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June 2022
LWVUS Convention 2022
Advocacy and Program
Post Board Summary
President's Letter
Dear League Leaders,
Here we are in the final week before the June 2022 primary. Let me start this update with an appreciation for all our members’ work in providing information about the candidates in the newly formed state and local districts of your communities. Your work on candidates forums and in persuading candidates to post information on Voter’s Edge is priceless. It’s in the best tradition of empowering voters with the knowledge they need to participate in our government.
Speaking of voter service work, please take time to respond to the Voter Service Survey. It will be most interesting to see how your work progressed, whether your candidate forums were virtual or live, what organizations you worked with, what successes and what problems you experienced. Thanks for taking the time to fill out the survey.
On Election Day, if you or your League members become aware of problems with the voting locations in your area or intimidation of election workers or voters, please contact your local elections office to report them. Also please send an email to lwvc [at] lwvc.org about this. The League is working with the ACLU, AAAJ, and Common Cause to track such information.
The LWVUS Convention is fast approaching. As in all Conventions, there are decisions to be made about programs, bylaws, budget, and new members of the Board of Directors. The LWVC Board examined the proposed program and bylaws and made recommendations. Check here for the recommendations and discussion. Delegate briefings are scheduled for June 9, 2022 at 6:30 and June 10, 2022 at 12:00 to help delegates learn what to expect. Please register and participate.
Advocacy continues even during election season. Last Friday was the deadline for bills to pass out of their first house. Several action alerts were sent out to League members and supporters to ask them to contact their legislators about three high-priority bills in elections and reproductive rights.
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AB 2841 (Low) will prevent mistaken voter registration cancellation and protect the voting rights of people with disabilities under conservatorship,
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SB 1375 (Atkins) will allow thousands of experienced California nurse practitioners to provide first-trimester abortion care, a critically needed healthcare service,
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SB 1439 (Glazer) closes a pay-to-play loophole that allows local elected officials to accept huge campaign contributions from donors who seek permits, licenses, or entitlements from the officials.
All the bills received the votes they needed to move to the second house! Advocacy on them continues. These are not the only bills League is working on. Please check here for a summary of other bills and here for information on a voter education budget funding request that the LWVC is leading.
The Nominating Committee is open for business! Please consider your fellow League members for possible nomination to the LWVC Board of Directors. Make suggestions of people to guide the LWVC into the future.
This last month has been one saddening thing after another. People look at the attacks on voting rights, elections, reproductive freedom, and the horrible murders of Black Americans grocery shopping and elementary school students and teachers at school and feel defeated. They ask “What can we do to fix things; to make things better?”
For we League members the answer is clear. Keep doing what we are doing. Offer voters accurate information; continue to share information about how to handle vote by ballots and encourage them to sign up with Where’s My Ballot. Engage other people in our work so that people see people like themselves involved in and trusting our elections and the people running them. As to reproductive freedom, gun control, housing, climate change, the answer is similar. The League has positions on those issues. It is actively involved in advocacy on them at the state and national levels. Support the efforts; respond to Action Alerts, and share them with your circle of friends.
And while you are doing all your good work please remember to take care of yourselves emotionally and physically.
Yours,
Carol
LWVUS Convention 2022
The LWVC Board of Directors considered the Proposed Bylaws, Recommended Program, and the Not Recommended Items that will be considered during the upcoming LWVUS Convention. After a lengthy discussion the Board concluded the following:
Bylaw Proposal #1 Unified Membership System; Elimination of PMP – support
Bylaw Proposal #2 Updating Apportionment of Delegates – support
Bylaw Proposal #3 Nominating Committee Process & Composition – no conclusion
Bylaw Proposal #4 Board Meetings – no conclusion
Bylaw Proposal #5 Elimination of Age Requirement – oppose
Recommended Program
Campaign to Make Democracy Work – support
Concurrence with Criminal Justice Position – support
Concurrence to Update Health Care Position – support
The Board recognizes that Bylaw Proposal #1 (Unified Membership System; Elimination of PMP) is a very big change in the way the League handles membership and dues. Change is hard and uncomfortable. The Board also sees that the existing system does not meet our current needs, and does not use technology that can make the process work smoothly. The details on how the system will work are still to be ironed out, with lots of good League discussion and debate informing the process. One detail is clearly stated in the proposed bylaw the LWVUS will not receive more than one third (⅓) of the net revenue of dues. This bylaw proposal is the first step, setting the direction for research and work to create the full system.
The Board believes the concept behind the proposal is a good one and that approval of the bylaw will justify the expenditure of money and time on creating an effective, and useful system for setting dues and processing membership information. The unified membership provision will ease the process for prospective members. The long range benefits outweigh the uncertainty. This is why the Board supports the proposed bylaw.
What does this mean for California Leagues? The Board believes that local Leagues will receive a larger share of dues than they currently do. It will reduce the administrative work of Leagues in tracking members and dues payments. Local Leagues will not lose the ability to set their own program and projects. As to the LWVC, the Board believes that not much change will occur.
For more background on the proposal take a look at the Transformation Roadmap released in 2018. The executive summary is a short version of the Roadmap. This was the result of a process that began about seven years ago as the LWVUS started to explore how to ensure the League will remain a strong, effective organization that will carry the Mission into the future.
In addition take a look at the Structure Task Force site, in particular the FAQs. This site also has a webinar recording that addresses the proposed change in the context of the DEI policy.
There are two California Delegate Briefings scheduled to help delegates learn what to expect. Please register to attend.
June 9, 2022 at 6:30 - click to register
June 10, 2022 at 12:00 - click to register
Advocacy and Program
The last two months are busy ones for Advocacy work. In addition to following legislation, testifying and submitting letters to committees, the LWVC launched Action Alerts to support high priority three bills to pass from the first legislative house so that it can be taken up by the other house.
