June/July 2024
Editor Jennifer Bales
jbales@me.com
| Co-Presidents Susan Saunders and Peggy Leech | | By Peggy Leech and Susan Saunders | LWVBC’s Annual Meeting on May 18 was a combination of an end and a beginning. A celebration of so many people and accomplishments over the past year. And a setting in motion toward an exciting new year for 2024-25.
The board of directors includes 5 newly-elected members (Laura Coates, Cassandra Barnhart, Keilly Leon, Mary Ann Wilner, and Peggy Leech). Hannah Rain Crowe will be stepping down from the board, and we thank her for her service. Even though the outgoing board did not have an elected President, this small but mighty board worked together very well. Special thanks to Susan Saunders for agreeing to be 1st VP, and to Holly Monkman for going well beyond her duties as Director of Advocacy. We all look forward to a July planning session, where we and other LWVBC leaders will set our goals for the 2024-25 League year.
This is another “all hands on deck” moment for League members to help empower voters and defend democracy. Efforts for the 2024 Election have already begun, with 5 candidate forums held during the primary season for various state legislators in the Boulder County area. We are also out there at various community events, and of course we will soon start our efforts for Vote411, ballot issues, and fall candidate forums. We can use everyone’s volunteer time and donations to support these efforts.
Our “Fall Kick-off” event will be August 21 this year, and it will be quite different—FUN!! See more information in this issue of the Voter.
We look forward to getting started with this exciting and important year. | 2024 LWVBC Annual Meeting
| | By Holly Monkman and Susan Curtis | | The LWVBC Annual meeting was held Saturday, May 18; Susan Saunders presided over the meeting and Louisa Young served as parliamentarian. Over 40 members attended the meeting held at Rule4.
Dr. Martin Carcasson, professor of Communications and Director of the Center for Public Deliberation was the keynote speaker and presented on the topic of “Civic Engagement through a Wicked Problems Lens.” His style was most engaging and there were many questions following his presentation. We all wanted to learn more about his research and work on how we can engage our communities to solve difficult problems together for the common good.
At right, Susan Saunders (left) receives a Gratitude Award from Susan Curtis (right)
| | | During the business meeting, the proposed budget for 2024-2025 was presented and adopted. One program position change to the Social Policy provision recommending the addition of “United States history and civics” to the curricula of the Boulder Valley School District and St. Vrain Valley School District was adopted. Modifications to the by-laws primarily dictated by changes made by LWVUS were in the areas of membership and dues. Other changes were grammatical in nature. All suggested changes to the by-laws were adopted.
New and continuing board members were elected. They are:
| | Co-Presidents
Secretary
Treasurer
Fund Development
Voter Services
Membership
Youth Engagement
Directors at Large
Nominating Committee | | Peggy Leech and Susan Saunders
Laura Coates
Molly Saunders
Mary Ann Wilner
Stacie Johnson
Susan Curtis
Cassandra Barnhart
Martine Elianor, Keilly Leon and Pat Long
Ruth Stemler, Chair; Emma Piller and Debby Vink
| | | Lydia Linke was awarded the Marlys Robertson Memorial Scholarship by Mr. Phil Robertson, whose wife Marlys was a longtime member and served on the LWVUS Board.
Merit awards were presented to: | | Community Partner
Team Leader of the Year
Member of the Year
Team Members of the Year
Emerging Leader
Gratitude
| | Boulder County Self Sufficiency Wage
Coalition represented by Ian Coggins
Stacie Johnson
Pat Long
Jo Porter and Martine Elianor
Joan Goddard
Susan Saunders
| | | Why Do You Vote (or not)?
Introducing WHY I VOTE - VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITY
| The League of Women Voters of Boulder County (LWVBC) is in the beginning stages of promoting an outreach campaign called WHY I VOTE - VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITY. The aim of the interactive campaign is to prompt ourselves and everyone in our community to reflect on why we vote or why we may not vote. As we amass all our reflections and perspectives, we hope everyone will become more motivated, thankful, and empowered to vote and encourage others to exercise their privilege as well. Finally, we hope the collected voices of our community will educate and inspire us all to help secure and protect the right to vote for others.
