What the heck happened at the LWVWA 2021 Convention? A lot!

Over a long weekend, June 24-28, more than 150 League members met for the LWVWA’s biannual state convention. This is the meeting where you, through your delegates, tell the state leadership what you want for the LWVWA for the next two years. The business items are published 40 days in advance of the convention, and during the convention they are presented to the delegates. Delegates then have a chance to caucus, or informally discuss, all the items, motions are made to advance them to a vote, amendments are suggested and voted on, and then the decisions are voted on the last day.

It is quite a process, and everyone learned a little more about Robert's Rules of Order and what an orderly process it is. Julie Anne Kempf, parliamentarian, and Amy Peloff, factotum extraordinaire, assigned individual voting codes, recorded sessions, figured out how to move the convention along in record-breaking heat, dealt with AT&T and Google outages, and came up with technology solutions on the fly. None of this would have been possible without Bev Austin (LWV Spokane), the convention director, who set a foundation that allowed for great creativity while keeping true to bylaws, notices, accommodating speakers, workshops, and member interests. This was a huge undertaking, and she did it with grace and fairness. We are deeply appreciative.

The decisions included:

• Approving the 2021-2023 budget: Importantly, all per-member payments for students and life members at the state level are now waived. In keeping with the desire to provide more services to local Leagues as well as greater office efficiency, a part-time staff person was budgeted for, as was additional funding for voter services, civic education, and travel to allow for more inclusiveness in participation. This means using income from the investment account and fundraising.
• Adopting the Program of Work, which includes:
  • Washington State Local and Regional News Study, led by Dee Anne Finken (LWV Clark County). This is the first new study the League has done for a while, and it is exciting to have it approved.
  • Washington’s Public Hospital Districts and Their Role in Your Local Community’s Health Care System, an educational program available to local Leagues and led by Nancy Field (LWV Clallam County).
  • A concurrence with the Criminal Justice positions of the LWV of California, proposed by R. Peggy Smith (LWV Thurston County). This means the Criminal Justice positions will be included immediately in the state’s Impact on Issues, from which we can take public policy positions.
• Electing the new Board of Directors: President Lunell Haught (Spokane), 1st VP Mary Coltrane (Seattle-King County), 2nd VP Beth Pellicciotti (Spokane), Secretary Jean Snider (Snohomish), Treasurer Dee Ann Kline (Clark) and directors Susan Fleming (Clark), Linda Benson (Clallam), Julie Sarkissian (Seattle-King County), Jayne Freitag (Seattle-King County), Lea Galanter (Seattle-King County) Roslyn Duffy (Seattle-King County), and Joan Lawson (Seattle-King County). The newly elected Nominating Committee members are Shelly Jones (Pullman), Amanda Clark (Seattle-King County), and Kathy Sakahara (Seattle-King County).
• Approving bylaws changes: The big change is the LWVWA transitioning from board elections every two years to every year, meaning that board terms will be staggered. This will require some adjustment, but it minimizes the possibility of a complete board turnover at one time. It also means that the LWVWA council will include a board election, which will require the same number of delegates (30) for a quorum as at the convention.
• Announcing the LWVWA 2022 Council:  Next year’s council will be in Everett and hosted by the Snohomish and Skagit County Leagues.

The convention also included more than 20 workshops and caucuses, which are now available through the convention portal. Attendees were impressed with the thoroughness and professionalism of the presentations, and most local Leagues are following up to see what their members want to work on. Dr. Margo Hill (Spokane Tribe) was inspiring in her talk on women warriors, Jerry Price (Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction) presented a fast trip through the social studies/civic education program, the Research Plan for Assessing LWVWA Effectiveness (see article in this TMIL) was presented, and Dawn Bayman (Spokane) shared materials for local use in messaging as well as inspiring examples of the power of video.

The Investment Committee reported on the LWVWA’s investments, explained how funds are invested, and how much goes to support operations and programs. The investments have been very successful this year (see the convention workbook).

As is the tradition, “directions to the board” were made and will be responded to through the TMIL. Remember, input to the board is always welcome, as is your attendance at board meetings (generally the third Monday and Tuesday afternoons of the month, but not during July and August).