The effort to secure funding for voter education and outreach in the budget is gaining steam. The LWVC Advocate Dora Rose and a broad coalition are working with the Secretary of State and other key stakeholders to incorporate our request in the final budget. We also secured the support of twenty-one voting rights organizations, seventeen legislators, the California Association of Clerks and Elections Officials (CACEO), and the LA CountyBoard of Supervisors. Here’s a link to the Voter Education & Outreach Legislative Budget Request championed by Assemblymembers Aguiar-Curry and Mike Fong. Our coalition support letter can be found here.
Bills LWVC is co-sponsoring
-The Racial Justice Act for All (AB 256, Kalra) is still in Senate Appropriations. We expect the bill will continue moving forward during the summer. We’re working with the co-sponsor coalition to prepare action alerts and other campaigns to make sure the RJA4All gets passed out of the State Senate and signed by the Governor.
-AB 2841 (Low), which will prevent mistaken voter registration cancellation and protect the voting rights of people with disabilities under conservatorship, was passed out of the Assembly Elections Committee and is now in Assembly Appropriations. We’re getting ready to send an action alert to support the bill as soon as it makes it off the suspense file.
If you would like to watch LWVC testimony on two bills back to back (AB 2808 opposition and AB 2841 support), start the video at 1 hour 22 minutes in.
Updates on legislation related to elections
-AB 2808 (O’Donnell) would have banned the use of ranked choice voting for state and local elections. We sent out a targeted action alert and gave testimony in the Assembly Elections Committee to oppose the bill. The bill did not receive a vote, and as of May 6, the bill is dead.
-AB 1660 (Nguyen) would have required elections officials to not count ballots that showed signs of damage. We testified in opposition and the bill failed in Committee.
-AB 1819 (Lee) which closes a loophole in the Political Reform Act by banning foreign-influenced corporations from contributing to candidates, parties, or political committees, is another bill for which we testified in support.
You can watch back to back LWVC testimony in opposition to AB 1660 and in support of AB 1819 starting at 60 minutes in this video.
Redistricting
The League is supporting several bills to establish Citizens Redistricting Commissions in Fresno, Kern, and Riverside Counties. Each bill will create an independent commission in these counties that will protect voting rights, promote fair representation, and draw fair maps. Most recently, the LWVC provided testimony on the Fresno bill to pass it out of the Assembly Elections and the Assembly Local Government Committees.
Check out the Bill Status Report to see where each bill is in the process. You can also see which bills we are following and analyzing on the Bills of Interest Report.
May 2022 Post Board Summary
LWVC/LWVCEF Boards of Directors Meetings
May 21, 2022 – Electronic Meetings
IMPORTANT DATES TO CALENDAR:
- June 7, 2022 – Statewide Direct Primary Election
- June 23-26, 2022- LWVUS Convention information here
- July 25, 2022 – Future of California Elections Conference – Burbank, CA
- September 20, 2022 – National Voter Registration Day
- November 8, 2022 – General Election
LWVC MEETING SUMMARY
The LWVC Board of Directors met virtually and acted as follows.
GOVERNANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
Ratification of LWVC Special Meeting Actions
- April 27, 2022 Executive Committee – Meeting held relating to banking services
- May 16, 2022 Executive Committee – Meeting held relating to personnel matters
LWVC Board Committees and Task Forces
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Approved Voter Engagement Task Force Charter
LWVC Local Leagues
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Approved proposed name change for LWV Western Nevada County to LWV Nevada County and voted to recommend approval of the change to the LWVUS Board of Directors
Local League Coaches Program (LLCs)
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Appointed Mary Ellen Barnes (LWV Palos Verdes Peninsula) as a local League Coach
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Appointed Alexandra Starr (LWV Fremont, Newark, Union City) as a local League Coach
LWVUS Convention 2022
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Appointed LWVC Delegates: President Carol Moon Goldberg; Directors Maxine Anderson, Cynthia Heard, Helen Hutchison, Shelly Saini; and Executive Director Stephanie Doute.
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Directed the LWVC delegation to vote for approval of the Recommended Program, specifically the Campaign for Making Democracy Work, concur with the Criminal Justice Position, and concur with Health Care position update.
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Directed the LWVC delegation to oppose consideration of Not Recommended Items: Concurrence with Election Security position and study of “Digital Democracy.”
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Directed the LWVC delegation to vote for approval of the Proposed Bylaws Amendment No. 1: Unified Membership System, and Elimination of Per Member Payment; and Proposed Bylaws Amendment No. 2 updating the Apportionment of Delegates at Convention.
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Directed the LWVC delegation to vote against Proposed Bylaws Amendment No 5, the Elimination of Age Requirement for Voting Membership.
Closed Session
The LWVC Board held a Closed Session to discuss personnel related matters.
FINANCE
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Received and filed the LWVC Balance Sheet as of March 31, 2022; Budget by Class July 2021 to March 2022; and Budget vs. Actuals July 2021 to March 2022.
LWVCEF MEETING SUMMARY
The LWVCEF Board of Directors acted as follows.
GOVERNANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
Ratification of LWVCEF Special Meeting Actions
- April 27, 2022 Executive Committee – Meeting held relating to banking services
LWVCEF Board Committees and Task Forces
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Approved Voter Engagement Task Force Charter
FINANCE
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Received and filed the LWVCEF Balance Sheet as of March 31, 2022; Budget by Class July 2021 to March 2022; and Budget vs. Actuals July 2021 to March 2022.
Caroline de Llamas
LWVC/EF Secretary
cdellamas [at] lwvc.org
