webodec3ARCHIVEPreview
Open in TheBrain

Lwvbak

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merri ok

bad code from lwvsjsc.org/board

619 book tv felony voting in fla?

sued by mtg gaetz

bak 4 24

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8 22 SW dormant summer

SCC $ and elections

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From the California League of Women Voters

VOTE NO on 59 - Constitutional Amendment Advisory Measure

Eliminating the corrupting influence of money in our democracy is a vital concern. Unfortunately, this vague, poorly drafted ballot measure is not the solution.A constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United may have appeal as a quick fix, but in reality it is a slow, laborious, costly, and potentially unsuccessful strategy. A poorly written amendment could have significant unintended consequences—not the least of which is squelching actual political speech. Voters deserve a fair election system today, not years or decades from now. Instead of looking to an imagined silver bullet, we need to take broad action now, including fixing our Federal Elections Commission, expanding disclosure laws, overturning California’s ban on public financing of elections, and asking a new Supreme Court to revisit the ruling.

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https://www.lwv.org/sites/default/files/climate.courtofappeals.LWV%2520Amicus%2520Brief.pdf

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR

THE DISTRICT OF OREGON,

Respondent,

and

KELSEY CASCADIA ROSE JULIANA, et al.,

Real Parties in Interest

---

On Petition For Writ of Mandamus in

Case No. 6:15-cv-01517-TC-AA (D. Or.)

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AMICI CURIAE BRIEF OF LEAGUES OF WOMEN VOTERS IN

OPPOSITION TO PETITION FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS

Courtney B. Johnson

(OSB No. 077221)

CRAG LAW CENTER

917 SW Oak Street, Ste. 417

Portland Oregon, 97205

Tel: (503) 525-2728

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'No public record' of legal costs in Gaetz’s and Greene’s ongoing lawsuit: report - Alternet.org

a California judge last month gave US Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Matt Gaetz (R-FL) the green light to proceed with suing two California cities over the cancellation of the 'America First' rally they were set to host in 2021. However, Judge Hernán Vera criticized some claims in the GOP lawmakers' lawsuit.

The Daily Beast reported that Judge Hernán Vera wrote in his ruling, "Greene and Gaetz had adequately convinced the court that the cities of Anaheim and Riverside plausibly canceled their 2021 event based on 'viewpoint discrimination.'"

However, Vera did offer some criticism, saying the far-right lawmakers' "claims that several civil-rights groups, including the NAACP and the League of Women Voters, conspired with the cities against them were full of 'numerous fatal deficiencies.'"

READ MORE:**GOP reps can sue cities over canceled rallies — but judge notes 'fatal deficiencies' in their claims**

Less than two weeks later, the Beast reports, "One of the most striking aspects of the lawsuit, however, is the name of one of the attorneys who has been working on it—John Eastman, the architect of the bogus legal theory that former President Donald Trump leaned on to justify his attempt to wrest the transfer of power to Joe Biden."

The news outlet notes that "Eastman, however, is not lead counsel; that role fell to Alexander Haberbush, of the Lex Rex Institute."

As of Tuesday, April 2, the former Trump official can no longer practice law after Judge Yvette Rolalnd recommended his disbarment last month.

According to the Beast, "Despite all the docket activity and the intricate constitutional questions at the center of the dispute, there is no public record of the costs of those services—and that, legal experts say, could be a problem."

READ MORE:[How Trump and Matt Gaetz may have saved Marjorie Taylor Greene from a 'far-right' primary challenge: report

The news outlet adds:

*Even though the lawsuit is moving forward, it’s unclear how it’s being funded. Over the last year, there are no federal campaign finance records of any payments or debts owed to any of the lawyers on the case from any of the political committees associated with Gaetz or Greene—or any federal political committee at all.

*In fact, despite Gaetz and Greene’s tireless attempts to 'own the libs'—and fundraise off those efforts—the two have been basically radio silent about this case from the beginning.

*Campaign finance law experts agreed that the legal services should be accounted for in public filings.

Campaign finance law expert Caleb Burns told the news outlet, "Typically, a campaign that has retained counsel for legal work must disclose payments for that work on reports filed with the FEC. If the work has accrued and the campaign has not yet paid for it, the campaign would disclose the amount as a debt owed by the campaign."

*The Daily Beast's full report is here (subscription required).

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ca 1 23  board

san jose

Diane.McNutt@lwvsjsc.org

:{board meets via Zoom on the first Thursday of the month at 3pm. All members are invited to attend: just send an email to the :{President}: to get directions for attendance.  We are happy to have more members participate! 

The next election for the Board of Directors is at our Annual Meeting in 2023 [very bad code] }:

:{

}:

Diane McNutt is a native of San Jose with a B.A. in Journalism and M.S. in Mass Communications from San Jose State University. She owned her own PR/marketing communications business and worked on several community celebration milestone events in San Jose including Destination Downtown and the openings of the Convention Center, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, Guadalupe River Park and Santana Row. She founded and served as Faculty Director of the SJSU Certificate in Marketing Communications program. Diane also has experience as an elected official, serving on the Los Gatos Town Council for 12 years including two stints as Mayor. She is a member of the Rotary Club of San Jose and recently retired as the Coordinator of Silicon Valley Reads. She joined the League in 2018 and became Communications Director in 2020. She also is Chair of the Public Events Committee and was a member of the Position Study Committee on San Jose Governance. 

:{

}:

 Carol joined the League in about 1994 after retiring from IBM while living in Los Altos. She served on the board of LWV Los Altos/Mountain View for several years including two years as president. She worked on the first or very early editions of several League web sites: local, state, SmartVoter, and League Easy Web. Moving to San Jose in 2004, she joined our League. She has been honored to serve as president since 2019 and enjoyed working with such a talented and dedicated board and active members in the last three years... 