Appreciation
The local League awards were very hard to decide. So many Leagues, regardless of size, are doing impressive programs and actions. The winners include:

• Strengthening Democracy, LWV of Clark County, for Speak Up Schools
• Honorable mention: LWV of Snohomish County, for Voter Services
• Community Connection, LWV of Kitsap County, for DEI Engagement and Education
• Honorable Mention: LWV of Skagit County, for Drive-Through Voter Registration
• Effective Member Engagement and Recruitment, tie: LWV of Clark County, for Effective Use of Social Media in Engaging and Recruiting Members, and the LWV of Kitsap County, for Building Democracy and Reaching Out to Youth
• The Dorothy Roberts Award was divided between Catherine Ahl, known for her decades-long service as the Education lobbyist, and Ann Murphy, for her equally long service on state and local boards.

The Evergreen Award—which symbolizes green vibrancy and lifelong connections, grows on both sides of the Cascades, and represents our state as a whole better than many other symbols—was given to Karen Verrill. Karen started out producing a mimeographed handout about the state of Washington and ultimately published the civics education text The State We’re In: Washington, which is used in both elementary and high schools to achieve the League-supported civic education graduation high school requirement. A past recipient of the Dorothy Roberts Award, Karen just gets better and better.

More than 150 people participated in making the convention happen, the caucuses, the business, the workshops (recorded and materials are on the League website). The evaluations are coming in and reinforce what professional and conscientious people we have, all defending democracy in their own way. This generous sharing of the League’s good work is inspiring and motivating. Please look at the convention workbook for a list of the many people who are working for you and democracy.

By Amy Peloff, LWVWA Administrative Director

Deadline for Democracy Virtual Rally
On Sat., July 10, over 120 people joined the LWVWA and Fix Democracy First for a rousing Deadline for Democracy Virtual Rally. The rally featured a wide range of speakers, including Transformative Justice Coalition President Barbara Arnwine; state Sen. Patty Kuderer; state Rep. Javier Valdez; University of Washington professor and Common Power Associate Director David Domke; community activists Cynthia Anderson and Lyneisha Williams, and of course, LWVWA President Lunell Haught.

The strategy for organizing an engaging rally was to focus on providing a mix of people who could testify to the need for passing both the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act from a variety of perspectives—elected state officials, professional organizers, and citizens who have committed to being engaged activists.

The rally capitalized on the energy of these inspiring speakers by asking attendees to commit to concrete action by filling out a Deadline for Democracy Action Commitment form that offered a variety of actions to take. Those who included their email address were sent a follow-up email with instructions on how to accomplish their tasks. From how to call your senator and writing a letter to the editor to talking to friends and family, the idea was to make sure attendees could turn their rally attendance into impactful activities that would create momentum for advocacy beyond the rally itself.

Next Steps
The LWVUS provided a grant to work all summer on building statewide support for the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. The LWV of Washington will be hiring a summer intern to help us find ways to use OutreachCircle to build a statewide network of people ready to take action in support of federal voting rights legislation. Building this network will help us also improve our advocacy work on state and local issues.

The League is building a team of people across the state who want to work in their local communities on building support and educating people on the importance of federal voting rights legislation this summer. The commitment is flexible—you can attend planning meetings or just receive emails asking you to recruit people to write letters to the editor. If you are interested in helping to promote the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, contact me, Amy Peloff, and together we can find ways to help pass these bills.

By Beatrice Crane, Vote411 Project Manager

Vote411 has now published information for the primary elections. Some League members have been waiting to see which candidates have responded and which might need a little nudge to provide answers to the League's questions. We encourage you all to check your local races. A word from a constituent has more weight than a paragraph from me.

Today is the day that ballots are mailed out and voters will start making their choices, so candidates who have not yet responded should do so as soon as possible. The more candidates we can encourage to participate, the more useful the Vote411 guide is to voters.

