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MODERATOR: Rev. Kathy Schmitz

LWVOC Co-President

 

Rev. Kathy is an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister. She has served congregations in Massachusetts, Texas and Florida in a variety of capacities over the past 30 years.

 

Her special interest is in organizations in transition, especially during changing and challenging times. Originally from New England, Kathy has been a member of the Orange County League since 2010, when she was called to be the senior pastor of First Unitarian Church of Orlando, which she served until 2018.

 

She has enjoyed being involved in the community, including interfaith activities and advocacy for various social justice issues. She is a committed environmentalist. Prior to entering seminary, Kathy was a software engineer.

 

She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Cornell University and a Master of Divinity degree from Andover Newton Theological School.

Jessica Lowe-Minor

LWVFL President

 

Jessica Lowe-Minor is the youngest woman elected to lead the League of Women Voters of Florida. Lowe-Minor is a passionate voting rights advocate who served three terms on the Board of the League of Women Voters of the United States, most recently as the LWVUS Vice-President from 2020-22.

 

She is the principal and co-founder of a nonprofit consulting firm called Capacityworks, and she has extensive nonprofit sector experience, having served in strategic, policy and management roles. She was the executive director of the Institute for Nonprofit Innovation and Excellence in Tallahassee, Florida from 2015-2018. From 2010-2014, she served as the executive director of the League of Women Voters of Florida.

 

Lowe-Minor’s tenure at the Florida League contributed to a significant increase in organizational revenue (167 percent), membership (31 percent) and overall visibility. She has also worked as a legislative advocate at the state Capitol for women’s organizations.

 

Lowe-Minor has a master’s degree in women’s and gender studies via the program in Interdisciplinary Humanities at Florida State University and has taught classes at both FSU and Tallahassee State College. She is also a licensed Realtor, the mother of two young daughters, and she enjoys hiking, horseback riding and listening to podcasts.

James Perry

Former Justice of the Florida Supreme Court

 

James E.C. Perry was the 85th Justice of the Florida Supreme Court, serving from 2009-2016. Perry was

appointed to the court by former Gov. Charlie Crist and took office on March 11, 2009.

 

Before his appointment, he served as a circuit judge of Florida's Eighteenth Judicial Circuit upon his appointment by former Gov. Jeb Bush in March 2000. Perry was the first African-American appointed to the circuit. Perry later served as chief judge of the circuit for a two-year term, beginning July 2003.

 

He attended Saint Augustine's University, graduating in 1966 with a Bachelor of Arts in business administration and accounting. After serving in the U.S. Army as a first lieutenant, he went on to Columbia Law School where he earned his Juris Doctorate degree in 1972.

 

As founder and president of the Jackie Robinson Sports Association, Perry built a baseball league serving 650 at-risk boys and girls — the largest in the nation. In addition to his work with disadvantaged kids, Justice Perry served as captain of the Heart of Florida United Way Campaign, and his firm served as general counsel for the Florida Chapter Branches of the NAACP.

 

As an attorney, Perry was widely recognized for his legal skills and abilities. Prior to his appointment to the trial bench, Justice Perry was senior partner in the law firm of Perry & Hicks, P.A., where he specialized in civil and business law.

 

He is a member of the Board of Trustees at Saint Augustine’s University. Justice Perry has been a member of the Carter CME Tabernacle Church of Orlando for more than 30 plus years and is a former member of its Board of Trustees. He has received numerous honors and awards

Fritz Wermuth

Attorney

 

Fritz Wermuth, a shareholder with King, Blackwell, Zehnder & Wermuth, P.A., has more than 25 years of legal experience. He has handled complex civil litigation from various perspectives — as a federal district court law clerk, as trial counsel for the U.S. Department of Justice and as a private practitioner.

 

His practice focuses on litigating complex commercial and governmental disputes at the trial court and appellate levels. Wermuth has handled a broad array of tort, contract, and statutory claims, including breach of contract, government procurement disputes, tortious interference, defamation, deceptive and unfair trade practices, legal malpractice defense, Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO) defense, False Claims Act defense, discrimination, and claims under the Florida Constitution and United States Constitution.

 

Wermuth handled cases through trial in both federal and state court in Florida, sought and defended against emergency injunctive relief in federal and state court cases, and has drafted dozens of successful dispositive motions in federal and state court cases.

 

He graduated summa cum laude in 1996 from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and magna cum laude in 1999 from the UF College of Law with a Juris Doctor degree.

Battle Lines: Redistricting & What’s at Stake for Voters
By Judi Hayes

Mid-decade redistricting has surfaced as an issue for Florida, with the governor and House speaker agreeing to examine the unprecedented effort.

Kathy Schmitz, president of the Orange County League, moderated a panel discussion joined by Jessica Lowe-Minor, president of the League of Women Voters of Florida, retired state Supreme Court Justice James Perry and attorney Fritz Wermuth, a shareholder with King, Blackwell, Zehnder, & Wermuth, who represented the League in the redistricting case.

Ellen Freidin, campaign chair of FairDistrictsFlorida.org, gave an overview by video of the efforts to litigate fair voting districts over the years. As it stands, the 2022 redistricting effort has resulted in a map that’s more partisan and less equitable to minorities. Only eight congressional seats are held by Democrats versus 20 Republican-held seats. Yet, President Donald Trump has suggested that Republican states should redistrict those seats again in mid-decade so that Republicans can retain control of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026.

Lowe-Minor emphasized the League's involvement in demanding fair districts since its inception in 1939. Perry, who was appointed by two Republican governors, warned of the danger of gerrymandering and rubber-stamping of the president’s agenda. Fritz Wermuth noted that the state constitution prevents the degree of gerrymandering we’re seeing in Florida.

Panelists emphasized the danger of letting politicians choose their voters and the voter disillusionment that ensues. Allowing primary voters to determine who gets elected hands the keys to the most extreme voices. Lowe-Minor offered an action item for League members: call, write and email your state legislators and tell them to say no to mid-cycle redistricting.

Perry suggested that Republicans have overplayed their hand and have angered people, and the League can reach out to disaffected voters.

Gerrymandering comes with a cost, panelists agreed. Millions in taxpayer money has been wasted on drafting maps and defending them in court, and that money was taken from education, infrastructure and insurance reform. Panelists discussed the legal standards for a challenge and showed how convoluted the maps are.

In the 2022 case that came before the Florida Supreme Court, panelists discussed the elimination of the minority-majority district in north Florida and how that violated the Fair Districts amendments that were approved by 63 percent of voters in 2010. The court recently upheld the map, although did not strike down the Fair Districts amendments.

The panelists diverged on their predictions for the future. Perry said he thought the outlook looked bleak, while Lowe-Minor remained optimistic about the League’s ability to make positive change. Wermuth remained neutral in an abundance of caution, anticipating that he may be called upon again to litigate the maps.

We've put together a resource guide to help you reach out to state legislators and encourage them to "Say NO to Mid-Cycle Redistricting".

Click HERE for resource guide.