:{

}:

 Vicki is the Chair of the LWVSJSC Action Committee. Previously, she was the Co-Chair of the Local Governance Study Committee and she also served as the Co-Chair of the Natural Resources/Climate Change Committee. Vicki is a longtime community volunteer working with organizations including the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority Citizens’ Advisory Committee, Cambrian Community Council, Save Our Shores, Yosemite Volunteers in the Parks, and Union and Campbell Union High School Districts. She is currently serving on the Board of the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority. She has an MA in teaching and has spent the last 20 years managing a family-owned manufacturing business. ...

:{

}:

Gloria is 2nd Vice President for Program and Advocacy for LWV California and sits on the State Board. She served as president of our San Jose/Santa Clara League (2013-2015) and has served in a variety of roles with League. Now retired, she worked in marketing and public relations in both the private sector and in the museum field. For ten years she produced and hosted a public affairs program “Asian Focus” for the Boston CBS affiliate. She has served on the national board of the YWCA, the City of San Jose Planning Commission, and the Citizens’ Advisory Committee of the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority. Gloria is also co-chair of the CreaTV San Jose Board of Directors.

Roma Dawson

Director

Roma has served on the board as Program Director for five years. She will continue to lead our Housing/Homeless Committee. Roma is the President of the League of Women Voters Bay Area. In 2020 she added the LWVC Housing and Homelessness Committee as a legislative analyst. Having completed two terms on the San Jose Arts Commission, Roma was recently appointed to its Housing and Community Development Commission. Roma has an extensive background as a policy analyst and chief of staff for several City of San Jose officials and for Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren. She also has held marketing positions with the San Jose Downtown Association and San Jose Conventions and Visitors Bureau.

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GLORIA CHUN HOO

Position:

Second Vice President for Advocacy/Program

Local League(s):

San Jose/Santa Clara

Gloria is Second Vice President for Advocacy/Program of the League of Women Voters Board, and chair of the LWVC Diversity Equity Task Force, and serves on the state Legislation Committee, and is the board liaison to the Climate Change Task Force.  Prior to joining the state board, Gloria served a two-year term as the chair of the LWV Santa Clara County Council, and was a director on the LWV Bay Area ILO board of directors, and was president of LWV San Jose/Santa Clara for three years.

Read more:

:{

}:

Phone Number: 

408-271-7163

Email Address:

info@lwvsjsc.org

League Website:

http://www.lwvsjsc.org

League Address:

P.O. Box 5374

San Jose, CA 95150

Should we change these?  Come to our Program Planning meeting on February 4 at the Vineland Public Library.

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CA

HELEN HUTCHISON

Position:

Director

Local League(s):

Oakland

Helen Hutchison is the most recent Past President of the League of Women Voters of California, having joined the board first as the Government Director and then as the Second Vice President for Advocacy and Program in 2008. While serving the state League, she has been active in strategic planning, initiative and referendum reform, human resources, training, legislation, ballot measures, and redistricting.

Read more

Our Staff

STEPHANIE DOUTE

Position:

Executive Director

Local League(s):

Sacramento County

Stephanie's background is in non-profit management and she has a career built on helping membership based non-profits embrace DE&I and build their strength and power so they can be the change they want to see in the world. Stephanie is passionate about breaking down inequitable systems and advancing solid policy solutions to build new systems that create a more just society for all people. She believes we all have a critical role in creating a more equitable future.

Read more

Adrianna Champagne Zamora, League of Women Voters, California, Trudy Schafer, Public Policy, fellowship

ADRIANNA CHAMPAGNE-ZAMORA

Position:

Trudy SchaferPublic Policy Fellow

Adrianna joins the League as our third Trudy Schafer Fellow for Public Policy. Adrianna was raised in Vallejo and is passionate about advocating for reform on the critical issues facing California including housing and the environment. She graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Political Science and a focus on California state policy. In her free time, Adrianna is an avid rock climber and loves to spend time outdoors camping, backpacking, and hiking.

Read more

AMARIS LEBRON

Position:

CivicTech & Project Specialist

Local League(s):

Sacramento County

Amaris is the front line operator for LWVC and is the staff liaison for My League Online (MyLO), a website platform to support sites specifically for Leagues of Women Voters chapters. Amaris joined the staff in 2015 as the Administrative Assistant after graduating from CSU Sacramento with her Bachelor’s degree in Communications. Born and raised in Sacramento, Amaris still enjoys living in her hometown.

Read more

DORA ROSE

Position:

Deputy Director

Local League(s):

San Francisco

Dora Rose is the Deputy Director for the League of Women Voters of California. She joined the staff in 2015 as Senior Director of Civic Engagement. In that role Dora spearheaded civic tech work on Voter’s Edge California, the implementation of the Voter’s Choice Act, and successful adoption of best practices designed to make official voter information clear and comprehensible.

Read more

Julissa Rodriguez, public policy and organizing manager photo

JULISSA RODRIGUEZ

Position:

Public Policyand Organizing Manager

Julissa is the Public Policy & Organizing Manager for the League of Women Voters of California. Julissa is responsible for coordinating the League’s state advocacy on various issue areas. Her duties include coordinating with volunteer members and advocacy groups to provide training and resources to maximize their impact. Julissa also supports the League’s legislative coalitions, communications, legislative tracking, and public education/engagement materials.

Read more

KELLY WRIGHT

Position:

Executive Assistant

Kelly Wright is the Executive Assistant to the League's Executive Director, Sephanie Doute.  Originally born and raised in South Florida, Kelly attended Tuskegee University where she received her Bachelors of Science in Biology and Science, and later a Masters of Public Health, with a concentration in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Benedictine University. Kelly currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia. During her free time Kelly enjoys completing logic grid puzzles, DIY projects, documentaries, playing with her dog Yoshi, and reading.