Please also let us know about your forums!
Please send information about forums to vote411@lwvwa.org so they can be listed in Vote411. Sending them to the state just gets them on the state website, so do include the Vote411 address as well. You should be aware that the listing actually happens at the national level, so your forums may not appear immediately

by Beth Pellicciotti, Research Plan for Assessing LWVWA Effectiveness Committee

During the 2021 LWVWA Convention, President Lunell Haught presented the LWVWA Research Plan for Assessing LWVWA Effectiveness and then introduced two League members involved in the first step of the plan and the interviews of 100 members.

Haught traced the origins of the Research Plan to the 2017 Strategic Plan. She noted, “Building a plan is the easy part. Doing the plan is hard, and finding out if you’ve succeeded is harder still.”

The purpose of this research is to do just that—for the LWVWA to take stock after five years of implementing the Strategic Plan. The LWVWA wants to know how it has met the three goals in the Strategic Plan: to increase LWVWA impact in public policies and civic involvement, to facilitate local League work, and to strengthen organizational capacity.

The first step involved training 20 League volunteers on the Appreciative Inquiry interview method. Volunteers learned to ask open-ended questions about members’ League experience and to listen for in-depth responses. 

Next, 100 League members were chosen to be interviewed, some because of knowledge of voter services, civics education, advocacy, or DEI, and others chosen at random. Haught noted that some members picked at random initially declined the interview, worried that they did not know enough about the League. Haught would respond, “Then you are perfect.” In an organization which has grown from 2,400 to 2,700 members in just two years, insights from newer members are critical.

Then the internal interviews were analyzed, and coders picked out consistent themes within the interviews and checked each other’s work. The preliminary results suggest that many members joined the League after being invited by a friend, seeking the League because of their long-term interest in politics.

Knowing that members have an early-on interest in politics should be a “heads-up for the League,” said Haught, “We need to be in the schools more, engaging with young people.”

Members want to be involved in a nonpartisan organization, participate in voter outreach, show support for racial justice, help educate the electorate in civic engagement, and broaden the political engagement by underrepresented groups.

Another consistent theme: the League needs to be more welcoming to new members. Haught emphasized, “We do not want to be the gotcha organization which consistently points out, ‘You did that wrong.’”

When members were asked about the best future for the League, they envisioned local Leagues working less in isolation from each other. Members also want the League to resist moving from nonpartisanship to a more partisan alignment.

These themes will be used to develop a survey for all 2,700 League members, with results shared with members and perhaps calling for adjustment of the Strategic Plan strategies. Members should look for the internal survey this fall.

Following the internal interviews and survey is the external survey of stakeholders. Haught said the LWVWA needs to know, “Are we doing what we need to be doing? What do our allies and non-allies think is our impact?” 

The results of this survey will also be reported back to members. University interns will help the League research specific contacts for the external survey.

Funding for this work comes from the 401(c)(3) budget, with $18,000 allocated in both 2020 and 2021 and $69,000 in 2022. Washington State University (WSU) faculty are donating $52,000 in staff time, with an additional $6,000 allocated by the League for three students interns from Gonzaga University and WSU.

What is it like to listen to interviews with 100 League members talking about their experiences in the League? Lunell Haught introduced two League members—one involved in listening to interviews and the other in conducting interviews.

Stephanie Ellie Martin, a Gonzaga University doctoral student, listened to and read transcripts of 100 interviews as part of her analysis work on the Research Plan for Assessing LWVWA Effectiveness. She describes this experience as “thrilling. I was hooked on the League.” She recently joined the Spokane League.

“I heard members sharing so many different stories. All these stories came together under the League umbrella,” Martin said. “I realized how diverse our membership is, how varied the backgrounds that members bring to the League.”

In an engaging back-and-forth dialogue with Martin, Karen Kiessling, a Pullman League member since 1967, described conducting 15 interviews. “I had training in Appreciative Inquiry, a way of interviewing that asks only a few open-ended questions, and gives those answering plenty of time to think.”

Kiessling described herself as someone who has trouble leaving “white spaces” in conversations. She learned that she needed to give those she interviewed extra time to respond. She noted that these white spaces yielded answers that were in-depth and thoughtful.

From this interview process, Martin and Kiessling learned the following:

Many members moved to Washington state for retirement. They chose the state and the League with intent. Kiessling said, “We need to think of newly arrived residents as a goldmine for the League. How do we reach out to these prospective members?”

