When we want our elected officials to take up certain legislation or vote a certain way, what do we normally do? The League of Women Voters at national, state and local levels has, after study, developed general positions on issues. We can choose to apply them to possible legislative actions to determine whether we would recommend a yes or no vote or possible changes to legislation. We might write letters, publish op-eds, or testify before the legislative body.
On July 29, a nonviolent protest advocating passage of the For the People Act for voting rights occurred in Washington, DC. These protests were organized by the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and the Black Women’s Roundtable along with allies including the League of Women Voters. At a rally before the protest, Carly Fiorina (who ran to be a Republican nominee for President in 2016) spoke, criticizing the laws being passed in some state legislatures curtailing opportunities to vote.
At the protest, people blocked the entrance to the Hart Senate Office Building. Seven were arrested including Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and Virginia Kase, the chief executive of LWV United States.
Arrested??? It is difficult for me to imagine getting into a situation where I’d be arrested (yes, I know I’m privileged). What issues in our country are so important that perhaps we might consider putting ourselves at risk? Open and fair elections? Freedom of the press? Climate Change? The right to protest peaceably? Our national League is so strongly behind the For the People Act that our CEO was willing to be arrested.
You can help too (without fearing arrest). Join the OutreachCircle or follow LWVUS on social media for details on how you can get involved. And contact our senators today to tell them we need the For the People Act! Even if you think they will vote for it anyway, it helps them to know the public is strongly in favor.
NEW LEADERSHIP
Our League is starting a new fiscal year with two new board members! We are so happy to welcome Taryn Upchurch as Vice President. Taryn joined in 2020 and quickly became involved with the Pros & Cons team and the Local Governance Study Committee. In addition to her job as director of outreach for a school in Palo Alto, she also runs her own management consulting business. We look forward to using her skills to help us manage ourselves better. Welcome Taryn!
And Marie Arnold is rejoining our board as Membership Director, a position she has held off and on for many years. It was Marie’s idea that we should produce our popular “Lunch with League” program and she led the committee to make it happen. Welcome back, Marie!!
Hope to see you at the Zoom Lunch with League on Aug. 19 to learn about Recycling from Bruce Olszewski, Lecturer and Director of the Center for the Development of Recycling at San Jose State University. How can we as consumers and League advocates affect the plastic crisis?
Stay safe and healthy!
Carol