Read more

Kristy Oriol

KRISTY ORIOL

Position:

Development Director

Kristy holds a Masters in Public Policy and Administration from Sacramento State and has worked in the non-profit sector for over a decade. Before joining the League, Kristy was the Director of Development for the largest human services non-profit in the North Lake Tahoe/Truckee region. In her free time, Kristy enjoys spending time with her two young children and trail running with her dogs.

Read more

RosalindaVenegas

ROSALINDA VENEGAS

Position:

Finance Manager

Local League(s):

Sacramento County

Read more

SHARON STONE

Position:

Membership and Technology Manager

Local League(s):

Sacramento County

Sharon Stone is the Membership and Technology Manager at the League of Women Voters of California. With over ten years of experience working with nonprofits, Sharon’s passion has been to continuously serve out the mission of each organization she’s worked at—making her an invaluable asset to the League. As the backbone of the state League, Sharon oversees all the day-to-day activities and services that support the local Leagues. She also provides leadership on the development of new systems, data management, and event coordination.

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ca  11 22

In 2022 the state League emerged from our Covid cocoon to the new normal - a hybrid of online and in-person engagement. It has been a very active year.  Out of the almost 5,000 bills that were introduced in the two-year legislative session we tracked 345 and took positions on 117. We also dove into an evaluation of the state and local redistricting process, worked to implement the restoration of voting rights to people on parole, continued to provide guidance to counties on the Voter’s Choice Act, and engaged in a plethora of other public policy issues. Our Advocacy Interest Groups are growing in the areas of Criminal Justice, Healthcare, Housing and Homelessness, Climate Change, Water, and Immigration  - check the list to join one! And of course, none of this would be possible without the tireless work of our advocacy team and grassroots leaders. Thank you for helping us significantly impact the well-being of Californians.

In this year’s Advocacy Wrap-Up, you can read highlights of our hard-earned victories and a preview of our goals for next year.  As always, detailed letters related to all the bills on which we took positions may be found in our Bill Status Report.

OUR BIGGEST WINS

Groundbreaking Anti-Racism Victory

Three years of intensive work have paid off with the League's co-sponsored  AB 256 (Kalra), The Racial Justice Act for All. The bill adds retroactivity to the  Racial Justice Act of 2020 that created a prospective cause of action for institutionalized and implicit racial bias in our criminal courts.  The law empowers defendants to challenge charges, convictions, or punishment if they can show that anyone involved in their case — a judge, attorney, officer, expert witness, or juror — demonstrated racial bias during the process.  Regardless of when it happened.  As reported by the New York Times, the original Racial Justice Act (2020)  is already changing lives for the better. Recently, a California Judge in Contra Costa County overturned the murder convictions of two men, and granted them new trials, citing that the use of rap lyrics in their convictions violated the Racial Justice Act. Ellen McDonnell, a public defender in Contra Costa County commented “This case realizes the promise of the California Racial Justice Act, which was designed to prohibit racial bias in policing, prosecution and sentencing.” Many thanks to volunteer Deputy Director for Social Policy Ashley Ravache, whose work with the coalition was instrumental to the bill’s successful passage.

California Voters Get the Protections they Deserve

We built in safeguards to prevent erroneous voter registration purges and protect the voting rights of people with disabilities under conservatorship with AB 2841 (Low),  a bill we co-sponsored with the ACLU. Read more about the legislation in this CalMatters' opinion piece, co-authored by the LWVC and the ACLU.  If you would like to watch LWVC testimony on two bills back to back (AB 2808 opposition and AB 2841 support), click the link and start the video at 1 hour 22 minutes.

Reproductive Rights Safeguarded

It has been a big year for reproductive rights in California. We are signatories to the ballot argument on Prop 1, the measure that will enshrine reproductive freedom as a state constitutional right. We supported numerous other bills, including ones to protect people from criminal prosecution for self-administered abortions, miscarriages, and stillbirths AB 2223 (Wicks), to expand the availability of providers of abortions in the first trimester SB 1375 Atkins, and to prohibit the enforcement of out-of-state fetal heartbeat abortion restriction laws and those that impose civil liability on a person seeking, receiving, performing, inducing, or aiding a person in obtaining an abortion AB 1666 (Bauer-Kahan).

Local Redistricting Reform for Fair Maps

Riverside, Fresno, and Kern counties will all have independent redistricting commissions in place for the next round in 2030. The bills, designed to prevent partisan gerrymandering and increase public participation, were League priorities. Check out LWVC testimony starting at 45 minutes into the video.

The state League is part of a coalition of organizations thinking through recommendations for legislation to improve and advance local-level independent redistricting more broadly.

A Natural Resources Team Triumph

The League of Women Voters of Marin County planted a seed with their Assemblymember that bloomed into legislation requiring local governments to consider sea level rise and other environmental factors when planning for new housing. Marc Levine, the author of AB 1445, noted that “[v]ast areas of California are increasingly vulnerable to wildfires, sea level rise, and severe drought. We must ensure that badly needed investments in housing are not placed at risk by the climate crisis.”

Win-Wins for Housing and the Environment

In exciting wins for both housing and the environment, AB 2011 (Wicks) allows affordable housing to be built through a ministerial, streamlined process in commercially zoned districts, keeping development close to city centers to avoid sprawl and achieve greenhouse gas reductions. And AB 2097 (Friedman) ends parking mandates in many California cities, which is expected to lower housing costs and reduce pollution.

YOU CAN’T WIN THEM ALL

Water’s Turbulent Year

It can’t always be smooth sailing. Lack of ongoing funding led to the Governor’s veto of  SB 222 (Dodd), defeating efforts to provide water affordability assistance for drinking and wastewater services to low-income ratepayers. The absence of dedicated funding also led to the demise of AB 252 (Rivas), which would have taken land out of agricultural production in response to drought and the declining availability of surface and groundwater.  Opposition from some agricultural organizations and water districts led to the failure of AB 2201 (Bennett) which would have brought well-permitting into line with the planning required by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).  Regulations on urban water use fared better, with the Governor signing SB 1157 (Hertzberg) tightening urban water use objectives.

