Alachua County Labor Coalition

08/07/2026

https://laborcoalition.org/2026/08/07/2026-candidate-questionnaire-responses-now-live/

07/29/2026

Check out Uncarcerated and The Silent (R)evolution: Freedom from the Inside Out, documentaries featuring local justice reform advocates Leigh Scott and Julius Irving.

It will be played at Heartwood Soundstage on September 17th!

Gainesville-based advocates part of Ambassador program.

07/23/2026

Add our Tuesday Member Meeting to your calendar!

https://addcal.io/e/x7le88wow7v5

07/21/2026

Dear Labor Coalition Members,

Despite so much federal meddling and cutting of our precious Medicare and Medicaid programs, the Alachua County Labor Coalition will proudly hold its annual birthday party to celebrate Medicare and Medicaid. These health plans, enacted over 50 years ago, were the most successful progressive measures our government ever created. And we must do everything in our power to stick up for their continued existence.

Our Medicare Birthday Party will take place on Sunday, July 26, a few days before Medicare’s actual birthday. It will be from 3 to 5 PM at the Universal Universalist Church at 4225 NW 34th Street. Delicious homemade gluten free birthday cake will be served, and we will have two amazing young speakers to address the issues Medicare and Medicaid face in this hostile state and federal government.

Gita Lakshminaranayan is a 3rd year MD /Ph.D student at the University of Florida. She has been involved with Students for a National Health Program (SNaHP) since 2023, is now co-chair of Florida SNaHP and is on the National SNaHP Political Action Committee. She hopes to expand health literacy and continue to push legislators to expand healthcare coverage and access in this role. She began her healthcare advocacy journey in college as a peer health educator and solidified her interest in advocacy while teaching Health Education in India.

Acadia Jacobis is the Interim Executive Director and Advocacy Director at Florida Voices for Health. She holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Florida. Acadia leads statewide advocacy efforts focused on healthcare access, health equity, and community engagement. With over a decade of experience in public health and domestic violence prevention, Acadia has developed and managed programs, built cross-sector partnerships, and mobilized communities to advance policy change.

Two powerful women we were lucky to get to address us on this important holiday. I cannot wait to hear them untangle some of the dilemmas our nation’s best health care programs are facing. And they will tell us what we can do right now to help.

Come join us for this special event. I so look forward to seeing you with us again. Many of your progressive friends will be there as well.

Yours in solidarity,
Marilyn Eisenberg,
Membership Chair,
Alachua County Labor Coalition

06/26/2026

Tomorrow!

06/18/2026

The state legislature is now responsible for GRU. Let them know how you feel at laborcoalition.org/accountability4gru

06/12/2026

DeSantis signed the GRU Referendum Reversal today. State Senator. Jenn Bradley and state Rep. Chad Johnson are now responsible for all of the chaos and cruelty of GRU. The best thing you can do to fight back is hold them accountable. Call and email them whenever you have a problem with GRU or anything the GRU Authority does.

06/11/2026

The ACLC Health Justice Committee has unfortunately learned that is too late to put a CHOICES county health plan on the ballot in 2026. This is extremely disappointing news. As we reported last month in our newsletter, reviving the CHOICES program could have provided life-saving care to likely thousands of Alachua County residents whose ACA (Obamacare) plans have become too expensive due to Trump’s budget cuts. It also would have largely closed the Medicaid coverage gap in Alachua County.

We were on track to meet deadlines for notifying state and county election offices. But we recently learned that the law governing sales tax referenda contains an obscure requirement to notify another state agency 180 days before the election.

Anyone interested in health justice should attend the Committee’s next meeting on Monday, June 29th at 6:30 at the ACLC office (2512 NW 6th ST). We will explain why we cannot pursue a CHOICES revival this year, as well as lay out options for pursing it in the coming years. We will also begin planning the next steps in our campaign to put Medicaid Expansion on the ballot in 2028 and discuss other Committee work. We hope to see you there!

You can add a calendar reminder for the meeting here:

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05/21/2026

05/08/2026

If you lived in Alachua County any time between 2005-2013 and were on the County-provided CHOICE health plan, we want to know about your experience. We are currently exploring the possibility of bringing it back to help people get or keep health care after federal Medicaid and ACA (Obamacare) cuts.

Email us with your CHOICES story to [email protected] ! We would also love the opportunity to meet to discuss your experience!