| September 2022
Editor Jennifer Bales
communications@lwvbc.org
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President's Letter
for August 2022
By Elizabeth Crowe | | | League Takes Action on Reproductive Rights |
“The League of Women Voters stands in our power with our reproductive partners and all persons who fear the dangerous consequences of this decision,” said Dr. Deborah Turner, LWVUS President on June 24, 2022 when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. “We will use our anger to fight in the legislatures, in the courts, and in the streets. We call on our elected leaders at the state and federal levels to act swiftly to restore bodily autonomy to all people.”
June 24 was also the first full day of the LWV National Convention, held in-person in Denver. Following the day’s Convention events, more than 100 League members from all over the country marched to the Colorado state capitol to join many more hundreds of people for a rally and march for reproductive rights. LWVBC members who joined the march included Hannah Rain Crowe, Pirie Jensen and I.
The League has since 1983 held this position on reproductive rights: “The League of Women Voters of the United States believes that public policy in a pluralistic society must affirm the constitutional right of privacy of the individual to make reproductive choices.” (LWVUS Impact on Issues) At the 2022 National Convention we also passed this resolution:
Be it resolved that the LWVUS, supports the rights of women and those who can get pregnant, to self-determination related to, and including, but not limited to bodily autonomy, privacy, reproductive health, and lifestyle choice.
Locally, League members joined the Women’s Freedom March on July 9 in Boulder, organized by the YWCA of Boulder County, which involved hundreds of people of all ages and backgrounds, with a united goal to support and defend the rights of women to reproductive choice. Our League message at this event: marching is not enough…vote! Our Voter Outreach volunteers shared voter information and resources, and Representative Joe Neguse commended League volunteers for our work to inform and engage voters on important issue. We gained some new members as well; hopefully some of you will be interested in taking action through League!
| On that note, LWV Colorado has formed a Reproductive Justice Task Force. If you’re a League member interested in joining and helping report-back to, and engage other LWV Boulder County members, please reach out so you can get connected to our state League liaison for more upcoming events.
Lastly, LWVBC intends to have a community dialogue (virtual or in-person) with our LWV of Colorado Reproductive Justice Task Force leaders in the next month or so, to inform and engage our membership and other community groups and community members on the status of reproductive rights in our state. Interested in helping out? Send me an email to get plugged in: elizabethcrowe@lwvbc.org.
| | | LWVCO Task Force on Alternative Voting Methods
By The Voting Methods Team | The newly formed LWVCO Task Force on Alternative Voting Methods held its
first meeting on July 21. The LWVBC Voting Methods Team was well
represented, with our team co-leader Celeste Landry chairing the meeting and
several team members attending. There were 16 League members from around
the state at the meeting, including many who have been active in promoting
better voting methods in communities around the state, including Ft.
Collins, Pueblo and Colorado Springs. We're excited about this new
opportunity to learn from each other and work together to provide education
and advocacy for better voting methods throughout Colorado! Our next Task Force meeting is scheduled for Wed, Aug 17 from noon to 1:30 via Zoom. To register for it, go to the website calendar and click on the Aug 17 event.
To learn more about alternative voting methods, such as Approval, STAR or
different forms of Ranked Voting, please visit our Voting Methods Team page (lwvbc.org >
Teams at Work > Voting Methods). If your interest is piqued, please join us
at our next Voting Methods Team meeting. The meeting time and contact
person are on our webpage under Upcoming Events.
| Welcome to these new members who joined in June and July: Deborah Lively and Diane Scheiner (Erie); Kate Kleinhesselink and Julia Wilber (Louisville); Ardith Sohn and Holly Cutler (Lafayette); Cindy Goodrich, Ranella Randles, Dorothy Rupert, David Askey, Marion Ramirez, and Lyla Hamilton (Boulder); Debra Schuster and Rose Croghan (Longmont); Cynthia Fitzgerald (Ward); and Barbara Hill (Superior);.
The Membership Team was pleased to have our first membership table at an in-person event since COVID at the 2022 Colorado Legislative Update at Frasier Meadows July 7. Several attendees joined as a result of this event.
Membership Team members are reaching out to help new members learn more about our League and how to explore the information on our website. If you would like to join a Membership Team person in having coffee with a new member, please contact Susan Curtis, Membership Director, scurtis3@me.com.
Thank you! The Membership team wishes to thank Judy White for her many contributions to the team over these last several years. Judy has been a willing helping hand at many LWVBC events and has taken responsibility for regular updates to the member listing and printing and distributing certificates and awards. Judy continues to be a LWVBC member and is focusing her energy on the Fund Raising Committee going forward.
If you are interested in learning more about LWVBC, reaching out to new members and volunteering to host the membership table at LWVBC events, please join the Membership Team. We would love to have you! Please contact Susan Curtis, Membership Director, scurtis3@me.com with your interest.
August 13 League Coffee: Please register to attend the August 13 Membership Coffee via Zoom. Elizabeth Crowe, LWVBC President, and other members who attended the Annual League Convention in Denver will speak of their experiences at the convention and bring up-to-data information about National League happenings. Register for the coffee here.