MORE VICTORIES

The following are a few highlights from the nearly 80 pieces of legislation that the League advocated for in 2022.

BEYOND BILLS

Our work goes beyond legislation. Among other things we also advise the work of key state agencies to ensure they meet the needs of Californians, guide effective implementation of legislation, and provide education related to advocacy.

Motor Voter Task Force

Last year we passed AB 796 (Berman) to improve the voter registration process at the DMV and help more of the 3 million eligible, yet unregistered Californians register and vote. The bill builds on the success of California’s Motor Voter program, codifies best practices developed through the LWVC lawsuit and settlement agreement with the DMV, requires greater transparency and training, and removes impediments to equitable voter registration. This year the LWVC was chosen to sit on the Secretary of State’s Motor Voter Task Force,  established pursuant to the legislation and charged with monitoring the DMV voter registration process.

State and Local Redistricting

Our LWVC Board Director Helen Hutchison and former LWVUS President Chris Carson lead our work on redistricting. With the active phase of state redistricting completed, they are now in the evaluation and recommendations phase. The LWVC, in partnership with Common Cause California, has commissioned an independent report being authored by Dr. Christian Grose of the Schwarzenegger Institute. He is conducting interviews with a wide variety of individuals and organizations and will include a case study of the process in the Los Angeles area.

As with state redistricting, local redistricting is in the assessment phase. The rules for city and county redistricting were changed by an LWVC co-sponsored bill, the Fair Maps Act of 2019 (see our toolkit).  We are now working with our partners to determine further legislative changes that may be needed.

Housing and Homelessness Webinar Series

In order to advocate well, we need to learn about issues. The League has been hosting webinars centered around housing and homelessness issues in California. Our events so far have focused on establishing project funding and how climate change intersects with housing development. You can view past webinars on our YouTube channel.  Join us for future webinars on some of the most pressing issues facing Californians and hear insights from some leading experts in the field.  If you’re interested, please email Adrianna Champagne-Zamora at achampagne@lwvc.org.

LOOKING FORWARD

We have a big year planned ahead and rely on the generosity of League members to sustain our advocacy programs and services.  The League is dependent on member donations and your support is what allows us to achieve these goals. Donate here.

Ballot Measures

The 2024 ballot will include SCA 2 (Allen), to repeal Article 34 of the California Constitution,  thereby removing legal impediments to building low-income and public housing in our cities. Eradicating this antiquated 1950 provision will help California move past redlining and segregation and foster the construction of affordable housing.

Legislation

It’s still early days, but we have already begun coalition work on amendments to the Fair Maps Act to improve local redistricting. And watch out for the possibility of further legislation to require independent redistricting commissions in more counties.

Shrinking California’s Voter Participation Gap

Despite the fact that we are a state where underrepresented groups are a majority, and have recently passed laws designed to remove impediments and promote access to voting, there are significant disparities in participation among youth and voters of color compared to our older, non-Hispanic white population.

In 2022, the League led a coalition in a first-of-its-kind Voter Education & Outreach Legislative Budget Request, which was championed by a group of legislators. The idea is to use robust voter education and outreach as a tool to shrink the participation gap and create a more representative democracy. We worked with the Secretary of State, the Governor’s office, and other stakeholders to build support, and while we were unable to get the funding incorporated into last year’s budget, we developed some key relationships and a solid foundation on which to continue the advocacy in 2023.

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got beat

https://ct3.blob.core.windows.net/21blobs/4ae5b701-2a0a-4866-a93a-ad822f97a74e

June 24, 2022 The Honorable Anna Caballero Chair, Senate Governance and Finance Committee State Capitol, Room 407 Sacramento, CA 95814

Re: SUPPORT-- AB 2201 (Bennett) Community Drinking Water Protection Act (As amended June 22, 2022) Dear Senator Caballero: Our organizations work alongside and represent communities with the most dire drinking water needs in the state, stemming in part from chronic and unregulated overpumping of groundwater. We write to express our strong support for AB 2201 (Bennett, 2022), the Community Drinking Water Protection Act. AB 2201 will help prevent permanent damage to the State’s groundwater basins and protect the primary drinking water source for many Californians in disadvantaged communities

...

Sincerely, Jennifer Clary, California Director Uriel Saldivar, Senior Policy Advocate Clean Water Action Community Water Center Michael Claiborne, Directing Attorney Sean Bothwell, Executive Director Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability California Coastkeeper Alliance Chione Flegal, Managing Director Erin Woolley, Policy Advocate PolicyLink Sierra Club California Erin Rodriguez, CA Policy Advocate Peter Drekmeier, Policy Director Union of Concerned Scientists Tuolumne River Trust Bill Allayaud, CA Director of Government Affairs Noe Paramo, Legislative Advocate Environmental Working Group CA Rural Legal Assistance Foundation Casey Walsh, Professor of Anthropology Kristan Culbert, Associate Director of CA *Title for Identification Purposes* Central Valley River Conservation At University of California: Santa Barbara American Rivers

Raven Stevens Jay Ziegler, Director, External Affairs & Policy

We Advocate Thorough Environmental Review The Nature Conservancy

Susan Harvey, President Carol Moon Goldberg, President

North County Watch League of Women Voters of California

Roger Dickinson, Policy Director Melissa Romero, Legislative Affairs Manager

CivicWell California Environmental Voters

Michael Rincon, Policy Researcher Camila Chavez, Executive Director

Physicians for Social Responsibility, Los AngelesDolores Huerta Foundation

David Diaz, MPH, Executive Director Rachel Kondor, Staff Attorney

Active San Gabriel Valley Environmental Defense Center

Fran Pavley, Former California State Senator Linda Rudolph MD, MPH, Program Director

Author: SB 1168 (SGMA) Center for Climate Change and Health

Betsy Reifsnider Sacramento Policy Associate Victoria Rome, Director of CA Government Affairs

Mono Lake Committee Natural Resources Defense Council

Juliet Christian-Smith, Ph.D., Senior Program Officer Raquel Mason, Policy Manager

Water Foundation California Environmental Justice Alliance

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beaten by

https://waterwelljournal.com/california-groundwater-association-joined-coalition-to-oppose-assembly-bill-2201/

California Groundwater Association joined a broad coalition of 39 businesses and agricultural organizations in June to oppose Assembly Bill 2201, which died on the assembly floor during the final hours of California’s legislative season on August 31.