Here's how you can contribute:
(1) Submit a statement to the link below
(2) If you are a social media user, please follow the League of Women Voters of Boulder County on Facebook and/or Instagram
(3) Share your statement with loved ones, friends, and family
(4) Nominate a Boulder County organization to temporarily host the traveling outreach display.
To conclude with another request, please reach out to Stacie Johnson at voterservice@lwvbc.org with any feedback for this campaign and to help make it a BIG success.
|  | Fundraising Opportunity: Duck Raffle
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Winning ducks will be selected at the July 4th festivities in Niwot. $5/ticket and 100% of the sales price goes to the LWVBC thanks to a generous donor. Cash prizes & more!
1st place = $2,000
2nd place = $1,000
3rd place = $500
Contact Holly Monkman | | | Awareness, Safety, and Security Training
| Tuesday, June 11, 2024, 6-9pm
Louisville Fire Station 1
1240 Main Street, Louisville
(please park on the street or in the Louisville Middle School lot across the street)
| As organizers and participants of community events, we have a responsibility to do our best to ensure that everyone feels welcome and safe. From how we help facilitate a quick exit in the event of a fire, to how we calm a heated exchange or when should we call for help, this training will teach you how to understand your own responses to situations, identify potential body language indicators, provide some basic tools to de-escalate situations and suggestions on how to prevent them in the first place. This course is taught by James Hiromasa and Shannon Lukeman-Hiromasa of Colorado Krav Maga, Inc.
| Time to Dust Off Those Vote411 Signs and Bring'em on Out | VOTE411.ORG, the League’s online voters’ guide, will go live for Colorado voters on Monday, June 3rd, the date when election officials will mail primary election ballots to all registered Democrat, Republican, and Unaffiliated voters. For League members who acquired a VOTE411 yard sign last fall, this is a reminder to showcase the sign in a yard or window. The yard signs let community members know that the League’s online voter resource tool is up and running as voters make their ballot choices for the June 25th Primary Election.
| | | | League members who did not get a yard sign last year please contact Stacie Johhnson at voterservice@lwvbc.org. To help shore up funds for voter education activities and to defray the costs in making the signs, please submit a donation using the LWVBC.org website or mail a check to LWVBC at the address of P.O. Box 21274, Boulder, CO 80308. | SAVE THE DATE - AUGUST 21st - Kicking off the Election Season with a Member Mixer & Other Informative & Fun Activities | Come August and as we head into the fall election season, many LWVBC members and volunteers will be busy preparing for candidate forums, doing research on ballot issues, and getting all the details in place for League’s online voter’s guide VOTE411.ORG. To take a breather from all the heavy lifting and to celebrate our fellow League-ers with longevity awards, plus taking time to celebrate our election sponsors, LWVBC leaders will host a member gathering at the Junkyard Social Club in Boulder, on Wednesday, August 21st, from 6 to 8 PM. Details for the event’s activities are still in the works, but we envision an evening where members can bring their children, spouses, or their significant others for fun, food, and fellowship before we embark on the busy election season ahead.
Please contact Stacie Johnson, voterservice@lwvbc.org, if you would like to join the event planning crew or assist with the evening’s activities.
| Climate Action Team Update | Update on Composting- The Boulder County Commissioners met on May 30th to have a town hall on composting. The presenter for the county was Meghan Wiebe who is with the Divert Zero Waste division in the county. The county is looking for a site so that it can compost food and yard waste to a finished product that can be used for agriculture and by homeowners. They are placing an invessel compost container in Nederland for organic matter. This is funded through a grant. The County Commissioners also updated the Land use code to allow composting on certain agricultural lands.
The county is looking at feasibility, doing community outreach and exploring locations for a compost facility. They are in the feasibility phase through 2024. If you are interested in giving input or gather more information go to the Boulder County composting page here.