Younger members are very busy. Martin asked, “How do we honor the busyness of other generations? We need to reach out to different age groups and meet them where they are. The League has so much to offer younger members.” 

Members join because friends encouraged their membership. Kiessling said, “It could be as simple as saying, ‘You would be good for the League.’” Martin added, “Invite college students to join when you go out on college campuses. That’s how I got involved.”

Members join to be part of important work. Kiessling said, “Members appreciate the education they receive in the League, the discussion. They like the focus on nonpartisanship and being active and involved in their communities.”

Diversity, equity, and inclusion is important for the League. Martin said, “In almost all of the interviews, I heard that we need to continue to support our DEI initiatives.” 

Kiessling encouraged all members to complete the forthcoming LWVWA internal survey, which is being designed with input from these 100 interviews.

She said, “Whether you have been with the League a week or 54 years, answer these survey questions. The LWVWA wants to know, ‘What are we doing now to meet our goals? What should we be doing differently?’”

You can listen to the full recording of this Research Project Presentation on YouTube.

Put Yourself on the Map
The once-a-decade redistricting process is underway in Washington state. Every 10 years, after the federal census, we redraw the boundaries of our congressional and legislative electoral districts to ensure that each district represents an equal number of residents.

To ensure that our congressional and legislative district maps take into account as many local ideas as possible, the Washington State Redistricting Commission needs to hear from you. We need you to identify communities that need a greater voice and to say how to make your district competitive and representative.

Find your time by congressional district. Testify about legislative and congressional district maps when you are asked to turn on your sound and video. 

CD 1 & 2 - July 24, 2021, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

CD 4 & 5 - July 24, 2021, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

CD 3 & 6 - July 26, 2021, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

CD 7 & 9 - July 31, 2021, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

CD 8 & 10 - July 31, 2021, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Don't wait, register for public comment by clicking on the date above. 
Testifying doesn't take long. Follow these simple steps:

• Register and join the meeting with the link sent to you.
• Prepare to talk on Zoom for 2 minutes.
• Introduce yourself and which congressional and legislative districts you live in.
• Say what you like or dislike about your districts.
• Share a personal story about why this is important to you.
• End by repeating, in one sentence, how you'd like the commissioners to draw the maps.

Detailed instructions for testifying in virtual public meetings are provided and the League of Women Voters has developed online video training explaining the redistricting process, writing effective testimony, and testifying. Free interpreter and translation services are available.

You can help the LWVWA reach our goal of 2,000 people testifying. Everyone counts.

Which congressional district do you live in?

Find your districts here.

Any questions, please contact Alison McCaffree, LWVWA Redistricting Issue Chair. 

Joan Lawson, Advocacy Portfolio Director, LWV of Washington

The League’s mission is to inform and encourage participation in government and to influence public policy through advocacy. That is what we do, thanks to the 14 issue leads on our Advocacy Team, local League Action Chairs, and League members around the state who respond to action alerts and other calls for action.

Issues are based on League positions. National League priority issues are democracy, climate change, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Our state issue leads work on elections, election security, money in politics, census, redistricting, climate change, energy, transportation, social justice, criminal justice, gun safety, health care, behavioral health, reproductive rights, housing, homelessness, education, budget, revenue, a public bank, and forests, rivers, and water issues.

The volunteer team works throughout the year, speaking at local Leagues and units, putting on action workshops, organizing Lobby Week (including arranging virtual meetings with state senators and legislative district representatives), and giving presentations at the state council and convention. This past year, virtual presentations brought increased participation of League members.

During the legislative session, the Advocacy Team attends hearings, meets with legislators, and submits oral and written testimony to both House and Senate public hearings. They meet weekly with the League’s contact lobbyist to determine the most important action alerts of the week and to put out the weekly Legislative Newsletter (available to members and nonmembers), which provides a thorough review of the status of bills.

The COVID-19 pandemic allowed thousands of people to participate virtually in public hearings this year. Even more participated by signing in pro or con on bills because of the electronic opportunity to do so. When the legislature goes back to business as usual, this kind of participation ought to continue.