AB 2201, authored by Assembly Member Steve Bennett (D-Ventura), would have created burdensome technical requirements and unaffordable costs on well applicants.

The coalition also argued that AB 2201 would have:

The list of organizations include:

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https://crag.org/courtney-johnson-not-just-job/

Courtney Johnson

Executive Director & Staff Attorney

Tel:  (503) 525-2728

courtney@crag.org

Courtney received her JD with a certificate in environmental and natural resources law from Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland. While in her first year of study, she interned with the Crag Law Center. As a law student, Courtney interned in the Office of Compliance and Enforcement at the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and San Francisco Baykeeper. Before joining Crag, Courtney clerked for a district court judge in Ketchikan, Alaska. While there, Courtney enjoyed the wilds of Alaska and its incredible wildlife by sea kayaking, hiking and snowshoeing.

Courtney joined the Crag Law Center in 2008 as a Staff Attorney. Much of her work at Crag has focused on protecting the health of coastal rivers, from gravel mining in the rivers of the south coast, including the Chetco and the Rogue, to addressing proposals for fossil fuel exports along the Columbia at Astoria. Courtney represents the Nez Perce Tribe on the cleanup and restoration of the Portland Harbor Superfund Site. She also works with Oregon’s youth challenging the state to take action on climate change in the children’s climate case. Courtney is a published author on topics of climate change adaptation and marine spatial planning.

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10/21 big march re Roe

Deborah Turner

President

Deborah Turner, MD, JD, serves as the 20th president of the League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) and chair of the Board of Trustees of the League of Women Voters Education Fund (LWVEF). She was elected board president at the 54th National Convention of the League of Women Voters in June of 2020 and will serve in this position until June 2022. 

Dr. Turner joined Des Moines Metropolitan League in 2010 and became president in 2011 when the League was at risk of disbanding. She served in that role until 2015 helping revitalize membership and focus the board leadership. At the same time, she also served on the LWV Iowa board as the state vice president from 2011 to 2015, becoming co-president in 2015. In her dual roles with state and local Leagues, Deborah has provided leadership to strengthen relationships between local leagues and the state Board.

Turner was elected to the League’s national board of directors in 2016 where she served on the Finance committee, Governance Committee, and chaired the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee. As chair of the DEI Committee, Deborah and her colleagues focused on organizational culture changes to the League’s mission work, emphasizing not only racial equity but also intergenerational dynamics, socioeconomic differences, gender identity, and interpersonal engagement.

Dr. Turner received her BS from Iowa State University and her MD from University of Iowa where she completed her Residency in OB-Gyn. She completed her fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Institute in Houston Texas. She practiced gynecologic oncology for 35 years,...

Jessica Lowe-Minor

Jessica Lowe-Minor

Vice President

Jessica Rohloff

Jessica Rohloff

Secretary

Leah Edwards

Leah Edwards

Treasurer

Liz Bander

Liz Bander

Director

Melissa Breach

Melissa Breach

Director

Melissa Currence

Melissa Currence

Director

Joan Hunault

Joan Hunault

Director

Sania Irwin

Sania Irwin

Director

Allison Riggs

Allison Riggs

Director

Lali Watt

Lali Watt

Director

Toni Zimmer

Toni Zimmer

Director

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Ayo Atterberry is the Chief Strategy Officer with the League of Women Voters. In this role, she oversees the organization's strategy and programmatic implementation. Her work ensures that the League is maximizing its partnerships, effectiveness, and impact nationwide.

A nonprofit leader with over two decades of experience, her journey with the League began as a member of the board. She believes that voting is the cornerstone of democracy and wants to support efforts to ensure that there is equitable access to voting nationwide. Ayo was raised in a family that believed in the power of voting and political activism. Her elders taught her about the history of voting in this country and shared their own experiences with voter suppression.

Ayo's track record demonstrates her commitment to ensuring all people have access and opportunity to live a quality life, especially our marginalized communities. Her career includes being a Senior Associate in the Evidence-Based Practice Group at the Annie E. Casey Foundation,the Director of Outcomes, Assessment, and Learning at Venture Philanthropy Partners, and Founder of Atterberry Consulting. She has served on numerous local nonprofit boards.

Ayo holds a Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of North Carolina and a Master's degree in Public Health with a specialization in health behavior and health education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health. She resides in the DC metro area with her husband and two children.

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Meghan Browder rejoined the League of Women Voters as a law clerk in September 2020. She had previously served as a legal intern for the League in Spring 2019.  As the law clerk to the Advocacy and Litigation team, she assists the litigation team with their national litigation portfolio involving voting rights, redistricting, election administration, and money in politics. Meghan is a member of the District of Columbia bar.

Meghan received her J.D. from American University’s Washington College of Law, where she served as President of the American Constitution Society and the Health Law & Policy Student Association. For two years, she was a member of the Administrative Law Review. During her time in law school, she served as a research assistant to Professor Herman Schwartz where she worked on projects focusing on voting rights and gerrymandering.Additionally, she worked for Professor Brent Newton on his research of Justice Breyer’s administrative law jurisprudence for his upcoming book. In addition to the League, Meghan has served as a legal intern for Pfizer and Fix the Court.

