In just 3 years Governor Scott has twice vetoed the extremely problematic, unstudied and one-sided family law/alimony "reform" bill presented to him by the Florida House and Senate.  In both 2013 and 2016, the bills were exclusively written by and for special interest groups intent on undermining Florida's Family and Alimony Laws for their own personal agenda.  Both times, the bills would have penalized primarily women who sacrifice their potential careers to support their families in addition to placing our babies and children at grave risk.   Both times, the bills were also unconstitutionally retroactive with embedded language to intentionally undermine nearly all prior, legally settled divorces to the detriment of the lesser-earning spouse, usually the wife.  We thank Governor Scott for his recent 2016 veto of SB 668 -- a veto that underscored the critical need for Gov. Scott to appoint a credible task force to filter out personal politics. NOW is the time for Florida Gov. Scott to finally form an independent, neutral expert task force in order to ensure that any future proposed changes to Florida's protective family or alimony law is truly fair, properly vetted and does not place women, mothers and children at increased risk.  Prior to any new legislation being considered in the future, WE UNDERSIGNED strongly urge Governor Scott to appoint a neutral, multidisciplinary task force of experts comprised of: economists, judges, attorneys representing both genders and all income levels, law professors, social workers, psychologists, child welfare advocates, domestic abuse experts, vocational experts, and objective female and male stakeholder representatives to properly study any proposed changes in depth.  We demand the State of Florida create such a joint family law/alimony task force to ensure that any adopted reforms are proven safe, fact-based and properly developed to protect all citizens of Florida and provide them equal access to justice!  PETITION BACKGROUND We thank Gov. Rick Scott for his wise veto of these ill-conceived family law/alimony "reform" bills in both 2013 and 2016.   Both times these bills were written by and for special interest groups to the detriment of moms, women, families and children.  Both times, they completely lacked substantiating or proper study behind their biased proposed, arbitrary changes to Florida family and alimony laws.  Both times the bills would have been unconstitutionally retroactive and upended permanent or long-term alimony awards; created an unstudied, arbitrary one-size-fits-all formula for alimony awards using a "divorce mill" approach; lowered vital child support amounts; and created a dangerous "premise" of equal, overnight time-sharing of children in custody cases.  With no neutral task force study or empirical basis for these bills, the Florida legislature has repeatedly failed to examine the socioeconomic impact of this sweeping anti-women, anti-mother and anti-family “reform” on all individuals and on the state of Florida.  Instead the Florida legislature continues to propose drastic changes in family/alimony law that will result in unfair, one-sided financial consequences for homemakers like me who have sacrificed their careers and economic safety to provide a traditional family life for my children and spouse.  Every dissolution of marriage is complex and unique such that judges should be allowed to fully evaluate without presumption the needs of each party as well as the needs of children -- whose need for protection, continuity and nurturing should be respected and put first and foremost above all. The latest "reform" bill did not uphold that marriage is a financial partnership where, in many cases, there is an agreement that one parent would primarily work outside the home for an income while the other would work inside the home raising children, caretaking and supporting the spouse's career. When divorce occurs, it should not erase the loss of earning potential and professional experience that the stay-at-home or part-time working parent has endured by mutual arrangement. Fair alimony reform should strengthen the laws on enforcement of existing court orders and should not empower alimony payers with the generic, destructive ability to currently (and retroactively) claim that all of the earned income belong to one spouse and the other spouse has to somehow recover a lost career and earning potential -- which is nearly impossible for older and/or disabled homemakers. This misogynistic and anti-family mindset is NOT how Florida and our State Legislature should be treating our stay-at-home mothers.  Please sign and then share this petition with your friends and family on email and social media. Like on Facebook and visit EquityandDignity.com to learn more about these anti-women, anti-mother and anti-family bills along with the urgent need for a task force.  There you can also easily send an email to Gov. Scott, see the latest news and connect with others.  Contact Governor Rick Scott directly and let him know you want him to appoint a task force to study alimony reform: (850) 717-9337(850) 488-7146(850) 488-4441rick.scott@eog.myflorida.com Office of Governor Rick ScottState of FloridaThe Capitol400 S. Monroe St.Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001 Contact your Florida House and Senate Representatives! www.myfloridahouse.gov  &  www.flsenate.gov We are advocates for fairness, EQUITY AND DIGNITY in Florida family law legislation. We are opposed to anti-women, anti-children, anti-family law legislation.