The final Legislative Newsletter provides a summary of the session and includes links to issue web pages. In addition, a report summarizing the 2021 Legislative bills provides an overview of the Advocacy Team’s scope of the 2021 legislative session. For further information about issues you are especially interested in, see the Advocacy section of the LWVWA website.

The League participated with 12 coalitions during this past legislative session. This allowed collaboration and coordination on testimony, joint letters to legislators and the governor, and the fusion of members from multiple organizations weighing in on legislation together. This process reinforces the League’s voice with the legislature and augments our ability to get key legislation passed. The Washington Voting Justice Coalition gave us the opportunity to work with many Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities.

You may have been especially pleased that the LWVWA endorsed Referendum 90 to approve comprehensive sexual health education that aligns with state learning standards. Public school curriculum must be medically and scientifically accurate, evidence-informed, age appropriate, aligned with health and learning standards, and include all students, regardless of protected-class status.

We also take pride in participating in an amicus curiae brief for Garfield County Transportation Authority v. State of Washington ($30 car tabs) case. The Washington Supreme Court ruled that Initiative 976 was unconstitutional because the title did not cover the subject. The court’s decision focused on the same basis for which the League provided supporting arguments. Indeed, our brief was quoted in the main opinion in the discussion of the subject-in-title requirement.

As the state League continues its advocacy, you are vital in establishing or continuing your relationship with your own legislative district representatives and senator by visiting their offices, attending their town halls, and reading their newsletters. Remember that the League is nonpartisan; we are political, not partisan.

Roundup of the 2021 LWVUS National Council

The 2021 National Council meeting was held virtually June 24–27. Nearly 200 League leaders representing 47 states and the District of Columbia met for four days of training, presentations, and networking. The theme, Building Our Power Together, was designed for League members to deepen their strategic planning and thinking as leaders in the organization.   

Read all about highlights from the council on the LWVUS website.

Join Good Trouble Vigils for Democracy

We must pass the For the People Act, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and D.C. Statehood—and we can’t let anything stand in our way!

Join the LWVUS for a Good Trouble Vigil for Democracy on Sat., July 17—the first anniversary of the passing of Rep. John Lewis—as we carry on his legacy by hosting candlelight vigils nationwide to demand that Congress act to protect our freedom to vote and rebuild our democracy.

Sign up to join a vigil near you! Don't see one? The LWVUS has a site filled with information about how to host your own vigil, including a hosting toolkit, a John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act Toolkit, a For the People Act Toolkit, and other resources.

Women Power Democracy

The national League has formulated a new program, Women Power Democracy, a four-part approach that includes the following:

• Democracy Truth Project: Countering mis- and disinformation in our government and advancing public understanding of the democratic process.
• Expand the Franchise: Increasing voter participation, with a focus on underrepresented populations and voters who don’t vote often.
• Democracy Defense Fund: Protecting voting rights and advancing a more equitable democracy through advocacy and voter-protection efforts. 
• People-Powered Fair Maps: Advocating, educating, and organizing to create transparent, people-powered electoral maps and eliminate gerrymandering during 2021 redistricting. 

This work will take shape through League activations, trainings, and workshops to support the public in advance of the 2022 midterm elections.

The following are volunteer roles the LWV of Washington is seeking help with. This is your opportunity to play an important part in your state League!
 

Office 365 Support

Do you know how to use SharePoint and/or Microsoft Teams? Have you ever set up some Power Automate actions? We need someone to help take the LWVWA to the next level in our technology usage. An expert would be great, but a tech-savvy person who is really interested in figuring out how to use these technologies to make the League more efficient and connected (and has the time and energy to do so) would be a big help, too! This work could include experimenting with the technology, providing tech support to members, administering guest access, exploring how to make this technology available to local Leagues, and any other ideas that we come up with. Contact Amy Peloff.
 

Social Media Expert

The LWVWA is seeking a social media savvy League member to help post to the LWVWA’s social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram). Role would require checking daily alerts and news sources for information about the League as well as posting interesting and educational events in line with League issues. We especially need someone who knows Instagram. Contact Lea Galanter.

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