Meghan is a Texas native and graduated from Texas A&M University where she was a double major in International Studies and Spanish. When she is not working, she is enjoying episodes of Criminal Minds, trying out new recipes, or playing with her dog Henry. She also enjoys spending quality time with her family and loved ones.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghan-navar-browder-172329ba

https://www.lwv.org/about-us/staff-leadership/dylan-vargas

Dylan VargasLegislative and Policy CoordinatorNew Jersey, USAvxxxxxxxxxn@lwv.org
Isabelle JensenLegal InternUSAjxxxxxxxxxxxxe@lwv.org

|Stephanie Elizabeth Parajon|Legislative Intern|California, USA|exxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxe@lwv.org

Dhruti Tummalapalli is a 2nd-year law student at Fordham University School of Law. She graduated from Creighton University with a BS in Health Policy and Communications Studies. She also received her MBA from Creighton University while working as an admissions counselor. During law school, Dhruti has interned at the Peace Corps in its Office of the General Counsel. Dhruti will spend her 2L summer at Shearman & Sterling in New York City.|

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_Women_Voters

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https://ballotpedia.org/League_of_Women_Voters

...Issues addressed by the League of Women Voters:[11]

The Environment In Depth

BLOG

A Threat to America’s Wetlands: Center for Biological Diversity et al. v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

A December 2020 decision from the EPA handed permit approval rights to the state of Florida, allowing the state to approve wetland projects without EPA review.  Environmental groups argue that this decision is disastrous for the environment.

LETTERS

LWV urges Biden to immediately shut down Dakota Access Pipeline

The League joined a letter lead by the Indigenous Environmental Network urging the President and Vice President to shut down the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) .

PRESS RELEASE

LWV Statement on Climate Executive Orders

LETTERS

League Endorses RECLAIM Act

LWVUS sent a letter ofsupport endorsing Senator Manchin’s Revitalizing the Economy of Coal Communities by Leveraging Local Activities and Investing More (RECLAIM) Act to recover and reinvest in Appalachian communities.

LETTERS

LWVUS Endorses Children’s Fundamental Rights and Climate Recovery Resolution

LWVUS stood with Members of Congress and the Children’s Fundamental Rights and Climate Recovery Resolution as it was introduced on September 23, 2020.

LETTERS

League Urges Congressional Support for H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act

The League joined a letter with other environmental partners in support ofH.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act. This legislation is a bold infrastructure planthat will transform our transportation systems, transition the nation to cleaner sources of energy,  invest in clean and safe water, protect workers, preserve nature, and address the challenges from a changing climate to our communities.

BLOG

Celebrating 50 Years of Earth Day

2020 marks 50 years of celebrating Earth Day, a day meant to generate action to protect the planet.

LETTERS

League Joins Efforts to Support Funding in 4th COVID-19 Stimulus

LWVUS has actively been supporting additional measures for inclusion in the next emergency funding stimulus bills related to the coronavirus.

SPEECHES & TESTIMONY

League Comments on the National Environmental Policy Act

The League submitted a its own comment letter and joined a coalitionletter urging the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to withdraw proposed changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

BLOG

2019 Roundup: Defending Democracy Through Litigation

Throughout 2019 the League defended democracy in the courts on issues relating to voting rights, redistricting, money in politics, and improving elections.

BLOG

Global Climate Strike March: Attending one of the largest global protests in history

We were proud to take part in one of the largest global protests in history. Children of all ages filled the lawn of the Capitol and the surrounding avenues, practicing their first amendment rights.

LETTERS

League Calls on Senate to Fund Clean Water Program

We signed a letter asking the Senate to increase funding for the EPA's Nonpoint Source Management Program under the Clean Water Act. The funding levels requested have been approved by the U.S. House.

BLOG

Leagues Step Up on Climate Action

Guest authors Cathy Frischmann and Claudia Keith encourage Leagues to get involved in climate strike activities.

BLOG

What can you do to fight climate change?

Have you wondered what you can do to fight climate change? One of the most critical actions is putting a price on carbon emissions.

LETTERS

League Joins CommentsOpposing Changes to Coastal Zone Management Act

LWVUS and 87 organizations sent comments to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) regarding proposed rulemaking for procedural changes to the Coastal Zone Management Act (CMZA).

LETTERS

League Urges Support for HR 9, the Climate Action Now Act

The League and coalition partners support passage of HR 9, the Climate Action Now Act.

AMICUS BRIEF

League Submits Amicus Brief in Juliana v. US

The League submitted a brief to the 9th Circuit in the case of Juliana v. US.

BLOG

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

LETTERS

League joins over 600 Organizations urging support for bold climate action

League urges Congress to propose bold legislation addressing climate change.

PRESS RELEASE

The League Urges Trump Administration to Acknowledge the Impact of Climate Change

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FBI file cointelpro?

https://vault.fbi.gov/League%20of%20Women%20Voters/League%20of%20Women%20Voters%20Part%201%20of%201/view

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palo alto

https://www.lwvpaloalto.org/contact.html

League of Women Voters of Palo Alto

3921 E. Bayshore Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303

Phone & Fax: 650-903-0600

Email: lwvpaoffice@gmail.com

Liz Kniss

President                    

Nancy Shepherd

1st Vice President,

​Immediate Past President

many programs

https://www.lwvpaloalto.org/

eg book club  lwvobookclub@gmail.com

https://tonyhorwitz.com/confederates-in-the-attic/

:{**Confederates in the Attic: Dispat**:(style="position:relative"):}::{**ches from the Unfinished Civil War**}: by Tony Horowitz

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kos 1219

A single county judge in Wisconsin has ordered the purge of over 200,000 names from the state’s voters rolls. More than 90% of those names are not in the county where the judge presides. In fact, the number of names the judge ordered stricken is over twice the whole population of his county.

As reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Judge Paul Malloy acted on a request from just three voters who were backed by a conservative organization, while ignoring both the state election commissions and theLeague of Women Voters, nether of which were allowed to testify. The center of the case was a letter that the elections commissions sent out to voters it believe may have moved. However, that letter was sent only a month earlier, and the elections commission intended to give voters until 2021 to correct any information.

But Malloy didn’t give the commission, or the voters, that chance. Instead, he ordered the names removed in advance of the nexts election. To get an idea of how big a deal that is, Donald Trump won the state of Wisconsin by just 23,000 votes. In fact, it’s that kind of margin that has Republicans out hunting for cases like this in which they can make it impossible for everyone to vote. 

In fact, Malloy seems to have done even more than the conservative group “Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty” asked. The original request was for an injunction requiring election officials to remove voters who had not responded in 30 days. Instead, Malloy issued a “writ of mandamus” ordering the purge and threatening any election commissioner who refused to cooperate.  

 :{Read More}:

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http://www.peaceandjustice.org/

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Community Channel 15 – The Public Channel

San Jose residents, organizations and businesses, who are CreaTV San Jose members, may submit non-commercial videos for airing on Channel 15. Airtime is always free.

Channel 15 airs local, non-commercial, member-produced videos that educate, express views and expose talents to the San Jose community and beyond. Currently, Community Channel 15 has 110 member producers with shows in seven different languages.

Use CreaTV’s video production facilities and equipment to make your show or submit something you’ve created. If you have a video that you would like to submit for airing, fill out the Compliance and Playback Request forms. Then contact Luis Costa, Programming Manager, at 408-295-8815 ext: 304 or luis(at)creatvsj.org.

For more information on using CreaTV’s equipment to make a video or a TV show, contact Operations Manager, Mickey Beese at 408-295-8815 x: 305 or mickey.beese(at)creatvsj.org.

http://www.creatvsj.org/watch/ch-15/

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http://lwv.org/

Chris Carson was elected as the 19th president of the League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) and chair of the Board of Trustees of the League of Women Voters Education Fund (LWVEF) in June 2016. Ms. Carson has been a member of her local League for over 30 years, serving all of its leadership roles.

In January 2005, Ms. Carson joined the Board of the League of Women Voters of California(LWVC) as Government Director. There she was responsible for education and advocacy in the areas of Redistricting, Campaign Finance, and Elections/Voting Rights issues. After her Board service, Ms. Carson became LWVC’s Redistricting Program Director, leading its redistricting reform efforts, serving as one of the drafters of California’s historic redistricting reform, and spearheading LWVC’s effort to pass this ballot measure. She also worked on effective implementation of this reform, interacting with a statewide coalition, including voting rights and minority language groups. Ms. Carson continues to serve as an advisor to Leagues around the state on local redistricting reform. Ms. Carson is also serving as LWVC’s Campaign Finance Director, monitoring proposed state legislation, working with LWVC’s Board and staff on legislative campaigns and coordinating grassroots advocacy for bills we support.

Concurrently, she is serving on the LWVUS Campaign Finance Taskforce, developing materials for use by local Leagues on this issue. Ms. Carson also served on the LWVUS Immigration Study Committee. And she served on the California Advisory Committee for the update of the state’s HAVA compliance plan. Ms. Carson is a third generation California native. With a B.A. from Immaculate Heart College and an M.A. in History from the University of Southern California, Ms. Carson taught American history and government. She worked later as Director of Education for Heritage Square Museum.

VP midlands TX

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From the California League of Women Voters

VOTE NO on 59 - Constitutional Amendment Advisory Measure

Eliminating the corrupting influence of money in our democracy is a vital concern. Unfortunately, this vague, poorly drafted ballot measure is not the solution. A constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United may have appeal as a quick fix, but in reality it is a slow, laborious, costly, and potentially unsuccessful strategy. A poorly written amendment could have significant unintended consequences—not the least of which is squelching actual political speech. Voters deserve a fair election system today, not years or decades from now. Instead of looking to an imagined silver bullet, we need to take broad action now, including fixing our Federal Elections Commission, expanding disclosure laws, overturning California’s ban on public financing of elections, and asking a new Supreme Court to revisit the ruling.

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10/21

Board Member

Position:

President

Email Address:

cmoongoldberg@lwvc.org

Local League(s):

Sacramento County

A member of the League for over 25 years, Carol has served at both the local and state levels. During her time on the LWVC Board of Directors she was Voter Service Director. In addition to overseeing production of LWVC’s standard voter service materials, she curated and wrote content for Voter’s Edge, coordinated League’s part in the televised U.S. Senatorial candidate forum and coordinated League’s involvement in the California Channel Free Airtime Project in 2018. Carol served as program director for LWVC in the reproductive choices portfolio for three years prior to joining the state board. During that time, she represented the League in a coalition of organizations working on related issues, analyzed and followed legislation on the issue.

In the Sacramento County League, Carol spent many years serving in various positions on the board, including terms as co-president of the League. During that time, she worked on voter service projects heading high school voter registration drives and involvement with mock elections, coordinating League’s Election Day work with a local TV station, and writing Every Member Tools (remember those?) for her local Voter.

Carol made a career of volunteering after practicing law for a time; retiring in favor of raising her two children. She served on the Sacramento County Grand Jury and on parent advisory committees to her local school board. Carol learned about nonprofit operations by serving her family’s religious institution as steering committee member on capital campaign, strategic planning, and personnel search committees. Of course, Carol supported the various sports and arts related activities of her children with organizing, fundraising, and chauffeuring. She has been married for 36 years to a supportive spouse who practices law in Sacramento and also volunteers for several non-profit organizations.