Pollinator Week is June 17-23. Time to raise awareness of the challenges facing pollinators and actions to help them thrive. Visit pollinator.org
| LWVCO Study Group Opportunity
The First Amendment Establishment Clause
Regarding the Separation of Church & State
| | The League of Women Voters of the Gunnison Valley is leading a LWVCO study group with the intent of developing a statewide position on the separation of church and state. Their most recent meeting was held via Zoom on May 30th. If you’d like to learn more or are interested in joining the study group, visit the LWV of the Gunnison Valley webpage or the study group page (You must be logged into LWVCO to view the study group page). You can find the study group’s meetings posted on the Event Calendar page. | | | Legislative Action Committee Activity Wrap-Up | That’s a wrap! The 2024 Colorado State Legislative session closed on May 8th and 705 bills were introduced. The LAC followed over 140 bills and out of 103 bills that had LAC support, 76 were passed by both chambers. Governor Jared Polis has until June 7th to sign or veto bills, or let them become law without his signature.
Check out the Legislative Action Report and Master Bill Tracker for the fate of bills that were of interest to you.
Here’s how a few bills ended up. Click on the bill number for the full text:
- ➢SB24-210 Modifications to Laws Regarding Elections
LAC successfully requested an amendment to retain in statute the provision to allow 17-year-olds to vote in the primary election if they will be 18 at the general election. LWVCO continues to fight against the constitutional disenfranchisement of almost-18-year-olds prompted by Amendment 76.
- ➢SB24-157 Colorado Open Meetings Law for the General Assembly
LAC opposed but it passed & was signed into law by the Governor.
- ➢SB24-181 Alcohol Impact & Recovery Enterprise
LAC supported the bill. it passed the Senate but failed in the House Finance Committee.
- ➢HB24-1349 - Firearms & Ammunition Excise Tax
LAC supported this and the bill has been sent to the Governor.
I want to extend a hearty “Thank You” to all our members that were on the Legislative Action Committee this year: Rionda Osman, Peggy Leech, Shirley Jin, Jeannette Hillery, Celeste Landry, and Gaythia Weis. I hope you all take some time this summer to kick back and relax.
With so much on the LWVBC calendar this spring, we won’t be having our own Legislative Wrap-up event this year. Instead, please tune in to the LWVCO Wrap-up on June 12th via Zoom. Legislative Liaison Andrea Wilkins and the LWVCO Advocacy Team will present the good, the bad and the ugly of the 2024 session.
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By Susan Curtis
Membership count:201 | | | Please welcome our newest member, Sandra Grossman, who joined during May.
Colorado's primary election is June 25, 2024. Forums for primary candidates are being held this month. Check our Calendar for dates and to register. Our YouTube channel provides recordings after the events.
Thanks to our sponsors:
| A Tale of Two Cities: Boulder (IRV) and Eugene (STAR) | Eugene, Oregon and Boulder, Colorado are similar-sized university cities in the western U.S. They are typically regarded as peer cities. They recently held elections revolving around a new voting method. The ballot contests and results were quite different, but the campaigning had some similarities.
The city of Boulder applied for a 2024 All-American City award, in part due to the city’s use of Instant-Runoff Voting (IRV) in a new mayoral contest. LWVBC will participate in the June 8th presentation to the jury panel in Denver to highlight our educational efforts prior to the 2023 IRV election. IRV is a single-winner form of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) and the best known of the voting methods in the RCV umbrella.
On May 21st Eugene, Oregon voters rejected a ballot question (65% to 35%) to eliminate primary elections and instead use STAR Voting in the general election. STAR (Score Then Automatic Runoff) Voting allows voters to give every candidate a score from 0 to 5 with the two highest-scoring candidates advancing to the final round where the higher-scoring candidate on each ballot gets a vote. The finalist with the most votes wins.