Website Tip of the Month: Find LWVBC members who live in your city.. Go to lwvbc.org. Login as a member. Click on "Member Info." Click on "Member Directory" in the dropdown menu. Then enter either your city or zip code and click "Search." If you want to limit your search for other members in your city with an interest you share, also click on “Interests," select one and then "Search."
| LWVBC 2022-2023 Strategic Planning
By Elizabeth Crowe |
The League’s mission is to empower voters and defend democracy. Exactly how we do that in Boulder County in 2022-23, was the focus of a strategic planning meeting on July 30, for LWVBC Board members and Team leaders. This annual event helps our organization plot the community outcomes and impacts we want to see, and the activities and partnerships necessary for great results.
At our meeting, we discussed League’s strategic framework, focused on Advocacy, Voter Service and Operations. It is important that we build on the strengths of our organization and what activities have worked well so far to engage our members and community to vote, take action on policy issues and keep our internal operations humming smoothly. And with the creative energy and inspiration of new and longer-term leaders, to think about new ways of doing our work even more effectively.
One key item we discussed, was how to re-engage with our members and community as we continue to “come out” from the all-virtual COVID-19 reality. We want to begin having in-person Drinks & Dialogue and Community Conversation events on important topics that affect our community.
Membership Coffees – which will now be referred to as League Coffees since so many people join who are not yet members – can focus more on our internal League business. Agendas for these coffees can include deepening our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion understanding and impact; updates on League actions at the state and national levels; opportunities to expand our reach through social media and a great new tool called Outreach Circle. The Coffees are also a great time for League members to meet each other and chat informally to help build and maintain strong member relationships. To coordinate these and other events, we are revitalizing an Events and Engagement Team to identify issues, presenters, speakers and an event calendar for the year.
Teams will be working to finish documenting plans for the year so we can align our communications, fundraising, membership and other supports to make it all happen. Many thanks to Ana Lamarque for making the meeting arrangements, and all leaders who joined that day in-person or virtually.
| Voter Outreach: all hands on deck!
By Pirie Jensen, Voter Outreach Team | Our LWVBC Voter Outreach team is gearing up for voter outreach tabling opportunities in September & October, in preparation for the November 8th election.
One event already in place is at the Longmont Library, on September 24. Times and hours are posted at this webpage; many volunteers are needed and you can visit the webpage to sign up! Additional opportunities will be announced and posted closer to September. | | |
It would be very, very helpful to hear from members now who will be available in September and October to go to events, libraries, universities, cultural organizations, and Boulder County food banks to register and educate on the use of our award-winning, English/Spanish bilingual Vote411.org platform. We also have a special need for bilingual Spanish volunteers. This is especially important since the fall 2022 election is the first in which Boulder County voters can request a Spanish language ballot.
Please email piriejean@gmail.com to let me know who we can count for voter outreach as summer and fall 2022 events are booked. It’s a lot of fun, and very rewarding work!
| | LWVBC Voter Outreach is also looking for contacts at large corporations such as Medtronics and Google. These businesses support employee volunteer activities and could be a source of voter outreach volunteers. If you know someone at these or other businesses, and would want to help make a warm introduction to the Department of Social Responsibility, Community Engagement, HR or any open minded employee or executive, please contact Pirie. | | | Gun Safety: Round-Up of Issues in 2022
By Rionda Osman | The League has followed several gun safety issues this year. Even though our Gun Safety Team has been on a break this summer, there have been several recent policy developments. Here’s a round-up of the latest. And, at the end of the article see how you can join our local League and the Colorado League to take action! Please see the entire article for details on:
- Local gun safety regulations
- Gun Safety Lawsuits
- Shooting Competition in Palisade
- Colorado State Legislature Assembly Actions
Get involved!
LWVCO Task Force
The LWVCO Task Force on the Prevention of Gun Violence met for the first time of 4 August. If you are willing and able to join, please contact Beth Hendrix (bhendrix@lwvcolorado.org)
LWVBC Gun Safety Team
Our LWVBC Gun Safety Team has been working for the past year to research, discuss, and share information and analysis on gun safety issues affecting our community and state. Our Gun Safety Team mission is four-fold: Track and advocate gun safety legislation; Evaluate gun safety and related legislation and recommend amendments, as appropriate; Promote gun safety awareness; and Underscore the connection between mental health and gun safety.
If you are interested in joining us please fill out this Google form with your contact information and availability.
Team Contacts:
Co-chairs: Tara Menza and Julia Collins
Secretary: Priscilla Newbury
| In Memory: Marlys Ellen Robertson
By Susan Curtis | | We were saddened to learn that out longtime member Marlys Robertson died on June 30 at age 85. Marlys joined LWV in California 50 years ago in 1972. She served on her local League board in various positions, including president, then served on the LWV of California state board for four years before becoming the LWVC president. She was then elected to the national LWVUS board where she served for six years, four as Vice President. Her passion was assuring everyone's right to vote, her family notes.
Marlys and her husband retired to Boulder in 1998. Although she declined to serve on our board, she generously shared her ideas and wisdom as an experienced and distinguished League leader. | | |
Donations in Marlys’s memory may be made to the League of Women Voters or your favorite charity. LWVBC donation page here.
A memorial service was held on August 6 at 2PM at the First Congregational Church of Boulder. Mary Wilson, President to Marlys' Vice Presidency at LWVUS was one of the speakers. They had become lifelong friends through their work together in the League.
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