STEPHANIE DOUTE

Position:

Executive Director

Local League(s):

Sacramento County

Stephanie Doute was hired as the new Execitive Direcor in November. Formerly the Executive Director of the International Association of Business Communicators, Stephanie managed a vibrant global membership association with thousands of members from around the world. Named to the prestigious Association Forum's Forty Under 40 list of association and non-profit professionals and with more than 15 years experience working in the non-profit sector, Stephanie is an accomplished executive with a passion for advocacy and elevating women’s voices.

Read more

AMARIS LEBRON

Position:

Operations & Projects Coordinator

Local League(s):

Sacramento County

Amaris is the Operations & Projects Coordinator at the League of Women Voters of California. Amaris is the front line operator in the office and assists the Project Manager for My League Online, a web site platform for local Leagues of Women Voters across the nation. Amaris joined the staff in 2015 as the Administrative Assistant after graduating from CSU Sacramento with her Bachelor’s degree in Communications.

Read more

Andrew Muse-Fisher   https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-muse-fisher-14a66a95

ANDREW MUSE-FISHER

Position:

Trudy Schafer Fellow for Public Policy

Andrew is the current Trudy Schafer Fellow for Public Policy for the League of Women Voters of California. Under the supervision of our Deputy Director, Andrew is responsible for coordinating the League’s state advocacy over a broad range of issue areas. His duties include outreach to and engagement of local affiliates, community partners, and volunteers to maximize the impact of our direct and grassroots advocacy. Andrew also supports the League's advocacy work by tracking legislation, preparing materials for local Leagues and volunteers, and supporting our communications.

Read more

DORA ROSE

Position:

Deputy Director

Local League(s):

San Francisco

Dora Rose is the Deputy Director for the League of Women Voters of California. She joined the staff in 2015 as Senior Director of Civic Engagement. In that role Dora spearheaded civic tech work on Voter’s Edge California, the implementation of the Voter’s Choice Act, and successful adoption of best practices designed to make official voter information clear and comprehensible.

...

https://lwvc.org/

Position:

Executive Director

Melissa Breach joined our staff as the Executive Director in July of 2011. She has over 15 years of service in nonprofit leadership brings significant experience as a nonprofit strategist. She is a skilled consultant and trainer on the issues of governance, organizational sustainability, and change facilitation. She was Director of Programs at the Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership and is a former advisory committee member of the California Arts Commission’s Public School Partnership Initiative, as well as a former Board Member of California Partners in Education, Theatre for Young People, and Resourceful Women.

Position:

Senior Director for Program

Email Address:

tschafer@lwvc.org

Trudy Schafer is the Senior Director for Program of the League of Women Voters of California and works on a broad spectrum of projects both in community education and in advocacy. Her focus is on advocacy on League priorities at the state Capitol as well as on a number of ballot measure campaigns, including redistricting, money in politics, and budget reform measures. After the passage of Proposition 11 in 2008, she worked to ensure effective selection and functioning of the new Citizens Redistricting Commission. Currently, her efforts are focused on legislation to improve campaign disclosure. Ms. Schafer served as president of the Sacramento County League and on the LWVC board as legislation director before joining the League’s staff in 1992. Ms. Schafer received a B.A. from Northwestern University and a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Chicago. She and her neurologist husband John are enjoying being grandparents of a nearly two-year-old and love having both of their grown children nearby in San Francisco.

Board Member

Position:

Director

Email Address:

jbrown@lwvc.org

Local League(s):

San Diego

Jeanne is a Director of the League of Women Voters of California. Jeanne joined the LWV of San Diego in 2003 but wasn't very active until she retired in 2006. She began volunteering at the League and for Common Cause in 2005 to get a running jump on retirement. That opened up a whole new perspective on being an informed voter. She was hired by Common Cause in October 2006 on a part-time basis to be the San Diego organizer. That experience allowed her to see the world of NGOs from a professional viewpoint. She started on the board of LWVSD as VP of Administration, which helped her see the big picture of how the League works and how everything fits together. A few years later, she took on Program cochair and then Program director. She also is on the Membership and Public Policy committees in her local League.

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Board Member

Position:

Director

Email Address:

ghoo@lwvc.org

Local League(s):

San Jose/Santa Clara

Gloria is a Director of the League of Women Voters of California. Gloria Chun Hoo is the Council Chair of the Leagues of Women Voters of Santa Clara County (which consists of the five local Leagues in the county) and previously served for three years as president of the San Jose/Santa Clara League. During her term as president, LWVSJSC hosted a regional training workshop and the LWVC 2013 Convention, and re-vitalized its public affairs TV program, “LWV Presents: Insights and Perspectives,” shown on CreaTV, a community channel.

In June of 2014, she became a member of the board of LWV Bay Area, an Inter-League Organization representing the nine counties of the San Francisco Bay Area. A resident of San Jose, Gloria worked in marketing and communications/PR in the science/history/culture museum industry for the past 20 years at The Tech Museum of Innovation, the Campbell Historical Museum and the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo, Hawaii. She has served on numerous nonprofit boards, including the YWCA of the USA Board of Directors (1985-1997) and also was past chair and member of the City of San Jose Planning Commission (2001-2008).

Gloria was born and raised in Honolulu, HI, attended the University of Hawaii, and is a graduate of Boston University with a degree in journalism and minor in East Asian history. Now retired, she and her husband Stan, a retired IBM engineer, enjoy travel and reading.

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sj richard h knows

Hi Kailtin,

I was going through California ballot statement positions of different orgs and that’s where it came from.  If was about the 9th group in Google.

I just googled LWV ballot recommendations and it is right on the first page of their website.  See below.  And I just forwarded this to my friend Virginia Holtz after 2 minutes of thinking.  She is a long time LWV member and local elected official: 

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