Unfortunately, the recent elections in Boulder and Eugene, both focusing on better voting methods, included negative campaigning. Proponents of better voting methods often claim that their preferred voting method promotes positive campaigns, and that may be a true statement some of the time, but these two recent elections do not support that claim.
| In Memory: Barbara "Barby" Moufee | Barbara J. Moufee
November 7, 1929 to May 3, 2024
At 94 years old, longtime Boulder resident Barbara “Barby” Swann Mouffe passed away on May 3, 2024 in Louisville, CO. Barby worked for a decade as a tax preparer for H & R Block and excelled in finances. Her other interests included: writing, hand-knitting sweaters/hats, researching genealogy, playing piano, baking pies and chocolate Christmas turtles, playing bridge, and being involved with the League of Women Voters.
| | | In Memory: Florence "Flodie" Anderson | Florence Atwater Van Dyke Anderson
January 1, 1929 - May 10, 2024
Florence Atwater Van Dyke Anderson, known as Flodie, passed away on Friday May 10th at Frasier Meadows retirement community in Boulder. The League of Women Voters is one of three organizations designated to receive donations in Flodie’s memory.
Flodie was born in Middletown Connecticut. She remained devoted to her undergraduate alma mater Wellesley College, serving as one of its trustees in the 1980’s. She and her husband John Anderson moved to Denver, Colorado in 1952.
This article is adapted from her obituary on Legacy.com
| | | While Flodie deeply supported John's career as he began his own architectural practice in 1960, she had her own career as well. She joined the League of Women Voters in 1957 and became president of the Denver Metropolitan League in 1968. Her involvement in the League at the county and then at the regional and state level began her engagement with the challenges of transportation in a growing metropolitan area. In 1969 Governor Love selected her to become a founding member of the Regional Transportation District (RTD) board, the sole woman in a group of 21. They took on the rescue of a failing bus system (ultimately transformed into The Ride), design of the light rail system, and establishment of the mall in downtown Denver, among the more visible accomplishments. A 1975 paper she wrote for the American Society of Civil Engineers on the regional transportation issues facing the metropolitan area of Denver established her as a significant transportation voice in the region. She was eventually chair of the RTD board. When it transitioned in 1982 to elected rather than appointed positions, Flodie stepped down. She received the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) Distinguished Service Award in 1982. Her skills were tapped again in 1978 when Governor Lamm appointed her to the Colorado Transportation Commission - an appointment that was renewed by Governor Romer for a second term. For more than a decade she was immersed in statewide transportation issues and engaged deeply in finalizing C-470, finding a solution for a 4-lane highway through Glenwood Canyon that preserved its beauty, and in the establishment of the Scenic Byway program in the state.
The League of Women Voters remained an anchor for her civic activities. As president of the Colorado LWV from 2005-2007, she was asked to serve on the Colorado State House Ethics Panel. This led to being asked to serve on the Supreme Court Nominating Commission, and she chaired the Colorado Judicial Institute Board, whose role it is to preserve the fairness, impartiality, and excellence of Colorado's courts. In 2017 she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Colorado League of Women Voters.
Flodie was also a consistent supporter of the Arts. She was president of the Evergreen Area Council for the Arts and worked tirelessly to support the Colorado Philharmonic (then in Evergreen; now NRO or National Repertory Orchestra) as it gained recognition and ultimately found a permanent home in Breckenridge. She served as a docent for 30 years at the Denver Art Museum. She also loved the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 1990 Flodie and her husband Andy completed their climbing of Colorado's 14ers, Flodie then at the age of 61. In 2004 they jointly received the prestigious Dana Crawford Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation in Colorado. Together they embraced the essence of Colorado.
Family and friends mattered tremendously. Flodie was fiercely supportive of her family and reveled in the chances to interact with her grandchildren. She read deeply and broadly and treasured the chance to talk about both her reading and issues of the day. She was critical, even judgmental, but always ready to listen. These traits led to the formation of long-standing friendships that punctuated and gave true and deep meaning to her life, including her friends and admirers at the Frasier Meadows retirement community, which served beautifully as her home and community for these last seven years.
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