Page 3 - Florida Sentinel 1-30-18

Features
Memorial Service Planned For Retired Educator
CRC Members Withdraw Rights Restoration Initiative
Last week, former Senate Democratic Leaders and cur- rent Florida Constitution Re- vision Commission members Chris Smith and Arthenia Joyner announced they had withdrawn their proposal for rights restorations for con- victed felons. They stated the reason as being the success of the citizen-driven ballot initiative, which was an iden- tical proposal.
Commissioner Smith
said, “We were the safety net, filling the gap to make sure this question reached the voters of Florida. I could not be prouder of their achieve- ment of getting Amendment 4 on the ballot, and I’m 100 percent committed to its pas- sage.”
Commissioner Joyner
said, “Our decision was made knowing that the ques- tion will indeed appear on the November ballot, and that the people of Florida will finally have the opportu- nity to decide the question for themselves.
“And we do this assured that, if successful, no future governor will ever again play with the lives of those who seek redemption just be- cause they can.”
The Smith/Joyner meas- ure, intended to improve the chances of the automatic rights restoration question
ARTHENIA JOYNER Florida CRC Member
appearing before the voters in November, had been mak- ing its way before the Florida Constitution Revision Com- mission, successfully. It passed its most recent com- mittee hearing last week.
At the same time, an identical proposal launched by the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, in- cluding the ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center, The League of Women Voters and AFL-CIO, together with the support of For Our Fu- ture, and the Catholic Con- ference of Bishops had already begun gathering sig- natures from residents in all 67 counties. The petition drive surpassed the required 766,200 verified signatures required to appear on the November ballot.
Amendment 4 will be
CHRIS SMITH Florida CRC Member
added to the State Constitu- tion if 60 percent of Florida’s voters approve.
Florida is one of just four states which permanently bars ex-felons from having the right to vote. Clemency rules which had allowed au- tomatic rights’ restoration for non-violent ex-felons were abruptly changed by Governor Rick Scott in his first year of office, leading to fewer than 2,000 Floridi- ans regaining their voting rights since his new rules took effect, and tens of thou- sands of applications pend- ing.
If the voters approve Amendment 4 this Novem- ber, more than 1.5 million Floridians would be eligible to register to vote, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.
MRS. GLORIA LOMAS PHILMORE 7/24/1929 —- 1/23/2018
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
A Memorial Service will be held for a popular, retired educator on Saturday, Febru- ary 3, 2018. Mrs. Gloria Lomas Philmore, 88, passed on January 23, 2018, while in Tucker, Georgia.
She had been living with her family in Georgia for the last 5 years. However, she still came to Tampa to visit.
The Memorial Service for Mrs. Philmore will take place at Beulah Baptist Insti- tutional Church, 1006 W. Cy- press Street, beginning at 11 a.m.
A Tampa native, Mrs. Philmore attended the pub- lic schools of Hillsborough County. After attending Mid- dleton High School for two years, she transferred to Don Thompson Vocational High School. Following graduation in 1946, Mrs. Philmore at- tended West Virginia State
College, in Institute, West Virginia.
She graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education in 1951. She then launched her teaching career in the Manatee County Public School Dis- trict. Mrs. Philmore re- turned to Tampa and became an employee of the Hillsbor- ough County School District. She retired in 1991.
A longtime member of Beulah Institutional Baptist Church, Mrs. Philmore was an active participant. She was a Sunday School teacher, active in the Music Ministry with several choirs, and a charter member of the Sanctuary Ladies.
She also served in the General Home Mission Min- istry, Hospital and Public Re- lations Ministry, Youth Ministry, Scribe for the Be- reaved Families of Beulah, and as the church’s Histo- rian.
In addition to being active in the church, Mrs. Philmore volunteered, tu- tored, and mentored stu- dents.
She was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the National Council of Negro Women, a member of the Retired Rattlers Brunch Club, NAACP.
Mrs. Philmore is sur- vived by her daughter, Mrs. Samarah Philmore Brin- son, 2 grandchildren, and numerous other family members and friends.
Flowers and cards may be sent to Wilson’s Funeral Home, 3000 N. 29th Street, Tampa, 33605.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2018 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 3