75% of Executive Committee or 25% of all voting members
Declaration of Proxy
Approval and Adoption of Agenda
Review and Approval of Minutes – Minutes for January 21st, 2019 Business Meeting
7:35 – Guest Speaker – Deacon Fred Molina: Diocese of Orlando Human Trafficking Task Force
Deacon Fred Molina was the first director of the Diocese of Orlando Human Trafficking Task Force, which began in 2014. The task force educates the community to detect human trafficking victims and empowers the community to end trafficking and support survivors for their recovery. The task force has 80 members who train people in parishes and schools to recognize labor and sexually trafficked people and how to help them. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops uses the diocesan model nationwide to set up other task forces.
Learn more at: https://www.facebook.com/DOHTTF
7:55 – Officer Reports
Chair Report – Ralph Groves
Vice-Chair Report – N/A
Secretary Report – Mari Peele
Treasurer Report – Greg Peele
8:15 – Committee Reports
Bylaws Report
Finance Report
Communications Report
Membership Report
Platform Report
8:25 – Old Business
8:30 – New Business
9:00 – Adjourn for Social Hour
11:00 – Venues Close
BUSINESS MEETING MINUTES – JANUARY 21ST, 2020 (FINAL)
Business Meeting Minutes
JANUARY 21ST, 2020
Opening
The regular meeting of the Libertarian Party of Orange County, Fl. was called to order at 7:23pm on January 21st, 2020 at Orlando Brewing by Chair – Ralph Groves.
Present
Executive Committee: Chair – Ralph Groves, Mari Peele – Secretary, Greg Peele – Treasurer
Voting Members: Wayne Jackman, Rob Casterline
Regular Members: None
Determination of Quorum (75% of Executive Committee or 25% of all voting members)
Quorum of voting members was established.
Approval and Adoption of Agenda
Wayne Jackman made a motion to adopt the agenda. The motion was seconded by Greg Peele and passed unanimously.
Approval of the Minutes
Wayne Jackman moved to approve the minutes from the December 17th, 2019 business meeting. The motion was seconded by Greg Peele and motion carried without objection.
Guest Speaker – Frank Blanco – Candidate for Florida House District 44
Chair Report – Ralph Groves
Vice-Chair Report – No Report
Secretary Report – Mari Peele
Treasurer Report – Greg Peele
By-Laws Report – No Report
Finance Report – No Report
Communications Report – Greg Peele
Membership Report – Wayne Jackman
Candidates Report – No Report
Platform Report – No Report
Old Business
New Business
Text: I move to authorize the expenditure of up to $100 to the Libertarian Party of Florida for the purpose of reserving a vendor table at the Libertarian Party of Florida Convention for use by the non-profit organization Operation: Blazing Sword.
Text: The LPOC endorses the Commemoration of the Centennial of the tragic massacre of Black Ocoee Citizens that occurred in 1920. The LPOC opposes racism in any form and supports harmony among all citizens.
Open Discussion
Adjournment
Greg Peele made a motion to adjourn. The motion was seconded by Wayne Jackman and passed unanimously.
Meeting was adjourned at 9:02pm by Chair – Ralph Groves. The next business meeting will be at 7:00pm on February 18th, 2020, at Orlando Brewing.
Minutes submitted by: Mari Peele
Guest Speaker – Frank Blanco for Florida House District 44
Libertarian Party of Orange County presents:
Come join us for our January 2020 Business Meeting featuring Frank Blanco for Florida House District 44.
Check out his website at: https://www.blancoforhouse.com/
We will be meeting on January 21st, 2020 at the Orlando Brewing at 1301 Atlanta Ave, Orlando, Fl 32806
All are welcome to the social and to hear our Featured Speaker as well to attend the Business Meeting which will follow.
Business Meeting Agenda – January 21st, 2020 (DRAFT)
Agenda for January 21st, 2020 Business Meeting
DRAFT AGENDA – SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Join the Libertarian Party of Orange County, FL for our regular business meeting on Tuesday, January 21st, 2019.
Everyone is welcome to attend, regardless of political affiliation (or lack of). Our focus is the advancement of liberty within our local communities through activism, events, and Libertarian political candidates. Can’t make it and want to support the party? Follow our Livestream during the event and please consider contributing to our success by making a Donation.
The meeting will start with a meet and greet at 7:00 PM. The official call to order for conducting party business is at 7:30 PM. If you can’t make it then, feel free to join us for some social time after!
Location: Orlando Brewing 1301 Atlanta Ave, Orlando, Fl 32806
7:00 – Meet and Greet
7:30 – Call to Order
Determination of Quorum – 75% of Executive Committee or 25% of all voting members
Declaration of Proxy
Approval and Adoption of Agenda
Review and Approval of Minutes – Minutes for December 17th, 2019 Business Meeting
7:35 – Guest Speaker – Frank Blanco – Candidate for Florida House District 44
Visit his website at – https://www.blancoforhouse.com/
7:55 – Officer Reports
Chair Report – Ralph Groves
Vice-Chair Report – Derek Ryan
Secretary Report – Mari Peele
Treasurer Report – Greg Peele
8:15 – Committee Reports
Bylaws Report
Finance Report
Communications Report
Membership Report
Candidates Report
Platform Report
8:25 – Old Business
8:30 – New Business
9:00 – Adjourn for Social Hour
11:00 – Venues Close